Very Very Stupid
Let me just start out by saying that I'm not trying to castigate anyone for living a lifestyle that I personally find abhorrent.
But it strikes me as very, very stupid and inefficient to arrange one's lifestyle such that you can live 20+ miles from where you work and not have the option to take public transportation. Like, this shouldn't even be possible. Or at least should be looked upon as a very foolish thing to do. We should be encouraging people to live in little superefficient mixed-use pods and not driving all over creation.
I had a better life when I was able to arrange it around what I would consider a smaller daily sphere of activity. When I was able to say, OK, I'll live in this neighborhood because I can get to a wider array of significant destinations - the bank, the post office, the library, the store, work, the dentist, my parents' house, etc. - via bus/train/light rail. I will step further up on my soapbox by saying that neighborhoods with these decent public transportation options are also just better.
Some people - even some people who purport to be my closest friends - would say that not owning a car deprives one of independence, of the freedom to choose where to live. Well, if having a car means I'm granted the glorious freedom to live in the sticks, to live in a sea of suburban sprawl that epitomizes everything we've done to make America ugly, well, then the terrorists win! Because if that's freedom, then f#@! freedom - I don't want it.
How d'ya like them apples?
But it strikes me as very, very stupid and inefficient to arrange one's lifestyle such that you can live 20+ miles from where you work and not have the option to take public transportation. Like, this shouldn't even be possible. Or at least should be looked upon as a very foolish thing to do. We should be encouraging people to live in little superefficient mixed-use pods and not driving all over creation.
I had a better life when I was able to arrange it around what I would consider a smaller daily sphere of activity. When I was able to say, OK, I'll live in this neighborhood because I can get to a wider array of significant destinations - the bank, the post office, the library, the store, work, the dentist, my parents' house, etc. - via bus/train/light rail. I will step further up on my soapbox by saying that neighborhoods with these decent public transportation options are also just better.
Some people - even some people who purport to be my closest friends - would say that not owning a car deprives one of independence, of the freedom to choose where to live. Well, if having a car means I'm granted the glorious freedom to live in the sticks, to live in a sea of suburban sprawl that epitomizes everything we've done to make America ugly, well, then the terrorists win! Because if that's freedom, then f#@! freedom - I don't want it.
How d'ya like them apples?
posted by Christine Borne at 1:32 PM
8 Comments:
I've heard that it's fairly common to commute seventy miles to places like New York, Philladelphia, and Washington D.C. And that's not even going into west coast commutes.
As an auto maker and driver, I have no problem with public transportation but I couldn't part with my car.
Judge if you like.
i actually have no problem with cars; i enjoy driving, in fact. i have a problem with excessive commuting. my sister (who lived in san francisco and now lives in london) and i look at it like this: one should liken automobile use to the top of the food pyramid (salts, fats, and sugar): use sparingly, judiciously, and with relish!
My father commutes over 120 miles round-trip per day from here in Ashtabula all the way to NASA John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland (you and I knew it growing up as NASA Lewis Research Center). I refuse to do that. Then again, I do not like to drive either...
Mass transit only works in areas where people live very close together - where there is a high population density. Americans like to have their space - we don't want to live too close to our neighbors because we'd have to listen to the noise coming from their Overpriced Entertainment Systems.
I'm sure you wouldn't mind putting up with a noisy neighbor if it meant having the population density necessary to have a bus stop nearby. But some of us like our sleep - and need the peace and quiet of suburban sprawl.
I prefer to not have where I work dictate where I live. A perfect scenario would be all together: job, family, friends. But with that not being likely, I prefer to drive longer to work than to drive longer for personal life.
I grew up in suburbs, and couldn't conceive of not owning a car. However, now that I'm in NYC, I actually love not having one because of the hassles it would bring.
I agree that it would have been better to develop most areas to require minimal use of cars, but with the independence of Americans and our lack of government regulations to bring these things about, we never originally planned for mass transportation in most places.
Europe has the right idea in many areas, including this one. Until we lose our "American dream", however (represented by the suburbs), we will never follow suit and minimize the use of cars.
Ever thought about buying a Vespa?
"But it strikes me as very, very stupid and inefficient to arrange one's lifestyle such that you can live 20+ miles from where you work and not have the option to take public transportation."
Ha! You just described the majority of the population of Southern California.
My last job was 17 miles from home - in SoCal terms, that's an hour to an hour and a half each way in rush hour traffic. I kept it up for two years, and was never more depressed in my life.
My current job is - a miracle! - 1.6 miles from home. Sometimes I drive, sometimes I ride my bike - regardless, my stress level has plummeted and my happiness has increased. All that time and money saved adds up!
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