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Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

bloomberg.com

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Re: Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

#71

Post by orless »

icebraining wrote: post #49
orless wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My 5yo goes to a kindergarten which is 7km away. I'm sure he'll be delighted to walk that distance. Five days a week.

Have you considered a bike with a second seat? I'm honestly just curious, not criticizing your choice.

That would be ca. 30 minutes cycling one direction, then another 20 minutes to the train station where I need to catch my train. 50% of the route on country roads where overtaking trucks are great funs. With a lot of rainy days from October till April and a few days of snow in winter months.

So no, I did not consider biking with a second seat. It is completely unrealistic.

Re: Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

#72

Post by orless »

icebraining wrote: post #44
orless wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a father of two boys (8 and 5 yo) and we live in a small village (Ober-Erlenbach) next to a sattelite city (Bad Homburg) close to a big city (Frankfurt). We could not get along without a car (actually we own two cars). The younger child goes to a kindergarten on the opposite end of Bad Homburg. That's 40 minutes with the bus one direction. No, there was no option of a kindergarten closer to our house. There was n…

You're right. That said, ideally the government could work to reduce those exceptional needs, like having more kindergartens or providing transport for medical care.

The goverment could do all those things but the reality is, if you don't live in a city and/or have kids, you need a car, period.

Re: Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

#73

Post by orless »

astura wrote: post #47
orless wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a father of two boys (8 and 5 yo) and we live in a small village (Ober-Erlenbach) next to a sattelite city (Bad Homburg) close to a big city (Frankfurt). We could not get along without a car (actually we own two cars). The younger child goes to a kindergarten on the opposite end of Bad Homburg. That's 40 minutes with the bus one direction. No, there was no option of a kindergarten closer to our house. There was n…

I don't see how that's unique to children, all sorts of life situations require spacial responsibilities. I could write the same thing about my own medical appointments and I don't have children whereas my grandparents had ten (10) children and never owned a car in their lives. The original thought was "everyone should be able to get everywhere they want to go easily without owning a car so a personal automobile shou…

I have replied to "What exactly is it about children under the age of 12 that requires a car?", I did not say it is unique to children. But children is a big factor. We did not really needed a car before we had children. Now we need two cars.

"Everyone should be able to get everywhere they want to go easily without owning a car so a personal automobile should be considered a luxury" is a nice thought, no objections.

So how about we'll talk about "owning a car ... should be considered a luxury" first when "everyone should be able to get everywhere they want to go easily" is implemented? Because it's pretty far from my reality.

Re: Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

#74

Post by orless »

whiskers08xmt wrote: post #55
orless wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not every city is built for it. And not everybody lives in a city built for it. I live in a village 25km away from Frankfurt, there is no way you could get around here without a car.

Oh absolutely, I should have worded that more clearly. What I meant was, that metropolitan areas should aim to make it possible to get around with kids, instead of having to make tax exceptions for people with kids.

What suprizes me is that you ask "why is it necessary to have car if you have kids?" and when I answer why you switch to theoritizing about how the world should be.

So either we discuss the reality where the next available pediatrician is in the next city (1h with two busses, imagine this trip with a sick child on your hands).

Or we discuss the fantasy world of "everyone should be able to get everywhere they want to go easily". But then stop asking, what is it about children that you need a car.

Re: Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

#75

Post by icebraining »

orless wrote: post #71
icebraining wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered a bike with a second seat? I'm honestly just curious, not criticizing your choice.

That would be ca. 30 minutes cycling one direction, then another 20 minutes to the train station where I need to catch my train. 50% of the route on country roads where overtaking trucks are great funs. With a lot of rainy days from October till April and a few days of snow in winter months. So no, I did not consider biking with a second seat. It is completely unrealistic.

Thanks for indulging my curiosity :)

Yeah, cycling near trucks is terrible, I wouldn't do it either.

Re: Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

#76

Post by orless »

icebraining wrote: post #75
orless wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would be ca. 30 minutes cycling one direction, then another 20 minutes to the train station where I need to catch my train. 50% of the route on country roads where overtaking trucks are great funs. With a lot of rainy days from October till April and a few days of snow in winter months. So no, I did not consider biking with a second seat. It is completely unrealistic.

Thanks for indulging my curiosity :) Yeah, cycling near trucks is terrible, I wouldn't do it either.

And definitely not with a child.

Re: Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

#78

Post by lhopki01 »

orless wrote: post #38
lhopki01 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What exactly is it about children under the age of 12 that requires a car?

I'm a father of two boys (8 and 5 yo) and we live in a small village (Ober-Erlenbach) next to a sattelite city (Bad Homburg) close to a big city (Frankfurt). We could not get along without a car (actually we own two cars). The younger child goes to a kindergarten on the opposite end of Bad Homburg. That's 40 minutes with the bus one direction. No, there was no option of a kindergarten closer to our house. There was n…

Had a quick look at the map and it seems Ober-Erlenbach to other other side of Bad Homburg is only 10km. That's not even a half hour cycle for an adult.

It also looks like Ober-Erlenbach and Nieder-Erlenbach are the only two villages and twos around Frankfurt that don't have a train station to Frankfurt.

Almost every reason I've ever seen given for needing a car have to do with deciding to live somewhere with terrible public transport or lack of public infrastructure nearby.

Re: Singapore to Stop Adding Cars in February 2018

#79

Post by swyx »

nopzor wrote: post #64
swyx wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

its like a bad breakup. Singapore and Malaysia were married, got into a huge fight, separated, and after living happily as neighbors for 50 years you want them to make a deal to cohabitate again?

It's funny to look at the history. When Singapore separated from Malaysia, many people thought that Singapore wouldn't be able to survive as an independent nation island state, with no natural resources. Today Singapore has the last laugh; they're the regional economic superpower.

i dunno about superpower. indonesia probably has that title.
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