Car Culture in Quarantine
Over the past several months, life in the U.S. has changed in so many ways. As people have been restricted from gathering in person, the automobile has emerged as not only a vehicle for transportation, but a tool to enable important commercial and social activities. I’ve been interested to see the ways in which cars have come to serve as mobile personal isolation devices -- while also being concerned about who gets left behind in society when having a car becomes even more essential for daily life than it already was. Here are some of the innovative ways that drive-in and drive-through have become our new normal.
Drive-in movies have gone from being nostalgic (and rare) to mainstream and in-demand. While some dedicated drive-in theaters are still operating, most drive-in movie events are being held at alternative locations such as parking lots and sports complexes. These events enable families to watch movies together on the big screen while remaining safe in their own enclosed spaces.
Renewed interest has been sparked in the legacy drive-in theaters in our region, including New Jersey’s only remaining permanent theater, Vineland’s Delsea Drive-In. In the Poconos area of Pennsylvania, the Mahoning Drive-In is another facility that has recently reported sell-out weekends. The Mahoning was profiled in the 2017 documentary film At the Drive In, available on DVD at the library.
A number of large scale film festivals have even moved to a drive-in format this year, enabling events to go forward when many other types of gatherings have been canceled outright. These included the Lighthouse International Film Festival, held in Long Beach Island, NJ, and Maine’s International Film Festival, held at an existing drive-in theater in Skowhegan, ME. The festivals also included online virtual screenings.
As theaters and festivals have closed around the country, some venues have been able to offer drive-in events as a safe, in-person alternative to virtual entertainment. In New Jersey, events have been held at the Monmouth Park racetrack facility, including live music and comedy performances. So, too, have religious services moved to drive-in events in some locations.
We have seen huge changes in how consumers go about their typical routines -- buying food and dining out, shopping for clothing and other items, and borrowing materials from the library. In each of these categories, curbside pick-up service has enabled activities to continue even while buildings are closed or people prefer not to enter them. It remains to be seen whether people will continue to prefer shopping from their cars (or online) when the pandemic eases.
In this time when many are seeking COVID-19 tests, drive-through activities have made this possible as well. By providing a way for people to safely be tested in large numbers, the car has been an essential part of the testing process in many areas.
All of this raises some questions about equity in our society, both during this health crisis and going forward. Not having access to a personal vehicle is more of an impediment than ever to obtaining essential goods and services, outside of dense urban areas. And indeed, living in dense areas presents a challenge in and of itself in times of pandemic. Many people believe that New York City’s close quarters led to its becoming our country’s first Covid-19 hotspot. We must continue to keep in mind the many people who rely on public transportation for daily life.
At the same time, just as the car has become critical for so many activities, people are driving much less than normal overall as widespread closures continue and long-distance travel has been curtailed. This has led to many urban areas closing some streets to car traffic altogether, in order to make outdoor space available for pedestrians and cyclists. This could be considered a welcome change that I would hope to see continue into the post-pandemic future.
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of the car and what it means to us, take a look at these books available in the Mercer County Library System:
Drive!: Henry Ford, George Seldon, and the Race to Invent the Auto Age by Lawrence Goldstone
The Life of the Automobile: The Complete History of the Motor Car by Steven Parissien
Autophobia: Love and Hate in the Automotive Age by Brian Ladd
Are We There Yet? The American Automobile, Past, Present and Driverless by Daniel M. Albert
Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives by Catherine Lutz
Drive-in movies have gone from being nostalgic (and rare) to mainstream and in-demand. While some dedicated drive-in theaters are still operating, most drive-in movie events are being held at alternative locations such as parking lots and sports complexes. These events enable families to watch movies together on the big screen while remaining safe in their own enclosed spaces.
Renewed interest has been sparked in the legacy drive-in theaters in our region, including New Jersey’s only remaining permanent theater, Vineland’s Delsea Drive-In. In the Poconos area of Pennsylvania, the Mahoning Drive-In is another facility that has recently reported sell-out weekends. The Mahoning was profiled in the 2017 documentary film At the Drive In, available on DVD at the library.
A number of large scale film festivals have even moved to a drive-in format this year, enabling events to go forward when many other types of gatherings have been canceled outright. These included the Lighthouse International Film Festival, held in Long Beach Island, NJ, and Maine’s International Film Festival, held at an existing drive-in theater in Skowhegan, ME. The festivals also included online virtual screenings.
As theaters and festivals have closed around the country, some venues have been able to offer drive-in events as a safe, in-person alternative to virtual entertainment. In New Jersey, events have been held at the Monmouth Park racetrack facility, including live music and comedy performances. So, too, have religious services moved to drive-in events in some locations.
We have seen huge changes in how consumers go about their typical routines -- buying food and dining out, shopping for clothing and other items, and borrowing materials from the library. In each of these categories, curbside pick-up service has enabled activities to continue even while buildings are closed or people prefer not to enter them. It remains to be seen whether people will continue to prefer shopping from their cars (or online) when the pandemic eases.
In this time when many are seeking COVID-19 tests, drive-through activities have made this possible as well. By providing a way for people to safely be tested in large numbers, the car has been an essential part of the testing process in many areas.
All of this raises some questions about equity in our society, both during this health crisis and going forward. Not having access to a personal vehicle is more of an impediment than ever to obtaining essential goods and services, outside of dense urban areas. And indeed, living in dense areas presents a challenge in and of itself in times of pandemic. Many people believe that New York City’s close quarters led to its becoming our country’s first Covid-19 hotspot. We must continue to keep in mind the many people who rely on public transportation for daily life.
At the same time, just as the car has become critical for so many activities, people are driving much less than normal overall as widespread closures continue and long-distance travel has been curtailed. This has led to many urban areas closing some streets to car traffic altogether, in order to make outdoor space available for pedestrians and cyclists. This could be considered a welcome change that I would hope to see continue into the post-pandemic future.
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of the car and what it means to us, take a look at these books available in the Mercer County Library System:
Drive!: Henry Ford, George Seldon, and the Race to Invent the Auto Age by Lawrence Goldstone
The Life of the Automobile: The Complete History of the Motor Car by Steven Parissien
Autophobia: Love and Hate in the Automotive Age by Brian Ladd
Are We There Yet? The American Automobile, Past, Present and Driverless by Daniel M. Albert
Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives by Catherine Lutz
- by Sarah Legins, Ewing Branch
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