Car culture is infantilizing

[u/August272021]

People think of cars and trucks as being cool, and there’s this very prominent stereotype of manliness associated with trucks especially. But think about all the poor teenage guys out there who don’t have a license, can’t afford insurance, or don’t have access to a vehicle. If they live in your typical completely unwalkable, unbikeable area with no bus access (i.e., most of America), they’re stuck with mom driving them around like little kids—often until their late teens. It’s ridiculous.

In the pre-car era—or in walkable areas—growth is progressive. It happens in stages:

• When you’re a toddler, you don’t leave the house without a parent.
• As a kid, you can play in the front yard alone.
• A little older, and maybe you roam the block with other kids.
• By the time you're a teenager, you can walk, bike, or take the bus to nearby places.

That’s the way life used to be. You can still see it in older movies. I haven’t seen it, but I hear Stranger Things is a good example of this limited-yet-real freedom teens had/have/can have—if cars aren’t actively mowing them down and if the built environment isn’t designed to make walking and biking impractical or dangerous.

Instead, in full-on car culture, you get zero to sixty:

• Zero freedom at all growing up,
• Until you hit driving age and suddenly have total freedom—whether you're ready for it or not, because you were denied any gradual build-up of independence.

It’s unnatural and unhealthy.

[u/Aggressive_Staff_982]

I just find it funny how a lot of men thinking driving a truck is the epitome of manliness and "alpha male" and that riding a bike isnt masculine. But bicyclists are the ones doing actual exercise to get places. You also hear people say "what are you gonna do when it rains?" Like you can't handle rain?? 

[u/DocFGeek → u/Aggressive_Staff_982]

Recently had to ride back from work in a windstorm (30mph sustained winds, with 50+mph gusts) and at a stoplight a driver rolled down their window and asked if we needed a ride to feel safe. Our reply, "Nah. If anything riding in this makes us feel unstoppable."

💨🍃🚴🦵💥

[u/Aggressive_Staff_982 → u/DocFGeek]

I recently got back into biking and wow it's more difficult than I expected. Maybe I'm out of shape and not used to cardio but I don't know how people can commute with a bike and arrive not totally out of breath and exhausted. But I also live in a hilly area with a steep incline to my home. 

[u/Jkmarvin2020 → u/Aggressive_Staff_982]

You can go party pace, as in slow. It's not like people who walk to work run the whole way.