Another possible remedy would be to confine the blind to their homes, or let them be run over.

Hey!  I was thinking the same thing...except replace blind with neo-conservative.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

Another possibility would be to assign sighted guides to all blind people, and chauffeur-driven cars.

It should play a tape blaring "Hey, yoose, you deaf motherfucker.  Get the fuck outta the way before I should run you the fuck down."

Illegitimi non carborundum.

I think that you have perfectly captured the true spirit of New York City.  We would, of course, also need other messages to be broadcast in other locations.  In Muslim countries, naturally the required message would be "Allah hu akbar!".  In Beverly Hills, it could say "Get out of my way, little people, I'm a celebrity!"  In Alaska it would say "Vote for McCain and Palin!" And so forth.

We could clothespin cards to the spokes like we did when we were kids.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

Yes, I thought of that, the only problem being that car wheels, unlike bicycle wheels, don't actually have spokes.  But perhaps we could re-design the electric car to use wheels with spokes.  Who speaks for spokes?  You could become the spokesman for this movement.  Of course, the car spokes would have to be stronger than bicycle spokes, so we might need a creative new design.  Perhaps we could get Leonard Nimoy to invent the Spock Spoke.

I think the Prius already incorporates something like this. When you're in reverse and the car's running only on the electric motor, it makes a beeping noise to warn people. It's similar to what happens with a bus or large truck, though not quite as loud. I wouldn't be surprised to see GM include the same feature on the Volt.

This is why bicycles need to be banned. Been run over three times by dweebs on bicycles.

- derumi (del-me)
"Bobby Fischer? Man, that guy is crazy!" - Mike Tyson

All I see now are bicyclists on cell phones, too.

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

All I see now are bicyclists on cell phones, too.

Ah, but you see, you were run over three times by bicycles and you SURVIVED.  (I am assuming that your comments are not being submitted from beyond the grave.)  Had you been run over by cars instead, the result would likely have been more lethal.  Of course, alert cyclists would ring their bells if necessary, to alert you to their approach.  

Actually, if we want to compare those experiences with the one time someone hit me with a car, I got injured three times by bicycle, and bumped slightly by some blind granny backing out of her parking spot at a (thankfully) granny-like pace.

A bit skewed, since I be just a sample of one.

- derumi (del-me)
"Bobby Fischer? Man, that guy is crazy!" - Mike Tyson

Well, I wasn't thinking $/mile, but Megajoule per mile, or more conventionally Miles per Megajoule.  Future costs of gasoline and electricity might change your value equation very quickly.

How far in the future? The details on the Volt are pretty thin, but I'd guess $40K is at least a $15k premium over a comparable conventional car, or 150,000 miles at current gas prices. The cost of gas would have to double before it would make sense to get a Volt at $40K.

Since when does anyone buy a car to make sense? The only reasons I know of for people buying cars is to compensate for a small dick or prove their shit don't stink.

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.

The only reasons I know of for people buying cars is to compensate for a small dick or prove their shit don't stink.

I have an 8 year old Plymouth Neon.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

"I have an 8 year old Plymouth Neon."

I thought they all pretty much fell apart before the 5th year.

Actually, it still runs pretty well..I have to start it with a screwdriver (the ignition switch is a stunning example of American automotive engineering).  But the a/c works well, plus it gets about 33mpg.  Oh yeah...no payment.  Us budding porn stars need to economize when we're just starting out.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

Needing transportation from point A to point B doesn't enter into it at all?

[Full disclosure: I drive a seven-year-old Ford Explorer Sport (two-door, two-wheel drive).]

{Insert amusing quotation here}

I've noticed that the less meat one eats, the less odoriferous the excrement.  Although, I have known some guys to take great pride in the strength of their emissions...some even giving them names.

Many years ago, the son of my then girlfriend came up for a visit.  Not only did this boy eat prodigious amounts of meat, I believe he ate roadkill as well.  At one point I left a candle burning in the bathroom to reduce the stench...even a little.  Have you ever seen a candle burn with a green aura?

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

I agree that reducing or eliminating meat consumption - especially red meat - does errr "subdue" (yeah there's a good word) the green cloud to one extent or another. Nonetheless, I would never describe the bouquet of human excrement - even that of a Volt-driving vegan - as anything other than unpleasant.

{Insert amusing quotation here}

" did you ever notice your own farts smell okay?"

George Carlin

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

... they'll light up the room if you set fire to them.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

Well considering we were blatantly threadjacking, I wasn't going to traverse that particular avenue of inquiry. But now that you have, I will say only that I was assuming we were discussing your opinion of mine (or my opinion of yours) rather than ruminating on the auto-olfactory consequences of flatulence or excrement.

{Insert amusing quotation here}