Look behind to see the future?

[Redfish Hunter]

Good point.

We should stop building all those sidewalks too, 'cause you can't tax a pedestrian or write him a ticket..

And those bastids are always walking in front of cars and slowing down the traffic.

Since you have me feeling guilty now that I know I am killing the community every time I have to USE my truck, I think you should be willing to help. Now, about the Redfish Hunter Corvette Acquisition Fund, when can I expect your donation? I really want to have more efficient personal transport, here is your chance to do something good for the environment, the community, and me.

Thanks in advance for "thinking outside the box".

 

[Fred W]

Using your truck for doing work isn't a problem. If you need it, you need it. It's the soccer Moms in the Expeditions and the "tuff guys" that feel they need to drive a big honkin' 4 wheel drive truck back and forth to work every day, with all the other seats empty, meanwhile they never actually use the truck to haul anything. I know that is a huge generalization... But hey, isn't that what online forums are for?

By the way, I don't think a Corvette would be particularly economical either. Perhaps a nice Prius would suit you better.

:rofl: :rofl:

Good point.

We should stop building all those sidewalks too, 'cause you can't tax a pedestrian or write him a ticket..

And those bastids are always walking in front of cars and slowing down the traffic.

No that is covered in your property taxes which we all pay

So what is your point here? Sorry, I don't see the difference between walking and riding a bike, except that by and large we have already provided a safe place for a pedestrian, and the 'cyclist is forced to ride in the street with the cars.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

But hey, isn't that what online forums are for? By the way, I don't think a Corvette would be particularly economical either. Perhaps a nice Prius would suit you better.

:rofl: :rofl:

You mean so we can whine, ***** and say mean things without fear of getting our ***** kicked in person? Yeah that's what online forums are for!

Sorry Fred, my wife won't fit in a Prius. She looks an awful lot like that manatee Howie keeps mating with. I want a 'vette so I can do an upgrade!

Yes, my truck is in fact 4wd. It is a Duramax diesel and I did not buy it because I wanted it, I bought it because I need it. Again, I ride my motorcycle when I can, I use the truck when I have to. No, it does not have a rebel flag anywhere on it, it is not jacked up and there is no tobacco spit going down the side. Well, unless my wife used it...

Again, my compliments on the video. You have certainly made me think. I am so focused right now on...Hey Look! A squirrel! Gotta go.

 

[Geezer]

 

[Fred W]

You mean so we can whine, ***** and say mean things without fear of getting our ***** kicked in person? Yeah that's what online forums are for!

Sorry Fred, my wife won't fit in a Prius. She looks an awful lot like that manatee Howie keeps mating with. I want a 'vette so I can do an upgrade!

I'd have to say, you seems to have mastered that forum thing.

Just make sure the missus doesn't ever logon here or the "***-kicking in person" thing might not be so avoidable.

I am so focused right now on...Hey Look! A squirrel! Gotta go.

Ah yes... dinner.

 

[Auburn]

Using your truck for doing work isn't a problem. If you need it, you need it. It's the soccer Moms in the Expeditions and the "tuff guys" that feel they need to drive a big honkin' 4 wheel drive truck back and forth to work every day, with all the other seats empty, meanwhile they never actually use the truck to haul anything. I know that is a huge generalization... But hey, isn't that what online forums are for?

By the way, I don't think a Corvette would be particularly economical either. Perhaps a nice Prius would suit you better.

:rofl: :rofl:

Good point.

We should stop building all those sidewalks too, 'cause you can't tax a pedestrian or write him a ticket..

And those bastids are always walking in front of cars and slowing down the traffic.

No that is covered in your property taxes which we all pay

So what is your point here? Sorry, I don't see the difference between walking and riding a bike, except that by and large we have already provided a safe place for a pedestrian, and the 'cyclist is forced to ride in the street with the cars.

Point is sidewalks are paid for through our property taxes. And there are laws giving the right of way to pedestrians in certain situations.

There are no laws giving bicyclists the right of way. Bicyclists need to follow the rules of the road and they will be safe. But there is no penalty for them if they don't follow the rules of the road - except occaisionally get hit if they are stupid enough to challenge a car for right of way. Harsh penalty - yep

 

[Fred W]

Point is sidewalks are paid for through our property taxes. And there are laws giving the right of way to pedestrians in certain situations.

There are no laws giving bicyclists the right of way. Bicyclists need to follow the rules of the road and they will be safe. But there is no penalty for them if they don't follow the rules of the road - except occaisionally get hit if they are stupid enough to challenge a car for right of way. Harsh penalty - yep

Actually, you are wrong there. There are laws on the books in most states (even in your home state) that already define the conduct and responsibilities of both pedestrians and bicyclists. Even though you don't need a license or registration for either activity, failure to comply with those laws can result in a ticket and fine.

There is no reason that if the populace decided that it was a good idea to provide bicyclists a safe place to ride, that this too wouldn't be paid for by property taxes.

Personally I am against the idea of paying for these kinds of things from the general funds, and would much rather see a fees based arrangement. That way the people who actually use the improvement are the ones who pay for it. But of course we can't (or more accurately, we choose not to) do that with walking. And we also don't do that very well with roadways.

While fuel taxes do partially go towards road repairs and maintenance, in most cases the repairs and maintenance requires additional funding from the cities, towns, and states, and that funding comes out of their general funds. In other words from other taxes, not user based fees or fuel tax.

 

[Auburn]

Point is sidewalks are paid for through our property taxes. And there are laws giving the right of way to pedestrians in certain situations.

There are no laws giving bicyclists the right of way. Bicyclists need to follow the rules of the road and they will be safe. But there is no penalty for them if they don't follow the rules of the road - except occaisionally get hit if they are stupid enough to challenge a car for right of way. Harsh penalty - yep

Actually, you are wrong there. There are laws on the books in most states (even in your home state) that already define the conduct and responsibilities of both pedestrians and bicyclists. Even though you don't need a license or registration for either activity, failure to comply with those laws can result in a ticket and fine.

I stand corrected. I do recall many reports of pedestrians recently being ticketed for J walking. I cannot recall a single incident reported of a bicyclist being ticketed for anything. Maybe enforcement would be the thing to help turn the tide to give the bicyclists a more favorable view.

 

[Fred W]

I stand corrected. I do recall many reports of pedestrians recently being ticketed for J walking. I cannot recall a single incident reported of a bicyclist being ticketed for anything. Maybe enforcement would be the thing to help turn the tide to give the bicyclists a more favorable view.

It might also help if they quit wearing all that spandex crap all the time?

It's like they all want to pretend they are on the Tour de France or sumpthin'

I don't know what the right answer is. (I know, hard to believe huh?)

But I do know that, as one Robert Zimmerman wrote and sang back almost 50 years ago, "The Times They Are a Changin".

For the better or for worse...

 

[Uncle Hud]

Fred, I confess that I completely missed your desire to look into the future. That said, I can see nothing in the future two or three generations that will make a difference in our North American transportation systems. Thirty years ago, I was convinced that the end of plentiful gasoline would make us change, but my boy's Tesla and the other fully- or partially-electric vehicles now available mean we can continue our car-centric habits without concern for global oil reserves.

The video showed the Netherlanders change their minds due to an unacceptable level of children dying in auto-related crashes. We'd have to have a similar issue that galvanized the citizenry to demand a change. If you're asking what that issue might be ... I can't imagine something so bad it would cause me to give up my cars -- and my future 2013 FJR.

I know that sections of Boulder CO have shutdown to non-motorized traffic only. Those Rocky Mountain hippies always have the good ideas first. Yep, they probably guzzled several microbrews, smoked some 'medicine', and decided it wasn't safe to drive, so WHAT THE HELL! Let's ride our bikes!!! (Sounds kind of like some of my Harley buddies.)

 

[Bustanut joker]

If you wanna see ahind ya? Buy FZ1 mirrors I hear they be da shitz.

 

[HotRodZilla]

If you wanna see ahind ya? Buy FZ1 mirrors I hear they be da shitz.

You know Bust, if you would pull your head out of your behind, you would be able to see the future...

 

[gray ray]

If you got it, it got there by semi!

 

[ionbeam]

...one Robert Zimmerman wrote and sang back almost 50 years ago, "The Times They Are a Changin"...

Old Bob lost all credibility in '65 when he picked up that evil electric guitar; perhaps that is what the Times-Changin song was really all about

...they probably guzzled several microbrews, smoked some 'medicine', and decided it wasn't safe to drive...

We used bio-fuel transportation for recreational purposes for many years. Not only is it 100% organic but the byproducts are 100% nature friendly and completely bio-degradable. The country needs to get back to our roots, everyone should own and use horses for transportation. Just don't step in the exhaust :lol:

 

[Fred W]

If you got it, it got there by semi!

Yeah. That's a whole 'nother problem. :glare:

Seems that medicinal herbs are all the rage these days. Maybe that will be the big game changer for future transportation?

Legalize cannabis and outlaw alcohol additives in fuel? We'll save a bunch because everyone will be driving so much slower and getting great MPGs!!

 

[rushes]

*snip*

I know that I personally could benefit a lot from cycling. The older I get, the harder it is to maintain anything close to resembling a healthy situation.

Cycling has sure solved a few of my problems. After I quit drinking, I started riding. It's been around 15 months now, and so far I've lost 70 lbs and I'm off the blood pressure and cholesterol meds. We have a few cycle paths around here, and I don't think they cost much to build. Sure is fun.

Here's a phone pic from yesterday's ride...

 

[Fred W]

That trail looks awesome. Riding the trails eliminates any of that having to deal with traffic stuff, but doesn't help get you to work either!

We also have a great mountain biking area not far from here (Bear Brook State Park) and several decent smaller trails right here in town.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Well, I'm going to agree with the point about trucks and SUV's. It's one thing to own and use a truck as a truck. RH, if you use it for work....great. However, my coworker, single guy that doesn't get out much, who has a GMC Yukon, just because he can, is a prime example of the thinking of our country. I live in Texas and everybody has a truck or SUV. Most of those vehicles get used as daily commuters and grocery getters only. I owned an F150 because I needed something to get the track bike to the track and the dirt bike to the dirt. However, most of the time it sat in my driveway as I took the motorcycle to work.

However, I have a 60 mile round trip commute. Much as I'd like to bicycle commute, that's just too far and too much time. I have a motorcycle friend who commutes several times a week via his 22 mile commute by bicycle. He usually carpools with his wife in the morning and then bikes home. I need to get home and spend time with the family so cannot commit quite like he does.

I did live in Gainesville Fl which is 100% a college town and had nice wide sidewalks and bicycle lanes everywhere. I loved it. Still didn't commute though as I lived on the opposite end of town and a long bicycle ride in a suit and tie just doesn't work in hot and humid Florida.

Now to blindly rant about everything and nothing at all.....

Building a system like this would be easy and cheap. We could use money spent on welfare and food stamps to pay for this thus cutting out the excuse that folks can't afford a car to get to work because now they can use a bicycle. Now instead of sitting at home eating junk food bought with the above money, they'd be riding a bike to work, getting in better shape, helping out our health care system, and also working and paying taxes. Woot! Use money already being used and put more money back into the system. Win Win!!!

Hey...it's as good as some of the other suggestions seen on here.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I also did read somewhere recently that one of the European countries for the first time in years, had the number of bicycles sold outnumbered the number of cars sold.

 

[odot]

It'd be a lot of work to build a system like that in the dfw metromess. A lot of **** would have to get torn down for all that other pavement to be laid. Where in the dfw are do ya live, gixxer?