3 ms·

It's hard for me to argue with you, because I do agree that living in the suburbs and traveling to work every day, more then an hour each way, is simply insane.

by x0054 11y ago

It's hard for me to argue with you, because I do agree that living in the suburbs and traveling to work every day, more then an hour each way, is simply insane. If you add the average commute of say 45min one way each day, and multiply it by the number of days you commute, it comes out to 16 days per year. That's 16 days of 24 hour per day driving. If you put it in working terms, then we must actually multiply it by 3 times since people usually work around 8 hours a day. So that's 48 working days. Basically you spend roughly 1/10th of your working time simply driving to and from work. That said, I would much rather drive 45 min than spend 45 min on public transportation. I grew up in Kiev, a place with by all accounts very good public transport system, at least during the Soviet days when they still took care of the system. And guess what, it was awful! I also visited Boston, lived in Lake View in Chicago for 6 years without a car, and traveled through Europe and lived for 4 years in the center of downtown San Diego. And I can honestly tell you, based on my experiences, I would NEVER want to go back to using public transport. Maybe I am selfish, or maybe I just hate people, who knows, but being in the mass of humanity, at the whim of some government agency running the system, just doesn't sit with me. I know the freedom the car provides is in some ways an illusion. We still rely on public roads (most of the time) and gas stations are still a prerequisite, but I can't help breathing easier knowing that my car can take me any place I want to go and I can fix everything about it my self. It's a freedom thing, even if it's an illusion, a feeling that perhaps is hard to understand for someone from Europe (I am assuming). I am not saying it is right or wrong, but it's inline with the mythology of America, and I like it. I do understand that diversity is important though, and there is no clear reason why there couldn't be more mixed use places like you describe. Perhaps if there were more places like Dublin (as you described, I'v never been) in US, more people could move there and be happy. All I am saying is I am happy with my car in South California, a place that's in general in love with their cars, and I am quite happy here. What can I say, different strokes for different folks.

CalRobert 11y ago
It's interesting to compare experiences with you, actually. I actually am from northern California, and have lived in Berkeley, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica, Dublin (IE), and most recently San Diego (South Park). My favourite commutes were either long bike rides or short walks, with a long BART commute somewhere in the middle. My worst commutes, by far, have been inching along car-choked freeways. I think it's great that you have the ability to choose your lifestyle, but the whole point is that your lifestyle is being very heavily subsidized by taxpayers. I consider this unfair, and I'm sick to death of paying for it all while being told cyclists like me are the ones freeloading. I'm aiming to return to Dublin now after a year spent very much disliking San Diego. I hated the hostility and threats I got as a cyclist. I hated how over 100 of us spoke to the two-faced Todd Gloria and the rest of SANDAG to fight for one. damn. bike lane on University ave, and he shot it down because the Hillcrest Business Association insists on taxpayer-provided parking welfare, dead cyclists be damned. I hate how people just took it for granted that they should put alcohol-heavy events in places with no access to transit (though admittedly Lyft/Uber are options, albeit expensive). I routinely witnessed drunk, or at least not sober, people hopping in their cars and driving off. I hated that I went to the Greater Golden Hill planning meetings where homeowners baldly stated that the reason NO new housing should EVER be constructed ANYWHERE in their neighborhood is because it could mean that their already $800k+ homes might not rise in value quite as fast. I hated conversations that consisted of people bitching about how horrible cyclists are because you know that some of them run lights? Nevermind the drivers who blast down 30th St. at 40+, ignore stop signs, and often are likely drunk. I hated the fact that the only halfway-livable neighborhoods in SD (South Park, Little Italy, etc.) would be ILLEGAL to build now because of parking minimums - San Diego's distinctive residential design where several cottages are clustered around a man courtyard doesn't work when every damn home is forced to have two parking spots by law. I hated the fact that if you ever suggested SD was anything less than sheer fucking heaven people took HUGE offence, as though you'd insulted them personally. Also, I like SD beer (especially Lost Abbey), but c'mon people just saying "omg let's make a 16% ABV quintuple IPA which is basically just hop tea" isn't actually that innovative.
- x0054 11y ago
  First, I absolutely love San Diego, so their we will not be in agreement, in guess. On the other hand, it looks like we would be buddies when it comes to beer :) But let me just address a few points. 1. It's not nice to shit on the city you live in, unless it's constructive, of course. I hate it when people come to whatever place I happen to live in and proceed to tell me that it's crap. My reaction is always: "Why the fuck are you here than?" On the other hand if someone says, hey, I have this idea that worked in other places, maybe it could work here, I usually tend to listen. Not sure how you pitched your critique. 2. Bicycle riders are hated in San Diego for a good reason. For full disclosure, for the years I live in Downtown San Diego, I used a bicycle to get around a most of the time, though I also had a car and a motorcycle. Yes, I used to run lights, split lanes, and ride on side walks. But I can honestly say that in all that time I have never been beeped at, cussed at, or hated, and I went out of my way to not inconvenience people. Many bicycle riders in San Diego are just like me. However, there is also a group in San Diego called Critical Mass. I am sorry if you belong to that group, I hope not, but I literally want to punch every member of that group in the face, and I have at least one of them on one occasion. They organize these rides where they get 500+ people and they ride on University or down Market street for 10 min straight, running every light and blocking traffic. And I am not even talking about car traffic. This one time I was WALKING home from Hillcrest, and I was trying to cross University. These fuckers decided to stage their protest and were riding through the red light on University and 4th. I needed to cross the damn street, the pedestrian crossing light was on, and I had the audacity to try to cross while they were having their little protest. This guy ran up to me and tried to stop me. It didn't work out well for him. On another occasion I was driving my car and I noticed a guy on a bicycle (fixy, of course) riding behind me, weaving side to side, with both hands in the air, flipping off people behind him, screaming at the top of his lungs "bikes rule, fuck you all." I stopped of a red light. The guy was too busy flipping off people behind him to notice such trivial things as red lights, and crashed straight into me. Cause me no damage, but it was hilarious :) So, in short, I love bicycles, I ride bicycles all the time, I used to defend people who ride bicycles and get in trouble for stupid shit with the police in court, and yet I also consider the San Diego Critical Mass to be a bunch of entitled douchebags who hurt the reputation of San Diego bicycle community. 3. As for the tax payers subsidizing my love for cars, they are also subsidizing other peoples choice to procreate, and I am not bitching about that. And before you say that there is value in education, I am strong believer that school is nothing more than 12 year long obedience training for kids. It's a place where smart and intelligent little kids become obedient little consumer whores with no ability to think for them selves. Oh, hold on, I am bitching about that ;) Ok, in that case most people in SD have cars, most pay taxes, so if it is an injustice, it's a small one by comparison to the above mentioned public school situation. To be honest, I am not against public schools as a concept, just against the fact that out public schools are little factories for cogs. In any case, I love San Diego because it's close to Mexico (where one can still by antibiotics for your dog without a fucking prescription), it has amazing weather, generally nice people, amazing beach especially the one by UCSD :), and a good mix of people. Yeah, you have to have a car or a motorcycle to enjoy the city fully, but that's SoCal for you. Different strokes for different folks, like I said. I promise not to come to Dublin and demand that they have more parking, as long as you stop trying to take my precious parking away :) After all, isn't the best kind of voting is voting with your feet? It's too bad it's so difficult legally to do that. PS: Currently I am living off the grid (relatively speaking, still have satellite internet, obviously) near JT, and love it here too. So I am not defending SD just because I live there, it's a good city. My favorite parts are OB, MB, and Bay Park. By least favorite, PB.

by x0054 11y ago

CalRobert 11y ago

It's interesting to compare experiences with you, actually. I actually am from northern California, and have lived in Berkeley, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica, Dublin (IE), and most recently San Diego (South Park). My favourite commutes were either long bike rides or short walks, with a long BART commute somewhere in the middle. My worst commutes, by far, have been inching along car-choked freeways. I think it's great that you have the ability to choose your lifestyle, but the whole point is that your lifestyle is being very heavily subsidized by taxpayers. I consider this unfair, and I'm sick to death of paying for it all while being told cyclists like me are the ones freeloading. I'm aiming to return to Dublin now after a year spent very much disliking San Diego. I hated the hostility and threats I got as a cyclist. I hated how over 100 of us spoke to the two-faced Todd Gloria and the rest of SANDAG to fight for one. damn. bike lane on University ave, and he shot it down because the Hillcrest Business Association insists on taxpayer-provided parking welfare, dead cyclists be damned. I hate how people just took it for granted that they should put alcohol-heavy events in places with no access to transit (though admittedly Lyft/Uber are options, albeit expensive). I routinely witnessed drunk, or at least not sober, people hopping in their cars and driving off. I hated that I went to the Greater Golden Hill planning meetings where homeowners baldly stated that the reason NO new housing should EVER be constructed ANYWHERE in their neighborhood is because it could mean that their already $800k+ homes might not rise in value quite as fast. I hated conversations that consisted of people bitching about how horrible cyclists are because you know that some of them run lights? Nevermind the drivers who blast down 30th St. at 40+, ignore stop signs, and often are likely drunk. I hated the fact that the only halfway-livable neighborhoods in SD (South Park, Little Italy, etc.) would be ILLEGAL to build now because of parking minimums - San Diego's distinctive residential design where several cottages are clustered around a man courtyard doesn't work when every damn home is forced to have two parking spots by law. I hated the fact that if you ever suggested SD was anything less than sheer fucking heaven people took HUGE offence, as though you'd insulted them personally. Also, I like SD beer (especially Lost Abbey), but c'mon people just saying "omg let's make a 16% ABV quintuple IPA which is basically just hop tea" isn't actually that innovative.

x0054 11y ago
First, I absolutely love San Diego, so their we will not be in agreement, in guess. On the other hand, it looks like we would be buddies when it comes to beer :) But let me just address a few points. 1. It's not nice to shit on the city you live in, unless it's constructive, of course. I hate it when people come to whatever place I happen to live in and proceed to tell me that it's crap. My reaction is always: "Why the fuck are you here than?" On the other hand if someone says, hey, I have this idea that worked in other places, maybe it could work here, I usually tend to listen. Not sure how you pitched your critique. 2. Bicycle riders are hated in San Diego for a good reason. For full disclosure, for the years I live in Downtown San Diego, I used a bicycle to get around a most of the time, though I also had a car and a motorcycle. Yes, I used to run lights, split lanes, and ride on side walks. But I can honestly say that in all that time I have never been beeped at, cussed at, or hated, and I went out of my way to not inconvenience people. Many bicycle riders in San Diego are just like me. However, there is also a group in San Diego called Critical Mass. I am sorry if you belong to that group, I hope not, but I literally want to punch every member of that group in the face, and I have at least one of them on one occasion. They organize these rides where they get 500+ people and they ride on University or down Market street for 10 min straight, running every light and blocking traffic. And I am not even talking about car traffic. This one time I was WALKING home from Hillcrest, and I was trying to cross University. These fuckers decided to stage their protest and were riding through the red light on University and 4th. I needed to cross the damn street, the pedestrian crossing light was on, and I had the audacity to try to cross while they were having their little protest. This guy ran up to me and tried to stop me. It didn't work out well for him. On another occasion I was driving my car and I noticed a guy on a bicycle (fixy, of course) riding behind me, weaving side to side, with both hands in the air, flipping off people behind him, screaming at the top of his lungs "bikes rule, fuck you all." I stopped of a red light. The guy was too busy flipping off people behind him to notice such trivial things as red lights, and crashed straight into me. Cause me no damage, but it was hilarious :) So, in short, I love bicycles, I ride bicycles all the time, I used to defend people who ride bicycles and get in trouble for stupid shit with the police in court, and yet I also consider the San Diego Critical Mass to be a bunch of entitled douchebags who hurt the reputation of San Diego bicycle community. 3. As for the tax payers subsidizing my love for cars, they are also subsidizing other peoples choice to procreate, and I am not bitching about that. And before you say that there is value in education, I am strong believer that school is nothing more than 12 year long obedience training for kids. It's a place where smart and intelligent little kids become obedient little consumer whores with no ability to think for them selves. Oh, hold on, I am bitching about that ;) Ok, in that case most people in SD have cars, most pay taxes, so if it is an injustice, it's a small one by comparison to the above mentioned public school situation. To be honest, I am not against public schools as a concept, just against the fact that out public schools are little factories for cogs. In any case, I love San Diego because it's close to Mexico (where one can still by antibiotics for your dog without a fucking prescription), it has amazing weather, generally nice people, amazing beach especially the one by UCSD :), and a good mix of people. Yeah, you have to have a car or a motorcycle to enjoy the city fully, but that's SoCal for you. Different strokes for different folks, like I said. I promise not to come to Dublin and demand that they have more parking, as long as you stop trying to take my precious parking away :) After all, isn't the best kind of voting is voting with your feet? It's too bad it's so difficult legally to do that. PS: Currently I am living off the grid (relatively speaking, still have satellite internet, obviously) near JT, and love it here too. So I am not defending SD just because I live there, it's a good city. My favorite parts are OB, MB, and Bay Park. By least favorite, PB.