Why are all the cars old in "11:59"?

[Annah]

11:59; the Millennium Gate episode.

I've always been curious why every car was at least 25 years old (from 2000). I mean, I've been in "poorer" towns and they don't ALL have very old cars.

Did they explain this?

In the episodes where they went back in time to the 90s to retrieve the Time Ship, the cars were up to date. Same in "Enterprise" with Archer.

 

[Greg Cox]

I'm guessing the idea was to convey that times were hard and the economy was in trouble. Shiny new cars wouldn't have conveyed the right atmosphere.

Chalk it up to setting the mood . . ..

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

In FC the only cool tech we see is Cochrane's ship. Everything else is crappy and worn out.. because of the war but you would think they would have scavenged some more future (to us) looking stuff?

 

[Nebusj]

We'll, you know, the DVD residuals to Kate Loves A Mystery aren't all that much. You get around with what you can.

 

[Guy Gardener]

This story wasn't real... It was all created by Janeway's bigoted imagination, who despite visiting 1996, thought the turn of the century looked like the 1970s...

Or?

Was this story set without Starling inventing the the computer revolution of the 1970s, and the the late nineties still did look like the nineteen seventies because nothing swish and modern had been invented lately?

 

[Annah]

This story wasn't real... It was all created by Janeway's bigoted imagination, who despite visiting 1996, thought the turn of the century looked like the 1970s...

Or?

Was this story set without Starling inventing the the computer revolution of the 1970s, and the the late nineties still did look like the nineteen seventies because nothing swish and modern had been invented lately?

wow nice!! didn't think about that

 

[Finn]

^I agree with setting the mood for the plot as well as making it appear like a stereotypic small Mid-West town where not much happens.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Maybe it's not that they were statistically poor, it's that the town was a statistical anomaly where everyone could drive well, obey the rules, and took basic car maintenance classes so that all their cars lasted forever and no one had continued serious and tragic car accidents?

An insurance companies wet dream.

 

[Melakon]

Odds are if the Mayberry set had still existed, they would have filmed there.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Maybe it's not that they were statistically poor, it's that the town was a statistical anomaly where everyone could drive well, obey the rules, and took basic car maintenance classes so that all their cars lasted forever and no one had continued serious and tragic car accidents?

An insurance companies wet dream.

But people still want new latest everything cars.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Remember your grammy?

Her wardrobe just stopped in 1950 something.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

My grandmother had this amazing peacock green silk dress..

You know you are getting older when you have friends say "you can't wear that, you are too old". Of course the correct answer to that is fuck you, I wear what I want.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Offensive T-Shirt slogans, exposed midrifts, or both?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

The last person who said this to me is a lot younger than me but dresses like an old lady herself so I didn't take it seriously.. I think it was actually about a concert t-shirt. Of course she also wouldn't go to a concert because she would be intimidated by all the young people. It's like everyone around me is atrophying and yelling at me "why don't you atrophy with us!" But then luddites are my pet peeve.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Star Trek dates you.

You can like the new whatever, but do you obsess as much?

Have you seen the reality game show King of the Nerds?

There is a young woman contestant (mid 20s?) on there who has said at least twice "W.W.K.J.D.?"

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

REALLY? How sweet.

Trying to think if I have new obsessions.. as opposed to interests and loves. There is too much Star Trek in my brain, and the back rooms have Star Wars in them.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Drawing from my head the three most sciencefictiony new shows currently on are Almost Human, Falling Skies, and Defiance.

http://io9.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-2014s-science-fiction-and-fantas-1496327510#

Would you ever write fanfiction about any of these three?

(Hands up who forgot Defiance existed?)

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I've only seen the second two and only stomached the last one. And that was because of the setting. Yeah I might scratch out some really trollish fanfic about Defiance, with the vampire folk tying up the mayor and..

I also don't retain a lot, the only reason I have seemingly retained this much Trek is long time viewing and familiarity. My mind is a sieve.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I can't imagine watching anything new, 20 to thirty times over the next 5 years.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

No! LOLOL will never happen. Well I've watched Firefly a lot but that is no longer new.