Posts by BenWilson
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Heh, yes. I don't get dance parties. That tells you my age.
-
"Don't really get it. Jolly handy, fer sure. But as a main event in life, whatever ..."
Not for everyone, sure. I dare not mention your age, but I'm kind of thinking a Ford Anglia would have been a bitchin ride when you were impressionable, and mate, that's just not the same as what kids get these days. It's like comparing a ZX81 to a Playstation.
It's far from the main event - just calling something good that is good. I get what the racers are about. It's not just rebellion. It's also loving something that is very loveable.
-
Andrew, no offense was taken. I hope you're not bitter on my Euro car rag. I think they make good cars there (unlike in Oz or the US), but they charge Euro prices. Imagine what a sweet ride you could build from a good solid Jap muscle car and that much cash...
I see owning a euro car as a status symbol more than anything else - it says 'I have money to burn'.
-
Tom, it's nice to be liberated from your car, if it's practical. If not, it's an imposition. In NZ it is impractical, and if you really feel imprisoned, perhaps liberating yourself from the car and the country isn't such a bad call.
I get what you're saying, which is pretty much that Europe is choice. And it is. I agree. But we are so far from being Europe it's not funny. Both physically, demographically, culturally and in terms of development. A friend of mine who is a traffic engineer in Sydney told me that decent public rail systems typically won't develop until commute times reach about 90 mins each way. Auckland probably needs to double in size for that to happen. Until then we are stuck with cars and buses. Cycling is a crap option, and I speak from personal experience. I love cycling but it's an impractical form of transport here.
I also love driving. I hate commuting and won't do it. But since this thread is about boy racing, I feel obliged to point out the the extremely obvious fact that cars are choice.
-
"but we do need what population we have to be concentrated in a way that makes public transport, walking and cycling viable for more people."
Good luck with transforming NZ into that. See you in 50 years.
Holland is cool, but it's flat, small and well populated, and has been urbanized for several hundred years. Their suburbs aren't like ours, because they don't have the space for it, and cars weren't even invented when their town planning had pretty much set it's current shape. Comparing their entire nation to suburbs of NZ is obviously not apples with apples. Compare NZ suburban density to Dutch suburban density and you have a comparison that is meaningful.
I'm still amused that the original Zealand is in Holland, even though Holland fits into Canterbury. You get that when you name a place without actually sailing right around it first...sort of like the West Indies.
-
"To me, freedom is being able to live in a city where I can get to want to do without having to get there in a one-tonne lump of metal that has to be parked somewhere, paid for and generally looked after."
To me, freedom is to being allowed.
-
...and found Australia was Pork-land
-
Rebecca, alternative endings to complete the limerick:
...but met the same obsession with torque-bands.
-
Andrew llewellyn, hey it's no worse than the Holden painted as an Australian flag I saw cruising weakly past me last time I was in Sydney.
Yes ricers have a different style. I had to spend 2 hours removing all the ridiculous and non-applicable stickers off my first MR2. It had no Mugen, or Momo, or HKS anything in it. But stickers are cheap.
OTOH, paying a gigantic premium to own a moderately fast Euro car is no sillier, even if some circles will think it's more stylish. Any ricer would think it was just a wicked waste of money.
-
Steven Crawford "I don't see how 3rd party insurance is going to dissuade dangerous driving."
It doesn't. It dissuades owning an overpowered vehicle because the premiums are really high, especially for kids. Dangerous driving is possibly slightly encouraged by insurance, until you have an accident and the premiums jack up even more. If you're a serial offender you could lose your ability to drive without ever losing your license, if noone will insure you.
Last ←Newer Page 1 … 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 … 1066 Older→ First