Find Your Soulmate . . . on the Bus

Have you noticed the latest advertising push by companies such as Auto Trader? There are new television, radio and billboard advertisements springing up everywhere. In Hamilton, I've also noticed billboard ads that offer to help people with bad credit own a vehicle. I'm going to offer some thoughts as to why this might be happening now.

Perhaps buyers and sellers are finding new, cost effective ways of getting in touch with one another that don't require taking out an ad in the Auto Trader; this could be a product of the growth in popularity of online, largely free auto sales. So the Auto Trader and others are fighting back to hold onto that lucrative business. This would be the initial, cursory view of the situation.

However I think this advertising blitz is revealing in another way. I want to argue that less and less Canadians have the means to purchase motor vehicles; this is in line with the dismal global trend of certain people's wealth increasing while another much larger group's incomes are dropping. The latter group is composed of consumers who would be inclined to purchase a used car through Auto Trader.

We always hear that Canada's economy is producing thousands of new jobs every month. While the cheer goes up from the masses and economists, reality sets in that these are predominantly low paying, part-time positions, the kinds of jobs that mean you and your family barely have enough to get by, let alone own a motor vehicle.

At the same time there are also more and more Canadians boarding buses and trains to get around. One of Statistics Canada's recent bulletins says transit passenger volume increased by 2.7% in July over the levels in the previous July. These are substantial increases and demonstrate that more and more people are leaving the car at home. But an unanswered question is: do these people even have the income and security to own a car?

Ultimately we should all be happy that fewer people are purchasing cars and are taking transit instead. This is a great contribution to sustainability and the survival of our planet. But these people are not actively choosing to do so and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth; how many current transit users would, in an instant, trade in their bus pass for a car? And the elites, whose incomes never cease to grow, still purchase Hummers and other gas guzzlers to make up for the loss of a few fuel efficient Honda Civics sold on Auto Trader.

Isn't it hideous that while more and more people struggle to get by elites choose to be wasteful and get away with it? Anyone for a revolution?