Alarming Automotive Trends (or What the heck are they thinking?)

First off: Gas pumps stopping at $50 or $75 when you pay with credit: AAARRRRRRG! I've got a stinkin' 23 gallon tank in the Windstar, I usually drive it to almost empty and a fill up will ALWAYS be more than $75. Now I hear that independent stations are screaming about the charges of the credit card companies and are considering going (or have gone) cash only. The nutty thing is, once I top off at $75, I just put the same card back in and finish the tank. If the credit card companies are trying to reduce fraud by imposing limits, they aren't doing a very good job. Station owners say that purchases over $75 cost them more, but yet if you walk in and hand them your card while you pump, you can fill your tank no matter how much it cost. This makes it to my mind completely arbitrary on why or how stations allow this. It's not uniform between stations because the BP in Forest View lets me fill the tank from the pump, but the BP in LaGrange does not (I always use the same card for gas). The best price cash or credit Station by us (Valero) is usualy around 30 cents cheaper (cash) than everyone else, but often has a line, or is out of gas. Of course we don't have this problem with the Prius, which never takes more than 10 gallons.

Which brings me to my second gripe: If Toyota and Honda can pump out 50mpg 5 passenger cars, why can't someone put out a 25mpg (CITY) 6 or 7 passenger vehicle (hybrid or otherwise). The closest I've found is the Mazda5, which is just thisfar from fitting the bill. But alas, since I test drove one a few weeks back, I've had the fortune of running into a few Mazda 5 owners who tell me that the 21mpg city rating is not obtainable unless you drive like a senior citizen. Two Dads with Mazda5's (one 2007, one 2008) said it's more like 16-17 with it loaded up with kids under normal driving conditions....Well that's only 2-3 gallons more mpg than the Windstar gets which doesn't justify popping for a car payment over a reliable van that is paid for. I'd be willing to pop an additional 3-5 grand for a Mazda5 hybrid if it got 25-30mpg city, but I honestly think that if they made them, they could never keep up with demand. For 3mpg it's not worth losing the ability to carry 7 and cargo for that 7 (which we do regularly). The Mazda5 has very flexible seating arrangements, but when you have 6 passengers, you only have enough cargo space for about 3 (paper) bags of groceries. Here's hoping that high gas prices finally spur more and better alternative energy development.

Best (or Worst) for last: What's with THIS:

I've been seeing this again and again of late. Young folks with their feet on the dashboard or hanging out the window while driving.

Now I think the dangers of this behavior would be obvious: The passenger airbag is GIANT (over twice the size of the drivers) and if you're sitting like this in an air bag deployment, your legs/feet are at the point where the airbag explodes open and has the most force. Your feet/legs will be basically thrust into your skull. Instead of being protected, you will be hurt infinitely more than just from being in an accident alone without an airbag.
First off: You'll have abrasion burns from the airbag expanding against your leg. Second: Your legs will be thrust back towards your head and you will probably end up with one or both legs being broken. Third: When your legs are thrust back towards your head, when/if they strike your head, you will receive serious injuries, the very type of injuries that airbags are supposed to prevent: Head trauma, contusions, and serious back injury from being folded up like a pretzel while your lower back and neck are overextended...and this all happens when you are already not properly placed in the seatbelt. All of these injuries will happen regardless of the injuries you'll receive just from the crash alone, which might not matter, because you'll likely be almost dead anyways.
I've noticed this is mostly (young) girls, mostly barefoot, and is usually only one foot (though I've seen both a few times). I actually saw a Mom doing this the other day when I dropped off daughter #1 for Golf, and she was DRIVING with a little one in the back (who was not in a seat belt or booster seat even though she was only about 3 years old). While it must be great to be flexible enough to be able to hoist your left foot out your car window and drive with the right one, it is moronic, irresponsible, and just plain dangerous.

PHEW!
all that and I STILL don't feel better.....