Since the purchase of my cup holder-less analogue ’90s car, I’ve been reflecting on the impact cup holders can have on a journey and the reliance our modern lifestyles tend to place on them. In my commuter car era I relied heavily on warm caffeinated liquid each morning and absolutely believe that the humble recess which secured its container in place deserves a revered place in this world. However there’s some substance to the theory that cup holders possess an underlying ability to ‘heighten the hurry’. The very existence of these perfectly intentional features unintentionally removes the opportunity for something increasingly critical in today’s lifestyles: a reason to pause.
In the days where AA map books were a worshipped household essential, cigarette lighters and ashtrays generally crowned centre consoles with early cup holders a mere footnote of automotive design, beginning life as shallow indentations in the glovebox and intended for use during purposeful stationary breaks, not drinking on the go. With fewer direct routes or motorways linking destinations (and service stations mostly a thing of the future) part of the motion of rehearsing an upcoming route on paper would have involved factoring in stops to break up long journeys, refresh tired eyes and stretch cramped legs. Thermos flasks and sandwich bags (likely containing slices of bread with 86 fewer ingredients than today’s) were often produced at these planned intervals, and drivers would enjoy a change of scenery before continuing on their way feeling stimulated and ready to take on the next leg of the journey.
With todays improved connectivity and technology there’s no longer always a need to pause between A and B, and it’s certainly not everybody’s cup of tea to hang about for a drink especially when convenience is so attractive and drive thru’s so readily available. But in a fast-moving world that subtly promotes increasingly toxic hustle culture under the guise of normalcy, it wouldn’t hurt to leave point A ten minutes early and enjoy a moment aside from the mundane before reaching point B. Our schedules have never been more full, our minds never more occupied, our routines never quite so chaotic. So in an age where hurry and multi-tasking are glorified, I’m appreciating the few remaining cup holder-less cars which enforce leisure. From my perspective those vehicles aren’t lacking; they simply function without the aids which subtly speed up our lives – the small design features perceived as beneficial which can unwittingly be detrimental in the grand scheme of things.