True smart cars

As drivers, we are no longer required to do much of anything to operate newer cars, except steer, brake, speed up, and argue with the GPS. The car unlocks automatically as you approach. You do not need to put a key in the ignition. The headlights go on and off by themselves. The windshield senses when to turn on the wipers. If someone -- we're not naming any names here, but spouses are prime suspects -- messes up your seat settings, the car helpfully resets them for you. The car tells you how to get to your destination, how long you have until you run out of gas, and -- I am SURE this is coming eventually -- will order a latte for you so it is ready and steaming when you get to Starbucks. 

As much as I appreciate the many features of modern cars, I must say that as a dedicated Jetsons watcher in my youth, I am highly disappointed that cars still operate on the ground. I was convinced, watching the Jetsons and all the other Earthlings in Orbit City zip around in their little space cars, that by the time I became an adult we would all have little space cars and be zipping around in them. (I also imagined that we would have robots to do all our chores for us, and you see how well THAT has worked out.)

Failing a space car, I could be persuaded to settle for a KITT car. The KITT car was one of the stars of Knight Rider, which I also spent considerable time watching after the Jetsons phase. True, it doesn't fly, but it talks, thinks, and does all the driving for you. It will come right to you in a crowded parking lot. Plus it has a grappling hook so it can climb cliffs, an underappreciated feature that you never know when you might need. You could tell the car where you want to go, and then lay back and take a nap while it drives you there. Or shave, or work on a report, or eat a four-course dinner, or whatever. Of course, many of us do these things already, AS we are driving. 

Some will point out that with all my ideas for the ideal car being derived from TV shows, no wonder they do not have much basis in reality. And maybe it's a good thing. As cars get smarter and smarter, we humans may get dumber and dumber. But I still have hope that we can have the cars of our dreams and still remain the undisputed masters. And, at least we're not driving Flintstones cars.