this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2025

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Superior Risk Assessment (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 3 days ago by FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/microblogmemes@lemmy.world

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[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 32 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

Driving is the highest-risk activity that the average person engages in on the average day.

It's dangerous, stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. I also think it is a significant contributing factor to our sedentary lifestyles and expanding waistlines. I'm resentful that the decision to go with automobile-based infrastructure was decided before I was even born and that I've never had a viable opportunity to vote against it.

What I really hate is that driving is a privilege. But not needing to drive (i.e. walkability, bikeability, and good transit) are also privileges. Fucked either way it would seem.

[–] bluewing@lemm.ee 14 points 2 days ago (3 children)

There never was a vote to make it legal or illegal. And it was widely hailed as a great idea at the time. It was considered the best way for large cities to dig out from under the literal mountains of horse shit they were drowning in and that was polluting the ground water and killing children and adults alike from disease. Plus it gave people far more freedom to move about faster and father than they had by foot, horse, or train. Like it or not, the internal combustion engine has given you, personally, everything good and bad that you have at this very moment in time.

But, like most great human ideas, there are always unintended consequences no one sees until they happen.

[–] AppleTea@lemmy.zip 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Actually, there was a lot of push-back. People weren't too happy that suddenly great big hunks of metal were hurling through public spaces at lethal speeds -- but the car manufactures had money, so the press and the politicians sided with them.

check out Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City by Peter D. Norton

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[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I actually like driving for the most part, and I think that I'd like it even more if people who weren't forced to drive weren't driving, and if the people driving were well-trained and medically cleared as safe to drive.

If we had those things I could do a hundred miles an hour on the highway everywhere. It would be awesome.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I think that I’d like it even more if people who weren’t forced to drive weren’t driving,

I actually don't mind driving so much as I mind driving in heavy traffic. Driving along on an empty road, or lighter traffic at least, isn't so bad.

But society pretty much forces everyone to drive. Even people who don't want to drive or are simply bad at it.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Now imagine if everyone you met on those low-traffic days knew how to zipper merge, and were intimately familiar with the idea of "keep right, pass left." And their cars had to be maintained perfectly to even be on the road.

This training and maintenance is why some sections of the Autobahn have no speed limit.

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[–] glitchdx@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago

I've never almost died on a bus.

[–] SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz 86 points 3 days ago (26 children)

Let's be real: they're terrified that they might be forced to be near poor people, minorities, gays, and mentally ill folk.

[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago

Their “News ^tm^” is constantly telling them cities are hellholes full of junkies and murderers and murderous junkies.

Most of them have no clue how the world outside their pickup truck windows works.

[–] scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 49 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Bingo. I've talked to many of them online and it always boils down to this. It's never that they're actually in any danger. It's just they feel scared. They drive their big trucks because it makes them feel safe.

Meanwhile puny me rides the subway daily.

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[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I used to be a big fan of public transport, but after covid it went to shit in my country or rather, it went to shit in my part of the country. Pretty sure it is still great in Copenhagen. Those lucky bastards.

[–] reattach@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

As an American who visited Copenhagen post-covid, the public transport is amazing.

[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 6 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Right? Oh noooo I missed the metroooo. 🤭 2 minutes until the next one arrives?! Whatever will I doooo? 😜 And that is just the metro. Ignore the busses and trains which are also plenty and usually on time. Those lucky, lucky bastards.

Meanwhile in my neck of the woods: 💨

I could go into my public transportation horror stories, but I think it's better to conclude my comment with the fact that my boyfriend and I, who were both big fans of public transportation, ended up buying a car because we literally had no other choice.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

my boyfriend and I, who were both big fans of public transportation, ended up buying a car because we literally had no other choice.

As a car guy, this breaks my heart. Because you probably bought something reasonable and practical and egg-shaped.

Nothing that stirs your passions. Nothing you look back on in the parking lot and think "I can't believe that's my car."

As someone who thinks cars can be an art form, forcing people who don't want cars to buy cars dilutes that art. Like making amazing designers make ads for bottled water or something.

Cars should be like horses are now: Beautiful and running in a field. Cared for as cherished pets. Not resigned to bumper-to-bumper traffic, waiting for someone who hates driving to attempt to merge with a "Please let me merge before I cry" bumper sticker, herding the semi who's just trying to do their job and not kill someone who should not be driving.

[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 4 points 2 days ago

Yeah man! It was even white like an egg too because we couldn't afford a color xD

I will say that for my boyfriend's part, I think our little egg car has brought him a lot of joy because he has more time and energy now that he doesn't have to get up at 3.30 in the morning to get to work at 8.00. He likes nature too so he goes on several trips in his spare time to places he wouldn't be able to reach otherwise, so if it is of any solace to you, our goofy little car has done some good to us. We even talk more because he started calling me on his commute home from work to chat about our day. During the public transport days, there was none of that because he was totally wiped out from being on the go since night time and into the afternoon where the only train or bus home would be home in our city around 18.00 or even 20.00 some days. For years our relationship was good morning and good night on week days because of how fucky public transport is and this was before covid too xD I feel like our car gave me back my boyfriend so I can't hate on it too much even if it is ugly and boring to look at.

But yeah, I appreciate your love for cars. I really feel your passion through your words. To me, cars are just a vehicle that takes you places so it's nice to hear someone else's perspective and having them remind you that cars could be more than just four wheels that drives you around.

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[–] Biggles@lemmy.myserv.one 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Either way you risk a possibility of being rear-ended.

[–] Ziglin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

In a train? That seems very unlikely though not impossible.

[–] sfu@lemm.ee 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I can't speak for NY, but...

In Los Angeles I used the busses, subway, and trains for two to three years going to work. For one year it was an hour each way riding 2 trains. After that, it was 2.5 hours each way switching between busses and trains five times.

While I truly appreciated the Metro, it was often not fun. Usually everything and everyone was fine. But, at times I'd be riding with drugged up dangerous acting people. Other times just super annoying people. Sometimes the trains would be packed shoulder to shoulder full of people. And sometimes, in the middle of LA, the train would stop, and say "everybody off" without an explanation, and everyone would exit the train and have to figure out where to go.

Once I was able to drive myself, I no longer had to worry about any of the issues I had before. All I had to deal with was traffic jams. Annoying, but I did feel safer.

[–] turmoil@feddit.org 2 points 2 days ago

Yeah, but LA has a shitty public transport system.

Take a look at any major European city. Subway systems with a train interval of 2 minutes that get you across the whole city in 40 minutes max.

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 58 points 3 days ago (38 children)

I've done both.

Safest place in the subway is at the front of the first car near the motorman. Second best is the front of the second car. If there's trouble you can move to the first car [with the motorman easily] and have two doors between you and the troublemaker.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 94 points 3 days ago

Public transport is directly correlated with ridership numbers. When using public transport is the best mobility option, then everyone from all backgrounds will use it and that leads to less bullshit being done.

The numbers are pretty early but the congestion pricing in NYC has apparently already led to less crime in the subway.

The latest Climate Town vid is great.

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