CAR SWEET CAR
A piece from AP reports that Americans' love of driving, and for their cars, has fallen since 1991. Among the reasons given are "traffic and the behavior of other drivers," while only about 3% claimed higher gas prices as a reason for their declining enjoyment.This makes sense, actually, as numerous studies have shown that Americans commute longer, and spend more time in their cars than in years past. For instance, according to this 5 year-old study, Americans spent 236% more time commuting in 2001 than they did in 1982, while the population increased "only" 20%. I live in New York and therefore count myself among the blessed few who not only don't drive to work, but don't actually own a car.
But I've travelled to both DC, LA & SF in the past 6 months, and rented a car each time. I've seen & experienced the traffic, and it's a goddamn nightmare. I wrote about those trips here and here, and while traffic wasn't the entirety of what I discussed, it made enough of an impression on me to include it in both.
Anyhow, before you get the impression that this poll indicates some new corner turned in terms of Americans' relationship with the automobile, consider that one in four think of their car not only as just a "means of transportation" but as "something special," and one in three believe their car has its "own personality."
The personality of a spoiled, greedy, misbehaving, gluttonous child, I'd think. But I don't have one (a car or a child) so what the hell do I know?
posted by Mike at 8:06 AM
6 Comments:
We waste so much fuel in this country it isn't even funny. You are right about people, they are no damn good. It is going to be the hard road for all those jerks when TSHTF. I saw a lady who was being carried out of her apartment in Chicago by two firemen. She was so damn fat she couldn't get down the stairs. We saw a ton of this in the New Orleans debacle. Thousands of people who were so fat they couldn't even walk. It is pretty bad when the government feels the need to keep this bloated society going by giving them cheap gas from all over the world or carrying them down the dang stairs!! What's next, are they gonna come over and work the TP for me after I finish my business? You're lucky you don't have the expense of a car. Later dude.
Wow Mort. We went from talking about cars to obesity. Where's the connection?
Anyway, mass transit outside of major cities is a joke. Commuting times to work are a problem in most of the country, not just the major cities. If more employers allowed telecommuting, there would be a real reduction in traffic.
Not having a car sounds pretty nice. I hate driving here in the DC area.
I missed the thousands of New Orleans residents who were too fat to walk. Must've been on Fox or something.
Sorry guys, I don't know what the connection is there. Must have been before my morning coffee. Besides, the neighbor dog kept me up all night. Bad mood, I guess.
Hmmm, I thought I saw a connection.
Back to the drawing board I guess.
The connection was there. What happened to the connection? Maybe it was the spoiled, gluttonous, car thing or something? It made perfect sense when I wrote it, now, not so much.
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