Comments on: The Brute Power of the Car http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/ 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: gecko http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-113521 gecko Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:57:11 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-113521 The high levels of speed and power given to automobile drivers are probably similar to those states of mind of individuals acting under elevated levels of adrenaline and even testosterone and may be considered extremely dangerous machine-induced mental states that have caused devastation many times more extensive than alcohol and other stimulants. This speaks to the limits of control and freedom people should have normally using freewheeling high-speed powerful transportation methods much better regulated by specially designed infrastructures greatly minimizing the likelihood of accidents, abuse, and danger. Currently, transportation systems based on cars are essentially structurally violent systems that do not address the extreme dangers of high-speed powerful vehicles sufficiently to provide for safe transportation. Transportation is not an extreme sport. It is just going from one place to another. People might wish to go to a bar or have a couple of drinks to feel good but, feel-good transportation that is extremely destructive, sufficiently dangerous to require high levels of expensive insurance to pay for the costs of this devastation, does not make a lot of sense. The normal action of going from one place to another does not have to be dangerous to be fun and does not require overweight, oversized, and overpowered vehicles. The high levels of speed and power given to automobile drivers are probably similar to those states of mind of individuals acting under elevated levels of adrenaline and even testosterone and may be considered extremely dangerous machine-induced mental states that have caused devastation many times more extensive than alcohol and other stimulants.

This speaks to the limits of control and freedom people should have normally using freewheeling high-speed powerful transportation methods much better regulated by specially designed infrastructures greatly minimizing the likelihood of accidents, abuse, and danger.

Currently, transportation systems based on cars are essentially structurally violent systems that do not address the extreme dangers of high-speed powerful vehicles sufficiently to provide for safe transportation.

Transportation is not an extreme sport. It is just going from one place to another. People might wish to go to a bar or have a couple of drinks to feel good but, feel-good transportation that is extremely destructive, sufficiently dangerous to require high levels of expensive insurance to pay for the costs of this devastation, does not make a lot of sense.

The normal action of going from one place to another does not have to be dangerous to be fun and does not require overweight, oversized, and overpowered vehicles.

]]> By: David Holzman http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-113501 David Holzman Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:37:12 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-113501 I think to some extent Sarah Goodyear is conflating a symbol (the automobile) with the behavior of H. sapiens based on money and status in a society where no-one even pays lip service to equality. This sort of behavior plays out in many spheres in India, and is absolutely not unique to people in cars on the roadways. It is a horrible life to be a member of the Indian underclasses, and has been since long before cars began to proliferate there like cancer. I'm not sure why cyclists would want to identify with a guy like Sheppard -- 56 outstanding warrants, at 33 the father of four by several different women. He is not an upstanding member of the community, and neither is his brother, who is in jail. I can't help suspecting that neither the Washington Area Bicyclists Association, to which I belonged for more than 20 years, nor the Massachusetts Bicyclists Association, to which I have belonged for nearly 10 years, would jump to this guy's defense, although I am sure both would deplore this incident and the man's death, and really, I think the fact that Sheppard was on a bicycle is incidental to what happened. Yes, there are drivers who treat cyclists deplorably, and I have encountered a few in my 60,000-70,000 bicycle miles, but it is counterproductive to view this incident as part of some war between cars and bicycles. Road users should do their best to respect other road users, no matter what conveyance they are piloting, and we will all be better off. I think to some extent Sarah Goodyear is conflating a symbol (the automobile) with the behavior of H. sapiens based on money and status in a society where no-one even pays lip service to equality. This sort of behavior plays out in many spheres in India, and is absolutely not unique to people in cars on the roadways. It is a horrible life to be a member of the Indian underclasses, and has been since long before cars began to proliferate there like cancer.

I’m not sure why cyclists would want to identify with a guy like Sheppard — 56 outstanding warrants, at 33 the father of four by several different women. He is not an upstanding member of the community, and neither is his brother, who is in jail.

I can’t help suspecting that neither the Washington Area Bicyclists Association, to which I belonged for more than 20 years, nor the Massachusetts Bicyclists Association, to which I have belonged for nearly 10 years, would jump to this guy’s defense, although I am sure both would deplore this incident and the man’s death, and really, I think the fact that Sheppard was on a bicycle is incidental to what happened. Yes, there are drivers who treat cyclists deplorably, and I have encountered a few in my 60,000-70,000 bicycle miles, but it is counterproductive to view this incident as part of some war between cars and bicycles. Road users should do their best to respect other road users, no matter what conveyance they are piloting, and we will all be better off.

]]> By: lee.watkins http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-113101 lee.watkins Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:43:48 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-113101 I visited New Delhi in 2001, and there were very few cars and very few paved roads. Most of the cars were HM Ambasadors operated by goverment employees (or their drivers). otherwise it was a few asian subcompacts, everyone else was either riding a low-power motorcycle or scooter, or a bicycle. Our tour group was using a smaller TATA SUMO SUV to transport maybe 8-9 people, and it was one of the very few SUVs I saw in all of New Delih at the time, all the other TATA trucks were being used for construction/hauling etc. For taxis, which were common, it was almost entirely the 3-wheeler baja scooters with a roof on them (what are they called?). In some many places, the majority of the traffic was those 3-wheeler taxis, and lots of bicycles. The bicycles were almost exclusively the old-fasioned heavy-duty british looking style. Despite the chaos, it actually felt quite safe riding a bicycle around the city at the time. there were also lots of animals on the street - I saw hundreds of cows on the street, just wandering... I saw elephants piloted by small children, camels pulling large carts, donkeys, all sorts of things. Amazing how quickly things have changed over there. I visited New Delhi in 2001, and there were very few cars and very few paved roads. Most of the cars were HM Ambasadors operated by goverment employees (or their drivers). otherwise it was a few asian subcompacts, everyone else was either riding a low-power motorcycle or scooter, or a bicycle. Our tour group was using a smaller TATA SUMO SUV to transport maybe 8-9 people, and it was one of the very few SUVs I saw in all of New Delih at the time, all the other TATA trucks were being used for construction/hauling etc. For taxis, which were common, it was almost entirely the 3-wheeler baja scooters with a roof on them (what are they called?). In some many places, the majority of the traffic was those 3-wheeler taxis, and lots of bicycles. The bicycles were almost exclusively the old-fasioned heavy-duty british looking style. Despite the chaos, it actually felt quite safe riding a bicycle around the city at the time. there were also lots of animals on the street – I saw hundreds of cows on the street, just wandering… I saw elephants piloted by small children, camels pulling large carts, donkeys, all sorts of things.

Amazing how quickly things have changed over there.

]]> By: gecko http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-112911 gecko Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:13:15 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-112911 where higher speeds and ranges require increasing levels of control. 80 mph requires guideways (Shweeb does 56 mph on human power alone.) Greater than 300 mph requires traveling in evacuated tubes. where higher speeds and ranges require increasing levels of control.

80 mph requires guideways (Shweeb does 56 mph on human power alone.)

Greater than 300 mph requires traveling in evacuated tubes.

]]> By: gecko http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-112901 gecko Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:38:50 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-112901 limiting transportation power to human scale is an extremely important design advantage. limiting transportation power to human scale is an extremely important design advantage.

]]> By: gecko http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-112891 gecko Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:29:43 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-112891 " . . . power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate, Economics ” . . . power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate, Economics

]]> By: Ken http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-112281 Ken Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:46:44 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-112281 The former AG has been charged with criminal negligence and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in connection with the cyclist's death. See http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202433546476&Former_Ontario_Attorney_General_Charged_in_Cyclists_Death The former AG has been charged with criminal negligence and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in connection with the cyclist’s death. See http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202433546476&Former_Ontario_Attorney_General_Charged_in_Cyclists_Death

]]> By: Larry Littlefield http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-112271 Larry Littlefield Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:38:27 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-112271 From a global perspective, the fact that China and India are repeating our mistakes is a big, big deal. From a global perspective, the fact that China and India are repeating our mistakes is a big, big deal.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/09/03/the-brute-power-of-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-112211 Jonathan Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:36:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=40921#comment-112211 Ditto the cyclists on expensive road bikes riding aggressively along the West Side Greenway en route to the George Washington Bridge. Ditto the cyclists on expensive road bikes riding aggressively along the West Side Greenway en route to the George Washington Bridge.

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