We should feel compassion towards addicts. Yes, even car addicts.
this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2025
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Sure, provided they show they want to make changes to the way they do things -- at the very least by not actively fighting tooth and nail against systemic measures that could free them of that addiction.
@destructdisc @BilboBargains Yes. We can show compassion without indulging the habit and certainly without caving to their demands that everyone else live in a world designed to cater to their addiction. If your sibling is an alcoholic, you might only invite them to your home for an alcohol-free party. If they're a car addict, you can invite them but make clear there isn't space to park their SUV and give them transit and/or bike directions.
@destructdisc @BilboBargains Our culture normalizes constant car use in so many ways, from how retailers and professional services offices give directions to their businesses to what is shown and how in pop culture. People for whom everyday car use has become normalized often just need to hear alternative voices consistently and persistently for a while to realize that they can and should at least reduce if not eliminate their car use.
@destructdisc @BilboBargains Unfortunately, public transportation is one of the many public goods that has been in decline for decades due to neglect by both major political parties in the US and is now getting absolutely demolished under the new fascist regime, and people who walk and cycle have also had targets painted on our backs by hatemongers. We need to fight more actively than ever for our freedom to travel freely by the mode of our choosing.
aT lEaST iT'S lEsS CrOwDeD tHaN PuBlIC TrAnSpORT
I'm confused whats the alternative here? Even in Japan you'd hire a taxi if you have a full load of groceries you're not taking the train.
Living in Wroclaw, PL. Closest grocery store is 100m from where I live. Closest discount store is 350m. Closest hypermarket is 850m. Closest mall is 600m. Closest bakery is 50m. Closest restaurant is 250m, 300 for kebab, 450 for mexican, chinese, thai, korean, and italian, 600m for sushi Closest pharmacy is 300m. Closest clinic is 450m. Closest hospital is 1,3km. Closest bank is 100m.
Very not city centre btw. When your apartment is closer to things you need than the distance between free parking spot and the shop in US the car becomes pretty useless
Mumbai, India. Six grocery stores, five pharmacies, two clinics, and multiple cafes and restaurants within a 3-minute bike ride from where I live. A full-fledged mall, a hospital, a 7-Eleven convenience store, and an upcoming metro station 5 minutes away, a major discount department store, a shopping complex, and the train station 10min away (by bike).
That's on top of the fact that there are multiple Instacart-style app-based delivery services that'll bring groceries to you, so you don't even have to get out of the house if you don't want to. (I steer clear of those because they grossly underpay their low-level employees, but they're there if you really need something in a pinch)
I live a solid 25-30 km outside the city center. Not once have I felt the need for a car in my eight years living here, even for longer distances.
Similar in Turku, Finland.
And I live on the very edges of the city. 500m to a store and pharmacy, supermarket a bit further. But there's buses that go like every 7 min during the day.
Now they're also opening more cross city lines, so that'll make it so that I have a bus stop outside my building that will take me to one of the largest malls in Finland in a few minutes. And the other connection takes me to the centre of the city which has a mall even larger by sales.
I've not owned a car for years, and even when I buy lots of groceries, the bus connections are so good that I've not needed a car. I'm a single guy though, but sometimes I'll have like 25kg of groceries on me when I weigh myself for the luls. A backpack and bags in both hands.
If I need something bigger that requires a car, I can use a taxi or loan a car from a friend.
Surely thats not applicable in most of the world.
Japan has accessible grocery stores and department stores just about everywhere. That makes it a lot easier to just get what you need and take it home because of how easy it to get to and from the store. If the load is something you can't carry by yourself most stores offer a delivery service.
AAA
$$
It’s not free.
I’m assuming this lasy does not have much money at all. You can get road side assistance with your car insurance and they’ll come to you and get you taken care of. If its a dead battery then just use a jumper. Gone are the days of needing a second car for this. Its just a big rechargeable battery with jumper cables attached to it. If you don’t have these then you are either ignorant to their existence, can’t afford it, or just want to live on the edge. If you don’t have the money for it then thats fine. Times can be tough, I get it. If you do have the money for it, then don’t be dumb and pay for these things. Having simple car knowledge helps a lot yet so many in the US don’t know shit about cars
If you don’t have the money for it then thats fine. Times can be tough, I get it.
Is that the entire extent of your consideration, or do you have an actual suggestion for a systemic solution for poor people who find themselves in this situation?
Columbus is special. It's a 15 minute city by car outside rush hour. But gods help you if you don't have a car. The bus comes like every hour.
I spent years there trying to convince people that it needs light rail
Looks like you had a really good light rail system up until the late '70s?
https://allcolumbusdata.com/rail-transportation-history/
I'm assuming Judge Doom got involved at that point and paved over the lines
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i mean your insurance is supposed to cover the fees of tracting the car to the first garage, and pay you a taxi or whatever
isn't that a thing in Murica
We call that roadside assistance and many people do not have it as it is not required. Manny more people don't know they have it. Actually some phone companies include it in their plans, I've also seen it as a feature on some credit cards. But if you don't think about it, you forget you have it.
American car insurance covers collision damage from other cars or external factors. It doesn't cover mechanical failures. You can get extended warranty coverage, both from your car dealer or from third parties, but this is usually not financially worthwhile.
oh. I do get coverage for all failures & replacement car for about 110€/month
Insurance in America paying for something
Hell, just needing a jump start becsuse your battery died can be a PITA if you have to rely on strangers.
Cars (like any technology under capitalism) are meant to keep people dependent, desperate, and exploitable.
meant to keep people dependent
As compared to what? Public transport is the definition of being dependent! There's plenty of criticism to be levied, exaggeration isn't needed.
Aren't trams, trains and bikes technology?
They don't want that there.
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This is naiive and dumb (like a lot of posts in this community).
If you drove to the grocery store, then you almost certainly have more groceries than are going to be comfortable to carry back by hand.
I mean if you can walk to the grocery store in a reasonable amount of time you'll be able to divide those groceries over multiple visits and not have to deal with this.
here in sweden we have also have this unique invention called a "handcart" that lets you transport more things while walking
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