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The car was the replacement for the horse and buggy; the car provided a better substitute,
The car will be around and continue to gain popularity until a better substitute comes along. Car ownership has continued to rise as people understand just how great it is, and how it adds to the quality of life.
And now the care is being phased out too as it is irrelevant.
The OP's (sub-consciously perhaps?) projecting their dislike of the overbearing car culture on the automobile itself.
Nothing's wrong with liking cars or enjoying the car-centric lifestyle, but at the same time, people should also have the option to be able to use other modes of transportation and live a non car-centric lifestyle.
Of course, that's easier said than done when the majority of people who are in control of our companies and governments love their cars and their car-centric lifestyle. Outside a handful of areas, mass transit infrastructure in the US SUCKS, and walkable/pedestrian-friendly areas are few/far between.
Last edited by 313Weather; 06-30-2013 at 09:46 PM..
There is freedom of choice. Today's smart youth have chosen not to be slaves to their cars like past generations. In 5-10 years there will even be less cars. owning a car will be less attractived. However you are still free to be in thrall to your car. We dont care.
Bullsh*t.
You not only care you're obessesed with getting people out of their cars and bowing to your single minded way of living.
There is so much backlash against the car among "urbanists". Honestly, it's a dead end trying to design a carfree place and a lifestyle in this country. Why not work the two ideas together!
Well, well. As the economy improves, car sales are going up. So maybe this car-less thing is more of an economic issue than an issue of the moral superiority of the under-25 crowd.
Both are a form of personal transportation. People want personal transportation; they do not want to be on the transit company's schedule.
Well, well. As the economy improves, car sales are going up. So maybe this car-less thing is more of an economic issue than an issue of the moral superiority of the under-25 crowd.
No it's not an issue of moral superiority, but I do believe that people in general (not just one generation over another) are trying to drive less. People who still own cars are walking to the grocery store a few times a month, taking a bike / bus / train to work once a week instead of driving. What would have been a 3-car home 10 years ago is now a 2-car home; a 2-car home now a 1-car home.
There are lots of reasons - some moral, some environmental, some physical health, some fiscal. But the fact is people are driving less and probably will continue to for the foreseeable future.
No it's not an issue of moral superiority, but I do believe that people in general (not just one generation over another) are trying to drive less. People who still own cars are walking to the grocery store a few times a month, taking a bike / bus / train to work once a week instead of driving. What would have been a 3-car home 10 years ago is now a 2-car home; a 2-car home now a 1-car home.
There are lots of reasons - some moral, some environmental, some physical health, some fiscal. But the fact is people are driving less and probably will continue to for the foreseeable future.
Who do you know that is doing this? We used to own four cars, now just own two, but that is because the kids moved out (with their cars). I know people who go down to one car in their 70s/80s b/c they aren't as mobile as before.
People's social circle vary, as does a need for a car depending on location and situation. I think the best way to measure if car trends have changed is looking at statistics not personal ancedotes. It's hard to separate from the economy, though in the 70s/early 80s recession car usage and ownership wasn't affected all that much. However, those years may not have been as drastic as a recession as this one, but there's little else to compare with. There was a statistic I read that said even young people in higher paying jobs own cars at a lower rate and drive less than previous generations, I can't find the link. Likely it's because there's more young people with good jobs in city centers, particularly in the number of cities where not owning a car by choice is common (DC, San Francisco, and New York City).
Certainly a pleateu sounds reasonable. American society must reach a point where everyone who could want a car has one. We must be close, per capita car usage and ownership can't keep rising forever even if wealth does.
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