Telegraph.co.uk (Enlarge photo)

29/05/2008 10:24. Cool environment? Not that I'd noticed. Most of my children's friends are too busy dancing, drinking, kissing and occasionally studying to pay much heed to the environment. I think there's something else going on. Young people have figured out ways of living without motor cars and that's really frightening car makers.

In our increasingly urban population, youngsters can use trains, buses and taxis, as well as bumming lifts from parents or friends with parents' cars. Oyster cards, free bus travel (and even ‘freer' bendy buses), student railcards and discounts, there's no financial contest. My son's friends have partly eschewed cars because they merely siphon the contents of their meagre bank accounts on to governments, councils, police, parking companies dealers, garages and oil... // Telegraph.co.uk