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Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

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Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#11

Post by s_dev »

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

It's so weird that the 'noise' of petrol cars is considered a safety feature. I've heard from the older generation "Yeah but EVs don't make noise which makes them extremely dangerous. Could easily kill a child or old woman who steps out on to a road because they don't hear a car coming".

It must be the same group of people with their anecdotes about seatbelts and airbags making cars more dangerous.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#14

Post by throwaway22032 »

The anti car bias on HN is such a blind spot.

Yes, lots of us work on computers and have metropolitan hobbies.

Huge numbers of people don't. It's an empathy gap.

Cars aren't worse or better, they're just different. You can't have NYC with LA's parking and you can't have LA with NYC's parking.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#15

Post by badpun »

enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

In cities (especially dense, old European cities), IC cars makes most of the noise when they accelerate after a stop at the crossroads, pedestrian crossing etc. EVs or even hybrids make a big difference in such conditions. Not to mention, on a quiet street, even a single IC car passing changes the sound aura of the place completely - whereas, with EVs, you just get a quiet hum.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#16

Post by dannyfraser »

I visited Boston from the UK last year and was struck by the lower level of traffic noise. I attributed it to there being far fewer diesel cars and more EVs & hybrids. In the UK we have diesel powered buses and taxis everywhere as well as lots of personal cars, and the engines all have a much deeper and louder rumble than petrol engines.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#17

Post by david-gpu »

I live in a high-rise condo next to a six-lane stroad that was even showcased on this YouTube channel and the 24/7 traffic noise is annoying, particularly when you want to go for a walk and can't even hold a conversation.

This didn't happen in the places where I lived back in Europe because zoning laws were different. Instead of the sprawl of freehold single family homes separate from a dense urban core, these much quieter towns had a preponderance of moderate-density areas with mixed use buildings. This means people can live within walking distance to where they work and where they shop, so they do just that: walk through quiet streets, often surrounded with trees. This moderate density also translates into frequent and fast public transit.

Overall it is a much more pleasant day-to-day living experience. And it is not unique to Europe, you can get the same experience in Japan, for example. I hope we can learn from them.

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#19

Post by lillecarl »

s_dev wrote: post #11
enlyth wrote: post #5

The author in the video kind of dismisses EVs saying that at speed there's not much of a difference, but one of the things I definitely noticed when visiting Bergen was how damn quiet the city was because almost everyone was driving EVs. It had a noticeably positive effect on me.

It's so weird that the 'noise' of petrol cars is considered a safety feature. I've heard from the older generation "Yeah but EVs don't make noise which makes them extremely dangerous. Could easily kill a child or old woman who steps out on to a road because they don't hear a car coming". It must be the same group of people with their anecdotes about seatbelts and airbags making cars more dangerous.

> must be the same group of people with their anecdotes about seatbelts and airbags making cars more dangerous.

I don't think it has to be, it is definitely a safety feature that they make a noise, but these people try to justify burning petrol to do this passively "positive" thing

Re: Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (2021) [video]

#20

Post by llm_nerd »

throwaway22032 wrote: post #14

The anti car bias on HN is such a blind spot. Yes, lots of us work on computers and have metropolitan hobbies. Huge numbers of people don't. It's an empathy gap. Cars aren't worse or better, they're just different. You can't have NYC with LA's parking and you can't have LA with NYC's parking.

Discussing a topic rationally and openly isn't a bias, and I've seen no evidence that HN has an anti-car bias particularly.

We dedicate a huge amount of the public space to personal vehicles, and it is the sort of solution that basically creates its own problem, with the uptake of cars necessitating urban planning that make it necessary for an uptake in cars. Rinse and repeat.

It should be possible to discuss this rationally. I see cars as having tremendous faults, yet I own two of them.

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