I Used to Drive — Now I’m Just Along for the Ride
They told us self-driving cars would be the future. What they didn’t tell us was that everything would be. Your car, your news feed, your relationships, your value system—outsourced to code driven algorithms, layered in UX, and optimized for “engagement.”
I get into my Tesla Model 3 Performance—red like a candy apple with something to prove—and for a few brief seconds, I remember what control felt like. I press the accelerator (sorry, juice pedal) and for a flicker of time I feel almost relevant. Then I let go. Not of the wheel—because Elon insists on the LARP—but of the illusion. And I ride.
The car drives me now. But I have to pretend it doesn’t.
It tells me when to brake, when to signal, when I’ve touched my phone too long. Three strikes and I’m out. I get supervised like a toddler with a crayon. The AI watches, not to save me, but to train me. Like I’m the beta version and it’s the final release.
It’s a beautiful metaphor for where we all are.
We used to be in charge. Now we’re along for the ride.
Used to plan our days. Now our calendars tell us who we are.
Used to trust our senses. Now we ask the algorithm.
Used to seek truth. Now we scroll for dopamine.
And like most revolutions, we welcomed it with convenience.
I’m not against tech. Hell, I live in it. I’ve published books powered by AI, built digital products from scratch with nothing but keystrokes and late-night ambition. But don’t confuse clarity with nostalgia. I don’t want to go back—I just want to remember what forward was supposed to feel like.
Because if the machines are driving, we better be damn sure we told them where to go.
And that assumes we’re even allowed to ask.
So here I am. Red Tesla. Eyes on the road. Pretending I’m still at the wheel.
If you’ve ever looked around and felt irrelevant, if you’ve ever wondered when you stopped being the protagonist of your own story, you’re not alone. You’re just post-updated. Optimized. Seamlessly backgrounded in a narrative you no longer control.
But every now and then, we can still punch the throttle and make the future feel like ours.
Even if just for a second.