I hate cars. Ban them!

[Blouman Empire]

Are you talking buses that go outside the city or within?

From my experience, if you take a bus for a long distance ride, you can usually choose to get an express, which means no stops other than for refueling (if needed). You can also get buses that stop at every town along the way, which is good if you're just going two towns over.

For buses as transit in the cities...well it's hit and miss. Again, Edmonton set up a system of express buses too...you have to get them at the right terminal, but they don't stop till they get to the end of the line. With the addition of the dedicated lanes for passing snarled up traffic, you can really get around faster. The problem is there aren't enough of these kinds of express buses (yet).

If you took the private cars off the road and the roads were dedicated to public transit, you would have even less time wasted trying to get through all the SOVs blocking the way.

Well both actually, I find that when taking a bus between cities a car will take about 4 hours a bus about 6.5 hours (that being the only inter city bus trip I take), now there are the stops in between which you don't do in the car. While there is no express service I have found that it still takes longer e.g a trip between two towns where the bus won't be stopping in between I know that a car takes about 40 minutes 45 if you run into freight trains (trucks), while a bus will be about 50-55 minutes.

In the city yes obviously it does take longer as it stops everywhere however I find the express buses that won't stop till a certain stop take the same time as a car and are not slower. Unfortunately our transport system doesn't have them running as much only during peak hour.

[Ashaven]

Yeah, but I tend to get better. Of course, you're doubtlessly older than I, but still...

I'm only 21, you?

15. I like to think of myself as astonishingly non-idealistic for people my age.

[Mad hatters in jeans]

What about people who have to travel for a living? (like social workers, 18 wheeler drivers etc.)

Are people simply incapable of reading threads? Many posters, including me and the OP have discussed the massive environmental and safety improvements that would be made simply by REDUCING the use of single-occupancy vehicles. That does not require a ban -- notwithstanding the fact that so many posters seem completely unable to realize that the OP's title is hyperbole (they probably don't realize it because they never read the OP itself). If you don't have every single person driving around in his/her own private carbon fuel burning vehicle every single day for every single trip or errand, then you can far better support the MUCH LOWER NUMBER of cars that would actually be necessary, such as for people like social workers, shippers, emergency responders, bus drivers, etc.

As for 18-wheeler drivers (aka long-haul truckers) their jobs only exist because of the artificially created and imposed monster that is the car culture. Gosh, sorry, but when the world changes, their jobs will slowly, slowly, become obsolete. They'll be just one in the ages-long history of jobs that no longer exist. Oh, well.

To be fair it is over 40 pages of thread.

[Muravyets]

This is yet another very sad fact about car culture: It can render whole areas of people dependent on cars as a result of the physical disabilities associated with being so out of shape that one cannot move ones own body.

I blame car culture for UnhealthyTruthseeker's town being physically handicap.

You don't think osteoporosis and other problems caused by being over 60 has anything to do with it? Seriously?

Osteoporosis and other problems of old age are not actually caused by being over 60. They are caused by degeneration of bone, cartilege, stiffening of muscle tissue, etc. While it is true that such conditions tend to worsen naturally over time (as with all degenerative conditions), they are made far worse far faster by lack of physical activity. The human body is definitely a use it or lose it proposition, and if you keep moving, you will lose less mobility.

Sadly, you can't really move much in a car.

[Muravyets]

What about people who have to travel for a living? (like social workers, 18 wheeler drivers etc.)

Are people simply incapable of reading threads? Many posters, including me and the OP have discussed the massive environmental and safety improvements that would be made simply by REDUCING the use of single-occupancy vehicles. That does not require a ban -- notwithstanding the fact that so many posters seem completely unable to realize that the OP's title is hyperbole (they probably don't realize it because they never read the OP itself). If you don't have every single person driving around in his/her own private carbon fuel burning vehicle every single day for every single trip or errand, then you can far better support the MUCH LOWER NUMBER of cars that would actually be necessary, such as for people like social workers, shippers, emergency responders, bus drivers, etc.

As for 18-wheeler drivers (aka long-haul truckers) their jobs only exist because of the artificially created and imposed monster that is the car culture. Gosh, sorry, but when the world changes, their jobs will slowly, slowly, become obsolete. They'll be just one in the ages-long history of jobs that no longer exist. Oh, well.

To be fair it is over 40 pages of thread.

If they had read just the first 10 pages, they would have seen what I mentioned.

[Natapoc]

Okay. But you also are to out of shape to ride a bike right? (or did I misunderstand you)

I'm out of breath going up two or three flights of stairs. And before you think that I use a car a lot, not really. I stay locked in my room most of the time. I rarely leave to do anything but go to school.

Your body is a biochemical machine and if you don't take care of this machine it will start to break down. Your brain will start to become less able to function You must get more exercise for proper mental and physical health or you will find yourself unable to properly think.

[Ashaven]

Okay. But you also are to out of shape to ride a bike right? (or did I misunderstand you)

I'm out of breath going up two or three flights of stairs. And before you think that I use a car a lot, not really. I stay locked in my room most of the time. I rarely leave to do anything but go to school.

Your body is a biochemical machine and if you don't take care of this machine it will start to break down. Your brain will start to become less able to function You must get more exercise for proper mental and physical health or you will find yourself unable to properly think.

Aren't you talking to one of the far smarter people on NS...?

[Blouman Empire]

Yeah, but I tend to get better. Of course, you're doubtlessly older than I, but still...

I'm only 21, you?

You are never too young to learn.

Though the fact you never did learn as a child is disappointing.

And before you say anything I am not laughing at you or trying to make an attack.

[Natapoc]

Yeah, but I tend to get better. Of course, you're doubtlessly older than I, but still...

I'm only 21, you?

15. I like to think of myself as astonishingly non-idealistic for people my age.

Non idealism is the new idealism style now.

[UnhealthyTruthseeker]

Your body is a biochemical machine and if you don't take care of this machine it will start to break down. Your brain will start to become less able to function You must get more exercise for proper mental and physical health or you will find yourself unable to properly think.

No thinking problems so far. Honestly, the human body is obsolete. We need to make it better. Why constantly worry about environmental problems when we could more easily change ourselves to suit much more extreme climes?

[Neesika]

Okay, hope you feel better in the morning.

Common, haven't you ever gotten tired of fighting and just given up on humanity?

You bet, but I always get over it. It might take some time, but hopefully it doesn't last.

[Mad hatters in jeans]

Yeah, but I tend to get better. Of course, you're doubtlessly older than I, but still...

I'm only 21, you?

15. I like to think of myself as astonishingly non-idealistic for people my age.

Non idealism is the new idealism style now.

*brain explodes*

[Ashaven]

Yeah, but I tend to get better. Of course, you're doubtlessly older than I, but still...

I'm only 21, you?

15. I like to think of myself as astonishingly non-idealistic for people my age.

Non idealism is the new idealism style now.

You're either joking, or haven't seen my peers. I'm willing to bet on the second one here, though.

[UnhealthyTruthseeker]

You bet, but I always get over it. It might take some time, but hopefully it doesn't last.

I've got my mathematics and physics. I just shut out the rest of the world.

[Neesika]

Well both actually, I find that when taking a bus between cities a car will take about 4 hours a bus about 6.5 hours (that being the only inter city bus trip I take), now there are the stops in between which you don't do in the car. While there is no express service I have found that it still takes longer e.g a trip between two towns where the bus won't be stopping in between I know that a car takes about 40 minutes 45 if you run into freight trains (trucks), while a bus will be about 50-55 minutes.

In the city yes obviously it does take longer as it stops everywhere however I find the express buses that won't stop till a certain stop take the same time as a car and are not slower. Unfortunately our transport system doesn't have them running as much only during peak hour.

Ha, are you comparing speeding to buses that do the limit?

Because really, absent the stops there is no other reason a bus would take longer.

[Blouman Empire]

So I grew up in a non privileged family. My parents could not afford a car and they rode their bikes. They would ride miles every day with my sister and I (we were under 5) in a little wheel thing that straps to the back of a bicycle.

My mother worked 2 jobs while going to college. My father worked full time.

People should stop pretending that riding a bicycle is so difficult and stop pretending that this is somehow bad for the poor or elderly. The poor ALREADY go without a car.

Many of the elderly have lost their licenses because they are physically unable to drive.

Getting rid of car culture while increasing public transportation options would be a net benefit to both the poor and to the elderly.

What about riding say 25 miles? We may have to get back, as well so we can make it 50 miles.

What about riding 250 miles? How long would that take?

Many people don't have the time to do everything they want rding takes even more of this away.

[Ajax Prime]

who gives a crap, most of us like cars and the rest of ya can go cry about it somewhere else...

[Natapoc]

Your body is a biochemical machine and if you don't take care of this machine it will start to break down. Your brain will start to become less able to function You must get more exercise for proper mental and physical health or you will find yourself unable to properly think.

No thinking problems so far. Honestly, the human body is obsolete. We need to make it better. Why constantly worry about environmental problems when we could more easily change ourselves to suit much more extreme climes?

You are only 21. You are young of course the problems have not become severe yet. But they will if you don't start to take better care of your body. In the spirit of irony and tradition lets go with the car analogy!

If you don't change the oil in your car you can drive it perfectly for weeks, months, ect. But eventually you WILL have problems. Your body is still in the shape of a fairly new car. But if you don't put (metaphorical) oil in it your body will break down and be destroyed: mentally and physically.

[Muravyets]

Yah, and what about the 1000's of people who'd lose their jobs?

Well, all those people could probably seek jobs in the transportation-related industries that would be replacing the car-related industries. You know, just like they would if their industries disappeared or downsized for any other reason.

Also, if you banned cars, my whole fucking neighborhood might as well disapear. We live ot of zone, and thus, we cant get city buses out into our areas.

Right, because the fact that your local authorities don't run transit out to you is somehow proof that they can't run transit out to you.

I cant (nor want) to bike 6 or seven miles into the city, and go to my job, pick up and drop off my kids, and things like that.

False dichotomy. It's not a choice of car or nothing. It's a choice of sticking with old thing or developing new thing. Also, the bolded words indicate that your entire argument is bullshit and that you are merely objecting because you don't want to change what you like.

More eco-friendly cars are staring to come out (like the Nissan Leaf,) But really, if theyd make a eco friendly car that looks like a car, NOT something 25-30 years down the line, I'd buy it. For now, I'll stick with my polluting truck.

And following the bolded words, above, these remarks are just more BS indicating that you have no intention of supporting any change in technology or transportation systems, and thus, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution, and need to be kept out of the way of the people who are working to develop and modernize the world.

...Meh, fine. I'll restate that post. Im not in favor of banning cars outright, but try and find a way so we can have less cars on the road. Mass transit, rail, etc. I dunno, we've had cars for so long, It be sorta hard to give it up. Like having democracy ever since the US was founded, then being replace with a dictatorship. (It wont ever happen, but you somewhat get my point, right?)

Few worthwhile things are easy. Luckily, no one is proposing to impose a massive shift by fiat all at once.

[Blouman Empire]

Well both actually, I find that when taking a bus between cities a car will take about 4 hours a bus about 6.5 hours (that being the only inter city bus trip I take), now there are the stops in between which you don't do in the car. While there is no express service I have found that it still takes longer e.g a trip between two towns where the bus won't be stopping in between I know that a car takes about 40 minutes 45 if you run into freight trains (trucks), while a bus will be about 50-55 minutes.

In the city yes obviously it does take longer as it stops everywhere however I find the express buses that won't stop till a certain stop take the same time as a car and are not slower. Unfortunately our transport system doesn't have them running as much only during peak hour.

Ha, are you comparing speeding to buses that do the limit?

Because really, absent the stops there is no other reason a bus would take longer.

I don't speed..much

Seriously going the limit does only take about 40 minutes to travel the distance the bus does take an extra 10 minutes. I don't know why maybe it can't go as fast as the limit, the acceleration is obviously slower apart form that I don't know why.

[Mad hatters in jeans]

Your body is a biochemical machine and if you don't take care of this machine it will start to break down. Your brain will start to become less able to function You must get more exercise for proper mental and physical health or you will find yourself unable to properly think.

No thinking problems so far. Honestly, the human body is obsolete. We need to make it better. Why constantly worry about environmental problems when we could more easily change ourselves to suit much more extreme climes?

You are only 21. You are young of course the problems have not become severe yet. But they will if you don't start to take better care of your body. In the spirit of irony and tradition lets go with the car analogy!

If you don't change the oil in your car you can drive it perfectly for weeks, months, ect. But eventually you WILL have problems. Your body is still in the shape of a fairly new car. But if you don't put (metaphorical) oil in it your body will break down and be destroyed: mentally and physically.

oh but it will be destroyed eventually so why bother?
*devil's advocate*

[Korintar]

So I grew up in a non privileged family. My parents could not afford a car and they rode their bikes. They would ride miles every day with my sister and I (we were under 5) in a little wheel thing that straps to the back of a bicycle.

My mother worked 2 jobs while going to college. My father worked full time.

People should stop pretending that riding a bicycle is so difficult and stop pretending that this is somehow bad for the poor or elderly. The poor ALREADY go without a car.

Many of the elderly have lost their licenses because they are physically unable to drive.

Getting rid of car culture while increasing public transportation options would be a net benefit to both the poor and to the elderly.

What about riding say 25 miles? We may have to get back, as well so we can make it 50 miles.

What about riding 250 miles? How long would that take?

Many people don't have the time to do everything they want rding takes even more of this away.

By doing things that dismantle the car culture, it would be less necessary to travel such a distance in the first place! When it comes to the exhaust, I guess a person could develop the hybrid and fuel cell technology further, but it would have to make some sort of audible noise equivalent to diesel or traditional car engines for pedestrian (especially VI pedestrian) safety.

[Gift-of-god]

What about riding say 25 miles? We may have to get back, as well so we can make it 50 miles.

What about riding 250 miles? How long would that take?

Many people don't have the time to do everything they want rding takes even more of this away.

If your concern is that you don't have time to do the things you want, then move somewhere where you don't have to spend so much time commuting between different locations. Like within walking or biking distance of work, or school, or your children's school as the case may be.

[Muravyets]

who gives a crap, most of us like cars and the rest of ya can go cry about it somewhere else...

Yesterday, I read this McClatchy News article about spreading low-oxygen "dead zones" in the world's oceans -- http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100 ... hy/3444187 -- and I immediately thought of all those head-up-their-asses dipshits who bitch about how "climate change" is a "liberal/leftist conspiracy", and I got so fucking angry I actually started to feel physically sick. I'm feeling that way again now.

[Blouman Empire]

By doing things that dismantle the car culture, it would be less necessary to travel such a distance in the first place! When it comes to the exhaust, I guess a person could develop the hybrid and fuel cell technology further, but it would have to make some sort of audible noise equivalent to diesel or traditional car engines for pedestrian (especially VI pedestrian) safety.

Indeed my family will just up and move closer or I will do the same, one of us will get the job closer. Doubt the employer will move all the equipment further away from the source of materials though.

I know we have talked about placing people in large building closer together the OP brushed on it and how communities aren't as close knit though I think this will happen anyway even if we are all living closer together.