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It's not freedom when there's little alternative to car usage in the U.S. As a society, 10-15% of household spending goes towards transportation costs (largely

It's not freedom when there's little alternative to car usage in the U.S. As a society, 10-15% of household spending goes towards transportation costs (largely vehicle payments, fuel, and maintenance).

Spivak 5y ago
You’re conflating two types of freedoms. In almost all of the US you basically have to own a car, but once you own a car you can go anywhere super easily whenever you want — half a mile, 100 miles, 2pm, 3am — all the same. And you can carry a small apartment’s worth of stuff with you which makes groceries, home improvement, sports/leisure, parties a non-issue.
wincy 5y ago
Obviously I’m a niche case, but I can’t move to a city that doesn’t rely on car usage, as I get severe motion sickness when using public transportation. If I lived somewhere that car use wasn’t an option but I needed to commute, I’m not sure what I’d do, as the motion sickness medications have an effect on me that make me unable to work. When I visited New York City for a few days some years ago, I could feel the ground shaking the entire time, and it was absolutely miserable. Large buildings were the worst. I was anxious and nauseous the entire time, like a constant earthquake was going on. Elevators are really bad, I break out into a sweat, so a place where I could bike everywhere would likely involve elevators on both sides of the journey. Subways are also awful, bus isn’t much better, but at least I can sit up front, all of it. I’m effectively “allergic” to public transportation. I can barely sit in the front seat when someone else is driving. It’d be weird if one day restrictive laws are passed limiting the use of personal vehicles, as I feel I’d have to apply for some sort of disability. I’m worried about self driving cars because I wouldn’t be able to do the sync up between my brain and the car without directly controlling the vehicle.
- KittenInABox 5y ago
  How is it that you can drive but can barely tolerate sitting in the passenger seat of a car? This sounds psychological to me; have you tried to talk with someone about this?

Spivak 5y ago

You’re conflating two types of freedoms. In almost all of the US you basically have to own a car, but once you own a car you can go anywhere super easily whenever you want — half a mile, 100 miles, 2pm, 3am — all the same. And you can carry a small apartment’s worth of stuff with you which makes groceries, home improvement, sports/leisure, parties a non-issue.

wincy 5y ago

Obviously I’m a niche case, but I can’t move to a city that doesn’t rely on car usage, as I get severe motion sickness when using public transportation. If I lived somewhere that car use wasn’t an option but I needed to commute, I’m not sure what I’d do, as the motion sickness medications have an effect on me that make me unable to work. When I visited New York City for a few days some years ago, I could feel the ground shaking the entire time, and it was absolutely miserable. Large buildings were the worst. I was anxious and nauseous the entire time, like a constant earthquake was going on. Elevators are really bad, I break out into a sweat, so a place where I could bike everywhere would likely involve elevators on both sides of the journey. Subways are also awful, bus isn’t much better, but at least I can sit up front, all of it. I’m effectively “allergic” to public transportation. I can barely sit in the front seat when someone else is driving. It’d be weird if one day restrictive laws are passed limiting the use of personal vehicles, as I feel I’d have to apply for some sort of disability. I’m worried about self driving cars because I wouldn’t be able to do the sync up between my brain and the car without directly controlling the vehicle.

KittenInABox 5y ago
How is it that you can drive but can barely tolerate sitting in the passenger seat of a car? This sounds psychological to me; have you tried to talk with someone about this?