Bjerknes

"Top Economist"
Mar 16, 2004
115,984
Isn't Sharon like the UK equivalent of Karen?



Personally, for all the hyped-up talk about technological disruption these days, cars seem like a dead, old 134 year-old idea to me. The electric car hype is just taking that 134 year-old idea and slapping mobile phone parts on it. I don't see that as radical revolution as much as keeping the status quo. Like a steam engine train fitted with a giant battery.

The only radical thing in mobility is that we now live in an era where people can afford not to own a car.
But that's largely not true for at least half of the US.
 

lgorTudor

Senior Member
Jan 15, 2015
32,951
But that's largely not true for at least half of the US.
Public transport is nowhere near as well developed, maybe in 50 years. Not even talking about the countryside, just take a big city. Aside from the pure inconvenience of running your errands using stinky subway, most jobs (unless they're in service ) are in industrial districts where there isn't even public transport only a highway passing by.
 

swag

L'autista
Administrator
Sep 23, 2003
84,750
I enjoy all privileges in my motherland and we don't really have black people.

Spaniards preferred to use indígenas instead of black slaves.

I'll report back from the UK.
Well, that's the diff between Hispanic and Latino right there.

But that's largely not true for at least half of the US.
That's true. But as someone who hasn't owned a car in 2.5 years, it's liberating: parking, worrying about damages, maintenance, cleaning, depreciation, environmental dirtiness ... such a weighted drag on the quality of life, imo.
 

Enron

Tickle Me
Moderator
Oct 11, 2005
75,660
Well, that's the diff between Hispanic and Latino right there.



That's true. But as someone who hasn't owned a car in 2.5 years, it's liberating: parking, worrying about damages, maintenance, cleaning, depreciation, environmental dirtiness ... such a weighted drag on the quality of life, imo.
electric cars are the future in the US. All the major companies have models, power companies are almost giving them to municipal governments to build infrastructure, grants, loans, everything. SLC is putting in an electric bus system.

All the rest stops you saw in southern Utah a few years back now have charging stations as do most nps visitor centers.
 

ALC

Ohaulick
Oct 28, 2010
46,526
Public transport is nowhere near as well developed, maybe in 50 years. Not even talking about the countryside, just take a big city. Aside from the pure inconvenience of running your errands using stinky subway, most jobs (unless they're in service ) are in industrial districts where there isn't even public transport only a highway passing by.
this. The American model of life for a large majority of people includes having a car. Even if you’re a parent, you’re taking your kids to extracurriculars, visiting friends who live a couple towns over, etc. public transportation won’t cut it, the way neighborhoods are spread out would mean way too many stops not to mention usually they don’t even have sidewalks.

Cars are here to stay and the pandemic has just made them more desirable to most people.
 

.zero

★ ★ ★
Aug 8, 2006
82,813
Well, that's the diff between Hispanic and Latino right there.



That's true. But as someone who hasn't owned a car in 2.5 years, it's liberating: parking, worrying about damages, maintenance, cleaning, depreciation, environmental dirtiness ... such a weighted drag on the quality of life, imo.
Agreed

haven't owned a car for 5 years now and it's been great

plus there is something low class about driving oneself. I'd prefer a machine to do that for me in some autonomous fashion
 

Fab Fragment

Senior Member
Dec 22, 2018
4,072
Agreed

haven't owned a car for 5 years now and it's been great

plus there is something low class about driving oneself. I'd prefer a machine to do that for me in some autonomous fashion
Low class? LOL.
Man, I love cars. However, I can't stand these soulless electric cars.

- - - Updated - - -

You could get yourself a Rolls Royce or Maybach to be chauffeured around in. Perhaps, slap some Juventus stickers for free publicity for the club. Look at it this way, you'll be doing it for a good cause!!
 

swag

L'autista
Administrator
Sep 23, 2003
84,750
electric cars are the future in the US. All the major companies have models, power companies are almost giving them to municipal governments to build infrastructure, grants, loans, everything. SLC is putting in an electric bus system.

All the rest stops you saw in southern Utah a few years back now have charging stations as do most nps visitor centers.
And yet for all the talk of innovation and disruption, we're getting incrementalism on a 134 year-old idea. It still strikes me as a lack of imagination.

It's a real set-up for getting leapfrogged in the future.

Couldn't imagine not owning a car. Even if it wasn't a necessity it would remain a passion.
Which is my argument against autonomous vehicle revolution claims: the reality is different and human desires and interests cannot be simply optimized out of the equation. Too many Silicon Valley nutjobs (and I worked alongside them for nearly three decades) believe so much of life will be better if it's optimized with technology and the messiness of humans is pushed away to the margins. It misses the entire point of life.

That said, I'm not sure it's just a measure of expecting you to be satiated with simulated car video games with a home rig in your living room. Cars are still dinosaurs on the roads, and roads are eating up 45-50% of urban space for no good reason. Something is going to have to give.
 

X Æ A-12

Senior Member
Contributor
Sep 4, 2006
87,934
Which is my argument against autonomous vehicle revolution claims: the reality is different and human desires and interests cannot be simply optimized out of the equation. Too many Silicon Valley nutjobs (and I worked alongside them for nearly three decades) believe so much of life will be better if it's optimized with technology and the messiness of humans is pushed away to the margins. It misses the entire point of life.

That said, I'm not sure it's just a measure of expecting you to be satiated with simulated car video games with a home rig in your living room. Cars are still dinosaurs on the roads, and roads are eating up 45-50% of urban space for no good reason. Something is going to have to give.
why can't you just listen and not try to fix everything?
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 296)