this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2021
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Memes

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 years ago

These are really problems with stroads, car-centric infrastructure, and car culture rather than with the vehicles themselves.

I like to watch Not Just Bikes, he has a lot of well-done videos exploring why car-centric infrastructure causes all sorts of problems, and showcasing how The Netherlands successfully re-built their infrastructure to prioritize pedestrian traffic and public transportation.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 years ago (1 children)

What you actually hate are modern roads. You just don't realize it.

Roads, as they are now, are nothing more than trillion dollar subsidies to the big automotive companies (which, up until the 1980s, were predominantly American in the US... that might have been the point). Without these trillion dollar subsidies, there'd be nowhere much to drive cars, and no one would buy them (supposing anyone even tried to sell them). Though pollution and carbon dioxide might still be a large and extreme problem, one does wonder how much smaller it might be if there had been no cars.

Government, creating perverse incentives since 4000 BC, with no one noticing.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 years ago

If you haven't heard of Confessions of a Recovering Engineer yet, it's a really good read to understand how things got to be the way they are. The road to hell was paved with good intentions, but at every opportunity we've doubled down on critically flawed designs.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 years ago

It is also terribly space-inefficient and honk very loudly and its headlamp is blinding

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 years ago

I owned a car for like a year of my life and it was horribly expensive. It was cool in some respects, but not at all worth it in total. Also there's the whole climate thing going on...

I think that it's totally fine for rural people to use cars (hopefully electric in the future) but they can't expect to drive them into cities and cities should only allow private cars with special permits. We'd have so much more communal space.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 years ago

In most cases cars are a less effective alternative. In my city people like commuting to work by car. If they, at least, got on 3-4 people in the same car we could reduce traffic jam by 60% to 75%. What is interesting is that people commuting to work by car as a single and lonly passenger are the ones that complain the most about traffic jam. You would never hear someone commuting by train or tram complaining about the same.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 years ago
[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 years ago (1 children)

Currently living in a urban area, I 100% agree that cars should just be illegal here (with very few necesseary exceptions). But I grew up in a rural area hours from the nearest city, and here the question may be more difficult. I'm not saying that it is impossible to ban them here too, but that it will necessitate much more work and political will.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 years ago (1 children)

I also hate cars for a variety of reasons, but I also think that there are a few situations in which a car is maybe the only option.

In rural areas for example, to ban the cars there too it will be needed a really strong ferroviarian web and yep, political will is really required.

(Also the point is not just baning them, is modernizing or citys, improve by a ton the public transport and a big etc etc that just makes cars useless)

P.D: But yea, I also hate cars I live in a city and the noise, pollution etc etc is a big pain on the ass

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 years ago

I agree with the need to modernize our cities, but it won't be enough to "make cars useless". From an individual point of view, the car have too many advantages that people won't let go. At least here in France were I live.

The modern occidental urban world is build with cars and trucks at the heart of society. It is much harder to find a job if you don't own a car, and for pretty much any business (apart from pure service) your supplies have to get to your by road. If we wait to get to the point of "modernizing cities" enough to get real alternatives competitive enough to change people on a individual "free" choice basis, it will take decades or even a century.

Banning car thanks to a collective political action is much more effective and will bring the amelioration to the city much much faster. As long as cars are allowed in cities, public money, private money, and political action have to keep on managing them, maintaining the infrastructure, the cars, while keeping the city less enjoyable for cyclist and pedestrians.

Bonus point : This is a great example of what I would call a "collective prisoner's dilemma". I would personally never end up choosing to never ever have a car because it would make my individual life much difficult and less free. But Collectively, I am convinced I have a personal interest in a law that would ban cars for everyone including me. Because that wouldn't penalize me when I'm looking for a job or try to create an urban economic activity. That would actually let me with more freedom to do what I want. A counter intuitive situation where imposing a collective restriction of freedom actually benefit to everyone.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 years ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 years ago (1 children)

I don't really like having car but not because of most reasons up there. I might not be going to own a car because I feel like driving a car alone is kind of creepy. Especially if I have to drive a silent road at night. Having empty seats in the back is intimidating. Another perspective to put it, having empty seats most of the time is quite wasteful.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 years ago (3 children)

Maybe pût some dolls in the back?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 years ago (1 children)

idk why people say it's creepy, Dolores' my best friend during my car trips and loves to listen me rage about traffic

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 years ago

Everybody need a Dolores in their life

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 years ago

that's even more creepy

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 years ago

Okay that's just creepier

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 years ago

could be good here too [email protected]

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 years ago

All I can say is based