Dystopian cars

- Levina

Dystopian cars, artistic interpretation by Michelle Shemper

The humble taxi driver is not what one suspects to be the backbone of a society, however, they would be proven wrong. Getting residents from point A to point B is one of the most important pillars of metropolitan areas. Climbing on an uphill trend on social media, however, are the harbingers of dystopia: self driving Uber cars picking up pretty girls in sparkly dresses from city curbs. While these posts are bringing in millions of likes for aesthetics, ignorance is circling media outlets just as much. The fear of unwanted advancements from drivers, while extremely valid, should be regulated from those online mindlessly liking a video and changing their opinions to become convinced that self-driving cars wouldn’t become a danger. 

“Ignorance is bliss” is a common saying, but it takes only a moment to open one’s eyes to the reality of society that surrounds them. No matter what the media might influence, they cannot change the facts.There needs to be an expansion of the educational background of what and what not is a danger to the individuals of a society. 

Not only do cars provide an outlet for people to steam out frustration or to take a break after a long day of work, car transportation is also an outlet for  employment, from taxi drivers to automotive engineers. These people earn a living for themselves through the workings of cars, driving, and the mechanics of vehicles. 

So what would happen when multi-millionaires with nothing to spare but a hobby invent cars that can self steer and park? The consequences could be dire. Many jobs would sink and the individuals gaining money to sustain a living would be left with no other option, making them an active part of an unjust society of artificial intelligence operating cars for free. This is the definition of dystopia and what would be a reality for many of these people if the government did nothing but encourage the takeover of self-driving vehicles. 

Countless novels like Animal Farm, The Hunger Games, The Handmaid’s Tale, and many more consist of dystopian societies and highlight injustices in society and how individuals are able to overcome corruption. They highlight the hopes bestowed upon humanity in order to turn the Earth not into a planet void of life but one in which green life can thrive. However, today, we continue to see moves pointing toward corrupt governments around the world where the power is reserved for the rich. 

The culture that exists through the veins of humans is what unites us. It is what being humane is — having mercy, compassion, identity, these are the core pillars of humanity. It is what is able to differentiate us from heartless machines capable of tearing down the basis of society in which there had been many centuries worth cultivating. 

Modernity is a double-edged sword: it holds the delicate balance of destruction and creation. Weaving between an intense swamp of competition, mankind rushes in winning the race in which individuals are pitted against each other like gladiators being watched by the Fates. Each gladiator has a sponsor, and when they don’t, it makes it even more important that they don’t die in the ring. One who wants to win means nothing against the one who needs to win. It consumes his very flesh and in the end he emerges victorious from the ring, clawing his way towards the light. However, he is never able to reach that light that seems so close but yet so far at the same time. 

Those are the ones in the world who need to be rewarded. The taxi drivers who are dependent on their earnings through taking others from place to place, absorbing the stories from each passenger and traveling into different lives every hour.