John Nash Has Died
251–260 of 265 posts
Re: John Nash Has Died
#252Earlier quoted context omitted.
I also never understood the social norm of not wearing a seatbelt in a taxi, but went along with it for my first few years living in New York. I think the mention of "some dude yelling in some foreign language" is unnecessary. A person's native tongue says nothing of their intellectual capacity, nor of their ability to safely navigate a city.
There is a culture of not wearing the seat belt as a sign of trust. When I was in Egypt, I'd get in the cab, wear my seat belt and the driver will look at me weird. "So you don't think I can drive?" A few years later, the police started enforcing the law and most cabs didn't even have seat belts. You would get in and find a sort of belt that doesn't even tighten, hacked together only to circumvent the law. Not to say…
"It isn't you I don't trust - it's all the other drivers out there!"
Re: John Nash Has Died
#253Such a tragic loss. Like many people, I never wore a seatbelt while riding in a taxi. I'm not really sure why, it just seemed somehow to be the social norm and I went along with it. Then one day, my co-worker and his girlfriend were both severely injured while in an accident crossing the east river in manhattan. Ever since then, I've gotten in the habit of using my seatbelt while in a taxi, car, bus, or whatever. Som…
"Seatbelt culture" probably depends greatly on the local culture. In the UK, the driver of a taxi is allowed to not wear one, but not the passengers. http://www.driving-law.co.uk/offences/seat_belts-exemptions....
Due to risk compensation, taxis with passengers in belts and drivers not in belts may be the safest for passengers.
Re: John Nash Has Died
#254I was once in a taxi in which the driver would snort cocaine when we stopped at a traffic light. Needless to say I got out and walked. Another time I was in a taxi and the driver fell asleep on the highway. We were in stop and go traffic and after a long "stop" the traffic started moving but we did not. I noticed the driver sort of slumped over in his seat. I yelled "hello?" and he startled awake. Couldn't just get o…
...and your point is....?
Taxis can be very dangerous
Re: John Nash Has Died
#255The culture around seatbelts in the US confounds me. As an Australian I've spent my entire life wearing seatbelts. It's second nature. I don't even think about it. Taxis or otherwise. In fact I think it's required in all cases. But in the US people seem to view the choice to turn a mild car accident into a severe or even fatal one as some kind of moral stance or personal freedom. Or rather any effort to require their…
As an American, I wear seatbelts automatically. I don't know anyone who don't.
As a person with half a brain, so do I.
Re: John Nash Has Died
#256Earlier quoted context omitted.
I also never understood the social norm of not wearing a seatbelt in a taxi, but went along with it for my first few years living in New York. I think the mention of "some dude yelling in some foreign language" is unnecessary. A person's native tongue says nothing of their intellectual capacity, nor of their ability to safely navigate a city.
Not only that, the professional driver is probably better at it than the poster...
Probably, yes. Taxis in NYC crash about half as much as other cars per mile: http://www.schallerconsult.com/taxi/crash06.htm
Re: John Nash Has Died
#257Such a tragic loss. Like many people, I never wore a seatbelt while riding in a taxi. I'm not really sure why, it just seemed somehow to be the social norm and I went along with it. Then one day, my co-worker and his girlfriend were both severely injured while in an accident crossing the east river in manhattan. Ever since then, I've gotten in the habit of using my seatbelt while in a taxi, car, bus, or whatever. Som…
In Bangkok I pay a premium to use Uber, because their seatbelts always work; the regular cabs here never seem to have them. As someone else mentioned, this might be a British thing, as it's completely inconceivable to me that you wouldn't put a seatbelt on if one was available.
> In Bangkok I pay a premium to use Uber, because their seatbelts always work
This is a bit off-topic. Do a lot of people use Uber? I have been here for a few days, can't seem to find an Uber. The app always says not-available. Flagging a cab seems a nightmare for a tourist. And grabtaxi works but there appears to be some level of negotiation at the end of the ride. The grabtaxi prices seem more like a suggestion.
Re: John Nash Has Died
#258Such a tragic loss. Like many people, I never wore a seatbelt while riding in a taxi. I'm not really sure why, it just seemed somehow to be the social norm and I went along with it. Then one day, my co-worker and his girlfriend were both severely injured while in an accident crossing the east river in manhattan. Ever since then, I've gotten in the habit of using my seatbelt while in a taxi, car, bus, or whatever. Som…
Before the current iteration of NYC in-cab media (the Windows system that plays a playlist of AVIs), there used to be a set of speakers in the rear of the cab. At the beginning of every ride, it would play a pre-recorded message from you, generally from Michael Bloomberg or some other local celebrity asking you to buckle up. This got me into the habit of buckling up. Now, the in-cab media plays a brief video message…
> Maybe the lack of an audio prompt is why it's ignored now?
Interesting. I am guilty of having missed buckling ever so often. Mainly because I have had a speed are so slow, it doesn't matter attitude. I am also new enough to the city that I didn't experience the pre-recorded messages.
Re: John Nash Has Died
#259Earlier quoted context omitted.
In Bangkok I pay a premium to use Uber, because their seatbelts always work; the regular cabs here never seem to have them. As someone else mentioned, this might be a British thing, as it's completely inconceivable to me that you wouldn't put a seatbelt on if one was available.
> In Bangkok I pay a premium to use Uber, because their seatbelts always work This is a bit off-topic. Do a lot of people use Uber? I have been here for a few days, can't seem to find an Uber. The app always says not-available. Flagging a cab seems a nightmare for a tourist. And grabtaxi works but there appears to be some level of negotiation at the end of the ride. The grabtaxi prices seem more like a suggestion.
Heavily dependent on the part of town you're in. Where I live, available 50% of the time. Sukhumvit is crawling with them. Also they're always available at the airport which is a huge win.
Re: John Nash Has Died
#260It is always strange when people who have had an outsized impact upon others die. Prof. Nash wasn't just someone who was killed in a traffic accident. He was someone who touched the lives of many, many people in surprising ways. His work itself has a large sphere of influence that will exist without him, but I'm talking about a more personal kind of influence. He was an example of living to who you could be regardles…
By sharing this story and adding your experience, you have allowed his influence to grow that much more. Thank you for the moving words.