The car, a seductress

[Roody]

What I learned from the death of my father-in-law is you can't put off the things you want to do. I always wanted to rebuild my road bike and get back into commuting with it; now I'm doing it. I also wanted a paticular type of car with certain characteristics, so I did that as well. I learned that nobody really cares if you're a minimalist or not; whether you ride a bike or drive a car.

Do I need a car? Heck, no! I also don't really need my digital camera, a house with nine foot ceilings, a computer, an internet connection, a hi fi stereo...I could go on and on. I could rid my life of so many seemingly "Unnecessary" things for the sakes of simplification...but then I start to think, why? Why is it necessary for me to live a life without these things? To save money? It's not like I'm poor. To spend more time with my family? We go out every weekend, and they enjoy a lot of these things. We enjoy watching the digital pictures, the home videos taken with the camcorder, listening to the stereo together. Nothing thrills my son more than loading up the car on a Friday night for the drive to Grandma's house (a 2 hour drive) where we enjoy a spot of fishing in the summer, or skating on the lake in the winter.

Now, I'm just waiting for a warm day to paint the bike. I have everything ready for reassembly, but my better half won't let me paint in the house. Hopefully, I'll get a lot of riding in soon!
Man I've never heard anybody come up with so many excuses not to do something he supposedly wants to do! First a car seduced you, then the people on this forum hurt your feelings, now your wife won't let you ride.

If you really want to ride a bike, just do it! (Apologies to Nike.) Otherwise, I'm going to start thinking that you have some kind of psychological issues that stop you from doing something that would make you happy.

Riding really isn't that difficult. Just start at the beginning and go from there. If you have legitimate problems, we'll be glad to help.

[david.l.k]

Roody, your the man

No offence intended DQ in fact I feel bad for you, because your are in the "if I don't own a lot of **** I'm poor" boat. I don't blame you, it's the attitude of our times, the lesson of our culture, and it stops us from finding inner peace. Inner peace comes from selecting things out that don't bring you true benefit, and selecting in things that do. We have to honestly ask our selves do we need this, or that. Do I really want to get a new stereo or is it just that my ego is crying out for another badge of consumption. A student in my school (17 years old) was proudly telling me about how his dad got him a car (audi sp? I think), I compassionatly gave him my condolensces because I truly felt, with all love and compassion bad for him. I think the modern consumer culture may be helping us lead extravagant lives of comfort and convenience, but our inner lives, our soul, spirit or whatever you want to call it is starveing to death.

Oh and by the way, you could rent a car (with all the options) to drive across Canada, or take a train (much more comfortable). I'm planning on biking across canada (Toronto>St Johns>Toronto>Vancouver>Toronto) next summer.

[DigitalQuirk]

And air pollution is just the most obvious problem. The acres of land paved over for roads and parking lots are another problem, the pollution produces during manufacturing, the resources used (metal and plastics), etc. Private cars are grossly wasteful.

I was amused to find out from our local roads dept. that they don't know how long it would take a bike path to wear out due to normal usage - bike and ped wear-and-tear is so low even on heavily used pathways that the elements destroy a path long before it shows signs of damage. A busy road, on the other hand, need to be resurfaced as often as every five years around here. (To compare with weather damage, a quiet residential road might last 20 years before resurfacing.)

Good roads are a cornerstone of modern civilization. They make remote areas accessable and actually make things more efficient. Paved roads allow us to get from place to place much more efficiently, without expending as much energy. What they cost in energy and resources to build is more than made up by the fuel economy they deliver over their useful life. Bear in mind also that roads are not only used by private automobile owners; they are also an effective way of shipping goods. As it turns out, it's the large, heavy commercial vehicles that wear out busy roads in 5 years, not private automobiles. Some argue that they are not paying their fair share, but that would mean more expensive goods which would drive up inflation, which would be bad for the economy right now...so private motorists end up picking up the tab with things like toll highways.

The problem you highlight with parking lots isn't as much the fault of the automobile as it is the fault of the retailers that demand them. A parking lot could be comprised of tall pine trees, as seen in some provincial parks; the needles would create ideal low-maintenance "Pavement," and patrons would enjoy the shelter from the hot sun in the summer, and the piercing winds of winter. The reason why we won't ever see this is because retailers; in particular, Wal-Mart and Costco, use their stores as advertising. They want to make sure everybody gets a good, clear look of their HUGE sign from as far away as possible. As such, the real problem with parking lots doesn't come from the automobile, but rather from the retailers looking for effective ways to advertise their store. The layout of the parking lot itself isn't so much designed for the convenience of drivers as it is to make the store stand out and "Look good."

Great strides have been made to make modern automobiles clean. The amount your average modern car pollutes is negligable. However, older cars do pollute quite a bit, so we have programs like car heaven (http://www.carheaven.ca/) to encourage people to turn in their old polluting clunkers. Other sources of pollution have a much bigger impact, such as gas powered lawn mowers, coal fired electric generating stations, foundries, factories, diesel-powered commercial vehicles, and "Tuners" - people who remove the pollution controls from their vehicle for the sakes of performance. What you really want to do with pollution is start with the bigger sources and the law breakers; once you get those out of the way, you may find that you've been giving the modern automobile a bad rap.

[patc]

Good roads are a cornerstone of modern civilization. They make remote areas accessable and actually make things more efficient.

We're not talking remote areas, the issue is with urban centres.

Bear in mind also that roads are not only used by private automobile owners; they are also an effective way of shipping goods. As it turns out, it's the large, heavy commercial vehicles that wear out busy roads in 5 years, not private automobiles..

Is there no end to the lengths you will go to to excuse your car use? We get it: you want your pimped-out car we all the bling, you da man. Either care about the world you live or in don't, stop making up BS to make yourself feel better.

Hmm, I wonder just how much pavement we would need if it was only used by bikes, delivery vehicles, and local bus service? :rolleyes:


EDITED to fix mis-placed quote tag. Oops.

[DigitalQuirk]

Man I've never heard anybody come up with so many excuses not to do something he supposedly wants to do! First a car seduced you, then the people on this forum hurt your feelings, now your wife won't let you ride.

If you really want to ride a bike, just do it! (Apologies to Nike.) Otherwise, I'm going to start thinking that you have some kind of psychological issues that stop you from doing something that would make you happy.

Riding really isn't that difficult. Just start at the beginning and go from there. If you have legitimate problems, we'll be glad to help.

If you honestly think the things said anonymously, likely by some children, in an internet forum is going to hurt my feelings, then I suggest it is you who has the issues. Did I feel alienated? Definitely. However, not having any real social connection to anyone here to begin with, I fail to see how you could rationally arrive at such a conclusion, unless this is some feeble attempt at insulting me.

Also, I have two bikes; a road bike and a mountain bike. My mountain bike is in perfect running condition; incidently (and not by coincidence), my wife happens to ride a matching mountain bike (a Raleigh Tarantula). She doesn't stop me from riding; in fact, she's always bugging me to go out for a bike ride with her every time we get a spell of nice weather. Which means your assumptions about my wife are almost as absurd as your assumption that my feelings somehow got hurt.

What I'm waiting for is a warm enough day that I can paint my road bike now that I welded the frame. I could ride my mountain bike to work, but I'm afraid it'd get stolen. I know; you're going to assume that's just another excuse, so I should let you know that I did my research and talked to guys who commute to the same place as I do on their bikes already. They advised me about the bike theft problem, since the bikes sit for hours with nobody around (it's in the industrial section of my city), and recommended I ride something that's not attractive to theives. They all ride older "Uglified" road bikes. I opted to rebuild my Miele rather than uglify my beautiful Raleigh. My old Miele isn't going to look pretty when I'm done, but it'll ride real nice...and if it does get stolen, it'll be easy to identify. Logic and reasoning.

Finally, I should clarify that I am very GLAD that I allow myself the option of owning a car. On a very hot day, the blast of air conditioning is very satisfying. Being a music lover, I absolutely love listening to my favourite music coming from my powerful 8 speaker Monsoon stereo system. When I'm tired and worn out from working all day at a very physically demanding job, it feels nice to sit down and relax. Then there's the times I like to induldge a little; feeling the pull of the engine on my body as I accelerate quickly then proceed to carve up a back road is quite satisfying. Most importantly, it allows me and my family to explore our country, to see the great things in it. I still can't figure out how to safely get a 7 year old child out to P.E.I. and Newfoundland from Ontario using our bikes within two weeks.

I'm also glad I have the option of riding a bike. I'm glad to have options; to leave myself open to all options available to me. If I don't want to drive, I can ride. But to me, that's what life is all about; trying and doing different things. After all, variety is the spice of life. Who knows; maybe my next car will be a minivan or a truck, maybe my next bike will have a 1200cc motor. I cannot say, since I'm happy with what I have and who I am today. What I do know for sure is that I will always be open to new things and change, while holding on to the things I enjoy...like riding a bicycle AND driving a car. That way, when it's my turn to take a dirtnap, I won't have any regrets about missing out on anything that life had to offer.

[DigitalQuirk]

Is there no end to the lengths you will go to to excuse your car use? We get it: you want your pimped-out car we all the bling, you da man. Either care about the world you live or in don't, stop making up BS to make yourself feel better.

Hmm, I wonder just how much pavement we would need if it was only used by bikes, delivery vehicles, and local bus service? :rolleyes:

You know, it is possible to care about the world AND own a private motor vehicle. You may not think so, but that is your loss. Actually, you remind me of religious fanatics who don't think it's possible to be good without religion, and THEIR religion at that. Again, their loss. How forunate I am to live in a country that respects individual freedom that protects me from the zealots who think that only they are right.

[attercoppe]

Finally, I should clarify that I am very GLAD that I allow myself the option of owning a car...air conditioning...music...sit down and relax...carve up a back road...explore our country...

...to me, that's what life is all about; trying and doing different things. What I do know for sure is that I will always be open to new things and change, while holding on to the things I enjoy...like riding a bicycle AND driving a car. That way, when it's my turn to take a dirtnap, I won't have any regrets about missing out on anything that life had to offer.

Well, if you're truly happy, that's great. But I feel the need to point out, again, that THIS IS THE CAR FREE FORUM. WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR. WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS BIKES AND OTHER NON-CAR WAYS OF GETTING AROUND. PLEASE TAKE THE CAR LOVE TALK SOMEWHERE ELSE. Thank you.

[Roody]

If you honestly think the things said anonymously, likely by some children, in an internet forum is going to hurt my feelings, then I suggest it is you who has the issues. Did I feel alienated? Definitely. However, not having any real social connection to anyone here to begin with, I fail to see how you could rationally arrive at such a conclusion, unless this is some feeble attempt at insulting me.
My insults are not feeble, and if I ever mean to insult you, you'll know it. :) You're the only one doing any insulting around here. This quote is what led me to believe that you had decided to go back to the cage because your feelings were hurt:


I'm trying to ease my dependance on the automobile, as I feel that going car-lite is a noble cause...but after some of these responses, I'm thinking, why bother? I certainly wouldn't want to be associated with a bunch of people who harbour such bitterness to motorists; perhaps I'll stick to trail riding on my mountain bike.

I bid you all adieu.

If I got you wrong, please explain my error and I will apologize.

[iBarna]

Man I've never heard anybody come up with so many excuses not to do something he supposedly wants to do! First a car seduced you, then the people on this forum hurt your feelings, now your wife won't let you ride.

If you really want to ride a bike, just do it! (Apologies to Nike.) Otherwise, I'm going to start thinking that you have some kind of psychological issues that stop you from doing something that would make you happy.

Riding really isn't that difficult. Just start at the beginning and go from there. If you have legitimate problems, we'll be glad to help.

+1

[david.l.k]

If you honestly think the things said anonymously, likely by some children, in an internet forum is going to hurt my feelings, then I suggest it is you who has the issues. Did I feel alienated? Definitely. However, not having any real social connection to anyone here to begin with, I fail to see how you could rationally arrive at such a conclusion, unless this is some feeble attempt at insulting me.

Also, I have two bikes; a road bike and a mountain bike. My mountain bike is in perfect running condition; incidently (and not by coincidence), my wife happens to ride a matching mountain bike (a Raleigh Tarantula). She doesn't stop me from riding; in fact, she's always bugging me to go out for a bike ride with her every time we get a spell of nice weather. Which means your assumptions about my wife are almost as absurd as your assumption that my feelings somehow got hurt.

Finally, I should clarify that I am very GLAD that I allow myself the option of owning a car. On a very hot day, the blast of air conditioning is very satisfying. Being a music lover, I absolutely love listening to my favourite music coming from my powerful 8 speaker Monsoon stereo system. When I'm tired and worn out from working all day at a very physically demanding job, it feels nice to sit down and relax. Then there's the times I like to induldge a little; feeling the pull of the engine on my body as I accelerate quickly then proceed to carve up a back road is quite satisfying. Most importantly, it allows me and my family to explore our country, to see the great things in it. I still can't figure out how to safely get a 7 year old child out to P.E.I. and Newfoundland from Ontario using our bikes within two weeks.

I'm also glad I have the option of riding a bike. I'm glad to have options; to leave myself open to all options available to me. If I don't want to drive, I can ride. But to me, that's what life is all about; trying and doing different things. After all, variety is the spice of life. Who knows; maybe my next car will be a minivan or a truck, maybe my next bike will have a 1200cc motor. I cannot say, since I'm happy with what I have and who I am today. What I do know for sure is that I will always be open to new things and change, while holding on to the things I enjoy...like riding a bicycle AND driving a car. That way, when it's my turn to take a dirtnap, I won't have any regrets about missing out on anything that life had to offer.
Dude drop some of that ego, you've got way more than your fair share. I would have no problem with people owning cars if they caused no harm but the fact is that they do. You may say that a car doesn't produce much exhuast, (I'm sure a lot of respectable scientists would beg to differ) but there are so many of the dammed things on the roads, this is a perfect example of the consensus trance thinking, people see "gee it won't make much difference what I do because so many other people are doing it" Well I've got news for you, it does make a difference, every last person makes a difference. One less vehicles exhuast that I or other urban space users breath is an improvement.
The average urbanite inhales the particles and poisons of 2 packs of ciggarettes a day.
But it doesn't end with polution, the modern urban sprawl that seems to require a car to get around in is a result of automobile use. It has been mathematically proven that in a car centric city that the relationship between the size of the city and the amount of road space needed to effectivly move everyone about is exponential, automobiles are a no win situation.
Car's create congestion in urban area's, sure your car may look "cool" but hundreds of them eveywhere doesn't, and if stores didn't have parking lots how would people shop there.
In the average urban area over 50 percent of available real estate is in some way dedicated to automobility.
The only solution to these and many other problems which I have not listed because I'm short on time is to get rid of cars. The law of supply and demand, if people keep dirving cars en masse then urban planners will keep planning with that in mind, we need to create a demand, it not easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.
"Try thinking more than just for your own sake"
- The Beatles

[DerekU2]

You know, it is possible to care about the world AND own a private motor vehicle. You may not think so, but that is your loss. Actually, you remind me of religious fanatics who don't think it's possible to be good without religion, and THEIR religion at that. Again, their loss. How forunate I am to live in a country that respects individual freedom that protects me from the zealots who think that only they are right.

You're still here? I thought you bid us adieu like 20 posts ago? Like other have said, ad naseum, we get it. Car Free is not soemthing you want to do for a variety of reasons. Great. Move on.

[jamesdenver]

Well, if you're truly happy, that's great. But I feel the need to point out, again, that THIS IS THE CAR FREE FORUM. WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR. WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS BIKES AND OTHER NON-CAR WAYS OF GETTING AROUND. PLEASE TAKE THE CAR LOVE TALK SOMEWHERE ELSE. Thank you.

agreed. i can appreciate the design and curves of a new (or old) sports car, but i come here for "car-free" talk.

[DigitalQuirk]

My insults are not feeble, and if I ever mean to insult you, you'll know it. :) You're the only one doing any insulting around here. This quote is what led me to believe that you had decided to go back to the cage because your feelings were hurt:

I'm trying to ease my dependance on the automobile, as I feel that going car-lite is a noble cause...but after some of these responses, I'm thinking, why bother? I certainly wouldn't want to be associated with a bunch of people who harbour such bitterness to motorists; perhaps I'll stick to trail riding on my mountain bike.


If I got you wrong, please explain my error and I will apologize.

There, I even bolded it for you in my quote. Now, please explain to me, how does not wanting to be associated with a paticular group of people equate feelings being hurt? I also wouldn't want to be associated with gangs or religious zealots, yet neither gangs nor religious zealots ever caused my feelings to be hurt; I just don't want anyone to think I'm associated with them.

Dude drop some of that ego, you've got way more than your fair share. I would have no problem with people owning cars if they caused no harm but the fact is that they do. You may say that a car doesn't produce much exhuast, (I'm sure a lot of respectable scientists would beg to differ) but there are so many of the dammed things on the roads, this is a perfect example of the consensus trance thinking, people see "gee it won't make much difference what I do because so many other people are doing it" Well I've got news for you, it does make a difference, every last person makes a difference. One less vehicles exhuast that I or other urban space users breath is an improvement.

The problems you point out isn't an inherent problem with the automobile per se, but rather people's over-dependance and over-use of their automobiles. Rather along the lines of, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." Since I log, on average, 8800 km (5500 miles) per year with my car, I hardly think I fit in that "Overuse" category, ego nonwithstanding.

There's nothing inherently wrong with fast food and junk food either; again, the problem only exists in individuals who choose to overdo it. Like anything, moderation is the key.

You're still here? I thought you bid us adieu like 20 posts ago? Like other have said, ad naseum, we get it. Car Free is not soemthing you want to do for a variety of reasons. Great. Move on.

agreed. i can appreciate the design and curves of a new (or old) sports car, but i come here for "car-free" talk.

And yet, you both continue to post to this thread...it's not like it appeared on your computer screen without you clicking on it first... :rolleyes:

[treehugger]

I can see the problems that automobiles cause (in paticular to the waistlines of those who over-use them), but they are so ingrained in our culture, I really don't see any turning back. They've been around for over 100 years now, and their popularity continues to grow.

So I say this; it is noble to go car-free or car-lite when you have access to an automobile, but understand the reasons why people own cars; why they're seduced into buying them. You would have a better time convincing a hardcore smoker to give up tobacco than you would getting someone to give up their car completely. With understanding comes enlightenment, and with that, we can all agree to disagree and respect each other's choices, whether we think they're good or bad.

It has been interesting and surprising to me watching this thread decline a bit of name calling and such, in part because I really did not see the first post as a defense of cars. The vehement defenses since have made me question that, but I do see tobacco as an apt but not favorable comparison. People are addicted to cars, and they are also deadly, both to the planet and to the people in the way.
I agree with the theme of post, that people are seduced into buying cars, just as they are seduced into credit cars. Both of these go a huge way towards buying access and societal acceptability, and both of which have a tendency to trap people. You get trapped into the suburb far from everything, you get trapped in the out-of-shape body, and you get trapped into the belief that you need a car to get places. Getting trapped needing lots of fancy stuff, needing a place to put them, needing to pay the mortgage (not to start the rent vs. own, thing, both have there points) on the way-too-big house way out in the suburbs. Powerful corporations have huge stakes in having us believe both cars and credit cards are necessary. Yes, yes, you can be a happy person who owns a bunch of stuff for your own metaphysical justifications,too. Then there is just the whole other worldly range of consequences for our actions out there, the environmental and social impacts.

While I was relooking at the original post, I was suprised that my critical defenses had not been more alerted by the indication that car-free folks needed to understand why people had cars. I do not think anyone fails to understand why people get cars, both the sympathetic reasons and the incredibly selfish ones. I also do not think anyone, at least not any adult living in the US, fails to understand that car culture is incredibly entrenched. People look forward to their sixteenth birthday and dread the day they can no longer drive, and both populations tend to use the word independence to explain why. Just the very idea of Car Free seems to make people feel defensive enough to brag about coming into the forum and throwing bombshells out. So people get it: people are attached to their cars for a variety of reasons. If that was the concern, worry no more. However, these reasons, however well stated about the preciousness of life, the addition and seduction like tobacco, and the joys of air conditioning, do nothing to detract from concerns over the overuse of cars. They also do not offer tricks for people who forgo having a car, or forgo generally using it, to get around in a society built around them.

[patc]

While I was relooking at the original post, I was suprised that my critical defenses had not been more alerted by the indication that car-free folks needed to understand why people had cars. I do not think anyone fails to understand why people get cars, both the sympathetic reasons and the incredibly selfish ones. I also do not think anyone, at least not any adult living in the US, fails to understand that car culture is incredibly entrenched.

I cut most of your post to save space, but it was all very, very well said.

In addition to your comments, I find the defensiveness from car owners interesting (and tiresome). I have probably been called a hypocrite more often in this forum alone than in all other places during the past five years. The arguments are always the same: Bob's car is ok because it is fuel efficient/emissions are minimal/etc., then Bob goes on to say, "well if you use air conditioning/natural gas/a bus/whatever then you're not environmentally friendly either" and the hypocrite accusation follows. The funny thing here is that I don't call myself an environmentalist. In fact all I claim is that I do my best to be responsible.

Now I don't want to say that looking at your overall environmental footprint is a bad idea, far from it. Just like the weak link in the chain metaphor, however, the big picture isn't the end of the story. Say, for example, that my household had a minuscule environmental footprint, and David Suzuki sent me loves notes for it. Could I then toss the cans and paper in the trash, saying I don't need to recycle because my environmental footprint is already exemplary? Of course not! Recycling takes little time and effort, and has no direct cost to me, so not recycling is inexcusable regardless of whatever else I may or may not do.

So, taking this back to cars then. Regardless of how "environmentally friendly" or not a person may be, I believe that personal motor vehicle use in urban centres is unacceptable. It doesn't matter what you do in other ways to be responsible, it doesn't matter how energy efficient your car is, and it doesn't matter how many flaws you can find in other people. Current cars and car use cause direct harm to people, and even ideal emission-free cars would still be unsustainable and undesirable in urban centres.

I realize that, before we can wean people off their car addiction, we need the infrastructure in place to allow people to travel. Transit, pedestrian, and cycling facilities must be good enough that people can travel in reasonable comfort and convenience. Some cities are near that goal, others haven't given it a thought. I am also only talking about personal-use motor vehicles here, not delivery vehicles and such. There will always be a need for those - an increasing need as car use decreases.

Look at a map of your city's urban core. Remove half the lanes from all roads with more than one lane per direction. Add wide sidewalks, bike lanes, recreational pathways, and good public transit. Add parks, trees, and green spaces. Finally imagine being able to see these parks without smog covering everything in a brown-orange haze. This is possible, and it could be done within a few decades. But only if people will leave the damn cars at home, or better yet no buy them in the first place.

[becnal]

Gaaaawwwwddd, and yet this thread continues to exist. Die, thread, die!!!

[DigitalQuirk]

It has been interesting and surprising to me watching this thread decline a bit of name calling and such, in part because I really did not see the first post as a defense of cars. The vehement defenses since have made me question that, but I do see tobacco as an apt but not favorable comparison. People are addicted to cars, and they are also deadly, both to the planet and to the people in the way.
I agree with the theme of post, that people are seduced into buying cars, just as they are seduced into credit cars. Both of these go a huge way towards buying access and societal acceptability, and both of which have a tendency to trap people. You get trapped into the suburb far from everything, you get trapped in the out-of-shape body, and you get trapped into the belief that you need a car to get places. Getting trapped needing lots of fancy stuff, needing a place to put them, needing to pay the mortgage (not to start the rent vs. own, thing, both have there points) on the way-too-big house way out in the suburbs. Powerful corporations have huge stakes in having us believe both cars and credit cards are necessary. Yes, yes, you can be a happy person who owns a bunch of stuff for your own metaphysical justifications,too. Then there is just the whole other worldly range of consequences for our actions out there, the environmental and social impacts.


The trouble with comparing automobiles to tobacco is, of course, the fact that tobacco has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Your comparison to credit cards is a little more valid; just like cars, credit cards are useful and can make life easier as long as they're used like cash and not overused. Owning a car doesn't necessarily mean that you will get out of shape, nor does living in the suburbs mean you'll be living in a way-to-big house, feel like you need to own a bunch of stuff, overuse credit cards or be trapped. In fact, owning a car in itself doesn't mean you'll be living in the suburbs.

For instance, the job market today is such that people are usually changing jobs and places of employment every few years, sometimes even in different cities. Short term contract work has become the norm for many professionals. Many people don't want to rent and pay off someone else's mortgage, and they certainly don't want to have to pull up stakes and move every time they need to move on to a different company that may be in the next city. Therefore, a good strategy is to locate one's home in a centralized suburb that's within a relatively short driving distance to at least a couple of cities in which they will find work in their field. One could be a frugal minimalist, with a minimalist car, and live a lifestyle of true freedom this way. In fact, I know such people personally...and they are in perfect shape; they also shun credit cards.

I'm fortunate in that I have a career with a company that is relatively long-term, and that I can afford to own a house and live in the city in which I work. It's a modern city, with the road network designed and engineered to handle large volumes of traffic, so even at rush hour, one can get from one end of the city to the other quite efficiently. We also have an extensive network of paved bike trails running along creeks, linking the various parks. Our transit system is modern, up-to-date, and links with other transit systems in neighbouring regions. Though the diesel fumes from our city busses aren't thick and black, you can still smell it quite badly. Therefore, one cannot begrudge anyone here for choosing to go by car, bike, or public transit...or even by foot! A 10 minute walk to my son's school, 10-15 minute walk to and from shopping; though if I need to get lumber and other supplies for building something, I'll take my car, thank you very much.

[burden]

The problem you highlight with parking lots isn't as much the fault of the automobile as it is the fault of the retailers that demand them. A parking lot could be comprised of tall pine trees, as seen in some provincial parks; the needles would create ideal low-maintenance "Pavement," and patrons would enjoy the shelter from the hot sun in the summer, and the piercing winds of winter. The reason why we won't ever see this is because retailers; in particular, Wal-Mart and Costco, use their stores as advertising. They want to make sure everybody gets a good, clear look of their HUGE sign from as far away as possible. As such, the real problem with parking lots doesn't come from the automobile, but rather from the retailers looking for effective ways to advertise their store. The layout of the parking lot itself isn't so much designed for the convenience of drivers as it is to make the store stand out and "Look good."

Um... no. You're making this up as you go along. ;)

Those enormous parking wastelands are required by law in most communities, usually according to a formula based on square footage of the retail space. Big store: big parking lot.

The parking lots themselves, then, are "designed" to maximize density, so that they can meet the requirements of the zoning laws in as little real estate as possible. Maximum parking density means large, uninterrupted expanses of concrete. Every grove of pine trees is less space that you can devote to selling shampoo -- by mandate of a zoning scheme beholden to cars instead of humans or communities.

Yes, big-box "architects" certainly capitalize on the sight lines, but it's an effect, not a cause.

At any rate, saying, "The real problem with parking lots doesn't come from the automobile," is like saying, "The real problem with pigeon droppings doesn't come from the pigeon."