this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2024
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Fuck Cars

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My original question was "How do we disincentivize the purchase of pickup trucks/SUVs" but then I thought it would be better to approach the larger problem of car dependency and car ownership. One option is, of course, to create public transit infrastructure and improve it where it already exist. This, however, doesn't change the fact that some will still choose to drive. What would be the best ways to discourage people from owning personal cars?

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 9 months ago (5 children)

This is why a culture war is forming between bikers and drivers.

It's not just reallocation of resources, you are actively plotting to disrupt a means of income, safety, or accessibility for the majority.

Biking and public transit are very valid modes of transportation and for some journeys, practical. News flash, I use them too. The same goes for vehicles.

What isn't necessary for you, may be for someone else. That's a fact lots of folks here don't want to acknowledge.

So to answer your question, make something better, faster, cheaper than cars and people will come. But if your recipe for success is making a working system suck bad enough public transport looks good, everybody loses.

I don't have a massive truck and my 20yo Honda is no status symbol, but I love the act of driving and the skills I've developed over my lifetime. It's freeing, relaxing, and I find a meditative quality and peace when I drive in the mountains. You want to take that away. Now imagine if bikes were taxed and licensed... Not so fun now.

We have to work together in a community. I'm tired of fractions picking fights.

You want to discourage people from buying cars? Then don't buy one. Be the example you seek. But for heavens sake, don't be a jerk to others.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You're arguing here for continuing to prop up sprawl, is what it sounds like. You're open to moving people away from car dependency, but not from suburbs, is my impression. I would love to be wrong about this, so please feel free to assure me you're not proposing that people just live wherever the hell they want, no matter how unsustainable it might be.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

There are times and places for high density cities, and there are times and places for rural living. There is no one-size-fits-all approach here.

Today, I made a makeshift bahn mi burger for dinner. I snagged a French roll and a carrot from the store. I bbq'd a steak burger with Vietnamese marinade and added cucumber, Thai basil, mint, and cilantro that I grew in my garden. Also slapped together a quick salad with tomatoes, peas, and more cucumber also from my garden.

My hobbies are hiking, camping, and backpacking. Right now, I am sitting under two absolutely massive 10' sunflowers watching my pet turtle bury a clutch of eggs.

You have this impression I'm somesort of eco-terrorist because I like to drive. I know sustainable, I love to grow my own food, I'm aware of my footprint.

But I am all for sprawl and not because I drive. I rent so this will all go away someday because I can't afford to buy a $1.2 million 2-bedroom starter home or a high density concrete box.

So yeah, my choices are the fringes. Public transport (and bicycling) are going to be sketchy.

My job up until last year was home repair (not going to get too specific because this is the internet) and I did need a truck full of tools. That was my employment; my income.

Changing city policies harmed blue collar workers like me making it difficult to travel between worksites. Every major road to my residence has engineered in congestion as a means of traffic control whether it was appropriate or not. Time is money and being unable to fill one or two appointments daily due to lost time was devastating.

I have a local public transit card I use. It's great for going to popular destinations like sports, restaurants, and zoos. It is not great to visit friends and family. For that, I use a car (plus I almost always have a passenger) and save money and time.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

the word here is sprawl. The vehicles actually don't matter as much as the parking. The more space dedicated to parking the harder it is for people realistically walk to any destination.

We need more than anything to end parking minimums' which create large, poorly utilized space with high stormwater runoff and think about putting in parking maximums

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

The differences between car use between countries is a clear indication that it’s not just about necessity or consumer preferences. Societies actively choose how to plan cities and traffic, and doing the same thing as last year is not neutral.