Automation, Exclusivity, and Access: Pool Tech, First Class, and Aging Behind the Wheel

A $1,500 cordless robotic pool cleaner that claims it can scrub the waterline, climb walls, clean the floor, and even skim the surface sounds like the future of pool ownership. We dig into what that kind of home automation really replaces and what it doesn’t, because “fully automated” is a big promise when you’re staring at leaves, pollen, and debris on a hot Saturday. I also want to know where you land on the trade-off: do you trust a pool robot like the Beatbot Sora 70, or would you rather stick with manual work or a pool-cleaning service?

Then we jump from backyard tech to a completely different kind of mobility upgrade: ultra-luxury air travel. Air France first class is described as a privacy-first experience designed to remove friction, including limo pickup, private processing, and avoiding the usual airport crowds. It’s a fascinating look at how “luxury travel” is increasingly defined by exclusivity and by how much you’re willing to pay to stay inside a premium bubble.

From there, we get blunt about a trend that hits every driver: driver-assistance subscriptions. Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid are chasing recurring revenue, but I push back hard on the idea that core vehicle safety features should be an extra cost on top of THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE PURCHASE! We also talk about the realities of hands-free driving, why systems can feel quirky, and why the “value” varies by location and by the laws in place. Finally, we tackle the uncomfortable family conversation around older drivers: when do you take away the car keys, and what happens when rural mobility leaves no good alternatives?

Subscribe to The TechMobility Podcast, share it with a friend, and leave a review if it helped you think differently about mobility and technology. Where do you draw the line on paying for convenience: pool robots, first-class privacy, or paywalled driver assistance?

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:07

Welcome to the Tech Mobility Podcast. Brought to you by Playbook Investors Network. Your strategic partner for unstoppable growth. Visit pincommunity.org to get started.

Can A Robot Clean Your Pool

SPEAKER_01 0:18

I'm Ken Chester. On the Ducket. Living that ultra-luxury life? Driver assistance subscriptions, yes or no. And when do you take the car keys away? To add your voice to the conversation, be it to ask a question, share an opinion, or even to suggest a topic for future discussion, call or text the Tech Mobility Hotline, that number, 872-222-9793, or you can email the show directly. Talk at Techmobility.show. From the Tech Mobility News Desk. Spring is just about here. Summer's around the corner. And I stumbled across this article. I wanted to share it with you. See how you felt about it. The article talks about a robotic pool cleaner that could make manual pool cleaning obsolete. And the this is from Interesting Engineering. And the subtitle is Where Engineering Education Meets Real World Impact and Projects. We've tried robotic stuff before. You've got robotic lawnmowers, you've got the Roomba, the first really kind of robotic cleaner or vacuum cleaner. Are you ready? Those of you that own an inbound an in-ground pool, are you ready to trust the cleaning of your pool to a robot? Are you that are you picky? Would that be in preference to you having to do it or having, you know, your kids do it, which means you're gonna have to do it anyway? Food for thought. As temperatures rise and winters fade, it's common to see homeowners preparing their pools for the return of an outdoor lifestyle. For many pool owners, reopening the pool after winter involves hours of maintenance. Leaves, pollen, insects, and debris accumulate on the water surface, while dirt settles along the pool floor and water line. Cleaning these areas typically requires a mix of tools, including manual skimmers, brushes, and robotic cleaners. Or, in one case, you might hire a firm to actually clean your pool. I believe that what we're about to talk about, the robotic cleaners, are more for the in-ground pools. See, when I was a kid back in the day, and we we had one neighbor, they had what we call an above-ground pool. And oh boy, what a time. I mean, they were the most popular folks in the neighborhood. We had one in above-ground pool for the whole neighborhood, and it was a good size. But no doubt it took work and you had a you had a ladder and all that stuff that you had to do, and it was all above ground. And being in New England, that's not so cool because if you don't drain that stuff in time come winter time, you're gonna have some real damage. Because they didn't take it down. You know, they just you know drain the pool, make sure that the pipes were avoided, all of that. I can't even imagine. And I'm not sure, and this article doesn't say whether it would be suitable for an above-ground pool. So take the comments for this example, just let's assume we're talking mainly in ground. So sorry to y'all that's got an above ground. I'm sorry about that. It does mention some of the shortcomings of existing robotic systems. They said that even though they promised convenience, they often fail to eliminate the workload completely. Owners may still find themselves skimming floating debris every day or untangling cords that connect their cleaning devices to power sources. As the backyard lifestyle grows more popular and homeowners look for smarter home technologies, expectations around pool care are changing. Increasingly, people want cleaning solutions that are fully automated, cordless, and capable of handling multiple cleaning tasks at once. Let me introduce you to the Beatbot Sora 70. It claims to be a four-in-one robotic cleaning system. And the company calls, that's what the company calls it. It is the only cordless robotic pool cleaner under$1,500 with surface skimming capability. Let me stop right there.$1,500. This thing better do pretty much everything save for filtering the water. That's a heck of an outlay up front, because I'm sure, and I don't know what the price is to hire a pool cleaning firm, but I'm sure it's nowhere near$1,500. It may be some monthly subscription, I'm sure, during the summer months, but I bet it's a lot less than that. But I continue. Instead of focusing on just one cleaning task, the device is designed to handle multiple areas of the pool simultaneously. And it performs four types of cleaning in one system: pool floor cleaning, wall climbing and cleaning, waterline scrubbing, water surface skimming. Surface cleaning is one of the most notable features. Floating debris, such as leaves, pollen, and insects, often accumulates on the water surface before eventually sinking. Traditional robotic cleaners typically ignore this layer, leaving owners to remove debris manually with skimmer nets. Which makes you wonder well, why did I pay all this money to have a robotic cleaner if it's not going to do that? The Beepmot SORS 70 addresses this problem with something they call jet pulse surface cleaning technology, which allows the robot to collect debris from the water surface as part of its cleaning cycle. The robot offers complete coverage, including platform cleaning, a capability that is often missing in many robotic cleaners at similar price points. By reaching shallow areas and pool platforms, the device aims to provide a more comprehensive coverage across the entire pool environment. Can you imagine a robotic device that you own that has the ability to keep your pool area clean of debris and the garbage you got to deal with, skims the top, all you got to worry about is making sure the pH is right and the water levels where it needs to be and the pump's working? And obviously, if the robotic cleaner is on its job, it should be less stress on the pool filter because it wouldn't be catching nearly as much debris and crud as it would normally, even probably better than even you cleaned it. And honestly, honestly, right here, let me stop right here. How many of you that own an in-ground pool actually do all the manual cleaning yourself? I didn't think anybody would do that if they had a pool of that size. I would assume that you hire somebody to do it. And if that's the case, here's the question Are you satisfied with your pool cleaning service? Is this beep source 70 something you would consider in lieu of your cleaning service? Because let's be blunt here for a minute. How many of you who own an in-ground pool actually have time during the summer to keep up with it? I mean, you're working full time, you've got a family more than likely, you've got obligations. The pool demands that kind of time. And chances are, if you are maintaining an in-ground pool, you probably have a pool cleaning service. Would this robotic cleaner be a solution or an alternative for you? Drop me a line because I I'd like to hear it. Definitely drop me in line. Talk at techmobility.show. We'll read uh some of the responses in a later program. I'm just curious. Because I understand, particularly as you go west and you go south, in ground pools are more of a thing. Where I grew up in the north and east, less of a thing, above ground pools, for a variety of reasons. And that was way back in the day. What about those of you that are maybe in the process of buying or building a home that either has or you're thinking about building in an in-ground pool? Would you be interested in even considering a robotic cleaner as opposed to just doing what everybody else usually does, you know, a pool cleaning service, or if you've got the time and you're brave enough, because maybe you're retired, a semi-retired, you really want to fool with all the manual work involved in keeping up an in-ground pool? That's a question. Despite the rise of automated pool cleaners, many traditional systems still come up with limitations that make pool maintenance more time consuming than it should be. Cordless robot cleaners have attempted to solve the issue, but many of them come with their own set of compromises. For example, they don't focus on everything. They either focus on the pool floor or the size, but they don't get the skimming. They come up short. The Beatbot Sora 70 is supposed to cure all that. My question is: even though it has cleaning power to do it, it has 18 precision sensors, is that enough? And would it would it be enough for you to part with$1,500? The C. I don't know. I think I'd want to see it in action first. Limousines, three-course meals, personal attendance. That's ultra ultra luxury air travel in 2026. I discuss this is the Tech Mobility Show.

SPEAKER_04 10:06

In business, opportunity doesn't wait, and neither should you. At Playbook Investors Network, we connect visionary entrepreneurs with the strategies, resources, and capital they need to win. Whether you're launching, scaling, or reimagining your business, our network turns ambition into measurable success. Your vision deserves more than a plan, it deserves a playbook that works. Playbook Investors Network, where bold ideas meet bold results. Visit pincommunity.org today.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

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SPEAKER_01 11:10

To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting Techmobility.show. You can also drop us a line at talk at TechMobility.show.

SPEAKER_04 11:36

Every great business starts with a spark, but taking it to the next level takes strategy, connections, and capital. That's where Playbook Investors Network comes in. We're your strategic partner for accelerating growth, navigating challenges, and capturing market opportunities before your competition does. Your business is more than an idea. Let's make it an impact. Playbook Investors Network. Your future starts here. Learn more at pincommunity.org.

SPEAKER_03 12:29

You can go almost anywhere in the church. Maybe it is time to imagine yourself in a mercury. Imagine yourself in a mercury.

Is Full Privacy The Real Luxury?

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Unfortunately, a lot of people did not imagine themselves in a mercury. Mercury would struggle for another 14 years before Ford finally pulled the plug in 2011. But the Mercury Mountaineer was the middle vehicle in that time between Ford Explorer and what would become in a few years, the Lincoln Aviator. And the problem is there wasn't enough distinction between the three to justify surviving. And of course, the Explorer was the one built in the main numbers. The Mercury, to a lesser extent, Lincoln even less. And it just became a financial issue where it did not make sense to build it. And it's interesting because in 97, when I introduced the Mountaineer, Mercury invited me and my wife. We went out west. We were in Colorado, just outside of Aspen, where we did some uh winter driving in the Mountaineer, which was a lot of fun. And we got fancy over jackets that I had a number of years. My wife got one. But it still wasn't enough. Not enough people imagined being in a Mercury. Did you ever own one? I mean, Alan Jackson fancied himself buying a Mercury for you all that love country. But uh, have you ever owned a Mercury? Or maybe you know you couldn't justify it above the cost of just a normal Ford. And it was less than a Lincoln, so the question was, like, why? Anyway. Once upon a time in America, people got dressed up to fly. Table linens, the best-served foods, real plates, glasses, and silverware were the norm. I remember that. We're talking the 50s and 60s, maybe even the early 70s before things changed, before deregulation. Flying in the 50s and 60s was a classy affair, not to mention expensive for most of the traveling public. In the year 2026, there is still an opportunity to be spoiled at that level of luxury that would even exceed the airline's industry solid days of yesteryear. I'll give you an example. Welcome to Air France's first-class transatlantic service. This is topic A. I got to thinking about what ultra-luxury means today. I'm looking at this column that I that I read. And I believe it was either the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, in any case, a writer and and the paper spent the money for the writer to experience this. They call it the premium bubble, where there's no such thing as too much. Petty annoyances are non-existent, and the real world never intrudes. What would you pay not to have to fool with anybody? What would you pay not to ever have to stand in a TSA line? To be limoed from your home office or wherever you are to the airport. And you get to wait in this fancy vehicle, be it a Mercedes or a Porsche Cayenne, while they run your paperwork, they process your passport, and then you get escorted to the plane. Don't even have to touch your luggage. All of that. This is really happening. This is now. And what I just described is Air France's first-class transatlantic service. And it begins when a Mercedes limousine collects you from your hotel and whisps you to an exclusive entrance at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport. And if you're flying from France, it ends at JFK, where an Air France employee personally escorts you from your seat through a special customs line. Each new indulgence seems more lavish than the one before. This bespoke departure lounge, where you can order a three-course meal from a menu conceived by Alain Ducasse. Whoa. The Porsche the Porsche Cayenne in which you've driven across the airport apron to the plane. Don't even have to walk. Can you imagine? Your compartment in this ultra luxury. It is in the plane's front section, spending four windows, five on newer planes, where the seat flattens into a six by six foot long bed, and complete privacy is attained through a forward ceiling curtain. The nonstop attention from procession of people eager to ply you with amenities. Even the pilot, responsible for more than 300 passengers on that flight, emerges to the compact to speak to the only how many people you think would be on a flight now, 300 people on that flight. How many would have bought this level of service? Three. Not this ultra service now, but that's a r you know, so basically it's three times what it cost for and to go to the next level. But luxury, as the writer discusses, is measured as much by what is missing than what is present, namely other people. For the duration of the trip, I encounter virtually no other passengers except for others in first class. None in the terminal because you didn't walk through the terminal. None in the lounge because it's a special lounge. None in the security line, because you didn't stand in it. None in the passport line. And there's no passport line. The passports are processed off stage while you wait in your Porsche. None during boarding. And goodness. None on the plane where the people in the front were separated from the people in the back by a curtain impenetrable as a velvet rope at a nightclub. Can you imagine? This sense of intimacy and confidentiality is a key aspect of their level of that level of experience. Air France enables its clients to enjoy a completely seamless and swift airport journey in the utmost privacy. What is your privacy worth to you? Do you consider privacy a luxury that you're willing to pay for? Apparently, more people are. Exclusivity and its cousin privacy have always been important to high-end travelers. As we all know, the pandemic added a new element to widening the gap between us and them when the ultra-rich were able to achieve social distancing by isolating themselves in luxury enclaves far from the masses. And more and more, rich as travelers are paying for the privilege of being apart from everyone else. And I gotta wonder. Yeah, money can buy you a lot of things, but is the ability to be not have to have these travel friction, have to stand in line for who knows what what recently as much as two hours or interacting with other people because you know the type, the special type, they always end up standing next to you. Is it worth it? Is ultra luxury being in your own bubble worth the price? Whether it is flying, driving, staying in an exhort, I don't know. I'm a people person. There are times I don't want to be fooling with anybody, but would I pay for that to live in a world absent of other people? I'm not so sure. And I'm not so sure that is a healthy thing for human beings anyway. But if you're willing to pay$16,000 the next time you go to Paris from JFK, Air France can help you out. Tesla and other EV makers push driver assistance subscriptions, even as motorists are pushing back. That's next. This is the Tech Mobility Show.

SPEAKER_04 21:09

You've got the vision. Now you need the right partner to make it happen. At Playbook Investors Network, we power ambitious leaders with the tools, insight, and investment connections to move faster, grow stronger, and lead markets. We're more than advisors, we're your co-pilots in success. Because in business, standing still is not an option. Playbook Investors Network, fueling ambition, delivering results. Visit pincommunity.org.

Paying for a Subscription for Driver Safety

SPEAKER_01 21:39

Did you know that Tech Mobility has a YouTube channel? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Each week, I upload a few short videos of some of the hot topics that I cover during my weekly radio program. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch, like, And subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube. Check it out. Tesla's current push for subscription revenue means that its electric vehicles now have fewer standard driver assistant features than the cheapest Toyota Corolla. Think about that for a minute. You can get into a Corolla in the mid-20s. The cheapest Tesla, Model 3, is going to put you 10-15 grand above that. Yet the Corolla is going to have more safety features around you standard than the Tesla. Lucid plans to offer a subscription service for certain driver assistance features next year, too. My question, and oh yeah, I forgot, Rivion 2. What gives? This is topic B. Now to be clear, Tesla sells a$99 monthly subscription for its full self-driving supervised software for customers, but plans to build the fully autonomous cyber cab robotaxi next year. Ribion recently launched a$49.99 monthly subscription for its hands-free driving feature. And Lucid said autonomy subscriptions are the single biggest software monetization opportunity, as they're going to roll out something for that at$69 a month and rise as capability improves. Let me be clear. So there's no misunderstanding. Would I pay for stuff that was previously standard in my vehicle? Driver assistance technologies that keep me safe. Now you want me to pay more on a vehicle that most likely cost me between$35,000 to$55,000? No. The automakers are trying to recoup lost investment. The automakers are trying to be more attractive to investors. These automakers are trying to generate profit. I'm all for profit. So I make the world go round. But I'm sorry. If I'm spending that kind of money for your vehicle to begin with, you better believe a lot of that stuff better be standard. And for comparison, if it was standard, you want me to pay for it now, I'm sorry. I'm not buying from you. I'll buy from somebody else who's got sense, who understands that safety shouldn't be for sale. That's just how I feel. I don't think that certain safety features should be for sale. Now, do I classify autonomous hands-free driving as a safety feature? Personally, between us, you and me, right now? No. No. Industry's heading that way, but it's further out, and we've talked about this. We've talked about how autonomous driving for personal vehicles is a way away. The number one problem with that is uniform laws governing what autonomy, how it's defined, what its base specs are, what default looks like, a whole list of things that need to happen nationwide. Before I would ever even begin to entertain being comfortable with autonomous driving. Fact about it, to be honest with you, I don't know how lucid and Rivion and Tesla can charge for something when, depending on where you live, those features may not be of value at all. Particularly if there are no laws. Now, GM and Ford want to jump in the freight too, but let me tell you about Blue Crews. I've had some Fords recently that had Blue Crews, and every now and then in a stretch of road, it will say, Blue Cruise enabled. Press this button and you can drive hands-free. What is the purpose of hands-free? Well, number one, as a level two SAE autonomous level equipment, I am still obligated to keep my eyes on the road. That does nothing for me. And with Blue Cruise, it stretches the road. One minute, it's great. A mile or two from now, it tells you to take the wheel back. Um, if I'm going to be doing that back and forth all the time, forget about it. And it's still quirky. I have listed a number of vehicles in review. One of the things I found is some of their car assistance, driver assistant features are still quirky. They freak out on stuff that ain't there. They say, look at the road when you're staring straight at the road, your eyes haven't wandered, but it thinks it has. And it will take appropriate action if you don't. I've had my hands on the wheel once said, put your hands on the wheel. My hands are on the wheel. I'm sorry they're not exactly where you think they should be, but this is comfortable for me. I don't know. I'm not in favor of this. Particularly these prices. Now, are they saying that they're going to drop prices accordingly to compensate for this? No, none of them said that. So you want to charge me as much or more than the vehicle was available a year or two years ago. Yet now you want me to pay on top of that for features that either were standard or should be standard. Folks, safety should never be optional. I've always felt that way. If the automakers are inspired to add safety features to make us safe, automatic emergency braking, uh, rear detection assist, line side assistance, uh, lane change mitigation, lane centering technology, which is still quirky by the way, for most automakers. For the most part, most of that equipment I'm in favor of. Not all of it, because some of it still has problems, particularly the line, the uh lane centering. I've got some vehicles that are very fussy about that, and more aggravation than it's worth. And the sad part is some of the stuff that I'd like to turn off when it's fussy, I can't turn off. Particularly the ones that want to monitor my face and think it knows what's going on when on a lot of times it don't. But they want to charge you for it. Now I understand all this technology, all this development costs cost billions with a B. I got it you. But trying to fleece the owner of this vehicle when the average purchase price is already 50 grand plus, where payment plans are now eight years out plus right now, where monthly payments for some folks is over$1,000 a month,$12,000 a year to own a vehicle that you don't own until you pay it off. Which means if you're three or four years into it and you want to trade it, you're upside down. You owe more money than it's worth. And that's today. We don't know what the future is going to bring relative to gas prices, availability of EVs, what's coming. So that makes this even more squirrely. You want me to pay for features that should already be part of the car. I say no. Or you want me to pay for features that you think have value. And right now, I'm sorry. Autonomy or hands off, hands-free doesn't for me. Because I'm still obligated, eyes on the road, ready to take over. That adds nothing to me. So beware. Most of your automakers are trying to do this, not just to EV manufacturers, but GM's trying to do it. Ford's trying to do it. Stillantis has made announcements about mitigating going to software revenue, trying to squeeze more money. GM set the model when they did XM radio and OnStar, but those have value. And they weren't started to be standard to begin with. That was the deal up front. And it's been around for 25 years. I have both, by the way, in my Equinox. And I'm okay with that. But safety features, and you want to charge me? If I let my radio subscription go away, I'm good. Nothing bad happens. But safety features, nah. Mm-mm. Nope. I'm sorry. They need to be standard, and I don't want to pay extra for them. With more older drivers on the road, when do you take away the keys? We are the Tech Mobility Show.

SPEAKER_00 31:05

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SPEAKER_01 31:38

To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting Techmobility.show. That's Techmobility.show. You can also drop us a line at talk at Techmobility.show.

SPEAKER_04 32:08

In business, opportunity doesn't wait, and neither should you. At Playbook Investors Network, we connect visionary entrepreneurs with the strategies, resources, and capital they need to win. Whether you're launching, scaling, or reimagining your business, our network turns ambition into measurable success. Your vision deserves more than a plan. It deserves a playbook that works. Playbook Investors Network, where bold ideas meet bold results. Visit pincommunity.org today.

When Do You Take Away the Car Keys?

SPEAKER_01 32:40

Did you know that Tech Mobility has a YouTube channel? Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. Each week, I upload a few short videos of some of the hot topics that I cover during my weekly radio program. I've designed these videos to be informative and entertaining. It's another way to keep up on current mobility and technology news and information. Be sure to watch, like, and subscribe to my channel. That's the Tech Mobility Show on YouTube. Check it out. Okay, folks, I'm gonna need you to pull up a chair and get close to the radio. We need to have a talk. This talk is for all of you. Doesn't matter if you're a teenager that just got your license, 20-something's been on the road for a while, maybe you're 40, 50 something that's juggling family and road and whatever, or you're older, you have a lot of experience behind the wheel. Here is an awkward question. I'm directing it at you kids. You kids of us boomers. How bad does it have to get before you take the car keys away from one or both parents? With more older drivers on the road, and I'm one of them, states are grappling with this very question. And let me weigh in right here. You ain't taking my car keys. This is topic C. This subject is near and dear to my heart. I've had my license now for 52 years. I didn't pass it the first time through. I had to take it again, but I did pass it. Got my license in December of 1974, I remember clearly. And yes, back in the days when schools still had driver's ed, and driver's ed cost all of$50. So that's after driver's ed. And in Massachusetts, where I grew up, if you had been through a driver's ed course, you could apply for your license six months ahead of time. If you didn't do driver's ed, you could you had to wait till you were 17. So obviously there was an incentive, oh, a whole six months. Because to us boomers, still a vehicle means freedom. A vehicle means um mobility to us. And we're not going to give that away willingly. We were of the generation where we could hardly wait till we could get our license. And every time we got behind the wheel of a car, it was freedom. We could go when we wanted to go, we could come when we wanted to come, we could drive anywhere. And me and my best friend, Don Schroth, we did go anywhere. We have stories. That's another time. But seriously, my dad lived to 83. He drove right up till the day he died. He had an uncle, my great uncle Vernon, he drove till he was 93 before they took his keys away. My brother would ride with my dad all the time. Nobody ever said, I'm scared for dad driving. In his 80s. Man sharp is attacked, man, drove everywhere. I'm in my late 60s now. I have all my facilities, I can get around, I'm pretty good, I can think. But there is a day, somewhere out there in the future, when my kids are probably gonna have that conversation with me andor mom, and they're gonna take our keys away. And I'm sorry, the fight's gonna be on. So here's the question: When is it time? The ability of the mind perceives stuff, and you lose that gradually. It's not all of a sudden, you know, you get careless and all of a sudden stuff gets crazy. Happens over time. At what point? Who draws the line in the sand? How do you judge when it's time to pull the keys? It's time to have that conversation with your parents, your grandparents that you gotta park the car. And what happens if they live in a rural area where driving is not an option? In Iowa, we are a fairly rural state. You get a few miles out of any one of our major cities and you smack in the country. And I'm not talking 10 or 15 miles. I'm talking anywhere from one to three miles, and you in the countryside. We got 99 counties. We're mostly rural, 3.1 million people, and we are spread out. And we're an older state. If you live in a rural county, miles from any major city, you still need to go get groceries, you still need to keep your doctor's appointments, ride hailing services, um, other subsidized services for elderly, not necessarily available in the rural counties. Closer in the Des Moines Metroplaques, yeah, you have choices. But you get out there in the rural counties. Calhoun County, you get out there, Ida County, which are in northwestern Iowa, Plymouth County, way out there. Kiyak County, Washington County, Southeast. You get into a rural county, what do you do? And what if you're the kids that don't live close to mom and dad? Mom and dad's kind of all right, but maybe you get a phone call. Dad wrecked a car, or he scor scraped the car on the way out the garage. It's the third time this year she did it. Or maybe she got into a slight fender bender because she got her pedals confused and she jumped a curb or something. And these are the lucky ones. These are the ones that are more property damage. But what happens if you let it slide and it gets dangerous, critical? Somebody really gets hurt. There is no federal guidelines with respect to looking at when a person can is no longer fit to drive. Every state is different. And in some states, like Wisconsin, an older driver can go eight years without having to renew their driver's license. And um full disclosure, my driver's license renewal is up next year when I'm 69. I get to renew it. You realize most states don't require old folks to take an actual driving lesson, driving test? It's all written still. How do you feel about that as a fellow driver on the road? Realizing that, particularly if you're rural, dad might be driving a half-ton, three-quarter ton pickup truck. Or mom might be driving a Tahoe or a suburban or an expedition SUV, which is body on frame truck-based. Meaning if they have a lapse in judgment, it could cause some real harm either to themselves, to property, or somebody else. I don't know. There are no standard answers. Now, in fairness, it should be based on capability. Can you still drive? Can you meet the standards? Maybe. In Illinois, they have some of the toughest um laws regarding driver's licenses in the country. And right now in Illinois, if you're 70, you have to take a driving test. They're petitioning now to move that out to 87. Because again, people are living longer, people more healthy, more aware, getting around. I know a lot of 70-year-olds get around just fine. Thank you very much. But we're getting there. And with all of us boomers older, more of our healthy than our parents. At what point do you have that conversation? And are you ready for the blowback, kids? Do you understand why mom and dad may not want to give up the keys? I'm here to tell you freedom, mobility. Two things we value above everything. Because we fought to get it, we fought to keep it. Try to bear that in mind when you have to have that conversation. Try to be gentle about it. Because it still ain't gonna go over well. It just isn't. Mobility is America, and America is mobility, and we cherish that above everything. It is the very meaning of freedom. Four wheels and an open road.

SPEAKER_02 41:36

This is the Tech Mobility Podcast.

SPEAKER_04 41:41

Every great business starts with a spark, but taking it to the next level takes strategy, connections, and capital. That's where Playbook Investors Network comes in. We're your strategic partner for accelerating growth, navigating challenges, and capturing market opportunities before your competition does. Your business is more than an idea. Let's make it an impact. Playbook Investors Network. Your future starts here. Learn more at pincommunity.org.

SPEAKER_01 42:12

To learn more about the Tech Mobility Show, start by visiting our website. I'm Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Show. The website is a treasure trove of information about me and the show, as well as where to find it on the radio across the country. Keep up with the happenings at the Tech Mobility Show by visiting Techmobility.show. You can also drop us a line at talk at TechMobility.show.

SPEAKER_00 42:38

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SPEAKER_04 43:11

You've got the drive. You've got the vision. Now you need the right partner to make it happen. At Playbook Investors Network, we power ambitious leaders with the tools, insight, and investment connections to move faster, grow stronger, and lead markets. We're more than advisors. We're your balance of success. Because in business, standing still is an option. Playbook Investors Network, fueling ambition and delivering results. Visit KCommunity.org.