Not Just Bikes / r/fuckcars / Urbanists / New Urbanism / Car-Free / Anti-Car - People and grifters who hate personal transport, freedom, cars, roads, suburbs, and are obsessed with city planning and urban design

[Meaty Fresh]

lol Ausfahrt

 

[Meriasek]

The irony is that when you remove the laugh track from them, everyone comes off as either cringingly awkward (moreso than intended) or absolute lunatics you would want nothing to do with.

I'm pretty sure that a Friends-style setup in New York would've been a hard sell even in 1990s New York, much less today.

Elsewhere, /r/fuckcars are mad that India wants more roads. You MUST ride the Curry Express!

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Even in Friends they had to explain in-universe how they could afford such apartments because it was unbelievable even then.
A realistic NYC sitcom of relatable low income people would probably involve a running joke of blood-stained semen seeping in under the front door once an episode.

 

[quaawaa]

Even in Friends they had to explain in-universe how they could afford such apartments because it was unbelievable even then.
A realistic NYC sitcom of relatable low income people would probably involve a running joke of blood-stained semen seeping in under the front door once an episode.

It would be mocked relentlessly by everyone who doesn’t live in NYC. See the comments on any New York real estate YouTube video for examples of what people would say if a show realistically portrayed the average New Yorker’s lifestyle.

 

[LaxerBRO]

Even in Friends they had to explain in-universe how they could afford such apartments because it was unbelievable even then.
A realistic NYC sitcom of relatable low income people would probably involve a running joke of blood-stained semen seeping in under the front door once an episode.

No need to be that graphic. A few ideas:
> Character goes out for early morning run and trips over a drunk hobo on the stoop.

> Character parents visit but the elevator is broken forcing them to take the stairs. The parents ask what that smell is, the character says it's people pissing in the stairwell.

> Character has important package stolen but can't put up a door bell camera due to privacy. Instead, they are now careful not to allow any tailgaters. But one tailgater is Black and despite not being a resident or having acquaintances in the building, accuses the main character of racism.

> Character has meal delivery stolen and tries to catch the thief. The first few attempts fail but they are successful on their fourth attempt. The theif is a ghetto nigger and steps up to confront the character.

What ya gonna do, bitch!? is what the thief says. They character just mumbles and the Nigger walks away with the food.

The character tries to post a photo of the food their online only to be accused of increasing the chance of vigilante justice and is told the proper way to solve the problem is the donate / volunteer at a food bank.

 

[Xarpho's Return]

It would be mocked relentlessly by everyone who doesn’t live in NYC. See the comments on any New York real estate YouTube video for examples of what people would say if a show realistically portrayed the average New Yorker’s lifestyle.

Before housing costs spiked up, there was some video that Buzzfeed compared a $1,500 apartment in Houston versus a $1,500 apartment in New York

Houston: great views of downtown, bathroom has dual sinks and vanity, bathtub, amenities include fitness room, yoga room, and swimming pool
New York: yeah the square footage is tiny and a "4 bedroom" means four broom closets that all open into a brick wall but check it out...a dishwasher

 

[Irene and 22 others]

Before housing costs spiked up, there was some video that Buzzfeed compared a $1,500 apartment in Houston versus a $1,500 apartment in New York

Houston: great views of downtown, bathroom has dual sinks and vanity, bathtub, amenities include fitness room, yoga room, and swimming pool
New York: yeah the square footage is tiny and a "4 bedroom" means four broom closets that all open into a brick wall but check it out...a dishwasher

One thing to note with that is that the New York apartment is much more expensive, it's just that the person showing it off is living there with 3 other friends and his share of the rend is $1,500. Unless you live in the most ghetto part of the city or way outside of the city proper, you'd be lucky to find a studio apartment for $1,500 in NYC. The apartment in Houston is only a single bedroom, but given that it has a living room and every other room is more spacious, the total square footage is probably similar.

$1,500 in NYC basically buys you a ~115 square foot bedroom in a shared apartment. This is just showing you what you can get with your $1,500 in rent. The guy in this video is probably lucky in that it sounds like he knew all of his roommates before they started renting the place, whereas most people are unlikely to know their fellow bugmen unless they're actively asking friends who already live in a similar hive to let them know if a room opens up.

 

[Xarpho's Return]

One thing to note with that is that the New York apartment is much more expensive, it's just that the person showing it off is living there with 3 other friends and his share of the rend is $1,500. Unless you live in the most ghetto part of the city or way outside of the city proper, you'd be lucky to find a studio apartment for $1,500 in NYC. The apartment in Houston is only a single bedroom, but given that it has a living room and every other room is more spacious, the total square footage is probably similar.

$1,500 in NYC basically buys you a ~115 square foot bedroom in a shared apartment. This is just showing you what you can get with your $1,500 in rent. The guy in this video is probably lucky in that it sounds like he knew all of his roommates before they started renting the place, whereas most people are unlikely to know their fellow bugmen unless they're actively asking friends who already live in a similar hive to let them know if a room opens up.

For some reason I must have missed that part, that's even worse. The main argument for these sorts of things is that the rent is higher in these big cities but that's okay because you don't have to use a car, so that's money you can reinvest. However, it looks like those price comparisons aren't even close. I'm sure the black chick in Houston has a car (these things all have parking garages, that's part of what you get) and still comes out way ahead of the New Yorker.

 

[The Jewel of the Nile]

Before housing costs spiked up, there was some video that Buzzfeed compared a $1,500 apartment in Houston versus a $1,500 apartment in New York

Houston: great views of downtown, bathroom has dual sinks and vanity, bathtub, amenities include fitness room, yoga room, and swimming pool
New York: yeah the square footage is tiny and a "4 bedroom" means four broom closets that all open into a brick wall but check it out...a dishwasher

Holy fuck, and the rent for the NYC "apartment" is even worse- it's actually $6k, absolutely mindboggling. The title is also misleading- as the dude is not renting an apartment but an extremely small room.

 

[LaxerBRO]

Holy fuck, and the rent for the NYC "apartment" is even worse- it's actually $6k, absolutely mindboggling. The title is also misleading- as the dude is not renting an apartment but an extremely small room.

As a novice cook, that kitchen makes me sad. I can see people in that apartment eating goy slop every night.

 

[Yamamura]

As a novice cook, that kitchen makes me sad. I can see people in that apartment eating goy slop every night.

Remember what the urbanists said about people living in cities having better health?

 

[quaawaa]

For some reason I must have missed that part, that's even worse. The main argument for these sorts of things is that the rent is higher in these big cities but that's okay because you don't have to use a car, so that's money you can reinvest. However, it looks like those price comparisons aren't even close. I'm sure the black chick in Houston has a car (these things all have parking garages, that's part of what you get) and still comes out way ahead of the New Yorker.

Remember, New York City and New York have a combined income tax rate of 12% while Houston and Texas have a combined income tax rate of 0%. That means that $1500 in NYC is approximately equal to $1700 in Houston. An unlimited MTA pass costs $132 a month, so the Houstonian has $332 a month [1] to spend on their car before they start spending any more money than the New Yorker.

It only gets worse you try to rent equivalent apartments in both cities. If we assume that the Houston apartment would cost $5k a month in NYC, then the Houstonian has $4314 a month [2] to spend on their car. That's around the same amount of money as the monthly payment on a 5 year loan for a $250k car.

[1] Unlike driving related expenses, transit passes can be paid for with pretax money. Yet another transit subsidy that urbanists forget to mention.
[2] $5000/(1-.12) + $132 - $1500 = $4314

---

Here's the Houston Apartment's website: hamiltondowntownapts.com (Archive)
The full list of amenities (archive):

 

[TowinKarz]

The big thing for me is how paradoxical anti-car infrastructure is. These people claim they want to make it easier to navigate their communities, but in practice their infrastructure is alienating the broader community and discourages tourism and suburban visitors.

Let me give a real world example I've experienced: I live in the suburbs of Minnesota in close proximity to the twin cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul). If I want to go to Minneapolis I have to drive 25ish minutes, not bad. But once I get there it's a nightmare. Confusing one ways, narrow roads that should be one ways but are not so you're constantly going 5mph to avoid hitting the oncoming car, next to no parking anywhere and if you do find parking it costs money which is bullshit, constantly going 5MPH because there's a ton of people walking and biking everywhere, etc etc.

The city actively punishes you for for visiting from out of town, it's like they don't want you to be there if you own a car. So now I just don't go there anymore as it's not worth the headache. This is just me, but I doubt I'm the only one who's came to the same revelation.

I believe we've all come to the conclusion here that the anti-car claim of induced demand causing traffic isn't a thing for just that reason - what appears to be more people driving to places that have good, modernized roads is just the consequence of places with poor and antiquated roads driving (ha) you away as it's not worth the hassle.

Why is the national chain hotel more filled on any given night than the motel by the railroad tracks? Is it that clean beds cause an induced demand for use that drive people to sleep there instead of at home? Must be! No, you dummies, clean hotels provide a desirable alternative to DIRTY ones.

People already looking for lodging will drive PAST the latter to get to the former, driving an extra 20 minutes probably if they can snag a reservation.

 

[Rudolf's Friend]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it but I decided to look back on history and found that the city that these Urbanists want the most is a city like Tirana during the Hoxha years.

It had everything for them:
Private Car Ownership was banned
Commieblocks all over the place
All Religious Buildings like Churches and Mosques razed to make way for Indoctrination centers
Everyone is forced to take bicycles or Public Transportation
They even had a section of the city where all the urbanists could be hypocrites and live in big houses and have nice cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ish-Blloku

 

[Xarpho's Return]

Remember what the urbanists said about people living in cities having better health?

Uhh...GYM OF LIFE, carbrain! I'm sure by walking to the bodega a block away and engorging on quesadillas is a lot healthier than those suburban supermarkets.

 

[TowinKarz]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it but I decided to look back on history and found that the city that these Urbanists want the most is a city like Tirana during the Hoxha years.

But what would they say about all the emergency bunkers?

 

[Return of the Freaker]

But what would they say about all the emergency bunkers?

Third place

 

[BulkForceFive]

Before housing costs spiked up, there was some video that Buzzfeed compared a $1,500 apartment in Houston versus a $1,500 apartment in New York

Houston: great views of downtown, bathroom has dual sinks and vanity, bathtub, amenities include fitness room, yoga room, and swimming pool
New York: yeah the square footage is tiny and a "4 bedroom" means four broom closets that all open into a brick wall but check it out...a dishwasher

TBF this is a bit outside of the scope of urbanism but I don't believe Houston is the same kind of 'cultural centre' that NYC is. You're always going to pay a premium to live in the Big Apple, even while fighting off mutant sewer rats and Diversity.

 

[The Jewel of the Nile]

Man, aren't kids funny

 

[S.C.U.D.]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it but I decided to look back on history and found that the city that these Urbanists want the most is a city like Tirana during the Hoxha years.
View attachment 6141799
It had everything for them:
Private Car Ownership was banned
Commieblocks all over the place
All Religious Buildings like Churches and Mosques razed to make way for Indoctrination centers
Everyone is forced to take bicycles or Public Transportation
They even had a section of the city where all the urbanists could be hypocrites and live in big houses and have nice cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ish-Blloku

How do bunkers fit into the urbanist paradise?

 

[Yamamura]

Man, aren't kids funny

My first question would be who's paying for the car. If it's the mom the little shit should be glad he's getting a free car to begin with. If I got a free first car I don't care if it's a POS Chinese car held together with Bondo and JB Weld. But most likely the "SUV" the mom wants isn't a Suburban or anything and is just a crossover like the RAV4 which is basically just a big car. Which isn't abnormal for a teen to have.

For once a lot of the comments seem somewhat reasonable. Basically they're just saying suck it up or buy your own car. And that the mom has good intentions and just cares about his safety.

Spoiler

Personally I'm more in the Dave Ramsey type of thought. To me safety is relative and as long as you're not driving something wildly unsafe like a car from the 50s with no seatbelts and a steering wheel that impales you. A 1998 Accord is not horribly unsafe, or at least not enough to justify buying a more expensive car for safety alone. It doesn't make financial sense to upgrade unless the car only makes up a portion of your net worth and you pay up front.