5 ms·

I'd like to know why you think cars are not inherently better as it seems very obvious that they are. That is why people overwhelmingly prefer to use them.

derkades 3y ago
Only when infrastructure is built in a way that makes cars the most convenient option.
tmnvix 3y ago
For a start, you have to store them at either end of your journey.
naavis 3y ago
In places with decent public transportation people do not overwhelmingly prefer cars.
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  That sounds more like correlation than causation. Places with decent public transit are almost without exception very dense. Of course you wouldn't want to drive there. But if you live somewhere not as cramped, the experience is quite different.
Mawr 3y ago
No mode of transportation is truly inherently better since they all have unique strong and weak points, but... Cars as the main method of transportation are obviously not good. They're too inefficient, no matter how you look at them. Manufacturing, infrastructure requirements, footprint per person, energy use, impact on human health and the environment. Cars suck. People use whatever's most convenient and that's realistically going to be whatever the government has invested in the most. The more car dependent a society, the more degenerate it is. This is hard to understand due to how car-infested most of the world is. Watch some videos by the Not Just Bikes channel on youtube [1] to see what the world could look like instead. Here's some poignant examples (direct links): [2][3][4][5]. And here's an obscure video that exemplifies what's wrong with car culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWi4gHm6pjQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWi4gHm6pjQ. This is what a brainwashed society thinks like. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustBikes https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustBikes [2]: https://youtu.be/muPcHs-E4qc?t=464 https://youtu.be/muPcHs-E4qc?t=464 [3]: https://youtu.be/AOc8ASeHYNw?t=204 https://youtu.be/AOc8ASeHYNw?t=204 [4]: https://youtu.be/oHlpmxLTxpw?t=361 https://youtu.be/oHlpmxLTxpw?t=361 [5]: https://youtu.be/c1l75QqRR48?t=290 https://youtu.be/c1l75QqRR48?t=290
V__ 3y ago
People prefer a lot of things, it's almost never an indicator for what is better or worse. By most metrics, cars are a worse alternative. However, if the infrastructure has already been built around cars, it's hard to change that.
- baggy_trough 3y ago
  I very much doubt that cars are worse by most metrics, especially the metrics that count.
  - V__ 3y ago
    What metrics count? Cars are worse for the environment and health, the infrastructure is more expensive, accidents are worse, they cost more, and they create tremendous opportunity costs by creating car centric cities. One could go on. They are more practicable/convenient because the infrastructure is already in place. Also, in more rural areas there might never be an alternative. That is pretty much it.
afuchs 3y ago
What supports the argument that people overwhelmingly prefer using cars over other transportation methods? There was some study done in past decade that found that in the US only about 60% of 18 year olds had drivers licenses. Is that because of preference, or other factors? Real estate located where it is possible to live without owning a car tends to be priced much higher than comparable real estate located where it is inconvenient to not own a car. Is this because people's preferences, a significant under supply relative to only a portion of the market's of demand, or other reasons?

derkades 3y ago

Only when infrastructure is built in a way that makes cars the most convenient option.

tmnvix 3y ago

For a start, you have to store them at either end of your journey.

naavis 3y ago

In places with decent public transportation people do not overwhelmingly prefer cars.

rootusrootus 3y ago
That sounds more like correlation than causation. Places with decent public transit are almost without exception very dense. Of course you wouldn't want to drive there. But if you live somewhere not as cramped, the experience is quite different.

Mawr 3y ago

No mode of transportation is truly inherently better since they all have unique strong and weak points, but... Cars as the main method of transportation are obviously not good. They're too inefficient, no matter how you look at them. Manufacturing, infrastructure requirements, footprint per person, energy use, impact on human health and the environment. Cars suck. People use whatever's most convenient and that's realistically going to be whatever the government has invested in the most. The more car dependent a society, the more degenerate it is. This is hard to understand due to how car-infested most of the world is. Watch some videos by the Not Just Bikes channel on youtube [1] to see what the world could look like instead. Here's some poignant examples (direct links): [2][3][4][5]. And here's an obscure video that exemplifies what's wrong with car culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWi4gHm6pjQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWi4gHm6pjQ. This is what a brainwashed society thinks like. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustBikes https://www.youtube.com/@NotJustBikes [2]: https://youtu.be/muPcHs-E4qc?t=464 https://youtu.be/muPcHs-E4qc?t=464 [3]: https://youtu.be/AOc8ASeHYNw?t=204 https://youtu.be/AOc8ASeHYNw?t=204 [4]: https://youtu.be/oHlpmxLTxpw?t=361 https://youtu.be/oHlpmxLTxpw?t=361 [5]: https://youtu.be/c1l75QqRR48?t=290 https://youtu.be/c1l75QqRR48?t=290

V__ 3y ago

People prefer a lot of things, it's almost never an indicator for what is better or worse. By most metrics, cars are a worse alternative. However, if the infrastructure has already been built around cars, it's hard to change that.

baggy_trough 3y ago
I very much doubt that cars are worse by most metrics, especially the metrics that count.
- V__ 3y ago
  What metrics count? Cars are worse for the environment and health, the infrastructure is more expensive, accidents are worse, they cost more, and they create tremendous opportunity costs by creating car centric cities. One could go on. They are more practicable/convenient because the infrastructure is already in place. Also, in more rural areas there might never be an alternative. That is pretty much it.

afuchs 3y ago

What supports the argument that people overwhelmingly prefer using cars over other transportation methods? There was some study done in past decade that found that in the US only about 60% of 18 year olds had drivers licenses. Is that because of preference, or other factors? Real estate located where it is possible to live without owning a car tends to be priced much higher than comparable real estate located where it is inconvenient to not own a car. Is this because people's preferences, a significant under supply relative to only a portion of the market's of demand, or other reasons?