Sage words indeed, although when it comes to genuinely assessing need the typical motorist has a very skewed view of things in order to justify and perpetuate the status quo and thus prevent them having to expend effort.
That's just a polite way of saying that the typical car driver is lazy. And telling me I'm talking crap.
The point I was attempting to make is that if there is to be change it's generally not a good idea to start from the position of being insulting about the "other", no matter how polite. That attitude leaks out, gets picked up on and there aren't too many people who change their mind by being insulted.
Nobody likes change. Or at least, very, very few. If we want to convince people to change we need to listen to them, understand them, and
show them where we think they're in error, demonstrate the things they're missing out on, encourage them to question their own ideas and notions.
We don't operate in a vacuum. I grew up up thinking all I wanted was a Golf GTi. Cars are presented as giving us freedom. Very aspirational.
That's why threads like this leave me so bemused. There is very little of "that's a great idea! Let's try to make this work/improve it/spread it around". There's invariably a "that'll never work because......." which descends quickly into insulting the "other". Venting appears to trump progress.
Vent at me and I'm likely to vent back. It's a zero sum game.
I'm car free and I'm the laziest bugger I know!
I know a family of two working parents, 2 kids and two cars. They're not lazy. She's training for a half marathon, he's a triathlete, they do a couple of crazy weekend challenges every year. Grandparents need particular care, of late one or the other some emergency care, one of the kids in University is busy chasing down work and experience that wouldn't be possible depending on public transport, one of the cars is used twice weekly to ferry young lads to various sportsgrounds around the county (clubs no longer run buses - too expensive).
Their youngest is gutted after moving to "big school" - despite E-books his teachers are insisting on the paper copies for each class so he can no longer carry his schoolbag on his bike to school - it's too heavy. There's no public transport, it's too far to walk so a car it is. (At least the local parents take turns so only 1 car makes the run).
They're not lazy. But they'll tell you they need their cars. And they do.
The things that would reduce their need to zero are outside an individual's control.
- Public transport.
- Joined up thinking (a la school books and the amusing fact that around the schools is the most dangerous place for bikes with cars dashing in and out, double and triple parking)
- Proper funding for sports clubs etc.
And none of those will reduce the worry of receiving a call in the middle of the night about an ailing parent or the worry of children on busy roads.
But there are things we can participate in and encourage that will reduce the need and open people up to new experiences.
Bike chains are a great way of getting kids to school on bikes.
Encouraging car sharing/ride sharing reduces the cars on the road.
And politics. But I'm not going there.
Start small. Finish big. And try not to insult my friends along the way.
