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Entirely unashamed anti car propaganda, and the more the better.

I have a dream that one day women will be allowed to drive cars.
Actually I'd probably settle simply for men to be banned from driving, because they cause the most problems, driving twice as many miles per year, and causing a disproportionately high number of traffic incidents.
 
Actually I'd probably settle simply for men to be banned from driving, because they cause the most problems, driving twice as many miles per year, and causing a disproportionately high number of traffic incidents.

Yes, simplistic group-based solutions are what is needed.
 
How did you get there? How would you have got there, and how would you buy your custard, if all the public transport was stopped?
Train and bike was how I got there, a combination I would recommend to all able-bodied people for getting most places in the country. If you forgot the custard in your weekly shop, don't have custard that week. If you want convenience, live in denser developed areas like most people do. Then there's a shop around the corner. I would argue that most people in SE England these days choose to live in the sticks rather than in a place with amenities, and they've got used to being told they're free to make that choice as a lifestyle decision, just as they're free to make the choice to live 40 miles from their workplace as a lifestyle decision, with the only commute option being car. It's not that I would legislate against such things, but I would argue we should not be sustaining an infrastructure costing hundreds of billions of pounds in order to accommodate these selfish, destructive choices.
 
It could be that some, many, or even most of those drivers observed 'driving in the countryside' were in fact travelling a far greater distance than a few miles, and not to buy custard either.

Very far fetched, I know. But still... did anyone actually conduct an on-the-spot survey to establish those drivers were all on a short distance shopping trip for a just a few items that could be transported on a bicycle?
 
It could be that some, many, or even most of those drivers observed 'driving in the countryside' were in fact travelling a far greater distance than a few miles, and not to buy custard either.

Very far fetched, I know. But still... did anyone actually conduct an on-the-spot survey to establish those drivers were all on a short distance shopping trip for a just a few items that could be transported on a bicycle?
I was brought up in the countryside, I don't need to do surveys to know the attitudes. Of course the custard example was just one example of the terrible uses of cars in the countryside. Another might be 'Oh, the queue for a table at the pub we came to for lunch is too long, let's drive ten miles up the road to the next pub we consider to have decent food'. It's an entire attitude about having the right to bomb around the countryside on the flimsiest of excuses. Then when you're challenged on the fact that you've set up your whole life so you have to drive hundreds of miles a week to get to work/do your leisure pursuits/get shopping/consume what you want, you pretend that the questioner is oppressing the poorest person in the village, who genuinely doesn't have anywhere else to move to and could probably do with some public transport.
 
Train and bike was how I got there, a combination I would recommend to all able-bodied people for getting most places in the country. If you forgot the custard in your weekly shop, don't have custard that week. If you want convenience, live in denser developed areas like most people do. Then there's a shop around the corner. I would argue that most people in SE England these days choose to live in the sticks rather than in a place with amenities, and they've got used to being told they're free to make that choice as a lifestyle decision, just as they're free to make the choice to live 40 miles from their workplace as a lifestyle decision, with the only commute option being car. It's not that I would legislate against such things, but I would argue we should not be sustaining an infrastructure costing hundreds of billions of pounds in order to accommodate these selfish, destructive choices.
Absolute elitist bollocks. Most people live where they can afford to live. Most people can't afford to live in the middle of London.
 
I was brought up in the countryside, I don't need to do surveys to know the attitudes. Of course the custard example was just one example of the terrible uses of cars in the countryside. Another might be 'Oh, the queue for a table at the pub we came to for lunch is too long, let's drive ten miles up the road to the next pub we consider to have decent food'. It's an entire attitude about having the right to bomb around the countryside on the flimsiest of excuses. Then when you're challenged on the fact that you've set up your whole life so you have to drive hundreds of miles a week to get to work/do your leisure pursuits/get shopping/consume what you want, you pretend that the questioner is oppressing the poorest person in the village, who genuinely doesn't have anywhere else to move to and could probably do with some public transport.

But people do have the right to drive ten miles to eat out, they always have in this country. So it's no surprise that they act as if they do.

In fact the only country I can think of where people may not have that right is North Korea.
 
But people do have the right to drive ten miles to eat out, they always have in this country. So it's no surprise that they act as if they do.

In fact the only country I can think of where people may not have that right is North Korea.
People used to have the right to harm the health of others by smoking in a pub. Thankfully times move on. What other forms of physical harm to others do you think we should continue enabling for the sake of our glorious traditions of freedom?
 
People used to have the right to harm the health of others by smoking in a pub. Thankfully times move on. What other forms of physical harm to others do you think we should continue enabling for the sake of our glorious traditions of freedom?
People still have a right to pollute the atmosphere with their selfish flights abroad. Are you one of these people?
 
And the right to eat bad food and neglect to do any exercise, placing stress on the NHS.
And the right to destroy the planet by turning their heating way up and leaving the lights on.
And the right to ride a motorbike, potentially orphaning their family (and they're not even required to be on the donor register).

IT'S AN OUTRAGE!!! :mad:
 
And the right to eat bad food and neglect to do any exercise, placing stress on the NHS.
And the right to destroy the planet by turning their heating way up and leaving the lights on.
And the right to ride a motorbike, potentially orphaning their family (and they're not even required to be on the donor register).

IT'S AN OUTRAGE!!! :mad:
It is indeed outrageous that people are allowed to do things.

I have to go and make a baby panda's eye and swan liver paté sandwich now, but I'll be back later.
 
And the right to eat bad food and neglect to do any exercise, placing stress on the NHS.
And the right to destroy the planet by turning their heating way up and leaving the lights on.
And the right to ride a motorbike, potentially orphaning their family (and they're not even required to be on the donor register).

IT'S AN OUTRAGE!!! :mad:
Well yes, you correctly highlight that we will have to change our entire lifestyles if we wish to make the planet livable in the future. I hope we can largely do it by positive reinforcement of more local and public transport-based ways of living, rather than reinforcing car-based and plane-based lifestyles. But I suspect some people will cling on to their right to ruin the planet so strongly that we may have to legislate against them eventually. Don't be that person.
 
People used to have the right to harm the health of others by smoking in a pub. Thankfully times move on. What other forms of physical harm to others do you think we should continue enabling for the sake of our glorious traditions of freedom?

How many people die in the clothing industry worldwide each year, what about other industries such as farming? Should we ban all these things or try to make them safer?

Well yes, you correctly highlight that we will have to change our entire lifestyles if we wish to make the planet livable in the future. I hope we can largely do it by positive reinforcement of more local and public transport-based ways of living, rather than reinforcing car-based and plane-based lifestyles. But I suspect some people will cling on to their right to ruin the planet so strongly that we may have to legislate against them eventually. Don't be that person.

If that's your aim I'd start by banning useless things such as football - no utility value, massive stadia taking up space in most cities and towns, causes lots of pointless travel both within and between countries, as well as alcohol-fueled violence, nationalism, racism and homophobia. It's a planet-killing hate machine and must be stopped.
 
If that's your aim I'd start by banning useless things such as football - no utility value, massive stadia taking up space in most cities and towns, causes lots of pointless travel both within and between countries, as well as alcohol-fueled violence, nationalism, racism and homophobia. It's a planet-killing hate machine and must be stopped.
I could be wrong but I suspect teuchter would be on board with this one...
 
Well yes, you correctly highlight that we will have to change our entire lifestyles if we wish to make the planet livable in the future. I hope we can largely do it by positive reinforcement of more local and public transport-based ways of living, rather than reinforcing car-based and plane-based lifestyles. But I suspect some people will cling on to their right to ruin the planet so strongly that we may have to legislate against them eventually. Don't be that person.
If pollution is your main gripe about car usage, which is fair dos, presumably you have no objection to people owning and driving (from time to time at the least) electric cars?
 
If that's your aim I'd start by banning useless things such as football - no utility value, massive stadia taking up space in most cities and towns, causes lots of pointless travel both within and between countries, as well as alcohol-fueled violence, nationalism, racism and homophobia. It's a planet-killing hate machine and must be stopped.

I really enjoyed the break from football. One of very few good things to come from this pandemic.
 
I'm certain he would be. It involves people enjoying themselves.

I'm coming over all "crusty reminiscer" now, but I can remember a time when those on this site had a generally positive attitude to the freedom to do all sorts of enjoyable things.

Even ones of questionable legality! :eek:
 
Well yes, you correctly highlight that we will have to change our entire lifestyles if we wish to make the planet livable in the future. I hope we can largely do it by positive reinforcement of more local and public transport-based ways of living, rather than reinforcing car-based and plane-based lifestyles. But I suspect some people will cling on to their right to ruin the planet so strongly that we may have to legislate against them eventually. Don't be that person.
Inevitable silly banter around this forum aside, I don’t think most people would disagree with this, car drivers included.

But there is not a single overwhelming culprit that would solve the world’s problems if it got rid of. We can all still drive, go on holidays, eat meat or do countless other non-essential activities, so long as we do less of it.

Nothing needs to be outright banned. And demonising the very existence of a certain mode of transport or denouncing anyone ever seen using it as contributing to destroying the planet or people’s health without knowing their particular habits is meaningless vindictive rubbish.

Someone who drives a gas guzzler daily to the local shops is an arsehole and is part of the problem. Someone who barely uses a car and a couple of times a year enjoys a weekend away in the countryside and travels in an efficient low-emissions car is doing nothing wrong or objectionable. Certainly not more than someone who takes several breaks by train and coach per year and whose annual CO2 contribution will undoubtedly be similar or higher than a frugal car user.

Of course we should aim to cut down on certain habits. But pretending that any and all car usage is objectionable and unjustifiable is blatant bullshit, and such irrational hostility undoubtedly does more harm than good to the cause.
 
During shut down I used my car so little that I didn't have to put fuel in it for 11 weeks.

I missed seeing my son, but driving to work I can do without.
 
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