America boasts an attitude of dominance over most countries in this world. Our wealth as a country provides us, its inhabitants, an arrogance to believe that we are the model society for the entire world. Our innovations are regarded as providing the key to the highest quality of life in which other countries can only aspire. These innovations however, are also a basis for the break down of culture today. The automobile is no longer simply a method of transportation but rather a product and tool of consumerism and suburbanization.
             The automobile has created the death of many cities in exchange for the birth of automobile-dependant suburbs. These suburbs play a pivotal role in changing the landscape of yesterday's cities into webs of roads. "But even those who love driving must acknowledge that there is an inherent inequity in sprawl, an environment of outsize physical dimensions determined by automotive motion." (Duanys 14) The writings of Barbara Ehrenreich in Nickel and Dimed, Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation, and the Duanys in Suburban Nation all explore social issues prevalent today and as a result, the influence of the automobile is significantly addressed. The writings present evidence which unravels the broad bother caused by the automobile.
             Cars present a portrayal of convenience and control. "The automobile offered drivers a feeling of independence and control. Daily travel was freed from the hassles of rail schedules, the needs of other passengers, and the location of trolley stops. (Schlosser 16) Cars although convenient are certainly not time savers. People are constantly whining there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on their daily agendas. Everything in suburbia is centered on driving. Short drives of twenty to thirty minutes for routine errands are just a part of daily life and this wasted driving time is often overlooked. "Of course, time squandered in t...