• LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.worldEnglish
    81·
    3 months ago

    Let green text guy live his own definition of an ideal life, but it would be a pretty pathetic life for me if the only place I ever had to go was the grocery store.

  • pjwestin@lemmy.worldEnglish
    26·
    3 months ago

    This is assuming you live in a walkable town or neighborhood. I remember a reddit post (can’t find it anymore) of a guy trying to walk less than 2 miles to an appointment in Orlando. He followed Google Maps directions down the shoulder of a highway that led to a dead-end, backtracked, tried again, and finally made almost all the way to his destination, which was on the opposite side of a 6-lane highway Google wanted him to cross.

    I’ve only ever visited the theme parks in Orlando, but I experienced one intersection I had to share with cars. I spent every walk sign waiting for cars making a turn to yield. Even though I had the right of way, literally none of them did, until I finally had to run across the street because the cars at the red light, who could see I was 1/3 through the intersection, floored it the second their light turned green. Sure, fuck all of those car-brained drivers who refuse to yield to pedestrians, but also fuck that city for not fining drivers for shitty behavior, or at least changing their traffic lights so all cars have red lights when pedestrians have the walk sign.

    Anyway, point is, personal choices are important, but they can’t overcome the systemic issues created by car culture without collective action. And Orlando sucks ass.

    • Soup@lemmy.worldEnglish
      91·
      3 months ago

      Congrate, your first sentence figured it out.

      Maybe you just got here but bud I’m getting so tired of people assuming that people like the person in the post aren’t also the same people screaming for better infrastructure so we can ditch this high dependence on cars. We know that not everywhere is like this and that’s why we also have a MOUNTAIN of examples of even the shittiest places in the US, but also all over the world, doing things to build better for not that much money.

      The entire point of the post is to show that people who fight against that change don’t have much of an argument. We know how things are but they don’t need to be like forever. Nearly every city used to be a 15min city before the car and then 50-100 years ago we fucked it all up(because of bribes from car manufacturers) and kept that shit train rolling.

      • pjwestin@lemmy.worldEnglish
        34·
        3 months ago

        Yeah, that would be a great point if the entire post wasn’t a 4Channer framing this as personal choices and not systemic ones. The dudes not talking about how the car industry destroyed railcars, he’s dunking on people who drive to the grocery store, and the implication is clearly, “everyone can and should do this,” which is bullshit.

        • Soup@lemmy.worldEnglish
          41·
          3 months ago

          Except there are places where that’s true. There are also people in places with the same mindset who buy trucks for twice the price of a reasonable hatchback and act like the extra $30k+ is less than occasionally renting a U-Haul.

          You not being smart doesn’t diminish my point.

          • pjwestin@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            3 months ago

            Except there are places where that’s true. There are also people in places with the same mindset who buy trucks for twice the price of a reasonable hatchback…

            Yeah, I never said this wasn’t true, but again, none of that is in the fucking post. The dude’s not making a nuanced point about people who live in walkable areas but buy large trucks over sensible hatchbacks. He’s making a sweeping statement about how people who don’t walk to the grocery store are idiots, but America has the walking score of a developing nation; if you live somewhere where you can walk to the grocery store, you’re breathing rarefied air, and calling other people stupid for driving is entitled.

            Like, what are you so pissy about? That I was responding to the content of the post instead of the points you assume the 4Channer would make, but didn’t? OK buddy, in the future, I’ll try to infer what you presume the OP’s hidden beliefs are and tailor my comment to that. Seems reasonable.

            • Soup@lemmy.worldEnglish
              11·
              3 months ago

              So you get to have all the nuance but they don’t? Ok, buddy.

              • pjwestin@lemmy.worldEnglish
                11·
                3 months ago

                The fuck are you talking about? Yeah, they don’t get to have the nuance; it’s not in the fucking post. It’s a pithy 50ish words about how they’re so much smarter than other people for not driving to the grocery store. I pointed out the reality is more nuanced than that for most people, and your whole response has been, “yeah, well, they probably know that, so why don’t just act like their response is nuanced?” To which the answer continues to be, “Because that’s not what they fucking said, are you high?”

                • Soup@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  11·
                  3 months ago

                  Wahh wahh oh my god, dude. Congrats, you showed up and started running your mouth like you had access to special information and were teaching people that there are places without good infrastructure. We know this already, and I even showed you other extremely related examples.

                  Yes, you’re a very special smarty-pants thank you for this wonderful and definitely new take that will totally help and isn’t at all the same old tired shit that constantly bloats the discussion.

    • Obi@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      102·
      3 months ago

      The whole “turn right on red” in north America baffles me as a European.

      • pjwestin@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        3 months ago

        Oh, this wasn’t even a right on red. The green light for cars was lined up with the walk sign for pedestrians going rhe same direction. In a situation like that, when a car with a green light needs to turn through the crosswalk, they are supposed to yield to any pedestrian crossing at that time, but apparently the people of Orlando have so much car entitlement that they don’t even slow down when a pedestrian is standing in the middle of the crosswalk trying to complete a legal crossing.

      • Ansis100@lemmy.worldEnglish
        43·
        3 months ago

        I know this is fuckcars, but I personally I think it makes sense. Our brothers in Lithuania are also doing it (tbf there needs to be a specific sign next to the light saying you can do it).

        The less people spend waiting on pointless traffic lights, the faster cars get to their destination, the less cars there are on the street. At least that’s how I view it.

        All of this is of course keeping in mind to always yield to a pedestrian.

      • vala@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        3·
        3 months ago

        American here, this is just as stupid and dangerous as it sounds. The idea is that it’s very easy to check for pedestrians before turning but literally almost no one even looks. Even if the crosswalk light is lit they don’t notice and just plow right through.

        • FireRetardant@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          3 months ago

          Id argue the idea is that its easy to check for cars as you only need 1 lane of traffic. Traffic engineers don’t really consider the needs and safety of pedestrians, they just do the bare minimum to accommodate them. And the engineers that do try to care about pedestrians are told things like “well thats not how its done in this book from the 50s” or “that would reduce our throughput by 5% meaning we’d need to invest in another car lane”

  • pfunk1978@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    3 months ago

    Anon obviously has never been to Costco. No way you can leave that place without parting with $100

    • the_elder@midwest.socialEnglish
      5·
      3 months ago

      And no way you only save $5, long as you only buy what you need. We got a sectional for $2k that would have cost $3k elsewhere, and far less than the $5500 LoveSac we were eyeballing.

  • confusedbytheBasics@lemmy.worldEnglish
    212·
    3 months ago

    I lived next to a little natural grocery for a few years. Prices were about 20% higher than the ordinary grocery and maybe double what I’d pay at Costco. At first I was resistant because they seemed to be overcharging so much. Overtime I talked to the employees and realized the savings I made on time and not needing a car more than made up for the higher price. Plus they had to keep prices high because shoplifting was very common.

    I started figuring my time and car expenses into future shopping trips and now I don’t mind paying a bit more for the local co-op.

  • Ice@lemmy.worldEnglish
    154·
    3 months ago

    Usually I need to be at work 08:00 or 08:10. Furthermore, the same trip by car takes approximately 30-35 minutes during rush hour. This means my car saves me approximately 1-3hrs every working day (valued ~4k€/yr based on my current wages).

    My car cost ~1k€ 8 years ago and maybe an additional 1.5k€ maintenance per year (a lot of which I do myself) + 2.5k€ fuel + insurance + tax - compared to 800€ for a public transit card.

    Our family home is valued at 110k€, the same money would buy a 1 room studio apartment in the city.

      • Ice@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        3 months ago

        a) Housing is expensive in urban areas.

        b) Public transit has difficulty competing outside urban areas due to being relatively slow and inflexible when demand and service is low.

        c) Cars win on convenience and service, due to the alternative cost of time.

      • frank@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        201·
        3 months ago

        The infrastructure is too car dependent and OP is navigating within it really well?

    • Korhaka@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      91·
      3 months ago

      I can cycle to the next town over in 25 minutes at any time of day, less if I got an ebike. Driving during rush hour can take an hour.

      Though they moved our office 50+ miles away so I am using that as my reason to never return to the office. Looking for a new job just in case though.

      • Ice@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        3 months ago

        Sounds nice, it would be lovely to have the means to live like that.

  • anthropomorphized@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2212·
    3 months ago

    It would be so much we easier if they just admitted they were in highschool. Sure. The only thing I need a car for if groceries. The only thing this person needs a car for is 45$ of Mom’s Costco membership worth of Doritos

      • azimir@lemmy.mlEnglish
        131·
        3 months ago

        I moved to a major European city. Seeing people (and now doing it myself) bringing home furniture on the bus or train is great. I don’t own a car anymore. Between a small wheelie cart and larger stuff coming via delivery with the order, we’ve been furnishing our apartment without trouble.

        The percentage of days we needed a big vehicle was always low. Buying and maintaining a car when there’s actual modern public transit is only for extreme edge cases.

      • PokerChips@programming.devEnglish
        73·
        3 months ago

        Not really useful in many places. And for most homes, it’s non existent

        A bike maybe. But you can only carry so much groceries on a bike without it being a very frustrating experience.

        • Korhaka@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          75·
          3 months ago

          I can easily do our shopping with a regular bike, cargo bike would carry more than my partners car can.

      • KatakiY@lemmy.worldEnglish
        91·
        3 months ago

        What’s public transit? Will that drive me 50 miles to work at the exact time I need it to?

        I’m salty my country is like this. Fucking stupid

  • Pothetato@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    3 months ago

    My car costed less than 6k. But yeah 1-2k on maintainence, $1200 insurance and probably 2k on gas every year. E-bikes looking very interesting.

  • paraphrand@lemmy.worldEnglish
    17·
    3 months ago

    Ok everyone. Make weekly groceries $200 and Costco $190. Does that make a difference about the point of this post? Ya’ll…

    • 🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      3 months ago

      It’s also ignoring how this person spent so much in gas if they’re able to walk everywhere. Surely they’re talking public transportation, biking, or they simply have 4 extra hours a day.

      But yes owning a car is an expensive grift, but it’s one that’s hard to avoid in many parts of the US

    • Korhaka@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      81·
      3 months ago

      I looked at their website and I don’t get it, Aldi seems to be cheaper already so why would I bother with costco?

      • burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        2·
        3 months ago

        The only thing costco really has going for it is the odd item that is truly on sale, dependable low prices on some stuff, and quality control. Quality control is the big one. I can’t remember most of the tests now, but when olive oil was being looked at, costco was one of the two brands out of something like 32 that was actually what it said on the label. On a couple of other things as well that I remember, like honey, they had the same finding.

  • pemptago@lemmy.mlEnglish
    1043·
    3 months ago

    Forgot the gym membership. With a car you can drive to the gym to walk on a treadmill.

  • phdepressed@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    165·
    3 months ago

    Must be nice to live where public transit works. 2h to get to and from work each way not including daycare dropoff just ain’t it. Give me feasible public transit and a walkable city and I’ll get rid of my car.

    Only the rich or the dumb buy new. You can still get decent used cars for a fair bit cheaper.

    • Frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      4·
      3 months ago

      Used car market is getting cooked. People are holding onto their cars longer. When they get into even a minor crash, they are often totalled because of how expensive parts are. Independent mechanics are being pushed out because there’s nothing worth fixing.

      The end result will be buy new or don’t.

  • dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    202·
    3 months ago

    Ok let’s flip this to cherry pick my example.

    Don’t need a car most of life, get to 40 and upskill and become a software engineer. Job market is terrible due to saturation and I suck at interviews so can only take a job 40 miles away from home.

    No problem.exe. I can take 2.5-3 hour commute each way 5 days a week.

    Fast forward a few months and I’m just dead on my feet, do nothing but go to work come home goto bed get up and repeat.

    Decide this can’t continue. Can’t afford to move to the bougie town where I work so decide I need a car finally.

    Save 12-15 hours per week and it’s not too much more expensive than taking a Metrolink and a train to work with 30 mins of walking too. Plus all the meals you need to eat out of the house when you’re out for 14 hours in a day.

    On my days off I’ll take the tram 20 miles each way to go rock climbing but some people actually do need cars and they shouldn’t be made to feel bad for it.

    • wabasso@lemmy.caEnglish
      171·
      3 months ago

      Also the sunk cost of the car’s capital goes toward all the other things you’ll use your car for, like leisure time and driving other humans around. Also the practicality of walking to get groceries decreases as you gain more mouths to feed.