Cars were a mistake

It’s mind-blowing how much space and QoL we have conceded to a metal murder machine that people associate with their free-dumbs

Cars, aka big chunks of metal that keep getting bigger and bigger, are sacrosanct in our society. If you try to make a point against cars and how car-centric society sucks, people will argue against your points with an almost religious zeal. This phenomenon is known as: car-brain.

Yet, if you take a step back and try to see the bigger picture, you will see how crazy it all is. Making cars so common has been a mistake. Let’s go over some reasons why.

Space

Cars take up a ton of space. Our infrastructure reflects our priorities, so most of the space on roads is for cars. Cyclists and pedestrians are confined to the edges of the roads, where hopefully a sidewalk exists. And if you live in a country that cares a bit more, good cycling paths exist. This rules out most countries on earth 😂

All these stupid cars need to park somewhere. That also takes up a ton of space. If you’re unlucky, and you live in a country with crazy zoning laws, that can lead to an awful looking hellscape. There are more parking lots than buildings, and no nice spaces for people to hang out.

The meme “just one more lane, bro” is also very relevant because of induced demand. The more lanes are added, the more cars will drive there, and more road surface is needed. This cycle never stops, and there are some hilarious examples of clogged 25 lane highways.

Somehow, many governments don’t see this cycle. They keep destroying houses, nature, for more godawful tarmac. This is not a solution. When will we stop? When the whole planet is paved?

The solution is obvious: provide sensible alternatives for the car. More on that later. This solution is even good for car-brains, as it would make driving more pleasant.

Noise

Cars make a ton of noise. I used to live next to the main road in my neighborhood and had to sleep in a room that faced the road. Only between 1AM and about 5AM was it somewhat quiet, the rest of the day the road was very active and noisy as fuck.

Special shoutout to motorcycles, fuck you in particular with your goddamn awful noise.

There is a select group of people that loves the sound of combustible motors, good for you. But I think about 99% of people would love more peace and quiet. Especially at 5AM, but it is at this exact moment that the local motorcyclist sees their opportunity to wake everyone up.

However, it’s also the 99% of people that would love less noise, who drive a car themselves, contributing to the noise. I mean, I have a car too, so I’m a goddamn hypocrite writing this article, huh.

Pollution

Most cars still have a combustion engine, so they make our direct environment worse with pollution. The fact that cars keep getting bigger doesn’t help. Modern cars have less polluting engines, but that is negated by their increased size! People keep buying bigger and bigger cars. Yet, almost no one that drives an SUV will ever go off-road, yet they bought the big murder machine anyway. All because they think it makes them look cool or that it gives a certain status. No, you’re just an idiot for forking over so much money for a hunk of metal.

Electric cars are a bit better than cars with combustion engines, but car tires also still contribute to pollution. All of us switching to electric cars doesn’t solve the other points I mentioned before, the main one being that it’s just awful to live in a car centric society.

Behavior

Governmental failure to provide good alternatives for the car keeps this cycle going. More roads are added, less room is given to pedestrians, cyclists, SUVs aren’t banned, and we go deeper into the cycle. Car brains don’t mind, they think cars should always be given more room. They associate driving a car with their freedom, and don’t you take it away from them!

There’s often so little empathy for people who can’t or don’t want to drive. This is reflected in road rage to other drivers, cyclists, pedestrians. Most people turn into raging assholes when they’re behind the wheel. It’s not a good look.

Accessibility

Like I said, not everyone can or wants to drive a car. Car-centric society might be nice for your free-dumb, but it might not be for somebody else. “Well, take a taxi then!”. Well, what about more sensible alternatives, such as public transport, or….*gasp* …. walkable neighborhoods?!

The alternative

I live in the Valhalla for people that hate cars: the Netherlands. Whenever I can, I walk, I cycle, or I take public transport. I use my car to drive to my parents, my orchestra and big trips. Having options is the great thing! I hate cars and driving, so I use my car as little as possible.

Many people think that the Netherlands has always been a cyclists’ paradise. That’s not the case. Back in the 60ies, Amsterdam was almost turned into a highway hellscape. People protested, told the government that they wanted something else (affordable housing, walkable neighborhoods, safe public spaces). It even came to a battle against the police, but it worked. The plans were cancelled.

From then on, the government took the people’s wishes into account. Urban planning and zoning all through the country reflects this. Wherever you go in my country, you can count on predictable looking infrastructure that also facilitates cycling and walking. You can count on walkable neighborhoods in most places. Public transport is generally usable as well, although it has been in decline over the last few years.

But let me tell you: I still think the Netherlands is ALSO a car-centric society. We have many car brains, the roads keep getting more and more congested, “one more lane bro” is happening all over the place. The quality of public transport is declining. We are a utopia for many, but even here there are many people who think “car = freedom”. Every Saturday, the main roads through the city center of Utrecht, where I live, are completely congested with people wanting to park their car in the city center parking garage. There are perfectly usable public transport options, but these idiots prefer to be stuck in traffic with their precious murder machine.

I have the ultimate check mate for the car-brain. Just think about it. If you live in a place where there are alternatives for the car (walking, cycling, walkable neighborhoods), more people can choose NOT to drive a car and car traffic can flow more freely. So it’s also in your benefit, dear car brain, to have fewer people in cars.

Say it with me: Fuck cars.

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