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The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

blog.scaramuzza.me

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Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#111

Post by const_cast »

zmnd wrote: post #76
const_cast wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Usually when people get older and start complaining about new "unpleasant people" the issue isn't that new unpleasant people exist. Rather, its that the older person has not adapted and is stuck. They become "get off my lawn" types

It’s easy to dismiss a problem by just saying that someone is just an “older person” who “didn’t adapt”.

It is, but it's also just something I see time and time and time again.

Every generation complains about how the world is going to shit and the yougins ain't got no respect and whatever particular segment of brown people at that time don't belong in their country.

I would have some sympathy if this wasn't, like, the millionth time this has happened.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#112

Post by trymas »

poisonborz wrote: post #21

You only need to move a bit towards suburbia/countryside to create your deep disbelief in public transport. Cars are everywhere, for a reason. Public transport is great in theory only. With actual human societies - maybe the western ones, that is, except China/Japan - it just doesn't work. Corruption, laziness, bureaucracy, lack of proper planning and security makes the creation and maintenance of these projects unsu…

LA is a transportation utopia then?

Just one more lane, bro.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#113

Post by lucyjojo »

bluGill wrote: post #109
mitthrowaway2 wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been to cities large and small in Japan that had better transit than what you describe in London. That's probably why they have so much ridership.

I did not describe London... mode share even in tokyo is only 51% - they have a lot of work they can do. That 51% is likely just going to work, cities rarely collect data for other trips but those matter and are places to work on.

there are waaay less cars than people in tokyo.

most people do everything via public transport and/or bicycle.

https://stats-japan.com/t/kiji/10786

i mean none of the supermarkets close to my home have parkings... (they have a bunch of bike racks though).

there is 1 combini with a small ~6 spots parking that sits mostly empty. my building has more units than parking spots, there are a lot of bikes though.

in tokyo, having a car is not the default, you need a good reason.

now if you get out of tokyo (like gunma), it's another story, in japan they talk about "car society" (kuruma shakai). you'll see lots of cars, and big parkings.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#114

Post by lucyjojo »

mattlondon wrote: post #107
mitthrowaway2 wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like your public transport isn't actually good.

This is the point I am trying to make. Even somewhere which is lauded as having "good" public transport such as London and its actually not good in real life situations. Yes its great and all to visit London or Amsterdam or Berlin or whatever on vacation when you don't have Real Life (TM) responsibilities to worry about and you're only ever shuffling around the most central tourist areas and attractions with no real…

tokyo contradicts your statement.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#115

Post by mattlondon »

lucyjojo wrote: post #114
mattlondon wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the point I am trying to make. Even somewhere which is lauded as having "good" public transport such as London and its actually not good in real life situations. Yes its great and all to visit London or Amsterdam or Berlin or whatever on vacation when you don't have Real Life (TM) responsibilities to worry about and you're only ever shuffling around the most central tourist areas and attractions with no real…

tokyo contradicts your statement.

How? No roads and only rail everywhere? Point-to-point transport that cost pennies? No waits for things to arrive?

Tokyo with it's huge sprawl seems like the absolute antithesis of a 15 minute city.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#116

Post by nialv7 »

outime wrote: post #75
nialv7 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get it. If you've been enjoying public transportation for so long, then why is your reaction to it getting worse not: OK, we need to fix it so it's as good as it was. Instead you are just saying: OK, I have the resources to fix the problem for myself, so I don't give a F.

I do give a F. I'm paying a fair amount in taxes every month despite not using it. On top of that, what's your proposal? Whether I use it (and be miserable) or not doesn't move the needle either way, so I choose not to be miserable. If there were actually a way to make it better, I'd maybe get involved. But since I see zero options, I just stay away from it. Virtue signaling doesn't work for me.

Ha, the "I pay taxes" type I see. Paying taxes doesn't necessarily mean you care. For example part of the taxes I pay will go into the Military Industrial Complex, but yet I wish they don't exist.

One way to reduce the chance of meeting "unpleasant" people (are they really unpleasant or has your perception just changed as you age?), is to just have more of public transportation! Besides pure statistics, it also makes people's lives better and will reduce poverty.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#117

Post by ang_cire »

UtopiaPunk wrote: post #58
ang_cire wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's interesting to me seeing the different ways that different people respond to our modern urban hellholes. I don't want to live in a city at all, I want to live in at most a village where people all have their own land, and the village 'center' is just the most convenient nexus of property lines, where people could set up the local market. I always sort of assume people who are into de-urbanization are also de-dev…

Peasant life has its charms, I suppose.

It's only peasant if you have a Lord. Ni Dieu, ni maitre.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#118

Post by feurio »

dkiebd wrote: post #79
feurio wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The London Mayor some years ago, Ken Livingstone, was a huge proponent of public trasport and used it extensively. The current Mayor, whilst still a proponent, likely does not use it. A quick glance at the social media that he recieves will tell you why - it would not be safe. He needs to travel with close protection officers. The reason? He is Muslim, and Britain has become a very racist country indeed. Well, maybe…

[dead]

As the Mayor was born in London I'm not entirely sure what you're suggesting.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#119

Post by electricant »

Author here. Having read the comments let me clarify that I'm not advocating for a world devoid of cars. I'd like that cars could be an option not a must. I totally see that cars are here to stay especially where really needed. But who decides when they are really needed? The owner of course! However, I think that we could perhaps shape our lives for walking/cycling and incentivize public transport whenever possible.

Re: The car is not the future: On the myth of motorized freedom

#120

Post by dietr1ch »

nradov wrote: post #40
dietr1ch wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My motorized freedom dreams got stuck in increasingly worse traffic. Nowadays I dream of a "bikeable" commute and grocery shopping and whatever works best between public transport and driving on the weekends.

My area is fairly "bikeable" but I seldom ride my bike for errands because I can't be sure that it will still be there when I get out of the store. The local authorities do almost nothing to prevent bike theft. Sure, cars can also be stolen. But modern cars are now fairly theft resistant and police at least take it seriously as a crime.

My way of shopping with my bike is either taking my obviously pricey bike, which I can just walk into the supermarket without anyone thinking it could be left outside, or just take my old 25kg bike that's kind of not worth stealing and lock it somewhat close to the entrance just in case.
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