Originally Posted by
TransitBiker
I think more people need to realize that we got along just fine before automobiles and people would ride their bikes around on dirt roads, cobblestone, brick, or gravel way before pavement was even a thing. The idea that "you need a car" is extremely artificial, and probably just as harmful to the structure of our economy as "decent people own a house" as if renting was some bad thing. I have no idea why people move hundreds of miles away from places they need to be or dozens of miles away from where they work. It has been proven time and time again that living near work and school is far better for your finances and your health (both mental and physical) than automobiling everywhere. Some studies have shown that sitting for as long as we do here in the US by average is a huge cause of, and can exacerbate health issues..... when you're in a car that's basically all you're doing.... sitting. So it's an economic thing, a social thing and a wellness thing. The more people that ditch and minimize automobile use the better off we will be. I'm to the point where i dont even consider dating anyone if they can't move to a less car centric lifestyle. The idea that i'm supposed to pick them up and chauffeur them to wherever is to me not only sexist but why would i want to be with someone that is ok with a sedentary (and ultimately unsustainable) lifestyle?
We know the problems here..... low taxes, poor roads, poor planning, weak zoning regulations, and the concept of profit being a prime motive for any basic thing, poverty shaming, and a number of other issues that make it very difficult to embrace a lifestyle outside the clearly broken conformist consumer model. And the people that would benefit from these things the most... those living in poverty, have no voice because in this twisted place money somehow equals speech.
I am doing all i can from where i am to push things to a more sustainable paradigm, but as with a roman trireme, one cannot row alone and expect to do much than look like a crazy person.
- Andy
If you can, try finding books on the subject written when the automobile was just starting to become common. Before the affordable automobile, most people rarely traveled more than 20 miles from their home, and a large portion of the working class lived in abject poverty because their employment opportunities were limited to whatever was available within walking distance. The automobile more than anything else improved the standard of living for the working class by allowing them to travel between where they could find affordable quality housing and employment that matched their skills with decent pay.
We need to look forward not back, the good-ol-days weren't so good for most people, and its over population not their tools that are the issue. The harsh truth is we need to curtail our lifestyles to compensate for irresponsible breeding habits.