World Car Free Day

http://www.times-standard.com/Storie...413006,00.html

Hmm... World Car Free Day...
"On Wednesday, citizens are encouraged to go without vehicles in recognition that fossil fuels have extreme environmental impacts. A proclamation in support of Car Free Day was read by Arcata Mayor Bob Ornelas, a bicycle advocate, at the Arcata City Council's last meeting. The proclamation states "fossil fuel powered vehicles are a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for over 40 percent of greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere in the community of Arcata.""

Its funny that this is being promoted in California. When I first arrived in Los Angeles, 2 years ago, I didnt have a car and was thankful to not have one. I was happy to go without it because it was expensive to maintain, fuel, etc. Of course, my old 1989 Ford Tempo was a POS so that always gave me a trouble. But still, I was happy to not have a car.

But 2 years of dealing with LA's horrible PT system (not even 2 full years, 2 school years), being unable to go anywhere cool because of a lack of a car (even though I live not more than 2 miles from the Sunset Strip), being unable to actually take girls out on proper dates to nice places (not to mention the girls that ignore anyone who doesnt have a car), having to walk home 2 miles at 11:30 at night because the buses just decided to ignore the last 4 posted times... well I got fed up and now I have a car and Im happy.

Fuck you California. Fuck you Arcata. Fuck you World Car Free Day. Design a fucking city and an infrastructure where you dont need a car to take advantage of it and Ill think about this.

I agree, I used to use the public transportation here in Durham, NC. Buses come by every hour... so a simple task like getting groceries took me nearly 3 hours when you count the fact that I had to switch buses. Gah... if I was in NYC I wouldn't mind going without a car.

Ive never lived in NYC, but Ive lived near it my whole life, and Im sure its easy to live without a car there. The subway is everywhere and runs all the time, taxis are plentiful, and the shit you need, like a food store, is always right around the corner. The PT system is eminently reliable and has never failed me, and Ive taken NYC PT about 10x more than I have LA PT. Only problem is that it is so expensive.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

having to walk home 2 miles at 11:30 at night because the buses just decided to ignore the last 4 posted times... well I got fed up and now I have a car and Im happy.

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The MBTA is often guilty of similar stupid shit, such as unpredictable busses or trains. I tend to have particularly shitty luck with it. Last trains run at 12:35 (posted, later in some places though) every night, but I went outside at 12:10 to take the C line from Coolidge Corner back to Boylston, and there wasn't a single inbound train. 4 outbound though. What the fuck? I had to take a $14 cab ride because I was too tired and too drunk to walk back. Lovely. If they just ran the trains all night it wouldn't be a problem, but considering everything in Boston shuts down early anyway, it's a non-issue.

Even if I could afford to park it, I probably wouldn't have a car here. Driving in Boston is pretty shitty. So I guess I'm just forced to work within the confines of the MBTA. Lovely. It seems they've gotten shittier after fares went up.

I'm curious to know if there are actually any cities in the US with reliable public transportation, hell, even if there are any elsewhere in the world.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Fuck you World Car Free Day. Design a fucking city and an infrastructure where you dont need a car to take advantage of it and Ill think about this.

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Amen.

Here in Puerto Rico, public transportation is nonexistent outside of the San Juan area. You don't have a car, you stay home. That's why there are 2.5 million cars here for 3.8 million inhabitants (PR is 35 miles long by 111 miles wide).

When the car-free people send me a bus to schlep me and my family around, I'll get rid of the car. Until then, fuck 'em.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Ive never lived in NYC, but Ive lived near it my whole life, and Im sure its easy to live without a car there. The subway is everywhere and runs all the time, taxis are plentiful, and the shit you need, like a food store, is always right around the corner. The PT system is eminently reliable and has never failed me, and Ive taken NYC PT about 10x more than I have LA PT. Only problem is that it is so expensive.

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this is correct. it helps to have a car, but depending on where you're going, it's not neccessary. i went out today and could've taken my car but decided not to. though, it really doesn't help that each ride (excluding transfers) is $2 a pop. but i guess that's why they have unlimited cards.

Like others said: noble idea, but one that only works in towns not specifically designed around cars. In Bakersfield, CA its extremely difficult to get anywhere without a car, due to the constant suburban sprawl the town goes through. Now that I'm in SF, it's preferable not to have a car to maintain, and generally easier to get from A-to-B on foot, PT, or bike.

I also want to say that plenty of smart people have come up with urban plans & city design theories where having a car is not necessary, or even counterproductive. Its just that nobody listens. The place I live now is being overdeveloped with the same fucking suburban sprawl that has plagued every other developed nation on earth.

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When the car-free people send me a bus to schlep me and my family around, I'll get rid of the car. Until then, fuck 'em.

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It's just the ultra-liberal, "you're the fucking problem, so you should change because we're not gonna do shit about it" way of thinking.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

"On Wednesday, citizens are encouraged to go without vehicles in recognition that fossil fuels have extreme environmental impacts."

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I recognize this every day, that's why I bought a car that averages 35 mpg.

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Originally Posted by Grave

I'm curious to know if there are actually any cities in the US with reliable public transportation, hell, even if there are any elsewhere in the world.

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A buddy of mine lived in Germany for 1.5 years. He said that the subway/trains there are so reliable that they make announcements if they will be over 60 seconds late. Any lateless is greeted by all the old grannies yelling and complaining.

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Originally Posted by kabuki

I recognize this every day, that's why I bought a car that averages 35 mpg.

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Same here.

As Stone likes to say, there's something inherently American and free about owning and driving your own car. Whenever I'm out driving with my girl and I see people waiting for the bus, I go, "Ah ha, losers." She's like, "They're not losers, they're smart!"

Uh huh.