The Social Consequences of Hypermobility

[Drago]

Is it truly freedom when one person's freedom to drive unfettered impedes someone else's right to breathe clean air or or not get run over?

Being a slave to anything isn't freedom.

 

[presta]

Actually it is just called freedom. I think I detect the fact the author of that long diatribe just hates automobiles.

One persons freedom is another persons risk (& vice versa), people are free to choose their own balance between the two, but the problems arise when one person's choices impinge on others. That's when the problem gets really incendiary, because people are about 1000 times more sensitive to a risk that's imposed upon them than they are to a risk that they choose for themselves.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

There is a real inequality when it comes to polluting transport.

The poorest people tend to live in the most polluted areas. The wealthiest tend to travel furthest and generate the most pollution.

Freedom only comes with sufficient wealth - and the vastly unequal distribution of wealth means that some people have much more freedom than others.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Actually it is just called freedom. I think I detect the fact the author of that long diatribe just hates automobiles.

Is it truly freedom when one person's freedom to drive unfettered impedes someone else's right to breathe clean air or or not get run over?

Being a slave to anything isn't freedom.

Exactly. Also, it's hardly freedom for people who are genuinely forced to buy a car to get to work, when their car eats much of their income, preventing them from being able to change their situation.

One persons freedom is another persons risk (& vice versa), people are free to choose their own balance between the two, but the problems arise when one person's choices impinge on others. That's when the problem gets really incendiary, because people are about 1000 times more sensitive to a risk that's imposed upon them than they are to a risk that they choose for themselves.

People are free to choose in theory, if we ignore the consequences, but we've all seen how difficult it can be to try not to use a car in some situations.

Infrastructure is often built for cars to the exclusion of everyone else; when I was in the UK with Beautiful Daughter a couple of years ago, I found it hard to go cycling with her because the roads were so dangerous, and that was in the supposedly "cycling friendly" York. If the 'freedom' of some to use a dangerous and polluting vehicle removes the freedom of everyone else, then we have a problem.

There is a real inequality when it comes to polluting transport.

The poorest people tend to live in the most polluted areas. The wealthiest tend to travel furthest and generate the most pollution.

Freedom only comes with sufficient wealth - and the vastly unequal distribution of wealth means that some people have much more freedom than others.

This, in spades. The poorest people live in the most polluted places; the wealthy who pollute don't want to live in the places they're polluting, and they are the ones with the freedom to live where they want.

Unfortunately, the choice is the "freedom" of people in motor vehicles to drive where they want, or the freedom of everyone else to live and travel safely.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

Do t start me on school runs. I walk Mini D the 0.6 miles to school, and halfway there I see people reversing off their driveways to drive their kids what is for me the final 300 meters. Fat, lazy, selfish, polluting fools raising a new generation of fat, lazy, selfish, polluting fools.

In 31 years of doing school runs I've only driven twice - once because my lass had her foot in plaster, and once because I was taking her to school, straight from an early doctors appointment some miles away, and I'm proud of that.

Polling day today.

No one lives more than 10 minutes way from the polling station, on foot. And that's been generous. In 16 minutes, I walked the dog to the end of the estate furthest away from the polling station, up the side of it, across the top of it and then back past the polling station, which at least 2 or 3 times the distance of the most direct route.

I stopped to observe activity at the polling station for five minutes (lunchtime); pedestrians arriving were out numbered by drivers arriving by over 4 to 1.

Polling station is a community centre. At least 20 parking spaces (conservative estimate). No cycle parking.

 

[Alex321]

Polling day today.

No one lives more than 10 minutes way from the polling station, on foot. And that's been generous. In 16 minutes, I walked the dog to the end of the estate furthest away from the polling station, up the side of it, across the top of it and then back past the polling station, which at least 2 or 3 times the distance of the most direct route.

I stopped to observe activity at the polling station for five minutes (lunchtime); pedestrians arriving were out numbered by drivers arriving by over 4 to 1.

Polling station is a community centre. At least 20 parking spaces (conservative estimate). No cycle parking.

Maybe that polling station covers a much wider area than just that estate?

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

Maybe that polling station covers a much wider area than just that estate?

Nope. I know exactly the area it covers and where the polling stations are for the neighbouring areas. There are three for this ward, one which covers this estate and two others which both cover part of two adjacent residential areas.

 

[Big T]

Polling day today.

No one lives more than 10 minutes way from the polling station, on foot. And that's been generous. In 16 minutes, I walked the dog to the end of the estate furthest away from the polling station, up the side of it, across the top of it and then back past the polling station, which at least 2 or 3 times the distance of the most direct route.

I stopped to observe activity at the polling station for five minutes (lunchtime); pedestrians arriving were out numbered by drivers arriving by over 4 to 1.

Polling station is a community centre. At least 20 parking spaces (conservative estimate). No cycle parking.

I had the exact opposite. Our polling station is at the local Rugby club. The car park has 25or so parking spaces, but most were arriving by foot. We voted as part of our dog walk and noticed a few others doing the same, and several more strolling to and from the polling station. I think we only saw 2 people arrive by car in the 20 minutes we spent in and around the polling station.

My wife and I tried living without a car for about 9 months. We used to commute to work by bike, or by bus if the weather was bad, but day to day tasks such as a trip to the DIY store required meticulous planning with a bus timetable and took 3 times as long as they would have done by car. I used to do the weekly shop by bike, with 2 panniers and a shopping trolley, strapped to my rear rack, but only the most dedicated cyclist would do this. We did eventually give in and buy a car.