Comments on: Cars And Posthumanism Chapter 13: Loaded Pistol http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/05/10/cars-and-posthumanism-chapter-13-the-loaded-pistol/ Smart Growth defined: Making the car an option, not a necessity.* Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:00:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: mistamatic http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/05/10/cars-and-posthumanism-chapter-13-the-loaded-pistol/#comment-2164 Mon, 19 May 2008 20:46:32 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/05/10/cars-and-posthumanism-chapter-13-the-loaded-pistol/#comment-2164 The situation downtown for right turns is nearly impossible at some intersections (think 6th & Pine, for example). I've noticed a few starting to hold the pedestrian traffic or give it a head start to help alleviate the timing issues. It would help a lot to give right-turns an early arrow that also holds pedestrian traffic for just a few precious seconds, allowing for 3-4 right turns and unsnarling the backup behind! The situation downtown for right turns is nearly impossible at some intersections (think 6th & Pine, for example). I’ve noticed a few starting to hold the pedestrian traffic or give it a head start to help alleviate the timing issues. It would help a lot to give right-turns an early arrow that also holds pedestrian traffic for just a few precious seconds, allowing for 3-4 right turns and unsnarling the backup behind!

]]> by: Dan Staley http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/05/10/cars-and-posthumanism-chapter-13-the-loaded-pistol/#comment-2034 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:40:33 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/05/10/cars-and-posthumanism-chapter-13-the-loaded-pistol/#comment-2034 <i>The amazing thing is that not only are the drivers stripped of normal healthy human compassion by cars, but that the pedestrians put up with it with nary a complaint. ... So where’s the outrage when they are threatened to essentially the same degree by a driver in a car? </i> I think our lives being structured around jumping from climate-controlled box to climate-controlled box is <i>individualizing</i> more than dehumanizing. I'm sure the isolated individuals in these cars may be thinking highly of themselves or their immediate families. When I lived in Sacramento, I was a three-day a week bike commuter. A couple of miles away from work, I shared the road on an old narrow drawbridge, where once a week I'd get beeped at to get out of the way so the driver wasn't delayed 15 seconds. Almost without fail, at the bottom of the bridge, I'd catch up with the driver at the red light. Their attitudes changed dramatically when they saw my head in their window, asking them if there was a problem. Connecting to the offense, see. Anyway, I think there's no outrage at being assaulted by a 4000 lb weapon, because we all are in that position in our society - fighting isolationism and individualization to some degree. Some realize this, most don't. The amazing thing is that not only are the drivers stripped of normal healthy human compassion by cars, but that the pedestrians put up with it with nary a complaint. … So where’s the outrage when they are threatened to essentially the same degree by a driver in a car?

I think our lives being structured around jumping from climate-controlled box to climate-controlled box is individualizing more than dehumanizing. I’m sure the isolated individuals in these cars may be thinking highly of themselves or their immediate families.

When I lived in Sacramento, I was a three-day a week bike commuter. A couple of miles away from work, I shared the road on an old narrow drawbridge, where once a week I’d get beeped at to get out of the way so the driver wasn’t delayed 15 seconds. Almost without fail, at the bottom of the bridge, I’d catch up with the driver at the red light. Their attitudes changed dramatically when they saw my head in their window, asking them if there was a problem. Connecting to the offense, see.

Anyway, I think there’s no outrage at being assaulted by a 4000 lb weapon, because we all are in that position in our society - fighting isolationism and individualization to some degree. Some realize this, most don’t.

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