The Honey Trap –The democratization of leisure
through automobilism
Michael F. Wagner
Department for Culture
and Global Studies
Aalborg University
I’d rather be free…
…from old fashioned car
technology
But I will not be without the
good old fashioned joy of
driving’
Better place
campaign
October 2012
What the Car promises is The Honey trap
Individual mobility
-Private transportation
-Personal freedom
-Independence
-Higher social status
-The good life
-3430 cars in 1914
Number of private cars 1925-2000
Ford advertisement 1925: Free and independent!
‘A car that combines all
these properties, and
must be said to be
especially well suited for
ladies, is the new Ford…’.
1923: He could not
take a decision
• Free and independent
drivers touring the
countryside
• Dybbøl Mill is a national
historic icon from the
war in 1864
• National symbol of
resistance against the
Germans
• Northern part of
Sleswick was returned in
1920
1963: The Flying
Carpet from Ford
• To a desired
vacation belongs
a desired car…
• Everything speaks
for TAUNUS
Thesis: The cultural approptiation of the automobile through leisure
What could be termed the mechanization of leisure
And then the trap claps!
Seasonal variations in car traffic 1955-58
60% of the Danish population used a car during summer vacation in 1963
The small family car was featured as the means to gain freedom
and mobility
Autocamping was
featured as incarnation
of the good life
A new industry of ‘Autogarniture mushroomed with
the promotion of autocamping
A small car and camping equipment was accesible to everyman after
1955
Now camping is a pleasure…….. also to our little wife!
Upstairs-Downstairs: Social hierarchy was reproduced in
consumption for leisure
Working class family in Yugoslavia 1968
Use of transportation during the summer vacation 1973
according to Gallup
Automobilism primarily developed as a leisure activity
‘The road ahead’ Social Democratic Program of principles 1961
During the 1960ies there was a turn from leisure driving to
everyday traffic
The urban population used to live, work and shop within short
distances
•
In surburbia more than 500.000 single family houses were built
between 1960-1970
Many industries moved out into the countryside and the workers
commuted
Traffic congestion became the condition in everyday life
130.000 hours are lost in ques in and out of Copenhagen
This means 29 million wasted hours in the congested traffic every year
Copenhagen Congestion Charge Zone
Smack!