"Advocacy isn’t about pretending you’ve always been right. It’s about learning, adapting, and bringing those lessons into the fight for better transit and better cities."
Years ago, I believed that if someone drove instead of taking the train or bus, it meant they were rejecting transit. That not riding was an active choice against it.
In my city, it is a active choice. Biking is infinitely more convenient and they choose not to. Every public conversation about my city’s transportation needs is absolutely dominated by people who are actively refusing to use anything but a car regardless of how much you explain the problem (the congestion they’re bitching about) they are creating.
There was one guy on Facebook who wrote the funniest fucking comment; “If I can’t park downtown, I’ll just drive to the next city and do my shopping there!” like he doesn’t understand he’s solving the problem (parking) he’s creating.
Years ago, I believed that if someone drove instead of taking the train or bus, it meant they were rejecting transit. That not riding was an active choice against it.
I lived in the capital region for 10 years and met plenty of car owners who took their car from the suburbs to the city and back, every day. There’s no reason. We have about the best imaginable* public transport and it isn’t too expensive either.
That said I wouldn’t hold it against anybody if the use their car for specific reasons like weekly family megashopping, or driving the other way i.e. away from the capital region.
* no, seriously. Fast, often, clean, never too full.
Ok, I looked at the article now. The context of the quote is “being an advocate” and what I basically wrote in my 2nd §. But given the situation described in my 1st §, all reasons given sound like weak excuses.
In my city, it is a active choice. Biking is infinitely more convenient and they choose not to. Every public conversation about my city’s transportation needs is absolutely dominated by people who are actively refusing to use anything but a car regardless of how much you explain the problem (the congestion they’re bitching about) they are creating.
There was one guy on Facebook who wrote the funniest fucking comment; “If I can’t park downtown, I’ll just drive to the next city and do my shopping there!” like he doesn’t understand he’s solving the problem (parking) he’s creating.
I lived in the capital region for 10 years and met plenty of car owners who took their car from the suburbs to the city and back, every day. There’s no reason. We have about the best imaginable* public transport and it isn’t too expensive either.
That said I wouldn’t hold it against anybody if the use their car for specific reasons like weekly family megashopping, or driving the other way i.e. away from the capital region.
* no, seriously. Fast, often, clean, never too full.
Ok, I looked at the article now. The context of the quote is “being an advocate” and what I basically wrote in my 2nd §. But given the situation described in my 1st §, all reasons given sound like weak excuses.