Posts by BenWilson
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"I suddenly had to worry about parking and registration and maintenance and petrol and counting my drinks and peak-hour traffic and keeping my eyes open (I was a shift worker) and insurance, when I'd never had to bother with those before."
Somebody else's problem until then? I had plenty of mates who expected Mr Taxi Man to keep them in their unlicensed bliss, but eventually they wised up.
"And I love champagne too, but I'm not going to demand that society organise itself in such a way to make it as cheap and easy for me to enjoy as possible."
I am. And I don't even drink.
"And that convenience comes at the expense of others, as the liveability of cities gets sacrificed to make more room for an incredibly space-inefficient form of transport."
Nah. The two work in tandem. Sure we need public transport. I'm all for it, how else can I get people off MY roads.
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Being able to get around isn't really a panacea. It's kind of basic.
Hence:
"People forget what a life-transforming event getting your own car is when you are 15 or 16, but I don't. I had the first car in my social group, and it was fantastic. We were free to visit anyone anywhere anytime. It was Independence Day when I got my third hand Morris 1100."
Amen to that. It was akin to getting my first pushbike, and waaay less dangerous. I'm kind of amused that people are so bitter on racers and so keen on pushbikes, but for opposite reasons. They hate the cars because they are dangerous and love the bikes because they are convenient. But the real truth is that the bikes are much more dangerous and the cars are much more convenient. And we let kids on the road with bikes at any age, no license.
The only time I've ever been injured in a road accident was on a pushbike. Nearly broke my neck. Another consequence of a hilly city is that whilst you can't go very fast up a hill you can go damned fast down it. Typically dressed in lycra and polystyrene. Real safe.
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Bart, whether the cities were flattened or not (not convinced, I guess it depends how flattened), they were still full of people who liked to live in cities, who had the skills to rebuild, and the incentive. Where else were they going to go?
Sure you can improve any city. And it is a matter of will. Auckland has not been flattened so we don't really have the will, and I think flattening Auckland to the same level as Holland would involve a geological event which is hard to arrange.
I cycle man, and it's not the cars that are the problem. It's the cycling. I'm not really up to the challenge of taking my bike from Titirangi to the North Shore on a social call!
If you wanted you could prevent everyone from using cars, period. But you have to make us want it.
Yoof aren't the only ones who get endorphin release from letting it rip. Unless you want to call me yoof on account of my 10 year old brain.
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Bart, you must be one fit dude. Curious how you rode over to the Shore from Titirangi? Upper Harbour Drive?
I'm also surprised you lived. All that biking is waaay more dangerous than doing it in a car. Wobbling around exhausted in the wet at night with no traction, weak lights, and a polystyrene hat, along windy Titirangi roads? You must have steel balls.
And no, I was not making some kind of Darwin awards crack. Everyone has to grow up and take responsibility for being in charge of dangerous things sometime. The longer it is delayed, the longer you are delaying people growing up. I actually do believe that molly coddling kids and limiting their responsibilities until they are 20 is bad for kids. Really bad. Not to mention a real pain in the arse for adults.
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Finn, it was actually a diss on Russell. I think it's righteous to love NZ music, but I don't happen to. So days when that dominates the commentary are days when picking a fight on Kiwiblog looks appealing.
(Don't stop though Russ. Each to their own. To me the roar and PSCHH of a passing ricer is music. Bad music, sometimes. But sometimes it's pure art.)
Heh, I guess I don't get your point since I don't think P should be banned, or that South Auckland is intolerable, or that Taranaki is a shit place to be a teenager (damn good surf). Kidding around aside, just as the entire country's policy shouldn't revolve around country people, nor should it revolve around city people.
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Tom
"That reads a little bit like "if you don't like the way things are, you can get the hell out of here", but I'll try not to read it like that."
Heh...soz. Yes it does. But there is a germ of wisdom in the saying. Sounds to me like you're bitter on country life. Me too, that's why I don't live there. But expecting small town NZ to transform into Europe is too much.
I guess it depends what you do in Wellington. Every time I've been there it's been for sport and I've endured many long hours in cars between various Hutts. But as a small city it's easy to walk around. It's only small because it has to be.
You don't have to live in the suburbs if you don't like them either. It sounds to me like you've gravitated to what you like. That's cool, but if the rest of the nation doesn't even want to follow suit, that's their choice.
I wish we modelled our motorways after the US. It would be neat if it was built in that you can land aircraft pretty much anywhere. Our motorway system is primitive by comparison. Narrow and windy. Even better would be the German model, but without the slave labour during the construction.
As for failing to see the choiceness in cars, your example is like thinking all girls are fat just because some are. You're being deeply ungrateful towards an incredible invention :-)
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Russell, Oooops, I forgot about the Charger! Yes the Americans did used to make some good cars. If my heart is still 10, then may it continue that way until I die.
But now, Chargers are just for nostalgic driftarz and American dreamarz (in the style of Need 4 Speed 2).
My Vauxhall was probably as unhip as your Morris. Not that I really want to win this competition. I remember it conking out on scenic drive and having to roll it back about 6 miles before I could turn around. The sore neck lasted weeks.
You took a baby to a dance party? I must say my little one appears to appreciate my car's phat beatz, but that's taking it waay too far.
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Heather, I bet the people who have to drive you around don't see it that way. This is my pet peeve at the moment, a recalcitrant wife who won't drive even after I sold my muscle car and got a boring family wagon. It really is an imposition on others to expect them to be a taxi service all the time.
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Finn, perhaps it's on par with liking NZ music? Heh, I kill me.
And sorry man, you are being a snob. Bad enough to be stuck in Taranaki, but to have some dorklander ban your wheelz? The bitterness.
Terence, freedom from and freedom to? Takes me back to my varsity days when I used to be able to park my Suzuki on Symonds St and not have a council cockknocker stick a ticket on it. Now I can't even cruise past the ole department, thanks to said cockknockers. That's if they even still teach philosophy. That might be too 0ld 5k00l these days.
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A Mustang is probably the coolest yank car ever. You might be a bit shocked how weak it seems now, though.
I've owned exactly one Euro car and one American one. Both were total lemons. Since then it's been jap after jap. I can't decide which was ultimately more fun - the Suzuki 800 because it was just so damned cheap and handy at varsity, or the Supercharged MR2 which steered like it was on rails, also cheap and handy. The Turbo MR2 was waaay more grunty, but it scared the crap out of me, and constantly getting stopped by cops was getting old.
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