Why There Aren't More Carfree Families

[chennai]

Pretty discouraging to consider how few places in the world would like to continue to be relatively car free.

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?article_class=5&no=279169&rel_no=1

Nguyen Thu Ha, a business student from Bac Ninh province, said, "One day I cycled to a very big fashion shop in Hang Bong street in the old quarter. The security guard looked at me top down, and then told me they had no parking space for bikes. I then asked some of my friends and they said that the guard may have thought that I did not have money because I rode a bike."

[Artkansas]

Cars are so darned seductive.

[mpop]

chennai, if they don't want your business, then don't shop there, and write a letter to the owner telling them you will never shop there.

[cerewa]

Maybe in 10 or 15 years, motorcycles will meet the same fate as bicycles now.

I doubt it. the price of fuel is going to go up just as quickly as people in india/china/vietnam/indonesia gain the income to purchase fuel. Nearly half of the world's population lives in or near those four countries.

http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/116/pop_density.jpg

[Roody]

It seems like a few of us are trying to emulate them, but they're too busy imitating us!

[Dahon.Steve]

From the article:
>>>>With the government decision to allow the imports of old cars, it is predicted that big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will be full of cars. Maybe in 10 or 15 years, motorcycles will meet the same fate as bicycles now.<<<<<

I can just imagine all the traffic in Hanoi once cars replace motorbikes. The streets are not designed for motorcars and barely for motorbikes. It will be gridlock 24/7.

Did anyone watch that vedeo of a four way street in Vietnam? It was incredible how there were thousands of bicycles, motobikes and even a bus all moving in that intersection at the SAME time! There appeared to be no traffic light and very little motorcars in that picture yet everyone was moving slowly. Now if you replace those motorbikes with cars, NO ONE will be moving I can assure you that!

[huhenio]

Some people need them to get to places in times and weather conditions that are prohibitive for bicycle travel.

... Hanoi will look good only with old Citroen cars, a favourite of mine.