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Spyware In Cars - It's Worse Than You Think
- Thread starter Ron Texas
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Count Arthur
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No, in many cities, you can drive to the outskirts, then use public transport to get to the centre, if well implemented, it can be cheaper and quicker. It also means that you don't need acres of parking spaces in the town centres and you can have more space for nice stuff, like parks, cafés with tables outside, etc..
Also consider this, every person walking, cycling, or on a bus, train or tram, is not in a car, so generally, places with better alternatives, are often better places to drive. Many people consider a car to be the key to freedom, but, if there's no alternative and it's essentially a requirement, and everywhere you go is crammed with traffic, is it still a freedom?
And just for you Ron.
KSTR
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Maybe you should visit Utrecht, Netherlands. 200k+ inhabitants and one of the few existing true 15 minute cities. That would certainly rectify your POV.
A key point is decentralization, especially for larger cities of course.
OP
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@Count Arthur in Houston we have park and ride which follows the model of driving to the outskirts and taking public transit the rest of the way. Most who use it are trying to avoid high downtown parking prices. Unlike heavy rail, it doesn't save time. For existing cities decentralization is the only way.
I find your post of "Why I Hate Houston" to be in extremely poor taste and verging on harassment. I have lived here for my entire adult life and am not going anywhere. How would you like it if I posted "Why I Hate Count Arthur's Home Town"? Please remove that insult.
I find your post of "Why I Hate Houston" to be in extremely poor taste and verging on harassment. I have lived here for my entire adult life and am not going anywhere. How would you like it if I posted "Why I Hate Count Arthur's Home Town"? Please remove that insult.
OP
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I have been to Utrecht. It's lovely, but you can't turn a big city into a little one. It's a nice idea, bit it rarely happens by itself and it's difficult to do from scratch. Some resort towns were built this way but housing is insanely expensive, so much that it is mostly in short term rental. There is a huge gap between the ideal and reality. Some believe the ideal population of the world is 500 million, but there is no humane way to get there.
Just pay people to have 0-1 kids instead of 2+ kids and wait 200 years, ez pz.
Count Arthur
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it was meant as a joke - I've never been to Houston. You are more than welcome to hate my home town, I know I do sometimes, and I'm under no illusions that it's intrinsically better than anywhere else; I live here purely by accident of birth.
If it makes any difference to you I am tweaked by the State of Texas. It's very cool in some ways that I like/prefer. I like what I see on YouTube channels with Texans doing Texan sorta stuff and I appreciate the land/terrain and the style of the people...
But then I guess that's not a revelation because Alberta and Texas have similarities and I like Alberta so it all fits together for me.
wunderkind
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I've been there. Utrecht is such a gem of a city. We preferred it over to Amsterdam. Truly walkable and bikeable place. In fact I really dig Netherlands transportation way of life. I feel it is the citizen's mentality on road sharing that made cycling lifestyle a success over there.
OP
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I'm requesting discussion of 15 minute cities be discontinued because it is off topic. It's a bit like telling someone who is afraid the bogeyman is hiding under their bed to cut the legs of the bed. This thread is about automotive spyware and its use or misuse depending on your point of view. Maybe your solution is not to drive, but that's not possible for most of us in North America.
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OP
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Definitely true.If it makes any difference to you I am tweaked by the State of Texas. It's very cool in some ways that I like/prefer. I like what I see on YouTube channels with Texans doing Texan sorta stuff and I appreciate the land/terrain and the style of the people...
OP
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It didn't work in China. Economies are dependent on population growth.
somebodyelse
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Citation please. From what I've read (like https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/09/are-self-driving-cars-already-safer-than-human-drivers/) we just don't have enough data yet, but so far they're not doing too badly in comparison despite some high profile issues.
somebodyelse
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Also off topic and likely thread-ending.
Well, China 30 years ago is not necessarily representative of what the planet will look like for the next 200. I also wasn't that serious.
But if economic growth actually requires endless population growth, then we'd better come up with a better plan. At some point the traffic will just get too onerous to tolerate.
Waymo is supposedly doing well, and from my own experience riding around the city, it's not half bad. Their worst incident (that I heard of) was hitting a cyclist, but it IIRC wasn't serious. Cruise nearly killed a pedestrian, and caused a lot of problems besides. IIRC that article says that (if you believe their data) Waymo is already as good or better than a human driver in the places they've tested it.
We're Austrian!That's an odd worry for a US citizen, given that, outside Hawaii, the US has never been bombed.
Whereas pretty much everywhere else has; often by the US.
OP
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That sounds very anti-American to me. Yeah, don't try and tell me 9/11 with 2,900 dead doesn't count, the Civil War and the war of 1812.That's an odd worry for a US citizen, given that, outside Hawaii, the US has never been bombed.
Whereas pretty much everywhere else has; often by the US.
OP
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Since I don't know what your home town is, it's not possible for me to hate it. There is a long list of places I avoid, but I don't have the energy to hate them.
ClickIf a persons main driving safety issue is other people are driving too slow that might be a sign? To avoid aggressive driving, below are strategies offered by internet sources.
- Practice Polite Driving Habits: Avoid tailgating, cutting off other vehicles, speeding, weaving, leaving high beam headlights on, and erratic braking. Merge politely and always err on the side of being courteous. Avoid using phone or texting while driving. Pay attention to the road.
- Slow Down: Let aggressive drivers go around you and they will quickly be on their way.
- Get Away from Aggressive Drivers: If you notice a driver with aggressive behavior, create distance between you by slowing down or changing lanes.
- Don't Make Rude Gestures or Yell: Avoid engaging with aggressive drivers by making rude gestures or yelling. Avoid eye contact with an aggressive driver trying to provoke a reaction.
- Use Your Horn Sparingly: Horns should primarily be used in emergency situations. Tap your horn lightly if needed to get a driver's attention.
- Avoid Making Driving Competitive: Remember that driving is not a competition; focus on getting home safely rather than teaching other drivers a lesson.
- Apologize if You've Made a Mistake: If you accidentally cut off another driver or make a mistake, smile and wave as an apology to disarm and calm most drivers. If you hit a parked car, leave your insurance and contact information.
- Don't Drive Under Distress: Avoid driving if you're angry, upset, or drowsy to prevent reacting aggressively to other drivers' mistakes.
- Adjust Your Driving Attitude: Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt and consider whether responding aggressively is worth the risk of injury or harm.
- Have Reasonable Expectations About Travel Time: Plan your travel time wisely, give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination, and avoid setting unreasonable expectations for arrival time.
- Call 911 if Under Attack: If confronted by an aggressive driver behaving violently, call 911 immediately and drive to a safe public location with witnesses.
- If you took the time to read these suggestions and think they are proper etiquette, you're probably not an aggressive driver.
Growing up here (in the USA) we frequently had bombing drills when I was an elementary student (1963-1970). The government instilled it into us that we would be bombed if something bad happened in the world.
I did the “Duck and Cover” in the 1960s
Jun 11, 2020
This photo of school children kneeling under their desks isn’t a bunch of school kids praying; it’s the Duck and Cover. I started elementary school in the 1960s, at Lincoln School, where they taught me the nuclear bomb drill — Duck and Cover. Everyone had to prepare for an atomic bomb blast from the Soviet Union. At school, I dutifully dove under my desk and hid in the fetal position. Yep, I did the “duck and cover” in the 1960s.
Every month the air-raid would sound-off, long and loud, signaling a bomb threat. It was routine, and I didn’t think much about bombs dropping — it was like a fire drill. Of course, I didn’t understand the potential danger of a nuclear bomb. If I heard the siren alarm go off on a non-school day, I didn’t do anything but take note of the siren. If I was at school, I ducked under my desk and clasped my hands behind my neck, face to the floor. Perhaps a prayer would have been better. (I had desks like this until 6th grade
Duck and Cover Bomb Siren
Los Angeles county built these attack-warning sirens in the foothills around the valley where I grew up — all part of the protection we got from the County Office of Civil Defense. Huge, 180-horsepower sirens sounded off as part of our regular bomb drill — I still recall that sound. Here’s the culprit, the one I heard, overlooking La Crescenta, California:
You had to stay away from windows and cover yourself — protect your face and skin from breaking glass, and a sunburn that you would never forget (until you were dead.) But I don’t remember being told this part.
I think the siren was the two-tone sound — going up and then down.
Some sirens were one-tone.
The Soviet Union tested its first nuclear bomb in 1949, and the U.S. thought they might use it. Duck and Cover became part of the Civil Defense Drills that all of us had to practice every month.
The Duck and Cover Turtle Film
They made movies to teach us as well — the famous “Duck and Cover” produced by the Federal Civil Defense Administration. There was a cartoon character — a turtle named Bert that taught kids how he hides in his shell for safety when a monkey waves a firecracker over his head. Hmmm… no wonder I was confused and not too worried.I asked my husband if he remembers doing the drill, and he replied, “of course, it was a chance to see a girl’s underwear.” Yea, we wore dresses. Never thought of that. See, men are visual, even when they’re young.
Bomb Shelter Prepping in the 1960s
An artist’s rendition of a temporary basement fallout shelter, ca.1957.
Photograph of a display of survival supplies for the well-stocked fallout shelter, ca.1961.
Photograph of a basement family fallout shelter 1960s
Photograph of the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization exhibit at a local civil defense fair. ca. 1960
