"In the Late 1960s, Singapore was Gripped By a Genital Panic"

Having crudely attempted to break into your busy day, I feel I must deliver something even scarier. The Singapore story links after the jump.

From FT Alphaville:

More on our rental serf future, from Citi

This is what the car journey of the future will look like, according to Citi’s latest Global Perspectives & Solutions report.

And in case there was any doubt that the path to future profitability lies in the general population never really owning anything but rather having to rent everything or pay a subscription to an intermediary for it, here are some choice extracts from Citi about the real potential of autonomous cars.

Extract one:

What Also Changes? New business models for consumers such as subscription services for autonomous vehicle networks. The aftermarket automobile industry could also be impacted if vehicles increasingly become managed by fleets versus individual consumers. Additionally, automakers could try to leverage big data in order to grab a greater share of aftermarket revenue throughout the life of the car. Changing tires no longer becomes a hassle if the car can drive itself to a dealer. New auto financing methods will likely also develop.

Extract two:
There is still something gratifying about owning an asset, and there is clear value in having the instant freedom of mobility that comes with having your own car. But who needs to own all of it, or any of it? Driverless cars could unlock car timeshare models....MORE

This post from Izabella follows on her piece yesterday which we linked as "Serfing USA: The Rental Economy"
I highlighted the word in blue because I had a friend who inherited a timeshare he didn't know his parents owned. He tried to donate it to a charity who refused the donation explaining that the asset-use model was very expensive to the putative 'owner'.

And, as promised, from Atlas Obscura:

Panic Week



Of all the national panics, this might be the most bizarre.