In which the blogger is dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century

Actually, not so much kicking and screaming as all that; it's actually quite nice what current cars can do.

As a grad student for most of the last decade, I've pretty much exclusively driven used cars from the early 90s, so this rental car (unlimited mileage!) is blowing me away with what it can do! I can lock and unlock it at a distance; it lights up to remind me which unfamiliar car in the parking lot is mine, and I can adjust all the windows (including the back seat) while tooling down the freeway.

I haven't figured out one thing, yet, though--if the windows are all electric, what happens if you go off a bridge into deep water and short out? I'm not quite sure how you escape from such a car under the circumstances. I guess the obvious answer is, don't go off a bridge. Longer-term, however, I bet someone's figured that out.

As Dog is my witness, the first new car I get after this is going to be able to do all that, plus it will be one of those talking cars that gives directions.