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My work brings me into contact with many high net worth individuals in Manhattan. They all take cars most of the time. It is faster than the subway, usually, an
by lazerpants 5y ago
My work brings me into contact with many high net worth individuals in Manhattan. They all take cars most of the time. It is faster than the subway, usually, and even when it isn't you can get more done in the car. Even in the U.S.' most dense area driving is usually faster, and it is certainly more pleasant/productive.
Edit: I'll note that many of them will take the subway during rush hour if both ends of the trip are within a couple of blocks of the subway. However, if there is a transfer they won't, the subway becomes time inefficient very quickly if you have to walk far from it or wait for multiple trains.
- ericmay 5y agoOk ok so now walk me through what this looks like if everybody in Manhattan takes a car.
- lazerpants 5y agoTurns into a nightmare of course. But it's gated by how much you can afford to pay. The new congestion charges will really be a boon to the ultra-wealthy since the charges are minuscule compared to what they are willing to pay and it will get poorer drivers off the streets. I would prefer it if the congestion charges were scaled to usage rates for that reason (example, you can enter the toll zone once per month for free, but if you do it 20 times the toll eventually ends up being $100+ per journey). It seems more fair to me especially since a lot of people occasionally need to haul a box or something to Midtown, but don't usually contribute to traffic congestion.
- ericmay 5y agoSure, but my point was it was claimed that driving was faster, but it's only faster for people with large incomes who can afford it. It's not faster if everybody does it. I also am willing to bet if you compared "everybody walk" vs "everybody drive" walking would win out by a large margin in Manhattan. Flying a private jet is faster than taking a Southwest Airlines flight too...