Comments on: The Trafficist: An Interview With Randy Cohen http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steve http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40928 Steve Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:23:59 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40928 Great interview/film. I think spokespeople who are good at telling people what to do (like Cohen) are fine. There's nothing wrong with a didactic appraoch as one of many ways to get the message across. The rest of us can just set an example by biking or walking instead of driving. I also know lots of people who use their cars for everyday errands involving trips of 2 miles or less in NYC. I am sending several of them a link to this film. The "ambiguity" of the car issue in the outer boroughs is a fair way to characterize it, except perhaps for Staten Island. We really have come a long way in terms of bicycle access to the bridges. I live on the UES and I bicycle to Queens frequently, and quite a bit to the Bronx and Brooklyn as well. Long Island City and Astoria are a reliably shorter trip from my home than Soho or the Village, whether I take the Randall's Island bridge ont he weekend or the Q'boro. Many bicyclists living in Astoria, Long Island City and the South Bronx have reliably faster commutes to employment in Midtown, and to Central Park and Museum Mile, than Manhattanites living downtown. It's really a neighborhood-by-neighborhood thing. Great interview/film. I think spokespeople who are good at telling people what to do (like Cohen) are fine. There’s nothing wrong with a didactic appraoch as one of many ways to get the message across. The rest of us can just set an example by biking or walking instead of driving. I also know lots of people who use their cars for everyday errands involving trips of 2 miles or less in NYC. I am sending several of them a link to this film.

The “ambiguity” of the car issue in the outer boroughs is a fair way to characterize it, except perhaps for Staten Island. We really have come a long way in terms of bicycle access to the bridges. I live on the UES and I bicycle to Queens frequently, and quite a bit to the Bronx and Brooklyn as well. Long Island City and Astoria are a reliably shorter trip from my home than Soho or the Village, whether I take the Randall’s Island bridge ont he weekend or the Q’boro. Many bicyclists living in Astoria, Long Island City and the South Bronx have reliably faster commutes to employment in Midtown, and to Central Park and Museum Mile, than Manhattanites living downtown. It’s really a neighborhood-by-neighborhood thing.

]]> By: Gargamel Tralfaz http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40907 Gargamel Tralfaz Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:28:38 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40907 Randy Cohen from a Gothamist interview back on October 8th, 2004: How does the fact that you live in New York affect your ethics or affect the advice you give on the pages of the Sunday magazine? It's reinforced an implacable hostility to the private car, which I believe is an immoral object. You know, somewhere along the way a fatal decision was made in Western culture in choosing the private car and nowhere does that reveal itself more starkly than in NY where one can get around perfectly fine without it. The fact that you can get around without a car reinforces its utter uselessness in general.... Randy Cohen from a Gothamist interview back on October 8th, 2004:

How does the fact that you live in New York affect your ethics or affect the advice you give on the pages of the Sunday magazine?

It’s reinforced an implacable hostility to the private car, which I believe is an immoral object. You know, somewhere along the way a fatal decision was made in Western culture in choosing the private car and nowhere does that reveal itself more starkly than in NY where one can get around perfectly fine without it. The fact that you can get around without a car reinforces its utter uselessness in general….

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40888 Jonathan Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:42:26 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40888 Elly, "well regarded?" Mr. Cohen is a <a href="http://snipr.com/randycohen" rel="nofollow">comedy writer</a>, not a philosopher. Maybe Mark can interview Peter Singer (<a href="http://snipr.com/psingeronclimatechg" rel="nofollow">here opining on climate change</a>) next. Elly, “well regarded?” Mr. Cohen is a comedy writer, not a philosopher. Maybe Mark can interview Peter Singer (here opining on climate change) next.

]]> By: Slopion http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40844 Slopion Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:00:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40844 The big problem with this as an argument to the larger public for congestion pricing, or other worthwhile reforms, is how Manhattan-centric he is. He basically uses the term "New York" and Manhattan interchangeably. Outer boroughs folks just love that! The one place where he does acknowledge a distinction is to say that owning a car in Manhattan is selfish, and in the other boroughs it's "more ambiguous." (I'm paraphrasing.) Well, yeah. But is the chief problem of NYC traffic really the guy who drives his car from Murray Hill to the Village to buy some cheese? If you want to reach people outside Manhattan, you've got to speak more directly to those "ambiguous" situations. Otherwise, all non-Manhattanites are going to hear is: Leave your car at home, you selfish bastard, so I can be more comfortable in Manhattan. I just don't see how this guy speaks to somebody in a bus-to-subway zone in Queens, which is another way of saying, yeah, he's preaching to the converted. Preaching eloquently, but still. The big problem with this as an argument to the larger public for congestion pricing, or other worthwhile reforms, is how Manhattan-centric he is. He basically uses the term “New York” and Manhattan interchangeably. Outer boroughs folks just love that!

The one place where he does acknowledge a distinction is to say that owning a car in Manhattan is selfish, and in the other boroughs it’s “more ambiguous.” (I’m paraphrasing.) Well, yeah. But is the chief problem of NYC traffic really the guy who drives his car from Murray Hill to the Village to buy some cheese? If you want to reach people outside Manhattan, you’ve got to speak more directly to those “ambiguous” situations. Otherwise, all non-Manhattanites are going to hear is: Leave your car at home, you selfish bastard, so I can be more comfortable in Manhattan.

I just don’t see how this guy speaks to somebody in a bus-to-subway zone in Queens, which is another way of saying, yeah, he’s preaching to the converted. Preaching eloquently, but still.

]]> By: Elly http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40838 Elly Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:38:20 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40838 This movie knocked my socks thoroughly off -- this might be my favorite street film yet. I love that it's not just activists questioning the dominance of cars anymore -- it's anyone who thinks long and hard about the awfulness of their daily experiences in public spaces. It's great to hear this ethical perspective, especially from someone as well regarded as Randy Cohen. I hope Mr Cohen continues to make these points! This movie knocked my socks thoroughly off — this might be my favorite street film yet. I love that it’s not just activists questioning the dominance of cars anymore — it’s anyone who thinks long and hard about the awfulness of their daily experiences in public spaces.

It’s great to hear this ethical perspective, especially from someone as well regarded as Randy Cohen. I hope Mr Cohen continues to make these points!

]]> By: Ken Zirkel http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40836 Ken Zirkel Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:24:51 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40836 Excellent footage, Clarence. Well done. Excellent footage, Clarence. Well done.

]]> By: Glenn McAnanama http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40816 Glenn McAnanama Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:21:21 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40816 Maybe "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz? Maybe “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz?

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40813 Jonathan Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:08:02 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40813 Preaching to the converted. My personal opinion is that Mr. Cohen is a terrible choice of a spokesman for any movement, because his Times column is all about telling people what they should and shouldn't do. It's a fun 10-minute read once a week but I for one would hate to hang out with him because his holier-than-thou attitude and utter lack of empathy would get annoying pretty quickly. Would it be possible to find a Trafficist who was remotely empathetic with the confused tangle of justifications that most motorists have for their activities, yet able to serve as an aspirational role model for bikes, mass transit, and livable streets? Preaching to the converted. My personal opinion is that Mr. Cohen is a terrible choice of a spokesman for any movement, because his Times column is all about telling people what they should and shouldn’t do. It’s a fun 10-minute read once a week but I for one would hate to hang out with him because his holier-than-thou attitude and utter lack of empathy would get annoying pretty quickly.

Would it be possible to find a Trafficist who was remotely empathetic with the confused tangle of justifications that most motorists have for their activities, yet able to serve as an aspirational role model for bikes, mass transit, and livable streets?

]]> By: Gargamel Tralfaz http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40806 Gargamel Tralfaz Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:28:59 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40806 Actually I would argue most of what Mr. Cohen said WAS from a more general perspective, excepting maybe the comments on Congestion Pricing. I think all of his ideas are useful in all big cities. Actually I would argue most of what Mr. Cohen said WAS from a more general perspective, excepting maybe the comments on Congestion Pricing. I think all of his ideas are useful in all big cities.

]]> By: Michael R http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40788 Michael R Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:51:58 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40788 That was a fun view. I note Mr. Cohen's remarks were specific to Manhattan. Would you do a followup with a more general perspective? That was a fun view. I note Mr. Cohen’s remarks were specific to Manhattan. Would you do a followup with a more general perspective?

]]> By: Sproule Love http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40784 Sproule Love Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:15:29 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40784 YES!!! YES!!!

]]> By: word to that http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/comment-page-1/#comment-40763 word to that Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:48:54 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/11/27/the-trafficist-an-interview-with-randy-cohen/#comment-40763 Kudos Clarence, you've done it again. the well crafted conclusion is a tremendous inspiration! Kudos Clarence, you’ve done it again. the well crafted conclusion is a tremendous inspiration!

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