The positive side of car ownership

The vast positive to car ownership

Attempts to curb private cars attacks freedom

There is a very old saying that no one misses the water till the well runs dry. This also applies to personal freedom, the freedom to go where you want when you want.

Many people who live in cities have conceptions of how things should be, conceptions based only on the present reality of city life. Despite the vast numbers who choose to live in overcrowded urban nightmares; most people do not live in such places and all the city formed concepts of how to improve life, are unacceptable to those who do not live in cities.

In my previous essay published on Vocal—the future of mass transit systems- the changing nature of work was explored. The effect these future changes will have on commuting and working travel were examined. One small section suggested -- The commuter will be a thing of the past. The need to move thousands of people from A to B at a given time, and back again at a later given time, will no longer exist.

Journeys will be for pleasure rather than work, the time spread of need will be greater. The advent of fusion power generated electricity will probably mean that all personal travel is carried out in electric vehicles. So, in a hundred years from now, we probably will not need a mass transit system as defined at the start.---

So, to deny the individual the right to own and use, their own mechanised personal transport is a savage attack on the freedom of future generations to have positive experiences. Negativity has become prominent in every aspect of social cohesion, cancelling, no platforming, taking offence, demands this be stopped, that be curtailed; these are all negative actions , negative attitudes.

To rural communities the truck or car is essential to both work and social activities. They need a vehicle to go shopping let alone visit a library. The city-based idea that everyone should be stopped from having their own car is to isolate, impoverish and totally destroy rural ways of life. Semi-rural communities will be turned into ghettos, Towns and areas who rely on tourism for their economic existence, will become ghost places, devoid of life and love.

Why does personal freedom get so savagely attacked? A small but influential section of the population seem determined to subject everyone else to a greatly reduced freedom of choice, in just about anything. All the most tyrannical dictators in history had at some point claimed they were acting for the good of the masses, to save the people. Now this small ego driven and obviously arrogant, section of the population seeks to force everyone to a narrow view of what is “acceptable”, it may be a specialised diet, to sit in regulated homes, only hear “acceptable” views, only move from home in controlled manor. This is the ultimate “Orwell” nightmare and banning personal car ownership is a start towards that objective.

Another old saying is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It is certain that many advocates of banning private car ownership, mean well but these policies do not consider the effect on rural populations, they do not take full account of future technological developments and they do not consider that some people need freedom of travel as a support to their individual self-esteem.

Public transport does not exist in remote areas and even in semi-rural communities it is unsuited to the frail, the very elderly and those with disabilities. One size does not fit all. The effect of banning private cars from cities- or at least “pricing them out” as is being done in London; just increases the cost of everything that moves, which is everything. So, living in cities becomes even more segregated to the rich who can afford it and the poor trapped in conditions they have no escape from. Be very careful what you wish for.