4 ms·

Driving is the American way and our cities have always been built around roads, from the very first day that an American landed on the shores. It would actually

Driving is the American way and our cities have always been built around roads, from the very first day that an American landed on the shores. It would actually be un-American to shun cars, as it were.

IIAOPSW 4y ago
As the old patriotic hymn goes "He is sounding forth the car horn that shall never ever cease. He is fastening the seat belt in his drivers side reclining seat. As he tried to make men Holy let us drive to make men free. His truth is rolling on. Jesus Christ pick a lane ass-hole. Jesus Christ pick a lane ass-hole. Jesus Christ pick a lane ass-hole. And put your turn signal on!"
- pineaux 4y ago
  I heard the rythm and tunes of "Comfort Eagle" by Cake, while reading your hymn. Your hymn sort of fits, both in tone, sarcasm and meter of that song. Thank you
  - IIAOPSW 4y ago
    I was going for a parody of "Battle hymn of the Republic" / "John Browns Body" / "Blood upon the Risers" / "Solidarity Forever".
function_seven 4y ago
However true this may be, the difference between 30 years ago and today is still not explained by that. I grew up in a very much car-centric suburb. My elementary school was 1.5 miles away. For the first 3 years I rode the school bus. As soon as I hit 4th Grade, I was riding my bike or walking. Most of my friends did the same. I guarantee you that that same school today sees barely 10% biking/walking compared to 1990.
- Baeocystin 4y ago
  Agreed. I should have clarified in my post, but this is the same exact neighborhood and school. Demographics are roughly the same. And yet walking / biking is now seen as non-viable.
- mupuff1234 4y ago
  Might be the "stranger danger" hysteria that was responsible for that change.
- Karrot_Kream 4y ago
  Cars have gotten larger. They've gotten faster, accelerate a lot quicker, and can stop a lot faster. Take a look at any video of driving from from the '70s-1990 of American drivers. Cars were small and a bit uncomfortable, and accelerated slowly. The National Speed Limit Law also had some effect on keeping speed limits low. All of this made it more viable to be a pedestrian or a cyclist even with little dedicated architecture. Today a collector road with a speed limit of 30 mph is seeing drivers at 45 mph, despite stoplights. Nobody is going to bike around 40 mph cars.
nicoburns 4y ago
> Our cities have always been built around roads, from the very first day that an American landed on the shores Roads maybe, but not cars (which of course hadn't even been invented when the America was founded). The US used to have extensive streetcar networks. The dominance of cars is a 20th century phenomenon.
- novok 4y ago
  You missed the joke.
II2II 4y ago
That reminds me of a comment I once read about the roads in my city being too narrow to accommodate bicycle infrastructure because it was originally designed for horse and carriage. I had to laugh at that, because the streets were originally multi-use. People mostly walked or took a tram. The horses were there, but mostly for commercial use or the wealthy. The typical city dweller had neither the space to graze them nor the means to buy feed.

IIAOPSW 4y ago

As the old patriotic hymn goes "He is sounding forth the car horn that shall never ever cease. He is fastening the seat belt in his drivers side reclining seat. As he tried to make men Holy let us drive to make men free. His truth is rolling on. Jesus Christ pick a lane ass-hole. Jesus Christ pick a lane ass-hole. Jesus Christ pick a lane ass-hole. And put your turn signal on!"

pineaux 4y ago
I heard the rythm and tunes of "Comfort Eagle" by Cake, while reading your hymn. Your hymn sort of fits, both in tone, sarcasm and meter of that song. Thank you
- IIAOPSW 4y ago
  I was going for a parody of "Battle hymn of the Republic" / "John Browns Body" / "Blood upon the Risers" / "Solidarity Forever".

function_seven 4y ago

However true this may be, the difference between 30 years ago and today is still not explained by that. I grew up in a very much car-centric suburb. My elementary school was 1.5 miles away. For the first 3 years I rode the school bus. As soon as I hit 4th Grade, I was riding my bike or walking. Most of my friends did the same. I guarantee you that that same school today sees barely 10% biking/walking compared to 1990.

Baeocystin 4y ago
Agreed. I should have clarified in my post, but this is the same exact neighborhood and school. Demographics are roughly the same. And yet walking / biking is now seen as non-viable.
mupuff1234 4y ago
Might be the "stranger danger" hysteria that was responsible for that change.
Karrot_Kream 4y ago
Cars have gotten larger. They've gotten faster, accelerate a lot quicker, and can stop a lot faster. Take a look at any video of driving from from the '70s-1990 of American drivers. Cars were small and a bit uncomfortable, and accelerated slowly. The National Speed Limit Law also had some effect on keeping speed limits low. All of this made it more viable to be a pedestrian or a cyclist even with little dedicated architecture. Today a collector road with a speed limit of 30 mph is seeing drivers at 45 mph, despite stoplights. Nobody is going to bike around 40 mph cars.

nicoburns 4y ago

> Our cities have always been built around roads, from the very first day that an American landed on the shores Roads maybe, but not cars (which of course hadn't even been invented when the America was founded). The US used to have extensive streetcar networks. The dominance of cars is a 20th century phenomenon.

novok 4y ago
You missed the joke.

II2II 4y ago

That reminds me of a comment I once read about the roads in my city being too narrow to accommodate bicycle infrastructure because it was originally designed for horse and carriage. I had to laugh at that, because the streets were originally multi-use. People mostly walked or took a tram. The horses were there, but mostly for commercial use or the wealthy. The typical city dweller had neither the space to graze them nor the means to buy feed.