TUBE FOR THE ROAD IN-CAR VIDEO, AUDIO SYSTEMS POPULAR.Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer Holiday checklist post-Sept. 11: 1). Cancel plane reservations. 2). Call Mom in Tucson to say you'll be there "You'll Be There" is a single by American country music singer George Strait. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 2005. in time for turkey if the minivan doesn't break down. 3). Install DVD player A stand-alone device that plays DVDs. It contains a DVD drive and the electronics to decode the digital video. The device may play only manufactured DVDs, or it may be able to play DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs. DVD players are cabled to a TV or home theater system for display. , Sony PlayStation Sony Playstation - Playstation 2 and satellite radio for long trip across the desert. As the holiday season approaches, Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, travelers are overwhelmingly choosing road trips over flight plans. And to make their long trips less stressful, they are turning to in-car entertainment systems to keep the peace in the back seat. Car customization shops across the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. report a boom in business installing luxury video and audio systems, a trend primarily driven by parents who don't relish a five- or six-hour drive without something to keep the kids busy. ``Since the (Sept. 11) incident, people are driving,'' said Alex Umansky, owner of Hard Wired See hardwired. , a car customization shop in North Hollywood. ``I'm up about 35 or 40 percent in work right now.'' Each month, Umansky's shop customizes about 60 to 70 vehicles - mostly SUVs and minivans - with deluxe video and audio equipment, from DVD players and satellite radio to navigation systems. His customers tell him they're just not so keen on flying these days and, instead, are sinking their travel money into entertainment systems, which can range from $1,000 to several thousands of dollars. ``Everybody's afraid to fly,'' Umansky said. ``I flew weeks ago and the plane was half-empty.'' It's definitely one of the reasons that Rory Cuiellette recently brought his brand-new Toyota Sequoia The Toyota Sequoia is a full-size SUV built by Toyota and based on their Tundra pickup truck. Introduced in 2000 for the 2001 model year, it was slotted in price between the mid-size 4Runner and the Land Cruiser. to Umansky's shop to have five separate monitors, a DVD player, a VCR VCR: see videocassette recorder. VCR in full videocassette recorder Electromechanical device that records, stores on a videotape cassette, and plays back on a TV set recorded images and sound. and a PlayStation 2 installed inside. The whole operation cost about $7,000. But Cuiellette, a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police officer, believes it will afford him some peace of mind when he's driving his wife and three young kids to Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. this Thanksgiving and, maybe, Louisiana at Christmas. ``If you have kids and you're taking a long drive, it's worth it,'' Cuiellette said. And it's perfect for people who want to hit the road this holiday season, he said. ``This way, your family is safe, you are in charge, and you don't have to worry about anything.'' The Cuiellette family will not be alone on the road this week. According to a survey by the Automobile Club of Southern California The Automobile Club of Southern California was founded December 13, 1900 in Los Angeles as one of the nation's first motor clubs dedicated to improving roads, proposing traffic laws and improvement of overall driving conditions. , 87 percent of the 2.6 million Southern Californians who are traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday plan to drive. ``People from Southern California are staying close to home,'' said Auto Club spokesman Jeff Spring, noting that the Southwest appears to be a popular destination. The Auto Club is also expecting Thanksgiving air travel to be down by about 27 percent nationwide from last year. That trend may help Mike Karian, owner of Mobile Fantasy in Northridge and Sherman Oaks, get the holiday rush he's hoping for this year. In the past few weeks, he's fielded a steady stream of inquiries from people who want entertainment systems. But so far, few of them have made it into the shop. ``Since the attack, more people have asked about it,'' Karian said. ``But there hasn't been a rush.'' Kami Ghadoushi, owner of Rodeo Mobile Sound and Communications in Woodland Hills, has experienced a rise in orders to install entertainment systems recently, doing about eight to 10 customizations a week. Though the skittishness skit·tish adj. 1. Moving quickly and lightly; lively. 2. Restlessly active or nervous; restive. 3. Undependably variable; mercurial or fickle. 4. Shy; bashful. of travelers may play a part in the recent surge of interest in car entertainment systems, this type of new technology had already been gaining ground in the marketplace, according to marketing information firm J.D. Power and Associates. In a survey last year, the company found that entertainment systems are most popular among families with children. ``For people who have children, this is the No. 1 emerging technology they are interested in,'' said Jeff Taylor, a senior manager for J.D. Power, and that about half of them would want them in their next vehicles. Conversely, these features are on the bottom of the list for nonparents. Navigational systems and satellite systems are also increasing in popularity, he said. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Alex Umansky, owner of Hard Wired car customization shop, caters to travelers' new demands. (2 -- color) These TV screens are targeted to back-seat travelers, whom parents hope to distract on trips. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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