Let’s compare an auto racing pit stop in 1950 to the modern variety. What do we notice?

First of all, in 1950 they’re driving a car, not a supercharged sewing machine. You could still burn your hand on the tailpipe. Now that’s a car. You’ll also notice that they used to severely limit the number of people that could work on the car in the pits, even though there aren’t any power tools being used on the car in 1950. The fellow changing the tires only has a mallet. The tires were held on solely by a “spinner,” a single lug in the middle of the wheel. It had a pinwheel shape, and he hammers it off and on to change the tire. If one of those came loose, you’d be turned into Messala in Ben Hur in a hurry when the wheel came off. I think the guy with the gasoline in 1950 just keeps it in a pail, which he sits on while he smokes unfiltered cigarettes between pit stops.

The lesson? Hmm. Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a bunch of stuff that happened. Or maybe it demonstrates that the easier work gets, the more people you’re forced to hire to accomplish the same amount of labor because no one knows how to do much of anything anymore.

OK, now that we settled that, let’s go to lunch for four hours.