[llamathrowaway]

> That's a big "might" that is conditioned on having a seat and space in which to do these things, none if which is a given.

In the past plenty of people read newspapers while standing on trains. Nowadays we have smartphones and podcasts. It’s even easier.

> I have almost been run over by assholes on bikes more than I have almost been run over by assholes in cars.

Looks like an argument for better cycling infrastructure. Cars don’t really go wild in cities because they have dedicated road which are not shared with larger, more dangerous vehicles driven by people who are actively trying to cause problems to car drivers. If we have the same level of infrastructure for bicycles then maybe cyclists will stop competing with pedestrians for space.

Cycling infrastructure can be cheaper than normal roads because bicycles are lighter than cars. It will also need less maintenance for the same reason. It also takes less space to store bikes than cars.

[vonmoltke]

> In the past plenty of people read newspapers while standing on trains. Nowadays we have smartphones and podcasts. It’s even easier.

Stand/sit and read my phone is basically what I am forced to do. I don't consider that any more productive than driving, and certainly not "work".

As for podcasts (and audiobooks), I can do that in a car just as well as packed in a train.

[anonymou2]

No, being an asshole is not solved by infrastructure, what you need is education. Cyclists typically don't believe that they are driving a vehicle (which they are). In fact dedicated infrastructure for cyclists only helps keep the myth that bicycles are not vehicles but some kind of toy and that its operators are not responsible adults but kids incapable of learning.