I’m getting a lot of ‘but my car is more convenient’ arguments lately, and I’m struggling to convey why that doesn’t make sense.

Specifically how to explain to people that: Sure, if you are able to drive, and can afford it, and your city is designed to, and subsidizes making it easy to drive and park, then it’s convenient. But if everyone does it then it quickly becomes a tragedy of the commons situation.

I thought of one analogy that is: It would be ‘more convenient’ if I just threw my trash out the window, but if we all started doing that then we’d quickly end up in a mess.

But I feel like that doesn’t quite get at the essence of it. Any other ideas?

  • WiseThatEnglish
    2·
    8 months ago

    Cars are also REALLY not that convenient. I’m a dad to a four-month-old, and getting to appointments by bus/metro is SO much easier than using the car.

    Car:

    • Have to get the fucking car seat in the back seat
    • Pack stroller in as well
    • Drive with potentially screaming kid who feels isolated and lonely, feel like I’m gonna crash at any moment
    • Parking lots SUCK to walk around in with a stroller,have to push kid out into the open before I can see around these tall cars and just hope nobody is speeding

    Transit:

    • Push stroller right on to kneeling bus/level-boarding platform
    • can attend to my baby the whole time, no fussing.
    • don’t have to worry about parking AT ALL