Dec. 16, 2009 — Going fast

One hundred and eleven years ago, the first official automobile speed record was set.

Count Gaston Laubat achieved a record 39 mph while driving an electric-powered Jeantaud automobile just outside of Paris. These days, that speed on Wendover Avenue could get us ticketed for driving too slowly.

But to automotive historians, the French car is notable, not only for its speed, but also it was the first car to be driven with a steering wheel rather than a tiller.

Well, sometimes what matters isn’t how fast we go, but how we're guided along the way.

So, who is your steering wheel these days?

Just a thought. I'm Sid Batts from First Presbyterian Church in downtown Greensboro, fpcgreensboro.org.