Paying too much at the pump? It's the perfect time to go green, buy an electric car

[Andrew NDB]

There's nothing dorky about a bicycle or riding a bicycle.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

There's nothing dorky about a bicycle or riding a bicycle.

It’s probably a misconception due to how much of a car culture we have in the US. When living in Japan those around me thought that everyone had a car because we have no proper walkways outside of places like NYC. It was their impression based off of the media.

Some other countries seemingly incorporated car culture while also maintaining public transportation and safe walking areas….the US went hung ho on the car thing….ESPECIALLY after suburban areas became more of thing, causing people to have to get cars just to get to work.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

This is a cultural question I guess but are bicycles considered dorky or uncool in parts of the US? I saw George Carlin mention this once in a bit and was confused as hell.

I would say that isn't true at all..... More like it made good fodder for a Carline Joke-Narrative.

It's more that bicycles are about exercise or leisure in the U.S. than they are about transportation. A lot of cultures are born from the geographical features of the area. The United States is big - a culture that informed how cars were built for decades - big, large gas guzzlers as opposed to a place like Paris which is a tightly packed city with small roads and a lot of tiny cars.

And so, bicycles here just evolved into a hobby thing more than a way of life. A lot of large cities have made pushes over the years though to normalize bicycles as "transportation", and it's caught on too - but more like it filled a need for those who would do it rather than draw in a lot of people who wouldn't.

I use portions of the Illinois Prairie Path pretty routinely for leisure riding. I bought a new mountain bike two years ago I think now - the first one I've owned since I was fifteen.

[Barkworm]

Thanks for the last two posts, that makes a lot of sense. I just remembered that George Carlin joke that I saw years ago (he talks about how he hates cyclists on their „toys“) and it was such a different point of view to how people here see biycycles.

[Andrew NDB]

Let me amend my post... there is nothing dorky about bicycles or bicyclists... except bicyclists that either...

A) Insist that whole lanes of roads be shut down to have bicycle lanes. At least in cases where there is already a perfectly good sidewalk.

B) Ride inside of traffic lanes, as if they were a normal car or motorcycle. And then can't keep up, making it a nightmare for anyone behind them ("can I pass them? f***, I can't, and I don't want to hit them")

Those are definitely dorky.

[Barkworm]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Let me amend my post... there is nothing dorky about bicycles or bicyclists... except bicyclists that either...

A) Insist that whole lanes of roads be shut down to have bicycle lanes. At least in cases where there is already a perfectly good sidewalk.

B) Ride inside of traffic lanes, as if they were a normal car or motorcycle. And then can't keep up, making it a nightmare for anyone behind them ("can I pass them? f***, I can't, and I don't want to hit them")

Those are definitely dorky.

What are official American traffic rules for bicyclists? Here, if there isn’t a bicyle lane, they have to use the road but are supposed to drive as close to the sidewalk as possible. The sidewalk musnt‘t be used by cyclist unless you‘re younger than 10.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

What are official American traffic rules for bicyclists? Here, if there isn’t a bicyle lane, they have to use the road but are supposed to drive as close to the sidewalk as possible. The sidewalk musnt‘t be used by cyclist unless you‘re younger than 10.

Here in WA, even Seattle? I'm not sure. It's probably all changed since I was a kid (and if it did, it'd be by the aforementioned dorks), but maybe not. But as a kid, I'd bicycle to and from Tukwila to downtown with my parents regularly (about a 7 mile venture), and every Wednesday I'd go bicycle solo to Burien to the comic store. Always on the sidewalk. Passing other cyclists.

[Mayhem]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

What are official American traffic rules for bicyclists? Here, if there isn’t a bicyle lane, they have to use the road but are supposed to drive as close to the sidewalk as possible. The sidewalk musnt‘t be used by cyclist unless you‘re younger than 10.

Here, cyclists are not allowed to use the pavement at all, must be on the road, but you rather give kids under a certain age a pass on that for obvious reasons. Ditto if the road is very thin (especially in rural areas) but there's still a pavement available.

[Barkworm]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

As everything, this is something that's being shoved down everyone's throats by lobbyists. Hydrogen cars also don't produce emissions, can be refilled as quickly as petrol or diesel cars and have similar ranges. Yet, you don't hear much about them for some reason.

If you're looking into buying one, you might want to consider installing solar panels on your roof, otherwise the electricity costs are easily above the costs of a full diesel tank. And if you don't own a house... you might want to reconsider.

Bottom line, my wife and I will be keeping our two Diesel cars for a while.

Three years later I bid adieu to my old cars. **** the oil industry.

[CyberCubed]

I saved so much money not buying a car for 20+ years. I used my father's old car to drive to college with but after that broke down I just never bought one for myself. Just think of all the money I've been saving since 2006!

[Stu_Padasso]

Given the infrastructure where I live, a plug in hybrid would make the most sense. That way I could use it to power appliances in emergencies using an inverter. I’ve read that Ford is working on a all-wheel Maverick pickup truck like this

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I saved so much money not buying a car for 20+ years. I used my father's old car to drive to college with but after that broke down I just never bought one for myself. Just think of all the money I've been saving since 2006!

Grats, and you have the benefit of living in a walkable city. Many do not and have public transit that isn't great.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Grats, and you have the benefit of living in a walkable city. Many do not and have public transit that isn't great.

Yes, but just think of all the money I've been saving!

[frank_one]

We are reaching the point it is more affordable to have an horse than a car.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by frank_one

We are reaching the point it is more affordable to have an horse than a car.

I want to see than numbers crunched and compared.

[CyberCubed]

My only frame of reference for that is The Simpsons episode where Lisa wanted a pony and Homer got it for her. And the female horsetrainer said, "Mr. Simpson, do you have half a million dollars?" And Homer says, "Sure...let me just write you a check..."

And this is in 1990's money. I wonder if horses still cost half a million dollars now.

[frank_one]

I don't think an horse has ever cost that much.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by frank_one

I don't think an horse has ever cost that much.

Horse's are crazy expensive nowadays! The land to own them correctly. The Building to keep 'em in. The food.

[CyberCubed]

Yeah...you can't exactly keep a horse in an apartment building.

[sdp]

We need electric horses then so we are not paying too much at the barn.