Written for the 30-day creative writing challenge hosted by Nicky and Mike of We Work For Cheese. Today's prompt is Behind the Wheel. Today is the 4th day into this 30-day challenge. Only 26 to go!
Another way to solve the traffic problems of this country is to pass a law that only paid-for cars be allowed to use the highways. - Will Rogers
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| Photo courtesy of Wikipedia |
Will Rogers (1879 - 1935) a vaudeville performer, actor, humorist and an American cowboy was probably the best known celebrities during the 1920s and 1930. He died in a small plane crash in Alaska in 1935.
Back in 1935 life was different, things costs less, and salaries were less too. Here are some examples: A car cost $580 and gas was 19 cents a gallon. A loaf of bread and a gallon of milk were 8 cents and 47 cents, respectively. Your house was around $6,300 and your salary around $1,500. During the 1930s there were approximately 2.7 million cars sold compared with an estimated 254 million cars on the road today. With that in mind, it seems odd that there would have been enough people behind the wheel for traffic to have been an issue over 75 years ago.
With more cars being built and sold today, the average price being some 50 times greater than in 1935 and car loans being up to 6 years, the concept of not allowing unpaid for cars on the road is unfathomable.
"...the concept of not allowing unpaid for cars on the road is unfathomable."
ReplyDeleteStill, it is sort of genius, don't you think?
:)
Will was a comic genius. Pointed and yet loveable, which is probably why his humor endures. Nice to see this quote, which is new to me. Good post.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda .. I have to agree with Jayne .. definitely genius idea!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post .. cheers Hilary
It sure would be nice to go back to 19 cents a gallon.
ReplyDeleteHeck, it would be nice to go back to 2.75 per gallon... :D
What a great quote- maybe if it was enforced some of the idiots on the roads these days would be history!
ReplyDeleteSince nobody's taking the common man's side I will have to play devil's advocate (not easy for me!) As one of the biggest celebrities and superstar actors of his day Rogers would have been rich. A man of his means wouldn't need a loan for any car or house he desired. But the millions of commoners who saw his movies (and thus made him rich) had no such means. They would've needed car and house loans. It's not a stretch to therefore think that 'ole Will was mocking the very fans responsible for his fortune and fame.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe we should consider "saddle up" and ride!
ReplyDeleteWell, in the UK in the 50's you could count the cars you saw on the road in a day, in London. We still played ball games in the road!
ReplyDeleteIf I was smart, I would have bought a few cars in 1935 and sold them for the going rate today.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, the idea of 254 million cars in just one country is unfathomable to me.
ReplyDeleteWill Rogers is a very smart man.
ReplyDeleteWow - they're be like probably only 20% of the current vehicles on the road. Imagine!
Jayne- It would be interesting, and encourage folks to save for their cars. Not sure what it would do to the manufacturing. Not everyone could afford to buy new cars.
ReplyDeleteMike- It was new to me, too, and an interesting - if impractical- concept.
Hilary- It is an interesting idea, but it would make it hard for a lot of people to get around.
P.J. - I'm with you on that. I can remember when it was 29 cents a gallon.
life in the mom lane- There is certainly no shortage of those!
notactuallygod - Not sure about mocking exactly, but it is another way to look at it. He was suggesting something that would likely not affect him personally.
Linda- I had a not-so-pleasant experience with my ride sporting a saddle instead of wheels. I like horses just fine...I prefer wheels to get around.
Babs- We had a fair number of cars around when I was growing up, but our neighborhood was a lot like you describe.
Shawn- That would bring in a few bucks.
Nicky- That is pretty amazing. Based on a few rough figures, placed end to end the average cars would circle the earth over 30 times.
Talon- The number would significantly decrease under his suggestion, and would likely be a hardship for many in today's world.