AUTOMOBILE SANCTUARY

In all areas of the country the automobile is used to commute, run errands, shuttle youngsters to activities and much more.  In the COVID-19 era, the vehicle has been elevated to a place of sanctuary, a vessel trusted to deliver security outside the home in insecure times.  So much a part of our everyday life, we now use our cars, vans and SUVs as waiting rooms for drive thru testing lines.  In Ohio, a vintage 1959 Edsel Ranger station wagon’s back gate lifted to offer a view of a movie as drive-in theaters re-emerged; an alternative to multiplex theaters closed by the pandemic.

Unwitting drivers became spectators on freeways and city streets as demonstrators, demanding social justice reforms, took to the streets following the death of George Floyd while in police custody. In some communities caravans of cars and SUVs enabled demonstrators to cover move ground to spread their concerns.