Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Car Culture

America to the Automobile: “It’s Over”

llgrab.jpg

In honor of this year's New York International Auto Show, which officially begins tomorrow, we present this very special announcement:

Ms. America to Announce “The End of the Affair” at the NY Auto Show

**Saturday, March 22**
10:30 a.m.
Jacob Javits Center 

 
After 100 years, Lady Liberty, the perennial Ms. America, is finally ending her
“spectacularly combustible love affair” with the automobile

New York, NY —  All things must come to an end, and so apparently it now is for America’s love affair with the automobile. Swept off her feet more than 100 years ago with promises of freedom, comfort and status, Ms. America has now had a change of heart. “The oil addiction, the misguided foreign affairs, the skyrocketing bills… it’s just gotten to be too much,” said Lady Liberty in a recent statement.
 
Lady Liberty will formally announce her break up -- and her big plans for the future -- at the NY International Auto Show on Friday, March 21st at 10:30 a.m. Reverend Billy will be present to both annul her current “dysfunctional” marriage, and will also be on hand to wed Ms. Liberty to not one but three suitors who have been vying for her affection for the past several decades: Walking, Bicycling and Mass Transit.
 
“I’m just ready for a change,” says Lady Liberty, "and frankly, this relationship has just gotten to be much more work than it's worth. My health, liberty and freedom have suffered greatly, and now I hope that my new relationships will finally give me security and happiness.”

CARtoon by Andy Singer, who recently paid a visit to the Minneapolis & St. Paul International Auto Show, along with "Roadkill Bill" Ken Avidor.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Gov. Hochul’s Uber-Backed Car Insurance ‘Reforms’ Threaten Payouts To Crash Victims

Hochul wants to limit payouts to crash victims under the guise of "affordability" and bogus claims about "staged crashes."

January 14, 2026

Cyclist Badly Injured By Truck Driver at Busy Midtown Corner

The victim may have lost her leg, one witness said.

West Siders: Better Bike Lanes, Not Bans, Will Make Central Park Safer

Central Park needs protected bike lanes at its perimeter and on its transverses to keep non-recreational users out.

January 14, 2026

Not So Fast: Advocates Aren’t Sold on Gov. Hochul’s AV Push

"There is no evidence that autonomous vehicles help us achieve our goals to make our state or city’s streets more people-centered," one group said.

January 14, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines: Hochul Has Her Say Edition

The "State of the State" is Mamdani — but Hochul is still the governor. Plus more news.

January 14, 2026

Opinion: Stop Asking If People Want to Ride Bikes

"We shouldn’t be aiming to nudge a few percentage points in public opinion. Our goal should be to make freedom of mobility so compelling that people demand it."

January 14, 2026
See all posts