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INK BLAST | NOW THAT I OWN A CAR COMPANY…
By Juleyka Lantigua

As you may know, taxpayers are about to own 60% of General Motors. So here’s our chance to get exactly what we want in our favorite mode of transportation. Personally, I am looking forward to annual meetings in which I can discuss my wish list at length with fellow stockholders.

A driver for over fifteen years, I have accumulated a list of improvements that I believe will make all our driving experiences more pleasurable. Feel free to add your own thoughts, fellow shareholder.

1. How about 100 miles per gallon. We’ve been to the Moon and sent rovers Mars, but still can’t figure this one out?
2. Standard built-in navigation systems for all models. Why should the rich be the only ones who don’t get lost anymore?
3. Volume and tuning buttons standard on all steering wheels. The number of accidents avoided will stagger you.
4. Remote control key for every car. There’s no reason a 2-cent battery in a plastic case should be turned into a luxury item.
5. Different sounds for different warnings. Door open = three bells. Key in ignition = 4 pings. Headlights still on = 2 knocks. Those are just suggestions, but you get the point.
6. Power-controlled seats on the driver and passenger seats; sometimes the driver is the passenger, and that’s an unpleasant surprise.
7. Value retention, for real.
8. Built-in technology that melds our techie lifestyles (iPods, cell phones, etc.)
9. Roadside assistance service modeled after On-Star, connecting the car directly to the manufacturer and sharing performance data automatically, to keep you safe and the car running smoothly.
10. Lastly: car designed so sleekly they make you want to get in and go fast.

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Juleyka Lantigua is a writer whose work has appeared in books, magazines and newspapers around the world.