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I know that most of us are familiar with the ridiculous chain e-mails that we receive occasionally from anonymous -- and not so anonymous -- senders, admonishing us to send this or that e-mail to ten friends... or else!
It is in that spirit that I wanted to try a chain post. This one is more exciting, however. I admonish each of you to post a reason cars suck. Try not to repeat what someone else has posted, but expanding on a post is fine, as long as you post another reason separately. How fun, right? I'll start off with the first two, and it would be nice if we could come up with, at least, 20 reasons.
1) THEY ARE EXPENSIVE: when adjusted for gas-mileage, insurance and license tag fees, maintenance and repair, and parking the personal automobile can become a tremendous financial burden for most American families, especially if the owner is making monthly payments which would imply that interest rates have been computed into the final price.
2) THEY USE UP SPACE: Cars, even those as small as a Nissan Versa, take up lots of room compared with, say, a bicycle or motorcycle, both when they are parked and in motion. This precious space, particularly in built-up and/or downtown areas can drive up costs for everybody else. Condominium developers in downtown areas, such as Miami, have to set aside millions of dollars to build parking garages and parking lots. If you were to visit Downtown, Miami, you will witness parking structures that are sometimes as tall as the condominium, hotel or commercial tower they're attached to. It's obscene! And, just how do developers mitigate these costs? They pass them on to the buyer/owner, EVEN IF, he/she DOESN'T own a vehicle.
It is in that spirit that I wanted to try a chain post. This one is more exciting, however. I admonish each of you to post a reason cars suck. Try not to repeat what someone else has posted, but expanding on a post is fine, as long as you post another reason separately. How fun, right? I'll start off with the first two, and it would be nice if we could come up with, at least, 20 reasons.
1) THEY ARE EXPENSIVE: when adjusted for gas-mileage, insurance and license tag fees, maintenance and repair, and parking the personal automobile can become a tremendous financial burden for most American families, especially if the owner is making monthly payments which would imply that interest rates have been computed into the final price.
2) THEY USE UP SPACE: Cars, even those as small as a Nissan Versa, take up lots of room compared with, say, a bicycle or motorcycle, both when they are parked and in motion. This precious space, particularly in built-up and/or downtown areas can drive up costs for everybody else. Condominium developers in downtown areas, such as Miami, have to set aside millions of dollars to build parking garages and parking lots. If you were to visit Downtown, Miami, you will witness parking structures that are sometimes as tall as the condominium, hotel or commercial tower they're attached to. It's obscene! And, just how do developers mitigate these costs? They pass them on to the buyer/owner, EVEN IF, he/she DOESN'T own a vehicle.
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Miami
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Re: Twenty Reasons Cars Suck...What's Your Reason?
Tue, January 6, 2009 - 7:48 AM3) PEOPLE KEEP MISUSING THEM. Most drivers (according to my observations) view cars as a means of attaining pleasure, AND NOT a means of transportation. As such, most drivers constantly violate traffic laws since following such laws takes the pleasure out of driving. And because of that, many thousands of people are injured and killed every year because so many drivers want to enjoy driving -- even if it means killing their follow human beings.
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Re: Twenty Reasons Cars Suck...What's Your Reason?
Sat, January 10, 2009 - 7:58 PMOh yes, Yul. And the most devastating ones are those pile ups on our expressways. Those are quite frightening.
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Cars increase a persons isolation..
Thu, January 8, 2009 - 9:39 PMNo man is an island, apart from the main..unless hes in his car, windows and radio up, alone.
As the use of cars increased, so has the anxiety of lonliness, of being disconnected from ones communities.
As I have become less a car user, my relationships with my community have improved expontentionally.
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Re: Cars increase a persons isolation..
Sat, January 10, 2009 - 7:56 PMJoe,
You are right, indeed! As Yul alluded, because of their speed and closed design, they contribute to humanity's disconnectedness. -
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Re: Cars increase a persons isolation..
Fri, January 23, 2009 - 7:46 AM4) THEY CONTRIBUTE TO A SEDINTARY LIFESTYLE. You know, like when someone drives to the convenience store down the street that's only a five-minute walk away. Ho ve! What's wrong with walking for five minutes?!? People should be walking for at least half-an-hour a day!
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#5
Sat, January 24, 2009 - 3:20 AM5) MAY LEAD TO OVER-SPENDING: I know that we are in dire economic times, which are forcing most of us to cut back on spending, but when you go shopping with a car, you tend to purchase all sorts of things you don't need because you know you have lots of trunk and seat space; this easily leads to over-spending. However, when I ride my bicycle or walk to the grocery store, my carrying capacity is so limited in comparison that it forces me to be calculating and specific about what I need. Not only does this force me to spend less, but I tend to by more quality items. -
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Re: #5
Sun, January 25, 2009 - 4:22 PMI have seen people overspend just on their cars (or SUVs). I have seen some rather expensive (looking?) cars sitting at WalMarts. -
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#6 Their size and mass and speed make them unsuitable for road sharing.
Sun, January 25, 2009 - 8:21 PMTheir size and mass and speed make them unsuitable for road sharing.
As the prime mode of transit for most people, roads have lost their 'commons' status. Prior to cars, roads were used by everyone, and were part of the 'commons', such as a town square or a park. By virtue of their size and danger posed to other modes, motorized vehicles have become the prime ( and in most places, the only ) recognized mode. Apart from the dangerous "share the road" screed of cyclists and pedestrians, the daily reality is that roads are for cars, and if you insist on usurping on the cars domain, you do so at your own risk.
I don't mean to start a John Forrester moment. I use the roads mostly because they are whats available. Even in a 'bike friendly' community, there are precious few off road trails to keep me off the road, Note in current 'economic stimulus ' talk, every 'shovel-ready' project is automotive/freight roadway, not any bike ped improvements. Not that there haven't been efforts and energy directed to bike/ped stuff, but the bulk of the money is already spoken for road stuff. even in the face of our diverting billions daily to foreign oil, little effort goes to building intercity rail or local transit.
Simply put, as long as cars are out there, they will try to compete and destroy every bike ped or transit improvement,because they want it all.
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Re: #6 Their size and mass and speed make them unsuitable for road sharing.
Mon, April 13, 2009 - 11:46 AMThey are expensive as hell to own and maintain!
Pollute the fuck out of the environment
Kill a LOT of people
they aren't compatible with either Cyclist's or Pedestrians
but unfortunatly the way America was built they have become a neccessary piece of transportation in most places unless you live(and work!) RIGHT DOWNTOWN in a BIG City. -
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Re: #6 Their size and mass and speed make them unsuitable for road sharing.
Tue, June 23, 2009 - 7:26 PMWe need to make our towns & cities more liveable, which means work/living spaces near each other, within easy walking distance. Even here in LA, this concept is slowly catching on, as big developers and the mayor are trying to revitilize downtown.
The down side, all the lofts & condos they are building are waaaay too expensive & only gazillionaires are able to afford them. -
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Re: #6 Their size and mass and speed make them unsuitable for road sharing.
Tue, June 23, 2009 - 9:48 PMPusan,
That's true. That's exactly what's happening in Miami, too. The more walkable the community, the more expensive it is. It's as though the message is: Yeah, we'll make your city centers more walkable, beautiful and pollution free, but you better be worth millions or be making, at least, six figures per annum to be able to live in them. That has got to change. Walkable, safe and beautiful communities should be enjoyed and be lived in by all. It is possible. -
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Consider the economics..
Tue, June 23, 2009 - 10:29 PMI buy a condo in a high density community thats 20% more expensive than a similar sized one in the burbs.. I forgo the expense of a car/insurance/maintainence because I use transit. I find entertainment for free or low cost because I live in a community that embraces art, and find much going on that my suburban friends have no clue of. My time is more available because I am not commuting 2 to 3 hours daily, when I am off work, I am close to home. My immediate needs are close at hand because I live in a high density community with enough income to encourage businesses to locate closeby to capture my dollar.( Hey,it isn't paradise).
figureing those time and cost savings, that high density community isn't such a bad bargain. A large part of the suburban discount is paid by extra transportation costs and lost time, driving.
A popular myth in our country is the 'rugged individualist'. It supposes that somehow, we are more noble if we live apart from society and limit our contacts. I suggest that we are social creatures,and need that close contact to be comfortable. Those who cherish that aloneness are either buying a bill of goods,or somehow perhaps-not-quite-there. Close living need not be a combat experience. -
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Re: Consider the economics..
Wed, June 24, 2009 - 4:09 AMjOe,
I get what you're saying. You know that I support denser, urban living. However, the challenge is that in many American cities, you either get denser, walkable cities that are dilapidated and crime-ridden or you get the uber-swank, chique downtown that only the Paris Hiltons of the world can afford. In other words, there's little in between. Sometimes, you might luck-out and get a nice rental, but to find one to buy is a complete challenge. With the housing market in slumps, you would think that it would be easier, but even if you could afford the mortgage, the community/HOA fees are ridiculously exorbitant. I have a friend who bought a condo last year, where the HOA fees are more than her mortgage and I mean A LOT more. And, with units not selling, they're getting ready to set the fees higher to compensate.
So, what I'm suggesting is that we need clean, safe and walkable urban areas that are affordable for the school teacher all the way up to the CEO/executive. -
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This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: Consider the economics..
Wed, June 24, 2009 - 1:56 PMRoger, you suggest there are two options for dense urban living, glass and chrome,or slums. My knowledge of urban neighborhoods is somewhat limited, but it seems to me there should be,and probably is a middle ground. All this high stakes,inflated development has certainly stirred things up in recent years, but I expect the bright side of this current downturn is that the developers have been reeled in. While things are cooled down is the time to organize.
Gentrification has had huge impacts on the poorest communities. And many cities have whored themselves out for the tax revenue that upscale neighborhoods deliver. This is at the cost of losing the workers who keep the city going,forcing them to the suburbs. And then exacerbating the transportation problem ever more.
The whole economic justice question is getting mixed in with the tranportation one. In my mind, leadership from individual cities to insure that there is continued reinvestment in all neighborhoods, be it large scale projects like transit and community placebuilding,as well as developing policies to insure a diverse city, whether you parse it on social/racial/economic/educational lines. This forum is something of a rant space for those who see the single occupancy car as the ulitmate destroyer of community,but transportation is only a part of the equation for a successful,thriving community. Policy and leadership that does not lose sight of larger goals of Economic justice and quality of life goals are what will drive successful neighborhoods. Home ownership is not,IMHO, a necessity to achieve this,but rational housing policy is.
Is fancy housing a prerequisite for a strong community? My bet is walkable/bikeable streets,with good transit. Having businesses in place to meet immediate needs. Developing a sense of place and community,that has sufficient commons to insure all residents have their needs met and a sense of belonging. Lofty goals,but much more acheiveable when our communities are not divided up and robbed blind by the seduction of the automobile.
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Re: Twenty Reasons Cars Suck...What's Your Reason?
Mon, June 29, 2009 - 5:50 AM7
Climate change ..
Car use, climate change and obesity
On 13 August 2007, the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) published a report (Unfit for purpose: how car use fuels climate change and obesity) which aimed to research and analyse the evidence that links climate change and obesity to the decline in walking and its substitution by car.
The report finds that by returning to the walking patterns of 30 years ago, when car ownership was less common (i.e. by walking just 1 hour more during the week), people could help save up to 11 MtCO2 (15.4% of total emissions from passenger cars) and reduce the chances of becoming obese (i.e. avoiding an average weight gain of 2lb 11oz each year, which over 20-30 years could lead to an obese body weight).
Reverting to the walking patterns we had before owning a car, when physical activity included more regular walking to work, to the shops and to escort children to school, could therefore be an important part of national programmes to fight climate change and obesity. The costs of such programmes are likely to be dwarfed by those that would be incurred by the National Health Service and society at large through inactivity, ill-health and premature death as a consequence of obesity (estimated at £8.2 billion per year).
The report, which focuses on the UK, provides a case study for policy makers around Europe, providing them with suggestions for simple and relatively inexpensive ways to tackle the two linked crises.
www.nationalschool.gov.uk/polic...07.asp
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Re: Twenty Reasons Cars Suck...What's Your Reason?
Mon, June 29, 2009 - 5:15 PMWith the right group of riders the bus is fun(nier). With walking and bicycles you keep your money instead of big oil getting it. -
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Re: Twenty Reasons Cars Suck...What's Your Reason?
Mon, July 13, 2009 - 7:05 AMyou guys mention the density of big cities.
Yes this is true of BIG cities like Boston,LA,NYC and all the other huge metro cities across the USA.
For 38 years I lived in expensive Boston apartments in just about every "Boston Burrough" and I rode a bicycle to work every day becuase owning a car in downtown Boston is "a friggin cost-prohibitive nightmare"! NO real "parking" except in expensive rented garage spaces and if left "in an onstreet parking space" car break in's "every other month"! (l lost two expensive stereos in 13 months!) and had my new car stolen and recovered all messed up after a Boston "chop shop" picked it over!
Now I'm retired and living in a small mountain town(Pocatello Idaho-pop 66,000) I bought a suburban home here on a quarter-acre tree'd lot on a quiet street and I use both a bike and a car (infrequently) to get around this little town. EVERYTHING here is within 1-2 miles of my home and this little town "lacks nothing". I realise high-density city life is neccessary for a lot of people but I just got tired of it! No privacy,high crime rates and all. Now with the constraint of "well my JOB is HERE in this Metropolis" gone,I very much enjoy the quiet mountain life here.So to those of you who think your doomed to be stuck in that big city forever,you won't be when you retire. "there's Life beyond those big city walls". -
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Re: Twenty Reasons Cars Suck...What's Your Reason?
Mon, July 13, 2009 - 7:36 PMJake,
You're right about that. However, the density of the Northeastern U.S. is different from the sort of density of, say, a Miami/Ft. Lauderdale or even that of a Seattle. All urban densities aren't created equal. : )
I do agree with you, though, that car-less or car-lite living can be had outside of the typical metropolitan area or outside of a dense, inner-city. A friend of mine lives in a satellite suburb of Miami (Aventura), and he's never owned a car. He gets around by bus and by bicycle.
There are many who have bought into this misconceived notion that one MUST live in the downtown of a big city to enjoy a carfree lifestyle, and that's not necessarily true. It's certainly easier, but it's not impossible. -
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Re: Twenty Reasons Cars Suck...What's Your Reason?
Thu, July 16, 2009 - 8:46 PMI lived in Tacoma WA for six(miserable) years it's 21 miles S. of Seattle and unless you like to be rain SOAKED 295 days a year you WILL buy a damn Car! unless your job allows you to bring a complete change of clothes to get into when you get to your workplace becuase unless your dressed in a Gore-Tex Rain Suit you WILL BE SOAKED by the time you take that Bus to work!.Bicycling there? FORGET IT! Bicycles(even expensive GOOD ones) only last a couple of seasons in all that RAIN and you,the rider get DROWNED and covered in road mud (even with FULL Fenders!) attempting to ride a bicycle in all that endless rain!
Some area's of this country are impossible to live in without a car and also,almost ALL of Tacoma's "wunnerful Bus stops" were completely exposed and out IN the weather(dumb ass designers!)
In case readers think I'm "exagerating" Tacoma Washington's "annual rainfall" is 46 Inches! that's almost FOUR FEET of rainfall each calendar year! -
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Re: Twenty Reasons Cars Suck...What's Your Reason?
Mon, July 20, 2009 - 7:56 PMWell, South Florida gets massively hot, I mean HOT, and many of our bus stops are uncovered, as well. Additionally, we do get a tremendous amount of rainfall, particularly, during the summer months, but many live car free, I'm not sure if it's by choice, but they do. I lived car for almost a decade here in South Florida, and I actually miss the carfree lifestyle. Cars are terribly overrated.
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