Manifesto
- I do not currently own a car and probably will not own another one in my lifetime. I may use a car, but the ownership paradigm is fundamentally broken in so many ways that it unnecessarily complicates life, where as I strive to simplify live.
- I commute by bus, light rail, passenger train, bicycle and walking. I will not commute by automobile again in my lifetime. It isn’t good for me, it isn’t good for a prospective employer and it isn’t good for the community or society around me. The list of things that an automobile is a negative for is too long to list in a manifesto.
- I do not hate automobiles, just the mindset that it is some sort of status, requirement for said status, requirement to ‘live well’ or other such absurd and petty notion..
- I believe that the pedestrian, which we ALL are at some point during each day, has rights and should be held above the automobile for all design, architecture and elements of life. In no way should the automobile continue to hold its position above human beings in society, in any place. In turn, no inanimate object should hold such a lofty place as that of the automobile for the past 60 years. Transit should not take it’s place, bicycles should not take it’s place, we should design for people interacting with people and living among people. Designing for the automobile, or even the bike above and before human beings should be cast into the dustbin of historical mistakes of humanity.
-In progress.
Transit Sleuth 
[…] Disclaimer and Manifesto […]
Bold statements to make in the car-centric culture that we live in, I like it! I also do not own a car and I don’t ever want to if at all possible, it is kinda tough though because I live in a rural community with no public transportation and I can’t imagine ever moving to a city.
That does make it exponentially harder, albeit if able bodied, it’s still absolutely possible to stay independent and have options in rural settings. Hell, I grew up in small town America, with zero taxis, zero transit and very car centric and I still managed to stay car-free myself until I was basically forced to get a drivers license at the age of 17. 2 years after most kids in the town would get their license!
Good luck on your efforts to maintain your choices! 🙂
AdronHey I’ve just discovered this page and find it resourceful, witty, and offbeat. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on transportation. I’m writing a news article analysis on the Portland Transportation Political Contemplations for an Urban Studies class at PSU. It was awesome how you touched on the different options available using resources from European cities. If you haven’t already, I recommend checking out the city in Brazil called Curitiba where the mayor, Jaime Lerner, cares about the people’s livability before the ease of car transport.
Portland is so biker orientated, yet the roads are still revolved around the comfort of the car. Have you heard of the concept pedestrian trail that City of Portland is planning? It’s a great idea! I’d like to talk more, as this topic fascinates me greatly. Also, if you’d like to read my analysis I’d be happy to share with you.
Cheers,
Anna
Thanks Anna, I’m going to check out what you referenced & will definitely look into Curitiba. I’ve been impressed by many of the South American cities and what they’ve been doing to recover from car overdose! 🙂
Delightful manifesto and hope for quick healing! I do own a car, but use it rather little. Mostly get around by bike and foot and would not own a car were it not for some of my hobbies that require one. I’ve spent some time in the Netherlands, a sterling example of a non-car centric country. It was an eye-opener.
The Netherlands truly is an amazing place eh! Loved visiting, would love to one day spend some considerable time or even live there. 🙂