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.
This sums up the whole issue perfectly. People with individualistic tendencies will prefer cars while people with collectivist tendencies with prefer mass transit.
I think people who have cars and a garage prefer cars, people who don't prefer mass transit to walking everywhere.
People who avoid public transit for fear of violence are clueless. In every public transit system in the country, the rate of violent crime happening on the train or bus is lower than the rate of car accidents. Yet people feel so safe in their cars and are scared of the train or bus? They're just uninformed.
I don't see where accident = violence. Accidents generally result from negligence whereas acts of violence are driven by malice and intent. These are two totally different scenarios and they are really not comparable.
Last edited by AtkinsonDan; 04-04-2014 at 05:02 PM..
One reason I have not seen talked about much in relation to mass transit is germs and illness. I have never been one who gets sick frequently. For most of my adult working career I average a flu or flu like event once every two years. In fact the last time I was bedridden and missed work was January 2013. However there was a two year period (August 2005 through August 2007) where I commuted on commuter rail and subway every day. I fell ill twelve times over that two year period. I was literally ill every other month while working in the Boston CBD and using mass transit. The mass transit was the only difference between that period and the rest of my working career.
I don't see where accident = violence. Accidents generally result from negligence whereas acts of violence are driven by malice and intent. These are two totally different scenarios and they are really not comparable.
Out of curiosity, would you prefer to be mugged and lose your wallet (and be psychologically impacted) or get in a car accident and lose your legs or life?
I guess you could ask the question on other levels: Deal with close proximity to other people or having to merge with traffic on a crowded highway?
Argue with someone on transit or swear, swerve and yell at someone on the highway?
Have to walk five extra blocks in the cold or pay for a parking spot in a garage?
I think people who have cars and a garage prefer cars, people who don't prefer mass transit to walking everywhere.
Maybe. I'm looking at houses later this year and while I would buy a house with a parking spot (or garage) if it was perfect, I'd rather not do so. Only because I don't want to pay extra money for something that I won't use in a city where space is at a premium.
On the other hand, just because one has a garage doesn't mean they don't like walking or transit. And just because I don't have a garage, doesn't mean I don't like to drive in certain situations.
Out of curiosity, would you prefer to be mugged and lose your wallet (and be psychologically impacted) or get in a car accident and lose your legs or life?
I can't help but notice how you downplay the the effects of being a victim of crime while mentioning the absolute worst case scenarios from a car accident. How about posing some comparable outcomes from both sides?
I can't help but notice how you downplay the the effects of being a victim of crime while mentioning the absolute worst case scenarios from a car accident. How about posing some comparable outcomes from both sides?
No, I'm not downplaying. There is no comparable statistic for car deaths. 14k murders happen a year, most of which are gang/drug related. 35k auto deaths happen a year. The loss of life is not even close.
There are probably more muggings associated with transit, but then again, I've seen plenty of muggings in car parking lots/garages. Violent crime is probably higher, but yet again, I've seen plenty of fist fights over driving. There doesn't seem to be stats on these ones to compare.
I have been a victim of violent crime, so I understand the difference in psychological terms. However, my mental state has little to do with reality. Twisted metal is more dangerous than someone wanting my wallet most of the time.
Outside of that, I thought that the following was pretty even handed. You?
Quote:
I guess you could ask the question on other levels: Deal with close proximity to other people or having to merge with traffic on a crowded highway?
Argue with someone on transit or swear, swerve and yell at someone on the highway?
Have to walk five extra blocks in the cold or pay for a parking spot in a garage?
Transit would most certainly win the challenge of dealing with people that make you personally uncomfortable in close proximity.
As for the time factor, using transit may take more time but the time isn't always lost. You can't read or work while driving.
Yep. Think of all the lost productivity (personal or work) that is lost every single minute we are in a traffic jam! Those are just dollars wasted. In addition to all the health effects of being in a car for those extra minutes per day...
No, I'm not downplaying. There is no comparable statistic for car deaths. 14k murders happen a year, most of which are gang/drug related. 35k auto deaths happen a year. The lose of life is not even close.
There are probably more muggings associated with transit, but then again, I've seen plenty of muggings in car parking lots/garages. Violent crime is probably higher, but yet again, I've seen plenty of fist fights over driving. There doesn't seem to be stats on these ones to compare.
I have been a victim of violent crime, so I understand the difference in psychological terms. However, my mental state has little to do with reality. Twisted metal is more dangerous than someone wanting my wallet most of the time.
In a population of 314 million, 35 thousand is not statistically significant. It amounts to one hundredth of one percent. I don't look at the potential for death when evaluating any type of transportation. Death is inevitable so it is not worth worrying about it. Jerry Seinfeld once said that more people fear public speaking than death.
Now let's look at your stolen wallet example. Your treating a stolen wallet an inconvenience and psychological issue. You fail to link that with a very common side effect and that is identity theft. Identity theft is a massive pain the ass for people to recover from. I have known people who went through it and they spent months fixing their accounts and cleaning up their credit.
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.
