[kergonath]

> Trying to cycle or scoot on slush filled roads or in 90 degree plus temperatures is a tedious chore; being unable to simply go out and bring home a 75 pound piece of unassembled furniture, or buying frozen foods in bulk sucks too.

As far as I am concerned, I ride buses and trains and almost never cycle, and I don’t have a car. The cases you mention here would be solved much more rationally and efficiently by generalising home deliveries (with electric trucks). You don’t need to dimension your car for the furniture you need to carry around once every 5 years. You can just rent a van for a day then.

> Cars are freedom and power.

...which come at a cost that too few people realise, and which our children will have to pay.

> There is way too much idolizing a sort of serf mindset here; have nothing, do what government tells you, be part of a crowd dependent on others to sustain you.

Now I have some ideological issues with this.

Most governments I know encourage people to buy cars because it stimulates the economy and keeps some factories running, and some mates among money. Governments in general follow, not lead, these efforts.

You already are part of a crowd and could not survive on your own. You are dependent on thousands of people you will never meet for the most insignificant of your daily activities. To paraphrase, there is way to much idolising a sort of tough survivor mindset around. The tough guy living in a forest with his gun (which he built? From ore he mined?) is a mirage. If society collapses, tough guys will die just as well as others. There has to be a middle ground, where one can be wise enough to enjoy the freedom that living in society provides without being entirely controlled by totalitarians.

[treis]

> I ride buses and trains and almost never cycle, and I don’t have a car.

Do you have kids?

[nicoburns]

I don't have kids yet, but my parents took me everywhere on public transport. I loved it. In fact, I often wanted to go on the bus even when we had no need to.

[kergonath]

I absolutely loved trains as well. I couldn’t understand why grown-ups kept moaning about having to take one to work every day; it sounded like heaven!

[kergonath]

Yes, two. One in primary school, whom I drop off before taking the bus to work in the morning and take home on the way back, and one in day care, with whom my partner does the same. We rent or borrow a car for holidays.

It is true that a car is often very useful when you have children. But then, a family can have a small city car instead of two SUVs.

I am not against the concept of cars, I actually love driving a good one. But I despair when I see the growing popularity of SUVs, and sedans getting larger and larger.

[thescriptkiddie]

Funny thing about kids, they aren't allowed to drive cars. They actually aren't allowed to call an Uber either, but they can call a real taxi, or take public transportation, or ride a bike, or god forbid walk around unsurprised.