- cross-posted to:
- greentext@sh.itjust.works
- cross-posted to:
- greentext@sh.itjust.works
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/26368144
Anons argue in comments
You must log in or register to comment.
Absolutely would be nice. I used to ride everywhere before I got priced out of where I was living and had to move. Now, my job is an hour away even by car… It wouldn’t need to be if things weren’t entirely designed around car travel here
I mean, bikes are great for a lot of things and cities should definitely have the infrastructure to support their usage, but let’s not pretend that they can easily replace cars in every use case.
Cars are faster, cover long distances which are just infeasible for bikes, are more comfortable, can be used in bad weather, and are needed for people with disabilities. Granted, all of those use cases should be covered by a good public transport system, but that’s exactly why cars are considered to be the symbol of freedom - not depending on the bus/train schedules, weather, distance etc.the freedom to be stuck in traffic because everyone else got a car too
That freedom is an illusion. You’re constantly subject to other people in cars doing things, and what they do is often stupid as shit. You only have that freedom when out on the open road with few other cars around, and you’re probably specifically going out of your way to do that.
Cars are faster, cover long distances which are just infeasible for bikes, are more comfortable, can be used in bad weather, and are needed for people with disabilities.
In many cases the long distances were created by cars. Cities worked fine before cars. But cars demand so much space that cities became spread out.
A solution to this problem is to repopulate city centers around the country by replacing parking lots with mixed use buildings.
In my area, bikes are considered motor vehicles and have to adhere to the same rules and regulations as bikes.
Which is stupid because there’s no infrastructure for bikes, and it’s illegal to ride them on the nearly completely unused sidewalks.
My FIL got me an e-bike that I can’t use for anything other than riding around the neighborhood because I have to get on the highway to get to town.
Uhhh…wow, bikes have to adhere to the same regulations as bikes?
Very unusual.
I thought that at first but sarcasm aside they meant that cycles have to adhere to motor bikes rules and regulations
I don’t know about inexpensive. The bike I want is approaching a grand and my last car was $5500. I would be crushed losing that amount.
Merely owning a car has cost me an average of $2000 a year. Insurance, tires, oil and other maintenance costs brings that up to $3000. Just to own the car, that doesn’t include gas to actually use it
My daily rider set me back 75€. A second hand omafiets, very well built by a local company, aluminum frame, a super comfy seat, hub dynamo, a rear wheel lock built into the frame + a fairly good chain, fresh-ish tires, a spacious basket at the front and an attachment point for another basket at the back. Perfect city bike. And it was such in great shape that all I had to do was make some adjustments to its shifter and that was basically all the maintenance it required for a good while.
Obviously I count myself EXTREMELY lucky for having stumbled upon this listing at my local second hand marketplace, but my point stands. There are a ton of very reasonably priced second hand bikes that are perfect for daily use as primary transports.
The automobile isn’t a symbol of freedom, never has been.
It’s a status symbol.
As someone who grew up in the rural US, it absolutely was, and I assume still is, as there are no alternatives in those areas. I could get to my school activities and work part time which, otherwise, was difficult to impossible relying on others. I don’t think it should be that way but it very much was (and probably still is) in those rural areas. For me, it also helped keep me away from abuse, but that’s (at least hopefully) an exception rather than the rule.
I live in a rural area. Like 15 minute drive to anywhere. Any less driving puts you in the middle of farmland. Not super remote, but enough.
Where I am, if it’s not in-town, you generally need to get there by motor vehicle. I only recently moved here, but I don’t think that’s super relevant.
I will always acknowledge exceptions to every rule. When you’re as rural, or more rural than I am, driving is an extremely useful tool to simply get anywhere. The utility of it, in my mind, is not really in question.
For the majority of people, who either live in, or near metropolitan areas, driving has an entirely different dynamic. It’s entirely unnecessary for anything that’s “in city”, which is going to be about 90% of what you’ll want to do. Apart from driving long distances to go on vacation or see family, a vehicle is entirely unnecessary. It can save time (at a cost) and it can be helpful when transporting items from one place to another, eg, when moving house; but again, they’re exceptions, not the rule.
Please forgive my terse initial comment. I usually find terse comments have more legs. There’s always more to any story, and exceptions are expected.
To bring this all back together, the number of people who will be in a rural situation, requiring a vehicle to travel anywhere in a reasonable timeframe, is, by the definition of rural, going to be fewer people than those who are included in my original statement, who live in a city or metro area where the population density is higher and there are more services in walking/biking distance. You and I, my friend, are the exception. Not the rule.
@MystikIncarnate @tiredofsametab I quite like this framing from a UK ad. https://youtu.be/V6ChTqII-Yk sometimes it’s just not the best tool for the job.
I like this. Thank you for sharing.
Sad thing is, if bikes were invented today, they’d be heavily regulated.
I’m generally in support of this. The car allows for more freedom in certain conditions, though:
- Better for people with physical handicaps
- Can be more easily/comfortably used in extreme weather
- Doesn’t leave you as hot and sweaty, especially when going to work
Better for people with physical handicaps
The majority of physical disabilities prevent people from driving, resulting in a loss of mobility and freedom when they do not have viable alternatives. Many people who do not bike for transport and do not talk to people who bike for transport see a handicap parking spot and assume that everybody with a handicap drives.
People cycling and using public transit free up road space for the minority of people with handicaps who drive. I know two utilitarian cyclists with disabilities who cannot drive but use a bicycle as their primary means of transportation.
Can be more easily/comfortably used in extreme weather
Wear a jacket. Many of us go for walks in extreme weather. There are very cold and hot countries all over the world that have high rates of bicycle usage for transport. The problem usually lies in cities designing and maintaining their roads in a hostile way to all forms of transportation other than bicycles in the winter. Look at Montreal and Oulu for counter-examples. Even the Netherlands gets constant rain.
This is a great video on the topic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBUDoesn’t leave you as hot and sweaty, especially when going to work
See above
Also, the car will be way faster
