Malchik Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I agree that some aspects of life would be better without cars. I live on a major six lane main route into London. My flat is south facing and on the top floor under a flat roof. On hot days it can get stifling. If I open the window not only is there the noise issue but also the almount of filth, stink and general pollution. But realistically except in large cities there is little alternative. Air, rail and water transport are limited in terms of accessibility. You have to get to and from a connection point. Bicycles, horses and your own feet are far too slow for the pace of modern life. Public bus services even if with blanket rural cover (unlikely) are infrequent and often very inconvenient. I would like to see improved public transport and more expensive costs for driving in urban areas but I couldn't vote for a total ban. I don't have a car - too expensive to park and I am within a few minutes walk of ten different, frequent bus routes, three tube (subway) lines and two rail links. If I need to go somewhere else there is a constant stream of cabs by my front door even late at night. But I love driving when I get away on holiday. No other means of transport is so flexible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakkara Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I'd like to see better public transportation at the expense of cars. And 300+ kph computer controlled maglev trains are already developed and been tested. We will probably see those in Hongkong/Singapore or a city like that first, which apparantly already have exceptional public transportation (like underground trains that go every 30 seconds or so) Too bad privatization really messed the public transportation up in my country (Netherlands), I think it should remain property of the state since only then does it NOT have to make profit and lines that do not generate profit (but are necessairy for some people) will stay open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akrid Posted May 6, 2004 Author Share Posted May 6, 2004 Bless you Malchik for not owning a car. I know we can't get rid of all cars, at least not instanly, but I would like to see a mass reduction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust870 Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Well for polution, that probably wont be around THAT much longer... (20-40 years)... We already have the technology to have cars run on water... Some company already made one, IIRC it uses turbine engine... though i could be mistaken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaiv Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 You can ride a horse drunk all you want, you wont crash it into a tree, or ride it off a cliff. I'd like to question the validity of that statement.... I'm guessing you're assuming that the drunkard has not given his horse anything to drink? ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojlnir Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Public transportation is effective and efficient, though it requires a significant vote of confidence on the part of the populace and a willingness to invest the capital required to get the system up and running. Germany, and much of Europe for that matter, is an excellent example of success of such programs. Having lived in Germany for a while, I survived fantastically without a car. I was able to get into the city at nearly anytime of the day (except at 4 in the morning...but hey, the tram drivers need to sleep too!), and I could take a cab when I was really drunk and it was cold out. Also, the street cars ran right to several major train stations which allowed me to get on the (very punctual) German train system and get to any town in the country, though admittedly they didn't run to podunk-nowhere all the time...just a couple of times a day. Still, fantastic mass transit system!!! Cars are pretty and fun to drive. I just wish intoxicated people, kids under 18 and people over 70 were really prohibited from operating them. Also, who doesn't think that a '49 Merc is pretty or that a classic Aston Martin isn't something to drool over? Done well, a car is a work of art. Too bad they're mostly mass-produced plastic death traps these days. -M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luxar Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 wow...this is kind of off-topic, but I think i just had a semi-decent idea for keeping drunk drivers off the road... have a breathalizer blood-alcohol tester majigger on the car door(or somewhere like that), and if any hint of alcohol is found, the car wouldnt start...now of course there are MANY inherent problems with that(like what if a drunk person needed a ride home and such things as that), but i think all the kinks could be worked out...and dont u think something similar to that(something that PHYSICALLY prevents people from driving drunk) would be worthwhile to develop? I'm sure smarter people could come up with an even better and efficient method of doing it as well. WHY HAVENT THEY!? Am I making sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunmer_jediknight Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 on the off-topic statement ,there is a device that hooks up to the dashboard and if it registars too much alcohal it wount start the car. It is used for people who have been given a cort order because of dui's. but on the topic of no cars I have to say that they are here to stay. We as a race have grown to dependent on them to do without cars. Yes it would be nice to have a world without cars but as the world is now many people would not be able to function without a car and many may even die without cars ( the ambulace). So untill a better mode of easy and cheap transportation arrives we are stuck with the car. And the way the human race is the next mode of transportation may be even worst for the environment then the car lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akrid Posted May 8, 2004 Author Share Posted May 8, 2004 You can ride a horse drunk all you want, you wont crash it into a tree, or ride it off a cliff. I'd like to question the validity of that statement.... I'm guessing you're assuming that the drunkard has not given his horse anything to drink? LOL!!! Oh what I meant by a world without cars was no personal cars, emergency veicals and police cars would still be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luxar Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 i know! let's all use Segways! lmfao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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