>For all that I've been periodically criticized for the essentially
>unfuturistic nature of my created future,

As someone who is prone to such criticism, I often try and give you the benefit of the doubt by assuming both eccentricity on the part of the cast and "seamlessness" on the part of the future tech involved.

Like, I imagine New Avalon has an impossibly sophisticated air traffic control system, including things like municipally owned tractor beams and field generators mounted throughout downtown in case of catastrophic air car failures of various sorts. Probably overseen by multiple industrial AIs, most likely instantiated using some flavor of STACIS, who may be among the best-paid of New Avalon's civil service.

It's just that this is totally unlikely to ever be relevant, because most of the characters we see on-screen prefer groundcars to aircars (although Corwin and his old man probably hover-converted something just for fun at some point), the technology is likely completely hidden from the general populace unless you experience unforeseen repulsorlift failure, and our hosts have yet to have a reason to write a really bitchin' Lair of the Shadow Broker-style high-speed aircar chase scene.

-Merc
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