Automotive Traveler Magazine

by Kelly Amabile on

I rarely drive anymore and have not owned a car in several years, but I will always praise the wonders of a stellar road trip. This past weekend I had a chance to do some highway driving through upstate New York — boy have I forgotten how much fun going fast can be (!!) Cruising through the Catskills reminded this city girl that driving can be especially enjoyable when the backdrop is decorated by a scenic landscape. And whether well-planned or spontaneous, joy rides can bring out the traveler in any of us.

And now true auto aficionados who love to travel have a new online magazine to turn to for ideas about where and how to travel by car. Automotive Traveler debuted this month from BCT Publishing, and I think the best thing about how it handles is the cool user interface which allows readers to flip through it on the web like a virtual paper mag. In between the glossy ads, the mag is packed with auto show news, GPS and gadget tools, travel tips and featured road trips, like a wine tour through Bordeaux in a Jaguar, baseball spring training done via Dodge Magnum, and an off-road trek to Jeep Jamboree in Alaska. My favorite sections are the two book sections, of course — Literary Traveler and Automotive Bookshelf. Be sure to stop by and browse the first issue for yourself.

Philly Taxi Drivers Protest Use of GPS Tracking Plan

by Adrienne Wilson on

NPR has an audio listen on the taxi situation in Philly, where cab drivers are protesting a plan to place GPS (Global Positioning Systems) in their vehicles. The GPS devices would allow the cab dispatchers to know and pinpoint the exact location of a driver, but the driver’s are saying this is a violation of their privacy.

Hmm… Personally, I think it is a great plan. I don’t catch cabs too often, but it peeves me to high heaven when I call one and wait decades for them to arrive. I start imagining all the stops or personal errands they decided to run in route to picking me up for my very important flight or meeting. (Violation of privacy – ha!) When you phone into the dispatchers it’s as if they are in a whole different world from the drivers. They always say something like this: “Yes, he will be there in five minutes. He said he is nearby.” Sometimes I just want to cough bull sh–, but I always keep my cool. Not to say all cab drivers taking the scenic route to get where they need to be or that they’re not stuck in traffic, but it would do dispatchers a great deal of wonder to be able to say something more specific and a little less generic.

Hope a plan like this works out in Philly for the greater good of people who actually have to get to important places or meetings.