Reflecting on Cars and Mobility Moments

On our way home from dinner the other night in Austin, TX, my son, Samson, and I did a double take as we stopped at a red light along Cesar Chavez Street. A car pulled up alongside us that made us both wonder: Are flying cars next?

The odd vehicle sighting, which I’ll explain more in a minute, got me thinking about all the different vehicles that have been memorable throughout my life. They include:

A white Buick Estate Wagon: This car’s memorable because its inaugural journey took the entire Pollak family—my Mom, my Dad, my three brothers and me—and all our luggage to Monterrey, Mexico. We probably spent close to 25 hours driving to get there. At the time, I remember thinking, why are we here? We were staying at a Ramada Inn in what appeared to be an industrial town.

A Navy Blue Opel Kadett: As the son of a Buick dealer, I could have chosen just about any vehicle as the first one I owned outright. I liked the Kadett. It wasn’t anything special as a car, but it was special to me. My Kadett represented freedom.

A Chevrolet Volt: We were among the first in the Chicago area to own a Chevrolet Volt when it debuted in late 2010. At the time, gas prices ran close to $3 a gallon in our area—a catalyst for the Volt’s “Revolt” vanity plates.  I remember being impressed by the Volt battery’s staying power. I certainly didn’t miss trips to gas stations.

A Tesla Model X. Almost a decade ago, Tesla located one of its service centers in the Chicago suburbs. A former colleague and friend who worked for Tesla arranged to have a Model X (and a driver) pick me up from my house. I was curious about the vehicle’s self-driving capability. On the highway, we let the car drive itself. It was a little unnerving for me to know that the car was driving itself, even though I knew the driver had his eyes on the road and hands close to the wheel. I was also impressed by the vehicle’s head-snapping power.

The autonomous vehicle ride brings me to the stoplight the other night in Austin. The car on our left at the light was empty. No one in the front or back seats. When the light turned green, the car hit the 35 mph speed limit fairly quickly, and we noticed all the sensors/other equipment on the roof. A few blocks later, the vehicle turned left and drove off.

My son and I figured the vehicle must be part of some company’s autonomous vehicle testing program. Whatever the case, we agreed it was a spooky mobility moment that seemed appropriate for this time of year. It also led to reminiscing about past vehicles and wondering how long it’ll be before flying cars dot the skies.