Earlier quoted context omitted.
And the delivery drivers were probably paid more than they are now…
The food was probably healthier too
A moot point when the air was often so thick (smog) that it could kill you.
The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
121–130 of 153 posts
Re: The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I know you Europeans love your model, but it doesn't apply to us. lol. You're what we call "carbrained". Explain how the climate of the coastal West coast is unsuitable for year-round bicycling. Much of it is nicer than the Netherlands and has several times the population.
You do realize most of the US doesn't live on the West coast, right? Your sampling is skewed. It's been freezing cold here and any destination within our major city you want to reach is 30+ minutes away by bike. The "carbrained" insult is so stupid, btw. Once autonomous vehicles are commonplace you'll either come around or be complaining about it nonstop. Car usage is going to 2-10x.
> Car usage is going to 2-10x.
What a bleak vision of the future.
Re: The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
Guess I was wrong, that’s a shocking engineering choice, that engine looks massive and heavy. A four stroke engine is about twice the weight and size for the same power output, but much more fuel efficient.
"Fuel efficient" - that's probably why. If the fuel efficiency more than off sets the additional weight, for range then four stroke might be indicated. There are lots of other factors to consider.
Four stroke engines are also quieter, last longer, and have lower emissions, but cost a lot more to make as they are much more complex.
Re: The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
#124Earlier quoted context omitted.
You do realize most of the US doesn't live on the West coast, right? Your sampling is skewed. It's been freezing cold here and any destination within our major city you want to reach is 30+ minutes away by bike. The "carbrained" insult is so stupid, btw. Once autonomous vehicles are commonplace you'll either come around or be complaining about it nonstop. Car usage is going to 2-10x.
> Car usage is going to 2-10x. What a bleak vision of the future.
It's beautiful.
Automated conveyance from front door to anywhere.
Perfectly comfortable, unscheduled, private.
I cannot fathom the bleak pessimistic perspective of wanting fixed trains and busses over this. Crying babies, rude people.
American transit sucks and it's not getting better. It's tolerable in cities like NYC, but even so it's a far cry from Asia. If you're not American, please don't project. We'll never have that here. We are not dense enough for it.
Re: The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
#125Earlier quoted context omitted.
Guess I was wrong, that’s a shocking engineering choice, that engine looks massive and heavy. A four stroke engine is about twice the weight and size for the same power output, but much more fuel efficient.
"Fuel efficient" - that's probably why. If the fuel efficiency more than off sets the additional weight, for range then four stroke might be indicated. There are lots of other factors to consider.
I guess this is an old engine, but it's bizarre to me that fuel efficiency could be a factor for something this slow and light.
Re: The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
#126Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I know you Europeans love your model, but it doesn't apply to us. lol. You're what we call "carbrained". Explain how the climate of the coastal West coast is unsuitable for year-round bicycling. Much of it is nicer than the Netherlands and has several times the population.
It’s not about the climate. Cities are just too big.
That's because you're using planned economy principles for your cities.
Remove all zoning but for industrial zoning, and remove prop 13, like it is in most of Europe, and the invisible hand of the market will transform most of cities into medium-density mixed-use like in Europe, though in your case likely accomplished with 5-over-1s instead.
And with increased density, maybe you'd even have space for some public parks again.
Re: The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
#127Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which robots?
Check out the recent moves on Atlas. https://youtu.be/I44_zbEwz_w?si=sFS5XUhNtwEz_ebH
How much will those robots cost? How many will we be able to make within the next 30 years?
How will they be autonomous considering bipedal operation in random environments is MUCH, MUCH harder that full self driving for cars on public roads? And that's just moving around, we're talking about actual judgement to do a human job that requires reasoning and practical skills.
Jetson type robots are a pipe dream at this point. I don't expect to have a robot maid within my lifetime.
Let's be realistic and not plan society today around scifi fantasies, please.
We're probably lacking 80% of the basic science needed for autonomous robot maids.
Re: The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
#128Earlier quoted context omitted.
But this has been true every hundred years or so as technology changes and those that are building infrastructure know nothing else. 2000s : Damn these cars clogging up the road! 1900s : Damn these buggies clogging up the road! 1800s : Damn these carriages clogging up the road! 1700s : Damn these horses clogging up the road! 1600s : Damn these " " " " " 100BC : Damn these romans clogging up the road!
You really think the idea of anything like bumper to bumper traffic existed more than a hundred years ago? Everything before 2000s (though surely car traffic existed in the 1900s) seems like a dramatization.
One of the bigger problems was all the manure on the streets. I believe this is one of the reasons why there are stoops in New York, the steps up to brown stones.
Also there’s a dump site in New York called Dead Horse bay.
Now doubt there’s many people here who have been to New York, I’ve just seen YouTube videos about this.
Stoops in London? I’m guessing quite a few properties have steps up to the entrance. Going through YouTube videos of shooting locations of the Sweeney and it doesn’t seem that prevalent.
Re: The e-scooter isn't new – London was zooming around on Autopeds a century ago
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
Another way to look at it. At that time a £1 coin was a gold sovereign, one of which is worth £800 today. Which makes it £28,800.
I remember when the pound coin was first minted and I am 55 years old. In 1915 or so, a single pound (GBP int al) was a banknote ie paper money and was thus until the coin took over in the '80s I think it was. The pound coin is not made of gold. A gold sov. is something completely different. However "sov" is a nickname or perhaps a euphemism for a pound (GBP).
You're too young to remember then ;)
A sovereign was officially the pound coin from 1817 until 1931, when gold convertibility was abolished. Although it slowly vanished from active circulation from the beginning of WWI.
(On a similar note, in 1919 the silver coins were actual sterling silver with £1 being approximately 113g of sterling silver.)