Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: The Circle City. Sometimes NE of Bagdad.
24,445 posts, read 25,978,821 times
Reputation: 59788
Quote:
Originally Posted by wilson1010
As usual, you have drawn an incorrrect conclusion about what "people like you" (meaning me) think. In fact, you have come up with the exact opposite of what I said.
I am in favor or higher wages. Illegal immigrants reduce wages because they do work Americans would be happy to do for a fair wage but not for a illegals' wage with no benefits.
You are lucky to be a truck driver because you are protected from illegals who cannot get a CDL without some valid ID. But every other field has been depressed by illegals entering the system and depressing wages. How would you like it if your emplyer could find all the drivers they needed for $4 per hour?
We need to get rid of UNNECESSARY guzzlers, SUVs, and full sized pickups that carry no more cargo ever than a week of groceries. We have wasted fuel too long. We're suffering for it now.
As usual, you have drawn an incorrrect conclusion about what "people like you" (meaning me) think. In fact, you have come up with the exact opposite of what I said.
I am in favor or higher wages. Illegal immigrants reduce wages because they do work Americans would be happy to do for a fair wage but not for a illegals' wage with no benefits.
You are lucky to be a truck driver because you are protected from illegals who cannot get a CDL without some valid ID. But every other field has been depressed by illegals entering the system and depressing wages. How would you like it if your emplyer could find all the drivers they needed for $4 per hour?
Actually, our economy has made trucking the "survival" job for legions of displaced factory workers, and others from many other jobs that have been laid off. So trucking wages will probably not get anywhere near what they should be because of that. And wages won't likely improve even when the economy does because every driver that does not see trucking as more than a paycheck will leave the industry and then trucking executives will cry to open the Mexican border because they can't find enough American drivers to take the abuse and low wages that most carriers offer. (my italics) Even truckers that get nowhere near the border will see lowered wages with an influx of foreign labor. BTW, there are plenty of Eastern European and other foreigners running around this country in big trucks, as well.
President Bush wasted a once-in-a-life time opportunity by not raising federal gasoline taxes moderately (50¢?, $1?) immediately after 9/11 to reduce gasoline consumption and reduce our payments to the Middle East. The nation would have willingly sacrificed at that time.
About five years ago gas really started to get expensive and at the time I had a 32 mile commute with my only vehicle being a Dodge Ram that averaged about 15mpg, and no option for public transportation. So when a job opening became available that was in my own town, I jumped on it even though the pay was less. I figured if nothing else it would be worth it just for the lowered stress of a shorter commute. Within three weeks I was cycling to work. In just over a month I had moved even closer to work. My wallet had more money in it than it ever did when I was spending $60+ per week for gas, not to mention all the other maintenance my truck required. I sold my truck right before gas skyrocketed to about $4 per gallon (here). I had coworkers who were spending $100+ a week just to get to work. Many of the people I know who often rant about the government being too intrusive suddenly wanted the government to step in and fix things.
HOWEVER....my groceries, of course, became more expensive, along with everything else. I wasn't some starry-eyed idealist though. No one could escape the increased prices that came with more expensive fuel, but not owning a motor vehicle helped a LOT. I remember when a hurricane (can't remember which one) damaged some oil rigs in the Gulf and we actually had a gas shortage here in TN, there were lines of cars waiting to get gas at the gas stations. I tried to avoid smugness, but it was oh so nice riding a bicycle past those lines. Eventually, I noticed that people actually seemed to be trying to change their driving habits. The problem is, this was bad for smaller businesses. If I were driving and gas was not only expensive but even scarce, my first thought would be to buy my groceries and other products at the businesses that are located near where I live, so I could walk or bike there. But most people here who used to shop at a variety of stores suddenly started getting everything at Walmart. And I admit, Walmart has just about everything and they're cheaper than just about everyone. Yes, they would use some precious fuel by driving the extra miles to Walmart, but Walmart is so cheap that they probably did save money that way. I hate to admit it, but it's probably true.
I learned a lot by being car free in a very car-centric town with no real public transportation:
1. Gas prices usually aren't the costliest part of owning a car. Insurance, repairs, and maintenance are generally more (unless gas becomes considerably more expensive).
2. Unless you go "into the wild" and live like nature intended, you WILL be getting screwed out of money by someone. So if you prefer to live in society, you just have to get used to that I guess.
3. No matter how wonderful cycling to work was, it's simply not an option for many people. Granted, lots more people could be doing it, but many literally could not. Some can't due to a long commute. That can be overcome by changing jobs or moving closer to work, but that's not a viable option for everyone either. At least not unless we make vast improvements in public transport.
4. Some motorists will be angry at you no matter what, but if you learn how to ride predictably and you know your surroundings well enough to avoid traffic when you can, most motorists will be far angrier at each other than they will at you on a bicycle. I prefer to look at cars as wild animals when I'm on a bike. Don't make sudden, wild movements and just try not to be a jackass. 99% of the time that's all you need to remember.
Wow, I've just typed an awful lot, I see. In conclusion, I'd like to add that I think many if not most Americans would need some serious training and instruction to be able to get around safely without a car. Many places would also need MAJOR improvements in infrastructure to make it a viable alternative. I visited the Seattle area a few months ago and was blown away at how far behind the Nashville area is in comparison when it comes to public transportation. I expected it to some extent, but I had no idea the difference would be that great. The two cities and surrounding towns are very similar in size, but there I got by incredibly easily for a week without even thinking about a car in a city and some small towns I was completely unfamiliar with. I can't imagine a stranger coming here and doing that.
Excellent post, Lamplight! During my high school years, I rode more than a few GM Fishbowl busses to get around town. To this day, I LOVE the sound of the Detroit Disel engines thay had... I'm 56 years old now and when I was in my early 20's (and VERY idealistic) I imagined going through life without owning a car. After all, this was the early 1970's and ecology was the thing. I bicycled all over Sacramento, CA where Iwas stationed. But, alas, I got tried of bumming rides from my friends and realized not every woman I'd meet would be willing to go out on a date riding a Schwinn. So I satisfied my automotive uges with a '72 Chevy LUV. Then a '46 Chevy pickup and finally a '66 Dodge Valiant. I'll have to say they were all fun vehicles. Later in life, I lived in Europe and truly enjoyed riding public transport. I pretty much stopped bicycling, though... After I retired from the military, my wife taught in Germany for three years and we had no car there. We did just fine walking and taking the bus. Busses in Chemnitz ran frequently and on time.
As much as I'd love tpo get into biking to work again, it's just not practical for me. but, the good news is, my wife is two blocks from HER job. So we are saving quite a bit.
@Lamplight, Congratulations, you are a very good example that people are able to learn, even in this country.
The problems you mentioned are a matter of society. If you are the only one in your town without a car, thats not a perfect situation and you wil have to face lots of problems. With lots of people thinking the same, things would be better, busses would run more frequently with a wider range of routes and shops will start focusing on customers without cars. Nearly all business are concentrated on our auto-centric kind of living.
Quote:
I visited the Seattle area a few months ago and was blown away at how far behind the Nashville area is in comparison when it comes to public transportation.
I don't know Nashville but I've been to Seattle some months ago. At least they have a new train running to the airport, this improved things a lot. The Monorail is too expensive, more a kind of tourist attraction. I like Cities like Boston with a wide range of public transport systems.
I've also lived in Germany for many years. We owned two cars (Audi Diesel and Renault Convertible) but my father still got to work by train. I also used the bus or train everyday to go to school, university and later work.
In my personal opinion, things in the US are kind of circle. People don't use public transport, because they are not avaliable, and no transport is available because people don't use it. Nobody wants to invest in a new transportation system without knowing about his future cashflows and no customer would use a bus just running once or twice a day. It is not a kind of liberal idealistic stuff but a kind of practical incapability to live without a car in the US in certain areas or circumstances. Fuel prices will teach us, how to change or not to change.
Our previous governor was in favor of spending money on a high speed rail system from Eastern Iowa to Chicago, with a future extension from Des Moines to eastern Iowa, and eventually on to Omaha.
Our current governor (A corporate centric anti education twit) is against it. It might pass anyway if the Dems have anything to say about it, but I'm not holding my breath.
I guess we'll all continue to drive instead of having a high speed train to use.
This guy thinks about 3 weeks into the future. Anything further forward in time is apparently too much to handle.
I don't know Nashville but I've been to Seattle some months ago. At least they have a new train running to the airport, this improved things a lot. The Monorail is too expensive, more a kind of tourist attraction. I like Cities like Boston with a wide range of public transport systems.
I've also lived in Germany for many years. We owned two cars (Audi Diesel and Renault Convertible) but my father still got to work by train. I also used the bus or train everyday to go to school, university and later work.
I actually didn't use the buses in Seattle because there was so much to see in my immediate area that I walked most of the time, but I used the train several times and I took a bus from Seattle to Bellingham. I was impressed with Bellingham's bus system. They have what, to me, seems like a great system in a town with 80,000 people. My town has over 100,000 and we didn't have any buses at all until 2007. And even now they really only benefit a handful of elderly people who happen to live in assisted living homes that are on the routes. And though I haven't experienced it myself, I've read many times that even the best public transport in the U.S. is well behind that of other countries.
Edit: Yes, the monorail in Seattle is really just a novelty. Though I used it one day because I had walked to the Pacific Science Center and needed to get back to my hotel, which was near where the monorail stops on the other end. My knees were hurting quite a bit from all the walking I had done, so the monorail was actually very useful that one time! I enjoyed it, but it really doesn't go very far at all. If I had stayed longer I definitely would have used the buses some, because they were everywhere!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
After I retired from the military, my wife taught in Germany for three years and we had no car there. We did just fine walking and taking the bus. Busses in Chemnitz ran frequently and on time.
