There are a few anachronisms and weird bits in my daily driver. There’s a cigarette lighter, which I haven’t seen in a new car since I was a kid. There’s also a stick shift and I could make a joke about it being an anti-theft device, but I won’t. No, I want you to focus on that big, dumb door lock button. According to every one who rides in my car, that button is in a weird place.
Of course, everyone who’s ridden in my car and remarked that the button is in a weird place is wrong. It’s a good thing they don’t have to press that button, I barely press it myself. I’ll brag here, for just a sec. My daily’s got remote door locks, so I end up using my key fob almost all the time.
When I do have to use that lock button, it’ a pleasure. Maybe because we use touchscreens all the time now, or because it’s just a single button for all three doors, but I love using it. It makes so much sense to me! I think all car controls should be in the center column. I don’t think it’s weird, but whatever.
It’s weird to most people because we’ve been conditioned to expect our controls be on the door. That mostly goes for the windows, too. Passengers get frustrated trying to lower their window in my car, because they want the button to be on the door panel. And it’s not like the door panel doesn’t have room for window switches; it does, but the window buttons are in the middle, too. It’s genius.
The door panel in a car doesn’t need any buttons. Just leave it blank! Controls can live on the center stack or on the dash, or even in the glovebox if it’s a button that goes unused most of the time. I’ll admit that’s weird, but I’d love to see it! Have you ever seen a button in a glovebox, or other weird spot? What’s the weirdest place you’ve seen for a control or feature?