Re: shuttle disaster
Pigeon <jah.pigeon@ukonline.co.uk> writes:
> On Thu, Feb 06, 2003 at 08:04:30PM -0800, Paul Johnson wrote:
> > On Thu, Feb 06, 2003 at 06:14:11PM -0600, DvB wrote:
>
> > > (advocacy of public transport which I totally agree with)
>
> > > Of course, this isn't necessarily an easy thing to do in many places
> > > where most of the growth has happened according to current zoning
> > > standards (like the southern US).
> >
> > I'm so glad that Portland realises it's way behind the game when it
> > comes to urban planning. I'd rather be playing catchup with Northern
> > European cities than having Portland become another Los Angeles or
> > Seattle (a Los Angeles victim itself).
>
> Trouble is British cities, at least, seem to be playing catchup with
> American ones. Everything is designed on the assumption that everyone
> has a car and will use it for everything. New shopping centres are
> built outside the town, so it's a long way there and you have to
> drive. And the Government is quite happy to subsidise private
> transport to the hilt (expenditure on roads >> revenue from road and
> fuel tax) but moans like buggery about subsidising public transport.
>
<snip>
I doubt that "playing catchup" is what Britain is doing relative to the
US. A significant percentage of the US population and some legislators
are in different stages of getting fed up with the status quo, but most
of the US is still blissfully ignorant and consider all the problems
caused by cars to be "part of life."
Where I live, for example, the department of transport recently
mentioned the _possibility_ of creating a metropolitan bus system
(there's currently only very shoddy service within the central city,
where only people who can't possibly afford a car use it and it's only
really practical for commuting purposes). All the quotes I read from
transit officials sounded very apologetic that they would even consider
such a blasphemous idea and they where, apparently, doing everything
possible to avoid having to do this. Meanwhile, the sidewalkless roads
are barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other, mostly with
speedlimits in excess of 35mph (people tend to drive at least 10mph over
the limit), and I shudder every time I even consider walking or riding a
bike anywhere.
I can't speak for the rest of Britain, but my experience with London
transit was quite positive. Britain might well be headed where the US
has been, but I doubt they're there yet.
> The American writer Bill Bryson comments that he cannot understand the
> British obsession with cars given that there is not a single aspect of
> driving in Britain that has anything pleasurable about it. I must say
> I rather agree with him.
And what makes you think there's anything pleasurable about driving
anywhere else? ;-)
Personally, if there're other drivers within a mile of me, I won't be
enjoying myself. I've already had two accidents since I started driving
a little over 3 years ago. The first time, my car was parked with nobody
in it (legally and properly parked, mind you) and, the second time, I
was yielding to traffic when somebody ran into me from behind. I don't
think I know anybody around here who hasn't had at least one reck in
their car. If this doesn't make spending half your day in a car the most
abominating experience imaginable, I'm not sure what does.
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