i agree with most of the posts here...

i could drive a huge massive gas-guzzling car all over the place - actually i used to as i grew up in auto-centric Texas -- and waste and pollute and use whatever i want - because i'm American and i can afford it and i could use my car to demonstrate to others how bad-ass and rich and successful i am, but why? i just don't need that and it's just selfish and materialistic anyway. 99% of the time i get more enjoyment out of biking than driving (especially in traffic which these days is basically ALWAYS) so why should i drive to conform and prove my social status? i don't need to do that (i am happy biking and thereby reducing stress, improving my fitness AND reducing my environmental and social impact and danger to others... and at the same time having fun!)

i don't hate cars and cars can have their uses (i am currently again car-lite) BUT our car-centered culture is REALLY a problem. an example: in American most parents are overprotective of their kids and allow them virtually no freedoms for fear of kipnapping or accidents or whatever, and don't allow them to play with this or that toy b/c in some case some kid could injure himself, restrict TV and films and whatnot and protect their kids from "all dangers" and move to the "right neighboorhood", etc etc. then they think they are "protecting" their kids be driving them everywhere instead of letting them walk or bike b/c that is DANGEROUS, thereby exposing the kids to the greatest danger in our society: motor vehicle crashes. AND setting their kids up for a life of inactvitiy, obesity and auto-dependence! and these parents REALLY believe they are doing all they can for their kids!! and they never see it and may never see it even after their kids are sick, dead or in the hospital --- they are blinded by our auto-centric culture where it is simply accepted as "the price of progress" that thousands of americans die every year in auto accidents...

and sure, then parents lobby for a new stop light or better child seats or whatever, but how few actually deal with the problem: removing high-speed deadly vehicles from the environment where their kids are? so kids could walk or bike to school? and then when that case comes up where some idiot mows down a pedestrian or cyclist and says "i just didn't see him" it is accepted as a valid "excuse" -- i.e. "the cost of progress"

anyway, just one example.

the other big factor also has to do with CONSUMERISM. driving is cool and a "tough" "rugged" "cool" SUV makes you popular and whatnot. we are flooded with these images and the auto is presented as THE tool to gain freedom --- the "freedom" to become car-dependent and pay lots of money for a late-model car (b/c only a loser drive an old beater), repairs, insurance, gas etc.; spend hours per day sitting in traffic; get no exercise b/c walking and biking are for the "poor and underpriviledged" and at the same time pollute the planet and endanger the lives of other!!! "because it's cool" ---- unfortunately this advertising affects our society greatly. most Americans consider a person who doesn't own a car to be some how not right - either poor or weird or whatever. why? and most "happyily" becomes slaves to their cars spending a LARGE percentage or their income on a car.

[to be read in tone of classic American Libertarian] and then there's the amount of MY TAX MONEY that goes to subsidize this social and environment killer -- through "oil wars" and freeway interchange construction and whatnot...
[and back to my voice]i'm not saying NO money should be spent on roads and tranportation, but the one-sided of the auto-infrastructure is ridiculous. or places like where my sister used to live 500ft from a mall but had to walk over a mile to get there as it was separated by a freeway - huh? auto-centric!!

anyway, the reasons go on. unfortunately most of these problems are both a) entrenched and b) backed by lots of $$$$$ and "sensible" alternatives like riding a bike or re-designing a community for walking and biking instead of motoring do not offer much of anyone the potential to make a buck...

thus, there these things are virtually "invisible" or people don't believe it when someone points it out (that just can't be true!!) and virtually no one is doing anything to change things (except for the thousand of people who are earning big bucks are doing all they can to KEEP things as they are!)

as a result i attempt to do what i can to not make it any worse: i am now car-lite and i only drive in the city if it is ABSOLUTLEY necessary (i.e. transporting large stuff or an elderly person or whatever) and i try to do what i can to improve conditions for walking and biking (actually i currently live in Germany so that parts pretty easy at the moment )