Current Affairs Environmental Stuff

[tsubaki]

Fantasy world ultimately unless we could all have door-to-door transport, people are going to want and need personal vehicles

use an example of me today - I’m currently in hospital, waiting to have a tooth out

I worked at 7am this morning until 11. Had to be at the hospital in Pontefract, a 20min drive away from mine, for half 12.

I used to have to get the bus to here for college, so I know how long it takes. I wouldn’t have got here and have been able to work this morning. As it was I’ve managed to get a half shift in (which was needed as the hospital only rang me on Thursday to book this op in, and I was already scheduled to work a full shift), and was here in time for my operation.

Having a car makes a lot of things easier in my situation. If I lived in a city centre, then things would be a lot different. But I don’t. Conversely, the air pollution where I live is nowhere near as bad as London, or Leeds, or Manchester. But people choose where to live based on work, family needs, lifestyle or just preference, don’t they

It’s not a fantasy world, it’s the world we used to live in where facilities were more local and you didn’t need to drive to work, a hospital, an out of town shopping centre or wherever - they were either local or there actually was public transport to get where you needed to go.

Also that last bit is a bit out of order - people living in inner cities are exposed to pollution that is often nothing to do with them, and gets worse thanks to the choices of people who do not live there (whether that’s developers, politicians, planners or just people who find it convenient to drive in).

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I think tbf these protestors were campaigning for something totally different, they just decided to go about it this way. That’s their freedom to choose it and it’s my freedom to call it out

I also think that what certain posters are saying is that there should be better transport links in places outside the big cities. I don’t disagree, but it’s not just suddenly going to mean people stop using cars.and ultimately if they think that would happen then it shows the difference living in a city like London for however long makes your attitude and how you view things in life. None of my mates who live in London drive, they have no need to. All of my mates who live up here drive because we have to. And waiting around for a bus or train when they aren’t every 2-5 minutes (and couldn’t be, logistically, to suit the size of the population) or even necessarily close to your home or office just isn’t feasible for people

There are different models available though. In Finland, for instance, they used to have a minibus sharing service, called Kutsuplus, which allowed for demand-led public transport that didn't require people to own a car that sits doing nothing for 95% of the time. I strongly supsect if/when driverless cars ever take off that they'll be in the form of rental/ride sharing models. Indeed, elderly communities are likely to be one of the first places that see them in the wild for that very reason.

I guess this is part of the point of the protestors, as there are some different ways of doing things, but most of us pretty much want to carry on as we are but equally state that we want to protect the planet. That doesn't seem likely to work.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

There are different models available though. In Finland, for instance, they used to have a minibus sharing service, called Kutsuplus, which allowed for demand-led public transport that didn't require people to own a car that sits doing nothing for 95% of the time. I strongly supsect if/when driverless cars ever take off that they'll be in the form of rental/ride sharing models. Indeed, elderly communities are likely to be one of the first places that see them in the wild for that very reason.

I guess this is part of the point of the protestors, as there are some different ways of doing things, but most of us pretty much want to carry on as we are but equally state that we want to protect the planet. That doesn't seem likely to work.

People are very resistant to certain kinds of technological advances and driverless cars is one of them. Can’t see it ever being the norm here, in my lifetime.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Fantasy world ultimately unless we could all have door-to-door transport, people are going to want and need personal vehicles

use an example of me today - I’m currently in hospital, waiting to have a tooth out

I worked at 7am this morning until 11. Had to be at the hospital in Pontefract, a 20min drive away from mine, for half 12.

I used to have to get the bus to here for college, so I know how long it takes. I wouldn’t have got here and have been able to work this morning. As it was I’ve managed to get a half shift in (which was needed as the hospital only rang me on Thursday to book this op in, and I was already scheduled to work a full shift), and was here in time for my operation.

Having a car makes a lot of things easier in my situation. If I lived in a city centre, then things would be a lot different. But I don’t. Conversely, the air pollution where I live is nowhere near as bad as London, or Leeds, or Manchester. But people choose where to live based on work, family needs, lifestyle or just preference, don’t they

You could have gotten an Uber. No need to actually own a car, is there? You could make about 1,000 of your journeys to the hospital in a shared car for the average price of a new car and that's without the petrol, insurance, road tax, etc.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

People are very resistant to certain kinds of technological advances and driverless cars is one of them. Can’t see it ever being the norm here, in my lifetime.

Time will tell I suppose.

 

[Billy Dean]

Fantasy world ultimately unless we could all have door-to-door transport, people are going to want and need personal vehicles

use an example of me today - I’m currently in hospital, waiting to have a tooth out

I worked at 7am this morning until 11. Had to be at the hospital in Pontefract, a 20min drive away from mine, for half 12.

I used to have to get the bus to here for college, so I know how long it takes. I wouldn’t have got here and have been able to work this morning. As it was I’ve managed to get a half shift in (which was needed as the hospital only rang me on Thursday to book this op in, and I was already scheduled to work a full shift), and was here in time for my operation.

Having a car makes a lot of things easier in my situation. If I lived in a city centre, then things would be a lot different. But I don’t. Conversely, the air pollution where I live is nowhere near as bad as London, or Leeds, or Manchester. But people choose where to live based on work, family needs, lifestyle or just preference, don’t they

My experience is that public transport is pretty bad in England compared to other countries.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

My experience is that public transport is pretty bad in England compared to other countries.

Always found that public transport can differ wildly between different cities in the U.K. and also depends where you live in the city. Newcastle is terrible unless you lived near a metro stop or a main bus route.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

It’s a Monday afternoon good old public transport chat here on GOT.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Get the kettle on lads

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It’s a Monday afternoon good old public transport chat here on GOT.

Plenty of time to chat on GOT when you're waiting for the bus.

 

[BlueToff]

It’s not a fantasy world, it’s the world we used to live in where facilities were more local and you didn’t need to drive to work, a hospital, an out of town shopping centre or wherever - they were either local or there actually was public transport to get where you needed to go.

Also that last bit is a bit out of order - people living in inner cities are exposed to pollution that is often nothing to do with them, and gets worse thanks to the choices of people who do not live there (whether that’s developers, politicians, planners or just people who find it convenient to drive in).

I had to drive to a hospital which isn’t in my town today because there’s a pandemic, which is also why I was given 3-day notice of an operation I’ve been waiting 2 years for. Regardless, the nearest hospital to me, Pinderfields, is still a 15-min drive away. Or a 10 min walk to the bus stop, a 20-min bus around town to get to the station, to then get another bus to the hospital. I mean, why in the world would I do that? Are you suggesting that ‘in the good old days’ people didn’t need to travel miles to go the hospital??!

I didn’t say the choice of someone was to be exposed to pollution. But people choose to live in cities for loads of reasons. whether necessity or lifestyle choice - I wasn’t criticising them.

 

[BlueToff]

Plenty of time to chat on GOT when you're waiting for the bus.

Away from my op, my bike is also in the shop atm, which is killing me.

wait until Wednesday though Bruce, I’m gonna rev my engine out in a wood and then knock down some birds nests for good measure. Bloody trees, getting in the way of all those car parks.

PS: I’m just planning a pleasant swim, really

 

[BlueToff]

Always found that public transport can differ wildly between different cities in the U.K. and also depends where you live in the city. Newcastle is terrible unless you lived near a metro stop or a main bus route.

I’m all for it being improved. I actually happen to live in a good place for it. Wakefield is good for getting to Leeds and not bad for Sheffield via train or bus. But now I don’t have to go in for work, I’d never go in at rush hour so, if I wasn’t out on the lash, I’d probably drive, because it makes an hour trip to Leeds a 30-min one, in my little 1 litre SEAT.

Instead of HS2, they need new rail links between Liverpool and Leeds, and Newcastle, and get that all sorted out. But it’s not awful, to be fair, the new TPX stuff from my recent experience. Far better than it was 6 years ago when I was going on a train to Manchester every day.

But baffled how anyone thinks they can get righteous about people having cars, ffs. They’re vital for people. Not everyone lives in a place with 3 shops on their doorstep, or tons of parks or bars and restaurants within a mile. I’m sure that’s not the case for everyone in London too.

 

[BlueToff]

My experience is that public transport is pretty bad in England compared to other countries.

Germany was good by my experience, same with Amsterdam, London is good. Manchester is decent. Leeds is awful. I don’t live in any of those places thought. I live in a place where, genuinely, I need a vehicle to get about if I don’t want to spend half of my day on a bus, which I don’t want to. I’ve got better things to do, quite frankly (like argue on GOT lol)

 

[BlueToff]

You could have gotten an Uber. No need to actually own a car, is there? You could make about 1,000 of your journeys to the hospital in a shared car for the average price of a new car and that's without the petrol, insurance, road tax, etc.

You can’t get Ubers where I live at mid-day on a Monday. You just about manage on a weekend when you’re in the centre and they’re coming back from Leeds

Why should I have to order a taxi any time I want to do something? I can just get in my car and drive. I also needed picking up today as I went under general anaesthetic. My dad had to come up to the ward to escort me down. He used my car to come and get me

bloody hell, I also bought my car four years ago, it’s a 2017 1ltr seat, not a diesel-guzzling mustang lol