I have finally realise why I dislike riding in cars. I love driving cars... but the following incident made me realise how much I dislike riding it them :

Sunday afternoon in sunny Montreal, my brother says that he will pick me up at 1:00 to go to our parents who live 1/2 hour away. there is a train leaving at 1:30 to get me there at 2:20 and would cost me nothing since I have the necessary pass.
So there I am, standing on the curb from 12:57 onwards (you get pretty punctual when you start taking the train). My brother finally arrives at 1:25 with his whole litany of excuses, 1) he was parked farther than he remembered from his building and 2) he got stuck at a few traffic lights downtown.
So, we drive off and what do you know, there is traffic brewing from a truck that previously exploded in the opposite lane on the highway. That lost us about another 15 minutes, by the time everything is all tallied up, I would have arrived at home only 5 minutes later having taken the train.

I realise this now everytime that I ride in a car. I have been taking the train door-to-door to work and sometimes a nightbus home and I cannot wait to ride my bike in when the weather improves.

Has anyone else had this revelation as well?

We live in Montreal, Spire. It's one of the most pedestrian- and bike-friendly cities in North America. We don' need no steenkin' cars.

Spire, where do you live in Montreal?

I've had this revelation for exactly the same reasons! MY inlaws live waaay out in the burbs, and on occasion, we've gotten stuck driving around with them, or having to shlep out there with my brother in law and his wife. LIke your parents, they live about 1/2 away by the commuter train (west island). Shlepping out there with the brother in law is a drag because he's always late, and is a terrible driver, and now they have a kid so it's us, crammed into the the car with them and the kid. And then there are the times when the inlaws have decided we'll all go out for dinner, and that has means cramming into the car and spending at least two hours shlepping around- first driving downtown, then looking for a parking spot, which is even more horrible because my father in law is also a horrible driver- he lurches. After a few miserable experiences ,we drew the line. As for getting out there, we realiized that yes, it's better than waiting to be picked up because you'd get out there at the same time. After a few miserable experiences, we decided that from now on, we take the train, and if they plan an 'outing' downtown, we meet them. Nothing will ever convince me again to spend two hours lurching in a car with my inlaws, or squished into the back seat with a crying baby.

I live in the west Island! in Beaconsfield to be precise. Near St-Charles just north of the tracks. Used to live on Lakeshore, still near St-Charles, on that one way section.... (parents decided to sell it)

I had this revelation some time ago. I just can't handle sitting on my butt for that long. Probably explains why I don't watch TV either.

That certainly has been my experience on visits to your fair city, where Mark Twain said one cannot throw a rock anywhere without breaking a stained-glass window.

That was true about a hundred years ago- he was talking about the city itself, where there are churches aplenty. However, in newer sections and in the burbs, it's not quite like that. ANd while it's a much car-obsessed than are most american cities, drivers here are incredibly agressive at times and have the same arrogant attitudes as do drivers everywhere, so it's not a cyclist utopia. But it is better than many cities, such as Toronto. In toronto, if you don't have a car, peeople think you're a welfare loser bum.

What not to like about motorists? Today, I experienced a really unusual event. At a Shell Gas station in Temecula, a woman was filling up her large pick up truck. Do not these large Ford 250 Ranger trucks have like 40 gallon gasoline tanks? She was combiing her hair and looked like putting on makeup.
She was filling her large tanks from the nozzle as slow a rate as possible. There are two island. They have great prices and cars were coming in like crazy for gas. I swear it took her at least 15 minutes to fill her tank.
A store manager and other waiting customers started quizzing her as to what was taking so long. She became adamant and would not speed up. A station employee started holding other spots in the gas island for customers who got in line earlier. A customer who got in line started taking cuts in line from others- who had been there longer. A Verbal fight started elsewhere.. It was a sea of argueing customers.
She finally finished. Meanwhile, I had moved in front of her becasue another fueling auto appeared to be finished. That auto took awhile. I pinned her in. I did not want another to cut me off from fueling my auto in my turn. She started reeving her engine and I thought she would ram me.
I wish I had a video camera. Swear to god this happened. You should hear how childish the motoring primate behave inside and outside of their vehicles. Can't repeat their words. Sorry.
It was a really nice day. I suspect she was just taking in the day.

... And people wonder why I don't drive. Would you want to assimilate with tosspots like this?

Ra!

I'm not sure I want to assimilate with anyone.