Greetings, my fellow port swillers!

Ol’ Robbo has noticed of late that certain producers of SUV’s are now offering some kind of New and Improved Technology® whereby, assuming your hands are full, all you need to do in order to get the back hatch open is kick some kind of sensor underneath the chassis, causing said hatch to swing upward.

Frankly, this puzzles me.

Let’s assume first that the car is locked, say in a parking lot somewhere.   On the one hand, surely the technology doesn’t permit any random thug to shove his toes under the back bumper and pop the hatch?  On the other hand, if you have to fish in your pockets to get out your keys to unlock the car before you apply the foot, well, don’t you already have a hand free anyway?

Well, okay.  Then let’s assume the car is unlocked, say in your garage or driveway.  Um, if you’re home already, what’s to stop you opening the hatch before you fill up your arms with parcels or bags or coolers or whatever it is?

Frankly, I’m puzzled.

Either I’m missing some critical piece of the math here, or else the auto industry is trying to foist a useless technology on a gullible publick.  (And using it as an excuse to up the purchase price.)

Friends of the decanter probably know which way I’m leaning…..

UPDATE:   Yes, I seem to have missed the math.  From teh  comments, I gather that the technology involves some kind of radio-frequency device that one keeps about one’s person and that teh car “reads” when one is near, after which said car activates its various electronic thingies, including the foot sensor that was the object of my initial snark.

Eh, so I made a fool of myself to the two or three friends of the decanter who still drop by, rambling on about a non-existent issue.   On teh other hand, I will say that when SkyNet initiates its primary function and all those fob-enabled vehicles start eating their owners (“Fob? Nom…Nom…Nom…), I’m simply going to insert my good, old-fashioned key into my good, old-fashioned Wrangler and head for teh hills.   I may even laugh….