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Unintended Consequences in Silicon Valley
The tech industry has more to learn about its unforeseen effects on our daily lives
Spring break is a stretch that affords some of us in Silicon Valley a moment to pause and reflect. Driving around during my downtime, I was caught off guard as an older, gray Chevy sped by with a digital billboard attached to its roof. The word “byte” in bright red jumped out at me, but it quickly flipped to another ad — after eight seconds, it turns out — this one with smaller, harder-to-read type.
I sped up to see what the sign said. I already was going fast, but the Chevy was faster. I caught up briefly but still couldn’t catch the words. Then suddenly, I swerved. Righting my car, I slowed down and watched the Chevy fly into the distance. I paused to reflect.
Arguably, I have one of the most beautiful commutes in the U.S. Two highways, the 101 and 280, connect San Francisco to Silicon Valley. Highway 101 is a mess — your typical bumper-to-bumper logjam. But 280, especially if you time it right, is a driver’s dream.
If you glance to the west toward the Santa Cruz Mountains, a wall of green drops down to Crystal Springs Reservoir, the Bay Area’s drinking water. The scene can include statuesque egrets, deer, and grazing cows. Sunsets are spectacular. Topping…
