Bike Forums - View Single Post - Car-Free Future: beyond cities

10-27-13 | 12:00 PM

#45

tandempower

Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2013

Posts: 4,319

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Quote:

Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike

Sure everyone can live like "snowbirds" using only a bicycle for their transportation; just as long as they have no children in school, and no physical infirmities themselves, nor care for anyone with same, and just as long as they can live for months at a time with just what they can carry on a bicycle. I don't believe your idea of "everyone" includes many people outside of physically healthy people without dependents, and with no ambition to be in a career field better than a migrant farm worker, fast food burger flipper, or hotel maid.

Why do all these issues/questions need to be phrased in the form of accusing me of having a limited scope?

First, the children issue: virtual schooling is growing in availability and popularity. Plenty of people don't like virtual schooling because they like their kids going to a physical place with other kids that they can socialize with, etc. That's a social preference, not an educational one but if people prefer that, then they won't want to work and travel. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be an option. A company like O2B kids could run a chain of schools along a MUPway-turnpike and traveling kids would have schools to attend, play, and learn while their parents are working. Virtual schooling makes it possible to learn while traveling as well. It would be good if traditional schools would integrate the virtual curriculum to allow kids to travel whenever without them falling behind in their lessons because they are missing class.

Second, physical health problems issue: if bicycle-travel isn't a health-improving life-activity, I don't know what is. If your health problems prevent you from living this way, that is unfortunate but I'm not proposing anything about reducing other means of traveling. This sort of reminds me of when people used to argue with me about biking for daily transportation because they claimed everyone couldn't do it. The implication was that by biking, I was suggesting that no one should use any other means of transportation. Does building a train system eliminate the possibility of driving? Do freeways eliminate the possiblity of trains? If not, why would a MUPway-turnpike eliminate the possibility of people traveling by car or train on other freeways/railways?

Third, the career ambition issue: who said that only dead-end jobs can be mobilized? I just pointed these out specifically because they are the ones that are the least flexible and easy to do by telecommuting. Jobs that don't require direct physical labor can be done while traveling if managers and colleagues are flexible about how they communicate. You could even organize a trip with a team of colleagues in this way and discuss work issues on the road. This idea really is more inclusive than it is exclusive, especially when you consider infrastructure costs and congestion as a limiting factor in how many days of travel per person can be sustained when traveling by car, bus, train, plane, etc.

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