Naked Streets

What would happen if we removed all the traffic lights, lines, laws, speed limits and sidewalks from our inner cities? Chaos? Quite the opposite: the number of serious collisions and traffic fatalities would plummet. Really. Consider the theory of Shared Space. It reasons that when there are fewer rules there … Read More

Before and After: The 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid

What, with our dog and the frequent trips up north, my wife and I have never regretted purchasing our 2004 Escape. But now I’m a little envious. With little jump in cost, there’s been bags of innovation in the 2009 Escape Hybrid – starting with the obvious. No, I’m not … Read More

Close Calls: The Urban Driver’s Near Misses

Today I choose to drive the speed limit because – like many guys whose Y chromosome becomes more apparent behind the wheel – my number should have come up long ago. Numerous close calls have shaved feathers off whatever angel’s protecting me. Just last Sunday I was driving back from … Read More

Four-Wheeled Aphrodisiac: The Saab 93 Aero XWD

Given that Canadians own 10 percent of GM, we should take the Saab brand. The 93 Aero is marvel and thoroughly appropriate for Canada. Ride The 93’s sporty responsiveness is like a drug. The cross-wheel drive system includes all-wheel drive. It grips the road like a guy with a remote … Read More

Blinded By Silence: The Toyota Camry Hybrid

Last year there was talk in the U.S. about legislating noise into hybrid cars specifically for the blind to hear them (like those birdsong traffic lights you find downtown) – but anyone could benefit. The Toyota Camry Hybrid is so eerily quiet that my cat, resting beneath, didn’t realize the … Read More

This is a test