All of us have at one time or another mused the notion of becoming an inventor. Such a vision carries with it all the ingredients of complete fulfillment - not only the sense of doing something creative, but of leaving a mark, a notch on the tree trunk of history.
I have recently succumbed to the muse of invention and come up with an idea that promises to solve environmental and air pollution problems in a truly unique manner - while at the same time displaying an air of practicability unparalleled in the past several weeks of humankind's sojourn on the planet.I call it the Dusteater X1.
There are a few glitches with the idea - a few bugs to work out. That's why I call it the X1. I'm sure that down the road there'll be an X2 and and X3 as the genius of the beast is honed to a precision machine.
What is the Dusteater, you say? What is it that is causing so much flurry in the automotive world that I have to keep my prototype hidden day and night under lock and key in a secret rental slot at Grandma's Attic Mini Storage?
Though I can't reveal critical details, I can give you a brief description of the concept - under condition that you promise not to tell anybody else.
The crowning feature of the Dusteater X1 is the amazing fact that it has no internal engine whatsoever.
Inside the compactly designed body of the Dust-eater is a powerful 53-cell battery that gives life to a 197-pound electromagnet protruding from the front of the vehicle and held back by a powerful spring.
For quick and inexpensive transportation, the driver simply aims the magnet harpoon at the tailgate of any passing semitrailer rig.
Once attached, the Dusteater can travel for hundreds of miles - the driver, guesses as he goes where this or that rig might be heading and transferring from one truck to another in midcruise prior to major freeway interchanges.
It is essential, however, that the proud Dusteater-owner keep a low profile. Some truck drivers can get pretty nasty.
Another note of caution: The Dusteater is generally less effective on infrequently traveled back roads where the closest thing resembling a semi is a four-wheeler with super big tires and a gun rack in the back window.
The Dusteater can also be fairly dangerous for the owner who may not be a good marksman. I had a bad experience on a test drive up toward Heber a month or so ago, when I missed a passing Mayflower moving van, and inadvertently catapulted myself into Deer Creek Reservoir.
The experience didn't extinguish my excitement for the idea.
On the contrary.
The more I explore the Dusteater vision, the more ramifications I see in its development. I am currently considering a version that can be adapted to airline travel. The biggest problem is trying to figure out how to create a magnet that will attach itself to aluminum.