3 ms·

Did the horse-and-buggy dealers sue the automobile industry when it was starting to threaten them, too?

• njharman 14y ago
  Don't know but I'd bet dinner and beers for "Yes, as hard and often as they could"
• tomjen3 14y ago
  Absolutely. Mackinac Island banned cars in 1898 (properly easier back then than now), with the official excuse that they would 'scare the horses' (http://www.hal.state.mi.us/mhc/autoshow/vehicles/mackauto.html http://www.hal.state.mi.us/mhc/autoshow/vehicles/mackauto.ht...) They are still banned their today, but properly mostly because the town use it as a turist attraction.
• rhplus 14y ago
  In the UK, the Locomotive Acts[1] restricted speed and weight of autos and imposed signaling rules (cars had to be preceded by a walker with a red flag!) and required yielding to horses. Arguably, these laws hindered early automobile development and public acceptance and helped the development of railways and trams. I'm not sure about the US, but by the early 20th century the American auto industry was on the offensive, setting up shell companies[2] to buy up and dismantle inner-city trolley lines. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotive_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotive_Act [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Streetcar_Scandal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Streetcar_Scanda...
• walru 14y ago
  --"Let's say consumers really liked buying from a factory store. That would put dealers in a tough spot because they've been saying for years that the franchise system is actually good for customers," he says. -- This is like saying the shit the horses leave behind is good for the road/environment and also smells nice. I think we all know the real answer. There's a sea change on the horizon.