Evening star., 1951-11-27
By Edith Allen
North Ameriean Newspaper AIlianes

NEW YORK, Nov. 27.-Amer-
leans are car-comfort crazy. About
the only convenience they have
not yet adapted to their cars is
indoor plumbing.
Emerging dizzy, but undaunted,
from a morass of statistics. Carol
Lane, travel authority. reported
that two-thirds of Americas fam
lilies own about so million cars,
for which they spend more than
So billion a year in comforting
extras. The average American.
Miss Lane said. plunks down a
minimum of $3.50. while a known
maximum exceeding $4,000 has
been reached.
! Miss Lane, who is women's
travel director for the Shell Oil
Co., covers $4,000 miles a year in
vestigating ideas that make fam
lily travel more comfortable and
enjoyable. She pointed out that
the uses we have found for the
cars cigarette lighter is typical
of how Americans transfer home
comforts to their cars.
Cooks Travel, Too.
For instance. pop can plug his
electric razor into the lighter,
baby can have his bottle warmed.
and MON can insert an extension
fashlight to powder her nose by,
while en- route.
"Today's cooks are as much at
home in their cars as they are in
their kitchens" Miss Lane said.
There are portable two-burner
stoves that use all liquid fuels,
six way" pots, plastic plates, and
stainless-steel knife. spoon and
fork sets that nestle together as
fiat as pancakes.
Food can be kept fresh with a
car refrigerator that works on the
battery, or it can be kept hot or
cold by covering it with pillows"
filled with a chemical that retains
the original temperature.
| A 300-pounder can picnic COM
fortably on a collapsible metal
seat that willis away to the size
of a small magazine when stored
in his car trunk. He can dine on
a table that folds like luggage.
and keep a fatherly eye on his
precious heir, who is safe and con-
tent in an infiatable crib. The
same crib has straps to keep the
wee one from rolling of when
the car is in motion.
"Press-on" Patches.
The convenience of a washing
machine is matched on the road
with pint-sized laundry equip
ment, the expert proclaimed.
There are ironing boards that take
little room in a weekend case.
and washboards that fit on the
palm. There are stretchable
clotheslines of braided rubber
about the size of a dog-leash belt
that require no clothespins. A
man-sized wash can be tucked be-
tween the strands, and q pull
holds them secure.
! There are "press-on" patches
for the quick mending Of socks,
or juniors breeches. Portable
irons are built into suitcase han
dies, and there are "erasers" guar
anteed to remove go different
kinds of spots from q travellers
clothes.
For those who like to keep &C
counts on their trip. there is a
compact travel notebook, with
space for noting expenses, mileage.
and the high lights Of the day
that is in the under-a- dollar class.
For few dollars more, the statis-
tical minded can use the new
meter gadget for the dashboard
which indicates fuel consumption.
keeps a close check on the condi-
tion Of the engine. and forewarns
you when its\tune-up time, &C
cording to Miss Lane.
Pent- ON Top.
Changing temperatures need
never worry the modern driver
either. the travel expert pointed
out. For a few sawbucks, he can
use seat that prevents seat heat.
It's made Of woven plastic strands,
with built-in springs. permitting
the air to circulate under and be-
hind the driver.
For six century notes, he can