This in from Marcus Tooze<mtooze@tan.unl.edu>:
Rick,
I found your emailand views on the future really interesting. I personally
don't think I will live to see the day that car usage in the US decreases
to the extent that you predict (I'm 25!)....I don't think the manufacturers
would stand for it...not until they can get the standard of living (disposable
income) up in the developing countries of Africa and Asia anyway.
Moreover, the US is now so 'dedicated' to automobiles...there is
so much infrastructure built purely for and around cars, I think the
days you predict are a long way off. New car sales continue to increase
in the US (I don't know how they manage it!)...and Americans just love
cars like no other people I have ever met. I think there would have to be
a major shift in socio-economic ties before the car left
the 'pedestal' that it stands on in the US.
Marcus
Marcus,
- At first glance what you have written seems to be a valid assumption,
BUT as today's cars age there will be a difference as they won't be able to
be kept alive and smog legal by clever folks in their garage and the poor
will be forced into the public transportation that the government will be
required to institute because they have regulated reasonable car ownership
out of existance. The rest of us will discover the joys and freedom of
telecommuting as well as the ease and savings a good public transportation
system can provide. Ask the folks in San Francisco, New York or London.
The best that we can hope for is the ability to occationally use our
classics on the weekend without too much administrative red tape - See you
on the Funway! - Rick
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