Originally Posted by
Mobile 155
Just as an aside: from the U.S. Census site; The combined rate of bicycle commuting for the 50 largest U.S. cities increased from 0.6 percent in 2000 to 1.0 percent in 2008–2012.
That leaves 99 percent that don't get to work or school by bike. Or about what it was when I commuted by bicycle in the 70s.
From 0.6% to 1.0%. In other words, the number of cyclists almost doubled in only four years, assuming that the denominator is about the same. At that rate, 100% of commutes will be by bicycle in less than 25 years.
Seriously, I'm going to claim that as a victory.
Originally Posted by
Mobile 155
Tandempower, same can be said for older cars. Used car sales soared at the beginning of the recession and make up a majority of the vehicles on our roads.
The point is the F series truck is on top of the new car sales "again" just like it was before the recession. It is not an economical vehicle to drive nor is it all that different from the F series before the recession.
When I commuted to work and College in the 70s bicycles represented less than 4 percent of choices people made for transportation. 40 years later where are we?
You should check the mpg data on 2015 pickup trucks compared to 2007 models. They are definitely not the same vehicle in anything but name. You should also check the figures on used car sales. I believe you have made a mistake.
Originally Posted by
Mobile 155
I don't know if it is a trap. But maybe I see people as more aware than some do. I see people as having made the choice because they wanted to, they budgeted it and see an advantage that they don't have without it. They can live where they want and not be limited in the direction they have to find work, education for their kids, Work in one direction and school in another. I get your point about the stigma but to most of the people I know I am the bicycle guy. Then they also know I have access to a car if I so choose.
I also agree it will be hard to convince anyone that the car they wanted so much they took out a loan for caused their life to suck as you say. Just as an private observation my sister drove a mass transit bus till she retired. She never took the bus to work even when she could. And one of the most common things she said she had heard from her customers was, "As soon as I can get a car I will never ride the bus again.
Now it quite possibly could be the unwillingness to try and connect with others in a complicated dance of social interaction. But I wonder how much of that is fear of getting close to people who want to hurt or take from you. That being money, goods or simply taking advantage of others. The media may exacerbate these feelings when we see people killing each other in Baltimore, Chicago, Pittsburg, Cleveland and yes LA almost every night. And who shoots most of them? Neighbors, or at least that is who is being reported as doing the killings. So yes a car may give you some feeling of separation or even protection. But like your original statement I don't think cars are the cause but rather what people see as the solution to those complicated social interactions. As one poster put it earlier we tend to live in places we see as more socially acceptable or at least strive to move to such places. As you posted it is Natural.
Or maybe it's because most bus service in the US is designed to squash as many (mostly poor) people into uncomfortable steel boxes and to move them as slowly as possible to wind-swept bus stops that are only somewhat close to their actual destinations.
To build something sucky, and then to despise it because it sucks--not very logical!