Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did you miss the part about the OP's windows having a factory tint? They came that way from the factory; it wasn't an aftermarket add-on. So, these windows must therefore be in compliance with the federal rules for motor vehicles, or else the car couldn't be sold in the US. It should not be possible for a state to pass and enforce motor vehicle laws that override the federal government.
I'd be curious on the exact veracity. For example, limo tint to which he refers is usually restricted to the rear seats. My European brand SUV also has tinted windows in the rear but not the front. So is his car truly pure factory, or any chance it was a dealer or aftermarket mod to tint the front to match the rear.. as this is something people commonly do (I did not).
New York City will charge drivers going downtown
671–680 of 700 posts
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#672Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did you miss the part about the OP's windows having a factory tint? They came that way from the factory; it wasn't an aftermarket add-on. So, these windows must therefore be in compliance with the federal rules for motor vehicles, or else the car couldn't be sold in the US. It should not be possible for a state to pass and enforce motor vehicle laws that override the federal government.
Did you miss the fact that Land Rover tints rear windows and never the front windows from the factory? Regardless, if you drive to a state that mandates tint at a certain level it doesn't matter what factory it came out of.. you're still breaking the law.
Yes, it DOES matter what factory it came from. Cars sold in the US must conform to federal regulations in order to be sold in the US, so it's impossible for a car to be built in a factory and legally sold in the US which is illegal to drive on US roads. No, states cannot override federal regulations.
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#673Earlier quoted context omitted.
Could easily make the same argument when some city spends 3 billion to build a 4 mile subway extension. The fare recovery rate is absolutely terrible in the US. Expecting 100% isn't exactly necessary, but NYC is at 20%. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farebox_recovery_ratio
The “farebox recovery ratio” of a road is usually zero. Roads are funded through taxes (with the exception of some toll highways). Why can’t transit be the same?
The subway system is only possibly used by those who live near a station and are traveling near another station, and tourists.
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#674Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would assume you're right in NYC, but I feel like this claim is made A LOT to sort of excuse car driving in many cities with different degrees of transit availability and threat risk. I feel like most of the time it's more accurate to say "people fear for their safety" rather than that their concerns are actually valid. Fear can be driven by only a few extreme examples that get a lot of coverage, meanwhile a lot of…
Violent crime might be rare, but unpleasant interactions with strangers are common. Panhandling, for example, can make people feel unsafe. You can never be sure how a person will react if you say no. It's illegal to panhandle on the subway, but still happens all the time.
I never had these fears, the car I already had was just the easier option, until it broke down. If someone were to consult me about my transit experience (albeit in a very different place) I'd tell them "Ya, sometimes there are panhandlers, sometimes there are super drunk people, but tbh I can't remember any specific examples because they're just random background noise from time to time". Meanwhile there are plenty of times I've almost been killed by cars in relatively mundane situations that I can remember specific examples of, including those I almost caused while driving and making a trivial mistake.
Should people be more concerned about hypothetical discomfort resulting from someone asking for money, or the very predictable consumption of time, energy, money, and every day life altering risk of one wrong move by anyone around them?
The latter doesn't mean I never drive, but for the 2-3 weeks a year I might need one, I just rent it, and then I'm reminded of why I don't want one, but it's nice sometimes.
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#675Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Also, you can presently get there by bus - https://new.mta.info/guides/beaches/jones-beach That route is absolutely awful. For a typical NYC resident - not even "typical working-class" but anyone - going one-way is 75-100 minutes, two transfers, and around $25-30 per person, while carrying everything you need for the beach. Only the last 20 minutes are actually by bus.
Compared to what? I mean.. what good beaches can you get to from NYC, even by car, in 75-100min? That's like how long it takes me to drive to Jones Beach, from Brooklyn, on a good day.
Much shorter drive. Accessible by subway. Just a better beach than Jones -- far superior food and entertainment at the concessions, and way way bigger.
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#676Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Even assuming those folks are correct, it doesn't really matter, because these taxes are incredibly effective. It's eye-opening to see how a nearly insignificant tax (literal pennies per bag) changes the behavior of everyone. Yep. People have discovered that it's pretty easy to make it a habit to carry a small bag if you live in a city and just keep some bags in the car if you're driving to the store--and it's gener…
That nice bag also accounts for >300x more CO2 than the plastic bag it replaced.
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#677Earlier quoted context omitted.
Have you ever visited the 155th station? Maybe you should actually try living in the city before talking. Or maybe Penn station which is next to the biggest methadone clinic in the city. If you think that I'm saying the station is literally covered from floor to ceiling with feces and syringes, then no that's not what I'm saying. But maybe you're just so comfortable with the griminess that it doesn't bother you.
I live in New York City, but no, I haven’t spent time in a random local station near Sugar Hill. Not sure why that would invalidate the rest of my experience. Penn Station is fine. Methadone is taken orally (as a drink) to treat addiction and no syringes are involved, so the methadone clinic wouldn’t have anything to do with syringes in the station.
Yeah you either don't live in NYC, or you just have a lower standard for basic hygiene. But let's agree to disagree.
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#678Earlier quoted context omitted.
Pros and cons for cotton bags: Pros: Never spills my groceries onto the sidewalk when I'm walking home. Looks nice. Cons: The CO2 emissions of producing... one square yard of cotton cloth. (Btw, how many pairs of pants do you own? Probably more than you need, I bet.) Yeah, looks like I'll be sticking with my cotton bag.
You do you. Just don't try to force people through legislation to adopt your style. Nobody wants to ban your cotton bag.
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#679Earlier quoted context omitted.
In my experience people who claim they are libertarians are against all forms of government regulation and taxation. But it doesn't really matter to me if my characterization of libertarians isn't 100% accurate because I have no respect for anyone who calls themselves libertarian in any way. That ideology is a swirling bag of contradictions and people who claim to be libertarian usually just circle back around to bei…
> In my experience people who claim they are libertarians are against all forms of government regulation and taxation. > But it doesn't really matter to me if my characterization of libertarians isn't 100% accurate because I have no respect for anyone who calls themselves libertarian in any way. Tell me you've never spoken to a libertarian without telling me you've never spoken to a libertarian.
Re: New York City will charge drivers going downtown
#680Earlier quoted context omitted.
This anecdote is basically another way of saying the incentives of urban design align and become self-fulfilling prophecies. Suburban dwellers stuck in the automobile mindset automatically assume that big cities must have the most horrendous traffic. It's seems like a logical conclusion: if traffic in my 50,000 person suburb is horrendous, it must be downright horrific in the big city. But that's not really how it wo…
> Suburban dwellers stuck in the automobile mindset automatically assume that big cities must have the most horrendous traffic. Have you driven in Manhattan?
"Traffic" isn't just cars, it's also bikes, walking, and transit – it's the flow of people moving from one place to another.