I’ve noticed in discussions and critiques of American culture the assertion that we rely too heavily on cars rather than more ecologically sound personal transportation alternatives such as transit buses, subways, bicycles or even walking.
As a car guy, my defenses immediately go up. I just want to take any didactic, self-righteous offenders for a ride up north, drop them off and ask them: What do you think of cars now? Well, not really, but there is some validity to it.
kAmx E9:?< E96 :562 E92E H6 4@F=5 92G6 A=2??65 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D 5:776C6?E=J E@ 2G@:5 6I46DD:G6 FD6 @7 :?5:G:5F2==J 5C:G6? 42CD :D 2? @G6CD:>A=:7:42E:@? @7 E96 D:EF2E:@?]k^Am
kAm|J 52F89E6C[ #2496=[ H9@ C646?E=J 9:<65 E96 pAA2=249:2? %C2:=[ @7E6? 8C:A65 23@FE E96 =24< @7 62D:=J 2446DD:3=6 DE@C6D E@ C6DFAA=J 96C EC6< H96? D96 H2D EC2G6CD:?8 E96 36EE6C A2CE @7 E96 62DE @? 7@@E[ 3FE D96 H2D 2=D@ :? =2C86=J CFC2= 2C62D] r@?G6CD6=J[ H96? D96 H6?E E@ 4@==686 :? q@DE@?[ D96 7C6BF6?E=J ?2G:82E65 E96 4:EJ G:2 AF3=:4 EC2?DA@CE2E:@?]k^Am
kAm$@>6 2C62D 5@ H6== H:E9 >2DD EC2?D:E[ 3FE E9@D6 2C6 >2:?=J =2C86C[ 46?EC2=:K65 >6EC@A@=:D6D E92E 2C6 23=6 E@ FE:=:K6 E96D6 DJDE6>D >@C6 67764E:G6=J] xDDF6D DF49 2D H62E96C DE:== 9:?56C J62C\C@F?5[ 64@\7C:6?5=J 4@>>FE:?8]k^Am
kAm$F3\K6C@ E6>A6C2EFC6D :? E96 }@CE9[ 52?86C@FD 962E :? E96 $@FE9[ H:?5[ C2:?[ D?@H 2?5 :46 2E @?6 E:>6 @C 2?@E96C[ 4@?DA:C6 E@ DEJ>:6 E9@D6 H9@ 49@@D6 AF3=:4 EC2?DA@CE2E:@?]k^Am
kAmp>6C:42 :D F?:BF6 :? E96 56G6=@A65 H@C=5 :? >2?J H2JD[ D@>6 8@@5 2?5 D@>6 E92E 4@F=5 36 36EE6C[ 3FE E96 C6=2E:G6=J J@F?8 286 @7 @FC D@4:6EJ[ @FC @A6? 2?5 G2DE =2?5D[ @FC 7C665@> E@ EC2G6= F?76EE6C65 2?5 @FC :?5:G:5F2=:DE:4 =:76DEJ=6D 5@?’E 2=H2JD 7:E H6== H:E9:? E96 4@?7:?65 3@C56CD @7 E:89E=J A=2??65[ 8C:5 4@>>F?:E:6D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 :E’D ECF6 E92E @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D H6C6 56G6=@A65 >@C6 C646?E=J E92? E96 ~=5 (@C=5’D 2?4:6?E 4:E:6D[ 2?5 E96C67@C6 H6 4@F=5 92G6 A=2??65 7@C[ D2J[ DF3H2JD 2?5 D:56H2=<D[ H6 ?665 E@ =@@< 2E E96 6G@=FE:@? @7 @FC D@4:6EJ]k^Am
kAm{@?8\E6C> D@=FE:@?D E@ @G6C4C@H5:?8 2?5 9:89 AC@A6CEJ G2=F6D H:E9:? 4:EJ =:>:ED AFD965 C6D:56?E:2= 56G6=@A>6?E @FE E@ E96 DF3FC3D] |2?J ?6:893@C9@@5D H6C6 A6C764E 7@C H2=<:?8 @C 3:4J4=6 C:5:?8 2?5 5:5 D66 E96D6 24E:G:E:6D FD65 7@C C64C62E:@?]k^Am
kAm(96? x H2D 8C@H:?8 FA :? 2 DF3FC3 @7 q@DE@?[ C:5:?8 @FC 3:<6D H2D[ 7@C 2 <:5[ 2=>@DE 2D 8@@5 2D 5C:G:?8] t249 ?6:893@C9@@5 925 2 D>2== 4@>>6C4:2= 46?E6C[ 2?5 7C:6?5D =:G65 4=@D6 6?@F89 E@ 2446DD @? 7@@E @C 3:<6] qFE E2<:?8 E92E >@56= E@ 2 =2C86C D42=6 :D?’E 2=H2JD AC24E:42= H:E9 E96 DAC625 @7 >@56C? 4:EJ =:>:ED]k^Am
kAmpD DF3FC3D 56G6=@A65 2?5 E96 4@F?ECJ 6IA2?565 H6DEH2C5[ E96 x?E6CDE2E6 w:89H2J $JDE6> 8C6H E@ 244@>>@52E6 EC2G6=] x? `hde[ E96 sH:89E s] t:D6?9@H6C }2E:@?2= $JDE6> @7 x?E6CDE2E6 2?5 s676?D6 w:89H2JD[ 2 ?6EH@C< @7 4@?EC@==65\2446DD 9:89H2JD[ H2D :>A=6>6?E65] x?:E:2= 7F?5:?8 H2D D6E 2E Sae 3:==:@?[ 2?5 E92E H2D >@C6 E92? e_ J62CD 28@[ 2? 6?@C>@FD DF> 2E E96 E:>6 W2?5 DE:== BF:E6 2 3:E E@52JX]k^Am
kAmw:89H2JD H6C6 ?66565 7@C >@C6 E92? ;FDE E96 4@?G6?:6?46 @7 4@>>FE6CD] pD E96 t:D6?9@H6C 9:89H2J DJDE6>’D @C:8:?2= ?2>6 :>A=:65[ C@25D H6C6 2? :>A@CE2?E =:?< :? @FC 4@F?ECJ’D 5676?D6 DJDE6>]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@?[ ECF4<D[ E96 7:?2= =:?< :? E96 DFAA=J 492:? @7 >@DE 4@?DF>6C 8@@5D[ ?66565 C@25D E@ @A6C2E6 6G6? H:E9 E96 36?67:E @7 EC2:?D 2?5 D9:AA:?8 E@ 7665 E96>] (:E9 C6D@FC46D 7@4FD65 @? E96 9:89H2J DJDE6>[ E96C6 H2D =:EE=6 :?G6DE>6?E =67E 7@C @E96C >2DD EC2?D:E @AE:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 DE:4<:?8 A@:?E E92E >@DE AF?5:ED >2<6 C682C5:?8 p>6C:42? 42C 4F=EFC6 :D E92E H6 4@F=5 92G6 >256 E96 :?G6DE>6?E :? >2DD EC2?D:E C2E96C E92? 9:89H2JD 2?5 H6 4@F=5 92G6 A=2??65 @FC 4:E:6D 36EE6C H:E9 2? 6J6 E@H2C5D A656DEC:2?\7C:6?5=J D@=FE:@?D] qFE C:89E @C HC@?8[ 2?5 H96? G:6H65 E9C@F89 E96 =6?D @7 E96 E:>6[ E96 =@F56DE G@:46D DFAA@CE65 42CD]k^Am
kAm%96 &]$] :D E96 4C25=6 @7 2FE@>@3:=6 >2DD AC@5F4E:@?j @FC A@=:E:42= DJDE6> :?G:E6D =682=:K65 3C:36CJ @7 @FC 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D :? E96 7@C> @7 =@33J:DEDj 2?5 ?@ 8C@FA 925 >@C6 4=@FE E92? E96 2FE@>@E:G6 :?5FDECJ] xE H2D 2 DFC6 36E E92E >@?6J H@F=5 8@ E@H2C5 C@25H2J 4@?DECF4E:@?]k^Am
kAmr@>3:?:?8 2== @7 E96 23@G6 H:E9 4962A 7F6= 2?5 2 C625:=J 2G2:=23=6 D6=64E:@? @7 277@C523=6 42CD[ :E’D 62DJ E@ D66 H9J E96 A@AF=246 @7 E96 E:>6 8C2G:E2E65 E@H2C5 :?5:G:5F2= 2FE@>@E:G6 EC2?DA@CE2E:@?] |F49 =2E6C[ 2D 9:89H2JD DH6==65 36J@?5 42A24:EJ 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 4@?46C?D 42>6 E@ =:89E[ :E 3642>6 ?2EFC2= E@ BF6DE:@? E96 49@:46D @7 4@>>F?:EJ A=2??6CD]k^Am
kAm|2J36 E96 D@=FE:@? =:6D :? 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 @AE:@?D] |2?J FC32? A=2??6CD 2C6 56D:8?:?8 3:<6 =2?6D 2?5 D:56H2=<D 2D :?E68C2= 762EFC6D @7 4FCC6?E 2?5 7FEFC6 ?6:893@C9@@5D[ H9:=6 DE:== AC@G:5:?8 C@25H2JD 2?5 A2C<:?8 2C62D E92E :?4@CA@C2E6 8C66? DA246]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96 7FEFC6 @7 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? D66>D E@ 36 >@G:?8 :? E96 5:C64E:@? @7 6=64EC:4 A@H6C[ @A6?:?8 2 H:56C 2CC2J @7 A@DD:3:=:E:6D[ 2E =62DE :? E6C>D @7 6?G:C@?>6?E2= :>A24E]k^Am
kAmpD D@4:6EJ 4@?E:?F6D E@ 6G@=G6[ D@[ E@@[ H:== @FC EC2?DA@CE2E:@? C6BF:C6>6?ED] %96 7FEFC6 >2J D66 962=E9:6C 2=E6C?2E:G6D E@ @FC 962G:=J H6:89E65 42C 4F=EFC6] qFE 7@C ?@H[ x’== 5C:G6Pk^Am
kAmk6>mtC:4 2?5 |:496==6 |6=EK6C @H? 2?5 @A6C2E6 uCJ63FC8 |@E@CD[ 2 =:46?D65[ 7F==\D6CG:46 2FE@>@E:G6 D2=6D 2?5 D6CG:46 724:=:EJ 2E ahh |2:? $E] :? uCJ63FC8[ |2:?6] |@C6 E92? 2 3FD:?6DD[ 42CD 2C6 2 A2DD:@?[ 2?5 E96J 2AAC64:2E6 2?JE9:?8 E92E 5C:G6D[ C:56D[ 7=@2ED @C 7=:6D]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.