Horses to Cars...Cars to Carts

To the many of us that drive to school, work, and social events in our teenage lives, we have become very dependent on our cars and wouldn’t dream of any other type of transportation, despite the crazy gas prices. In Peachtree City, a city 25 mile south of Atlanta Georgia, there are 90 miles of golf-cart paths and 9,000 registered carts, one for every four of its 36,000 residents. Instead of cars filling the local school parking lots, there are golf carts instead. There has been 80 motor vehicles reported stolen last year but 72 of them were golf carts. There golf carts range from anywhere between $2000 to $5000. There is no license required to drive one of these machines so many student drive them to school instead. The newer shopping centers all have parking spaces reserved for golf carts, and the high school has 200 golf-cart spaces for students but its still not enough. Yes, these carts only goes 15 - 20 miles, but this city can be characterized as being “road-less-traveled utopia where life proceeds, gently, in the slow lane.” The people of this town says that the slow pace of the town is a good thing, it slows people down and ties them closer together, makign them more of a community. This trend is also spreading, adjacent towns have also begun to build paths that connect to those of Peachtree City as well. This different way of life is also “greener”, its saves money on gas, since most of these carts are electric and its also reduces noise and air pollution. As the gas keeps rising, as well as the climate due to global warming, people wonder if this new trend will become the future way of transportation
In October 1908, Henry Ford offered the first Model T for $950.
19 years after production the price went as low as $280. Nearly 15,500,000 were sold in the United States alone. The Model T began what is known as the Motor Age; the car evolved from luxury item for the well-to-do to essential transportation for the ordinary man. Just like the golf cart was a luxury item for a leisure hobby like golf, to maybe in the future an essential transportation for those who are not able to afford the gas prices, or prefer the slower pace life.