QOTD: Missing Morality?

Each one of us, minus the psychopaths, lives by a personal code, and that set of deeply held beliefs and attitudes dictates how we treat others. How we interact in society. It makes us whole.

Given that there’s a hell of a lot of variation in what drives a person, there’s been no shortage of diverging takes on the latest Cannonball Run “trophy” holder — the crew of a white, 2019 Audi A8 that rocketed from New York City to Los Angeles in 26 hours and 38 minutes earlier this month, using lightly trafficked highways borne of the coronavirus pandemic to their advantage. Average speed? Roughly 105 mph.

Is this feat worthy of a slap on the back, or a punch in the face?

Those are the bookends; your take on the issue likely falls somewhere in the murky middle.

If you’ve been around here a while, you’ve probably gathered that we’re a fairly freedom-loving bunch, though our personal credos generally stop short of undue selfishness. Indeed, a society is just a collection of individuals and, while individualism should be respected and nurtured, that doesn’t leave consideration of others as a non-issue. It’s a hazy line to walk, as there’s an infinite number of scenarios where not doing what you love could, in some way, be better for society. Your entire daily routine, from your choice of breakfast food, type and location of dwelling, commuting method, and everything else that makes up a life could be seen by others as harmful in some way.

Yours truly, at least, does not want to be told to “stop that, and live like me” any more than the other person would like to be told the same thing. We know that personal car ownership is under threat. The people who loathe them the most have probably never visited the furthest-flung, most wide-open and unpopulated corners of the continent, and are thus unable to see personal vehicles as a freedom machine. As a tool for personal autonomy, rather than something to automate the soul out of.

And so, to someone like this, to someone like me, the idea of taking advantage of sparse road traffic to seal a new Cannonball Run record, flying stealthily under the radar (guns) of local and state law enforcement all the way, holds considerable appeal. It’s romantic. It stirs the soul. And it’s dangerous. While the Audi’s pilots were no doubt capable of handling high speeds in a German luxury car, and certainly capable of scanning the interstate for lane hogs and signal-shunning mergers, the potential threat to public safety doesn’t disappear. Circumstances arise in a hurry. Unlikely scenarios crop up. Human error is ever-present. And in a pandemic, even with minimal interaction with other humans and a trunk jammed full of auxiliary fuel capacity, it’s far, far more antisocial than before.

I’d say unforgivably so. Just look where the Audi set out from: the viral epicenter of the country, New York City, currently home to more than 10,000 coronavirus deaths. Along the way, the A8 traveled through all manner of socioeconomic diversity (and health capacity) on its way to a state that’s had considerable success in limiting the virus’ spread. Just how mindful was the team in regards to precautionary measures? Who touched what, then drove off?

It’s one thing to take chances on the road. The damage potential is limited, though far from insignificant. It’s another thing to threaten untold numbers of people with a pathogen.

What’s your take on the latest Cannonball Run champions? Heroes, or zeroes?

[Image: Audi]