Imagine it’s 2010. You’re in downtown New York, London, or Toronto. It all looks the same but for some reason it seems a whole lot different. You can hear a bird up on the 15 floor of the tower above you.
There is a vendor down the street talking to someone, trying to convince them to buy a magazine.
The familiar cabbies roll by. Honking at the intersection.
Then it dawns on you. Why can’t you hear them growl as they accelerate away, looking for that next ride?
It’s because they’re all gas-electric hybrids. Even some of the transit buses have converted. With the price of gas at $2.50 to $3.00/gallon, it only makes sense.
You’ve always wanted to live in the city, but couldn’t stand the constant racket. Now, though, it doesn’t seem so bad. All you can hear is a siren a few blocks down and the whooshing of the subway as it passes the grate beneath your feet.
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(I was thinking this as I was walking outside my townhouse today. There is a busy road right in front of our complex. I can hardly wait until all those cars are hybrids…)
It’s a nice thought. Combine it with wave-cancelling technology (like is already available for headphones) mandated for jachammers, lawn mowers, leafblowers and so on, and city-living will never be the same. As long as cars are still loud enough so you hear them coming and don’t get run over!