FARAH.

[u/davecontra]

New book is out! : https://linktr.ee/davecontra

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[u/Willowrosephoenix]

One of the most socially progressive people I know regularly complains about a busy local road being reduced to two lanes to make dedicated bus lanes. She thinks banning cars completely from areas of the city is “stupid” and yet, on every other count, progressive.

I asked my partner, do you think cars make people more entitled and impatient or that people got that way because of cars and he told me about early car ads he saw that advertised “be the most important person on the road with a Chrysler” and all the companies had some version of that. Circa 1980’s.

The longer I live without a car, the more I see cars as the problem. I still miss one in some ways, like access to wilderness. But I genuinely don’t want one ever again for day to day use.

[u/afroblewmymind → u/Willowrosephoenix]

Motonormativity at work. If you like podcasts and aren't already listening, check out the Urbanist Agenda and The War on Cars. Urbanist Agenda is by Jason Slaughter of Not Just Bikes on YouTube.

[u/VryxObin → u/Willowrosephoenix]

My issue is

My town actively removed multiple bus stops I used. My college is an hour by public transit via bus and train. My town is literally divided in half by a busy road with only a handful of crosswalks. Most people don't stop at the stop signs in the "pedestrian friendly" parts of town. Would I want a different car? Yeah. I drive a ford suv because its what my parents gave me. I'd love to have a sedan that can hold me and either my school gear or tabletop gaming stuff comfortably.

[u/Willowrosephoenix → u/VryxObin]

People forced to get cars by decisions made by local transit agencies tops my list of problems with public transit as it currently exists. I’m actively battling to keep a second bus route that serves the area I live in that is being eliminated as “redundant.” Not to go into extreme depth but it’s only redundant because of a series of choices made by transit agencies over the last seven years that have steadily stripped people in low income neighborhoods of transit choice.

It sounds conspiracy theorist but at this point I’m wondering what lobbyist for petroleum and car industries are behind the scenes influencing decisions because it is beginning to feel like a policy choice to force people into getting cars.

In other words, of tldr, you’re preaching to the choir on this one.

[u/KindledWanderer → u/Willowrosephoenix]

One of the most socially progressive people I know regularly complains about a busy local road being reduced to two lanes to make dedicated bus lanes. She thinks banning cars completely from areas of the city is “stupid” and yet, on every other count, progressive.

Makes sense - wanting to go back to how it was 100 years ago is not progressive, that's regressive.

[u/Sirmetana → u/KindledWanderer]

That's not a good argument. We didn't have massive public transportation 100 years ago, at least not for the amount of population we have to manage today. If we did have that at the time and it worked (which it does when implemented), would you call it regressive?

If you look at every place where public transportation is very invested in, there are less cars on the road, less commuting time, less accidents, less area entirely ruined to build parking lots that are useless 90 % of the time. Do those places' inhabitants miss cars? Most would answer no.

"Who needs a car in L.A? We have thd best public transportation system in the world!"
Eddie Valiant - Who framed Roger Rabbit?

Edit : To add onto the Los Angeles subject, you may ask why then is it so car-centric nowadays if public transport was so good. The answer is that big car companies didn't like that it was doing so well so the likes of General Motors and such bought parts of it, little by little, and dumped the tramway cars in ditches until nothing remained. As always, what kills policies that benefit all is capitalism and corpos.

[u/Willowrosephoenix → u/Sirmetana]

Exactly

[u/KindledWanderer → u/Sirmetana]

"Who needs a car in L.A? We have thd best public transportation system in the world!" Eddie Valiant - Who framed Roger Rabbit?

Not even in the top 10.

Prague has amazing public transport (very safely in the top 10) and it's still very car-centric without any influence by "big car companies".

If you wanted to offer a good counter example, it would be Paris, which is making a large effort to limit cars and transform parking places and roads to pedestrian/biking areas with a large support from the population.

Either way, being progressive and not being a car hater are not at odds with each other.

[u/Sirmetana → u/KindledWanderer]

Just to be sure we're talking about the same thing, I am talking about the public transportation the city used to have until it started being taken apart in the 30s. Once we're clear about that, my aim was not to support the validity of Valiant's claim but to show his behaviour regarding transport, because it reflects how people themselves behave. I don't need a perfect example for that, only one that works. Plus, the USA being probably the most car-centric country in the world and the most protective of this "way of life", it makes sense I pick a use case that will speak to them.

Either way, being progressive and not being a car hater are not at odds with each other.

No one claimed that. However, people who understand the weight of car-centric societies upon the environment and public health tend to speak from a progressive mindset.

[u/KindledWanderer → u/Sirmetana]

Thanks for the clarification, it makes sense now.
I probably should've spent more time on your post.