3 ms·
> Trips are a good thing. They're economic activity. Spoken like a true capitalist. Not all "economic activity" is good. Sitting in traffic driving to an out-
by ForHackernews 5y ago
> Trips are a good thing. They're economic activity.
Spoken like a true capitalist. Not all "economic activity" is good.
Sitting in traffic driving to an out-of-town shopping centre to buy groceries because there are no local shops in walking distance may be economic activity, but I'd struggle to call these boring, wasteful trips I'm forced to make a good thing. More like an irritating waste of time and gas.
- sokoloff 5y agoI have a neighborhood grocer in easy walking distance. The best way I could describe it is “imagine a tiny Whole Foods, except more expensive”. So, we drive to the neighboring, more suburban town to grocery shop.
- throwaway0a5e 5y agoIf people's local options didn't suck they wouldn't travel. Time isn't free, nobody gets more of it and people love convenience. The fact that the local grocer has to compete with the out of town grocer may be derided by the whole foods crowd but it's a boon for the price sensitive masses. If the local grocer doesn't exist then why? It's either going to boil down to the population density not supporting it or local regulatory oddities making the business economically non-viable.
- ForHackernews 5y agoOften times I feel like every HN comment is just restating the is-ought problem but with $TECH or $MONEY jargon. This is another one of those times.