2012 July.indd - Tarheel Chapter BMW Car Club of America

a Dairy Queen we’d missed on a previous trip to
the NC Zoo!
But if that still doesn’t close the sale, I whip
out my sharp pencil (well, a calculator will do)
and proceed to demonstrate how the proposed
road trip will be so much easier on our pocketbook
than any other modes of transportation.
And, mind you, that’s no bull; it’s serious economics.
In my experience, the money we’ve spent
on our road trips, even our longest ones, has invariably
come out to a fraction of what flying (plus
renting a car at the other end) would have cost. If
you want proof, do the math yourself. These days,
that’s not pleading poverty; it’s just plain smart.
Anyway, if nothing else, this closing argument will
always win the case for me.
You, dear reader, might still say: But what
about all that time on the road? In reply, I’d point
out that we’re talking about going on a vacation,
not a business trip. The objective is to cruise, not
get there as fast as possible. (Duh!) Then I’d cap
it off by referring you to Item One above, on the
assumption that you actually like driving. I trust
I’m not wrong about that.
One item on that list that I keep to myself
– in my hip pocket as it were – is my demand
for minimal distractions from all the gadgetry
populating dashboards nowadays. All those neat,
sophisticated and, Oh, so helpful accessories
remind me of the ‘Star Trek’ movie in which Jean-
Luc Picard, captain of the ‘Enterprise’, muses
about what it must have been like to navigate the
oceans with nothing but the wind to propel the
ship and the stars to steer by. It’s not quite like
that for me, but pretty close.
I know your reaction will probably be: Ah,
there he goes again, the old Luddite. I won’t
blame you. It’s what sells cars today. But the
truth is, I don’t hate technology; I merely draw
the line at what’s of use to me all the time (read
‘car phone’ or ‘mpg readout’), not once in a blue
moon. What fun is there in knowing that it’s
twenty miles to the nearest cafe serving coq au
vin when, by pulling over on a whim at a local eatery,
you may find the best culinary experience of
the trip. Besides, I’ll say it again: I’m talking about
vacationing here. It’s when you’re supposed to
enjoy the scenery, converse with your co-travelers,
maybe listen to music – not play with the touch
screen on the dash and endure the GPS incessantly
bleating “Recalculating” as you explore new
ways of getting to wherever ‘there’ is.
Yep, I’m of the old school. But I enjoy the
freedom it represents. And when in doubt, there’s
always a fallback: A quick stop to consult the
good ol’ paper map, and knowing that the sun
rises in the east and sets in the west. That’s what
real road trips are made of.
Come to think of it, I better quit here. One
dream, as yet unfulfilled, is doing my very own
One Lap of America. I have a route in mind, sort
of, and I’ve driven parts of it, here and there. But
I’ve never done it all in one swoop – boxed the
compass as old salts used to say. So it’s back to
the maps for me. I’ll let you know how it went
when I come up for air at the other end.
Joyner’s EST. 1993
An Independent BMW Specialist
* Early and late model BMW’s
(Call for motorcycle maintenance)
* Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or
BMW Original parts
* Many years of experience exclusively with
BMW repairs, maintenance, and modifications
and race prep (Club events)
* Latest Diagnostic Equipment
Chris Joyner, Owner/Technician
76 South Market Street
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 253-6000 csjoyner@bellsouth.net
Hours: 10:00 – 6:00 Monday through Friday
4 TARHEEL CHAPTER FOOTNOTES http://www.tarheelbmwcca.org