In an ideal world--at least my ideal world--everyone would need to prove that they were responsible drivers before purchasing a car. Not a day goes by in my 40-mile commute to work that I don't see a car being mistreated--from the reckless driver aimlessly weaving in and out of traffic and chatting away on the phone to the overly-cautious one stepping on the brakes so hard and so often as to create panic or annoyance with the person behind.

Don't get me wrong. I don't expect everyone to have as much skill as that of a race car driver, but it's just painful witnessing cars lose their potential due in part to careless owners. What I especially hate to see are people who seem to think that buying an expensive car somehow also buys them a license to drive like idiots. Living in Southern California, there seems to be an unfortunate overpopulation of these types of people--you know, the ones that buy a Mercedes-Benz because it's a Mercedes or a Porsche because it's a Porsche. And that's it. No concern for vehicle specifications, or performance, just simply a desire to reach the luxurious or sporty image set forth by automakers.

Damn that marketing.

In my ideal world, people would buy cars and appreciate them for what they really are. They wouldn't have to have an aptitude of a mechanic, just some kind of appreciation for automobiles. They would know the general specifications, maintain their cars, and, of course, drive them well.

And this is the part where I return back to reality.