Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Policy, finally

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  • InternationalObserver,

    Yup, it's something I noticed about driving a loud muscle car. I never had even the slightest whiff of anyone stepping/cycling in front of me. Children would look up from the ball they were chasing. Dogs would veer back to the footpath. Cyclists would pull over.

    And the foxy ladies would pull their skirts up just a little bit higher ...

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    And the foxy ladies would pull their skirts up just a little bit higher ...

    ...where they belong. Praise be the mighty auto.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    One time four years or so ago I got on the bus at Mt Cook. I was late for work, as usual, so the bus wasn't completely full.

    There was some bastard stinking of meths haranguing anyone who made eye contact. He had that creamy yellow spittle that you only get on the serious madman. I started to talk to him, because I'm like that. He didn't make much sense, but what does it hurt to give a loon a little attention?

    As we got into town a young guy next to his wife and child told Mr Meths to back off, with fists. Mr Meths was all "I'm gonna kill im. I'm gonna kill you". He didn't look like he could do much beyond staying upright, but he was lurching and gesturing and who knew what he might do?

    A stop or two later, somewhere just before Dixon St, young guy got off. And he turned to me and said: "I have to got to work. Take care of my missus, will you?"

    So I did. I talked to Mr Meths. He said he was going to see his doctor. He said They killed his son. I asked where his doctor was. I asked after his boy. And so on, all the way to the end of Lambton Quay. Then Mr Meths and I got off together, and bubs and the missus went wherever safely. The driver, who I could see was watching in his mirror the whole time, never did a damned thing.

    Meths guy wandered off somewhere, and I got to work. I realised I was soaking sweaty.

    And that's what we call Care In The Community.

    Oh yeah.

    Whisky. Active ingredient: ethanol 45%. Interesting ingredients: insufficient space.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • JLM,

    I heard David Parker speak at Otago today. He's obviously stoked that most people like their plan, and he still loves his electric cars. Every time I've seen a presentation by him he's had a slide of a different one.

    One (at least) excellent thing though, $3.7 million ear-marked for biochar (terra preta) research.

    Judy Martin's southern sl… • Since Apr 2007 • 241 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Fitzgerald,

    "And that's what we call Care In The Community"

    Come now Stephen, this was a single event, thus proving Care in the Community works (even if a few in the community don't).

    Just maybe a man capable of making it to his Docs by bus doesn't need a wrap around jacket and fortnightly cattle prod to the brain?

    Most the people on Christchurch buses seem pretty normal.

    Radio Ron is still riding the buses but some buggar taught him to swear a few years back.

    Someone should video the Late Buses, on the hour after midnight they depart the strip to the 12 cnrs of Christchurch, best entertainment $5 will get you all night.

    Since May 2007 • 631 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    Eeeeeeeeeeeee…….pop…..burst….explosion of expletives….<sound of drunken head exploding badly>

    F**k me

    Am I the only person who finds this thread offensive ?

    Let me get this right

    Much of this thread revolves around the idea that the answer to our problems is to buy nicer cars:

    Lets ignore the fact that such conspicuous consumption is unsustainable (no, we really can’t keep buying such large amounts of personal stuff)…lets look at the pathetic string of anecdotes that reflect the prevailing consumerist philosophy of, I will pay, expend and exploit what is necessary in order not to share my space with others (which includes the poor and mentally ill).

    If public transport doesn’t work, then figure out how to make it work ! Don’t trot out the same string of rubbish supporting the belief that it can’t ‘cos it’s Auckland.

    Sorry guys; my wife catches a bus, I walk most of the time. The car never does less than one job per trip. People like us wait for the day Auckland invests and legislates for public transport in the same way that is does for roads. We still walk from the Veg shop to home, it can be done.

    I guess I’m disappointed that a group of people who are largely smarter and better informed than me can’t see beyond their own dashboard. It’s really kind of sad and self serving.

    BTW. My wife is a PITA, she also talks to bus drivers…she doesn’t have a speech impediment in fact she has just won a prize for presenting at a medical conference. Are your communication skills that good ? Shove your stereotypes, this ain’t the time, it smacks of people who have heard a lot but not actually seen that much.

    Sorry, I lost my sense of humour over this a long time ago.

    No, I’m not trolling just passionate and personal on this one.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • JLM,

    By the way, it's World Carfree Day today. The slogan is "Go carfree and don't stop". So there's a challenge to work towards.

    http://www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd/

    Judy Martin's southern sl… • Since Apr 2007 • 241 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    :

    We still walk from the Veg shop to home, it can be done.

    Bloody obvous that you never get out much, otherwise you'd have noticed the phenomenon of the vanishing vege shop.

    It's Saturday AM, and I'm off on my non-self-righteous beat-up Chinese bike to buy my veges at the goddam market, rather than contribute to the supermarket monopoly that has brought about the extinction of the local vege shop - something that largely persists in the imagination of inner-city tossers.

    As for your lovely wife, one doesn't 'present' at medical conferences while pulling a Stagecoach income. Nice of her to condescend to adressing the lumpenpoles.

    Shove your passionate and personal stereotypes.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    lets look at the pathetic string of anecdotes that reflect the prevailing consumerist philosophy of, I will pay, expend and exploit what is necessary in order not to share my space with others (which includes the poor and mentally ill).

    81st, as far as I can tell, at least one of the people you're lecturing doesn't own a car and actually takes the bus, rather than just preaching about it.

    My darling takes the bus. I don't commute; I'm in the CBD no more than once a week. Now that the weather's getting nicer I daresay I'll nip up to the shops on my bike more often.

    But if I were to take the bus (three buses, actually) to Newmarket on a Thursday, that would be at least another hour my boy was at home on his own. His tutor's only in Grey Lynn, but if we bused there and back that'd be the morning buggered, and I do need to earn money. And when you're shopping for a family, walking back from the supermarket isn't very practical. The fact is, we couldn't get by without a car. And I suspect that, for all the righteousness of your post, neither could you.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Aaron Skelton,

    living in California for 20 years drives the 'dirty car bad' meme into you quite firmly - I wish WOFs tested emissions the amount of crap spewing on NZ streets is really sad

    I really think a policy such as this implemented in NZ would further see the flow of money from poor to rich. In general poor people own older and less 'clean' cars, emissions testing for the public would only penalise people with no money already, while richer people with newer cleaner cars will most likely not have to pay anything to pass an emissions test.

    I would prefer it if the onus was put on to car manufacturers to meet certain emissions standards which are raised every 3-5 years or so, increasing the amount of clean cars from the top. It would take longer to get emissions under control, but at least it would protect those on the margins who need a car for work, but can barely keep it running as it is.

    I'm not quite sure how you would tackle the problem of imports though.. Maybe anyone importing a car has to pass an emissions test, although maybe not as strict as the one for new cars.. *shrug* I dunno.

    West Auckland • Since Sep 2007 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Fitzgerald,

    Technolodgy is the problem, either too polluting or too pricy. We need to look at why & how we use it.

    There really is no need to drop kids off at the school gate, if we had school buses. These could then be used on smaller route or tours etc. before returning the cherised ones home again.
    Of course school buses wouldn't be needed with parralel infrastructer for cycles so a nine yr old would be safe to cycle to school.

    Tech got us to this point, has taken us to the moon, & can take us to Mars. Why do we want to go to Mars again? Why can't your kids bike to school?

    Since May 2007 • 631 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    merc, I think you've misread some of us - those bus tales are (at least in my case) from regular bus commuters, and should be read as rueful observations from people who are already bus users, not as disparaging reasons to stay in your car from drivers.

    I must admit that I was taken aback by Russell's claim that you can breath by the LA freeway. The first thing I noticed in LA was the oddly dull light on a sunny day and the orange haze on the horizon everywhere. The air there may be better than it was but it's still horrible.

    Re Auckland: for the last three years while I lived there, people would look at me as though I were crazy when I told them I biked or bussed to work (from Greenlane). It is a very car-orientated culture, and that feeds on itself.

    The success of the North Shore park and ride service shows that there are good things that can be done though.

    I'd like to see a community strategy to get kids walking and biking to school. We all know that morning traffic is largely parents doing to school run, dropping their darlings off because the traffic's too dangerous!

    And I have to admit that it was easy for me to bus because I lived within a couple of blocks of Great South Road, where the buses are frequent at times. Outside a few arterial routes Auckland is a complete pain by bus. The best bus transport is in the suburbs where the rich people live and walking is possible - it's no wonder usage isn't going up. A Perth style North-South rail line, maybe with one E-W branch, and with bus feeders would totally change the proposition.

    MF: that guy I wrote about wasn't really on his way to the doctor, believe me.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    I’m disappointed that a group of people who are largely smarter and better informed than me can’t see beyond their own dashboard. It’s really kind of sad and self serving.

    Er, but surely if we're "largely smarter and better informed than [you]" then --by definition-- it must be you that is wrong. We have looked so far ahead that we have come back to a position just behind the dashboard.

    Why do we want to go to Mars again?

    yes, there's a conspiracy there somewhere. Why are the rich taking space flights? Why is the US spending so much money on space exploration? Do they know something about this planet's future that we don't?

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    <squelching sound of hungover head still oooozing>

    I’m happy to appear a self righteous prick over this, if it does encourage a second or third extra thought.

    Joe-

    something that largely persists in the imagination of inner-city tossers

    Wrong on two counts: My veg shop is about 1.5 km away, I live on the shore. I concede however, that it probably wouldn’t exist were it not for the parking spaces around it. Which is as you rightly imply is my concern.

    As for your lovely wife, one doesn't 'present' at medical conferences while pulling a Stagecoach income. Nice of her to condescend to adressing the lumpenpoles.

    Correct, my wife actually does this on less than a stagecoach wage. In order to present she applied for grants and stayed in a hostel. If canvassing the opinion of others is regarded as condescending then I do apologise. I always thought it was worse to regard people as invisible. BTW – she is only lovely some of the time.

    Russ-

    I do hear what you have said. But I stand by the sentiment if not the words here. Talking about how nice (or strange, ugly etc.) eco cars are and stereotyping people who use public transport is IMHO a nasty distraction. We all remember and report the loon on the bus which I would argue is an infrequent instance amongst many trips. The risk is that such tales make PT appear even more unpleasant than it really is and doesn’t develop ideas to make it better. The debate is about why you (and I at times) still find it easier/cheaper to go by car and whether current policy is in any probability likely to change that. This is a debate that needs revisiting and reinforcing regularly. I am looking at my council election forms trying to figure out which councillors would actually not vote car, which is really difficult, worryingly so. It is really easy to get sidetracked into a debate about what we might buy rather than what we should do in the broader sense.

    Er, but surely if we're "largely smarter and better informed than [you]" then --by definition-- it must be you that is wrong. We have looked so far ahead that we have come back to a position just behind the dashboard.

    <Giggles> No answer to that, other than to qualify now as people I thought were smarter than me. Perhaps I am getting really stupid really quick…..hmmm starts arguing with self….

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    81st column, i mixed you up with merc, sorry.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    In the circumstances I might take that as a compliment not sure about Merc though.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I must admit that I was taken aback by Russell's claim that you can breathe by the LA freeway.

    I remember being quite struck by it. We were stationary on the freeway, and had the windows down, and it was okay. I wouldn't like to try that in Auckland.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • tim kong,

    There's an element of the ideal here - in that it would be great if we could all work, eat, commune, shop, exercise, play, learn, in our local area.

    "Local shop... for local people!"

    I teach in the Hutt, but live in Miramar. Wife works in Miramar. I love my job, but do wonder if my daily commute, thankfully against the majority of the traffic, is causing carbon destruction and the loss of any specific species in the Amazon.

    We've just bought a second car, and looked seriously at the Prius, from Clean Car Co that RB mentioned. Also looked at some of the diesel models. In the end though, went for the reliability of a 2004 Toyota Avensis - it matched our budget - and had a fuel use computer.

    Being able to actually monitor your fuel use, doesn't salve the concious - as much as make you aware of how you're driving - and check why you need too.

    As the summer term rolls in I'll go back to using the bus/train combo more - but it is more expensive - and adds another 90 minutes of travel to my day. (Assuming all elements are running on time) Benefits - a 20 minute snooze on the train each way, and a reason not to carry any books home to mark. :-)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 153 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    But if I were to take the bus (three buses, actually) to Newmarket on a Thursday, that would be at least another hour my boy was at home on his own.

    I was talking about this sort of situation with my dad earlier in the week. It seems to me that a lot of people would be quite happy to pay higher prices for petrol if it means they get to spend more time with their families.

    That's going to be a big obstacle to overcome to get people to use public transport over their cars.

    (Also, I see the swish new Link buses are on the roads. I think I might have to go for a ride.)

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Morrison,

    We use a car because it saves time but we make up for it by using public transport when ever we fly.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    re: LA air quality .... Ii think you guys are comparing apples and oranges .... LA has a horrible, barely manageable smog problem partly because of all the people living there and partly because of the geography - but the cars on the freeway make a lot less crap than the cars in NZ - there's just a hell of a lot more of them

    This means you can be sitting on the freeway in LA and not have some beatup old car in front of you pumping you full of fumes while you can in Auckland .... which is surrounded on 2 sides by the sea so that in general that crap doesn't stay around long term.

    I understand the argument that if you make people have clean cars the poor wont be able to afford them - it's the same argument that you can make against slavery - the CA law when first enacted limited the amount of money you could be forced to spend per checkup to mitigate problems - but now days grounds chronic smoke belchers much as we would a car with say bad brakes ... after all both are a risk to public safety

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    <quote> It seems to me that a lot of people would be quite happy to pay higher prices for petrol if it means they get to spend more time with their families.</qoute>

    Yeah I can empathise with that view. But at the risk of sounding really dull the radical argument is that the price just isn't high enough then. When it is, people will hopefully, demand better solutions and approach issues in a different way.

    How do we make fewer/shorter journeys that don't steal time from our lives and and how do we make time in transit more useful/less damaging ?

    How many more people could work from home if supported appropriately ? Where are the incentives to subsidise and support this kind of thinking ?

    There is a big debate to be had in this context about the sustainability of our commodity driven culture. The refinement and commodification of the car though admirable is unsustainable/risky given the number of people who are likely to want one/drive one in the future. Think about all those Chinese/Indian folk over the next 40 years.

    The very evolution of the internal combustion engine is a great example of how good human beings are at solving problems and refining solutions. That evolution only occurs when it becomes necessary/costly. The idealists argument here focusses on why aren't we making an alternative to the car necessary in the marketplaces of the world.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    Ugh.... unedited preview brain fart alert....

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Fitzgerald,

    Stephen
    Oh dear, he prob didn't make it past too many winters then. Have they set up Wet Hostels yet?

    I've walked from Joe Bannanas Hostel (just out of Hollywood) to the movie park along an LA motorway. A bit of fun as the hills slipped and there was no footpath but I still maintain safer than the LA Taxi I took to Joe Bannanas.
    Met an old class mate in Hollywood who wouldn't say how he was supporting himself - I've always suspected gay porn.

    Since May 2007 • 631 posts Report Reply

  • daleaway,

    The two teachers - a young married couple - who rented a flat off me in Wellington, drove to the school each day. Four flat suburban blocks away. Four good legs between them. Neither was willing to give up their car, so they kept two cars for the purpose.

    I predicted a short marriage for those who are unwilling to share or compromise. I predict a short-lived planet for their tribe. Unfortunately, it's my planet too and we don't have a Plan(et) B.

    Since Jul 2007 • 198 posts Report Reply

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