▲ 378 ▼ Americans can no longer afford their cars (www.newsweek.com) submitted 2 years ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/news@lemmy.world 115 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 37 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children) As a young adult who wanted to avoid debt, my rules were somewhat similar Car must be used, for sale by private seller. Avoids dealership fees, warranty fees etc. If I cannot buy it in full, in cash that day, I cannot afford it. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] tburkhol@lemmy.world 22 points 2 years ago I bought my first car on credit. After my last payment, I diverted that money into dedicated savings for the next car. Kept me from lifestyle creep and paid myself interest instead of the bank. permalink fedilink source parent [–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago* (3 children) As a young adult in Europe (the place where walking and biking safely is possible), my rules were: Rent apartment close to work Don't need car and I still commute to work faster then my collegues I am entirely convinced US cities are designed by the car lobby. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] CoreOffset@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago Those are good rules. American cities used to be designed around reasonable things like walking and using Streetcars but then were bulldozed to make way for the automobile. permalink fedilink source parent [–] novibe@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago Not built by, but rebuilt by. And all the tram networks were bought and purposefully destroyed by car and oil companies in the early 20th century. permalink fedilink source parent [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (2 children) They werent designed by the car lobby, but many did have their transit bought out by the car lobby coupled with the suburban american dream resulting in the demolition of many downtowns and neighbourhoods to make highways and surface level parking lots. I live somewhere that I can get to nearly everything I need by walking except for work and I feel far more free than a car ever made me feel. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago* (1 child) No, I know US used to have the best public transit in the world at one point. I meant they designed the rebuilt cities. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago The suburban experiment is more responsible for the design of american cities. The post WW2 period saw rapid expansion of suburbs and road networks. Country style living with city amenities. The problem is they stopped building any other type of development and pretty much exclussively building SFH suburbs and strip malls/big box stores. permalink fedilink source parent [–] ripcord@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago (1 child) many did have their transit bought out by the car lobby I know that happened in LA, where else? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) https://www.vox.com/2015/5/7/8562007/streetcar-history-demise This article covers the GM holding comapny that bought lines. It also mentions how just buying the lines wasn't the only issue, once cars were normalized they were just allowed to drive on street car tracks which effectively turned street cars into buses and caused massive delays. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] tburkhol@lemmy.world 22 points 2 years ago I bought my first car on credit. After my last payment, I diverted that money into dedicated savings for the next car. Kept me from lifestyle creep and paid myself interest instead of the bank. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago* (3 children) As a young adult in Europe (the place where walking and biking safely is possible), my rules were: Rent apartment close to work Don't need car and I still commute to work faster then my collegues I am entirely convinced US cities are designed by the car lobby. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] CoreOffset@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago Those are good rules. American cities used to be designed around reasonable things like walking and using Streetcars but then were bulldozed to make way for the automobile. permalink fedilink source parent [–] novibe@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago Not built by, but rebuilt by. And all the tram networks were bought and purposefully destroyed by car and oil companies in the early 20th century. permalink fedilink source parent [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (2 children) They werent designed by the car lobby, but many did have their transit bought out by the car lobby coupled with the suburban american dream resulting in the demolition of many downtowns and neighbourhoods to make highways and surface level parking lots. I live somewhere that I can get to nearly everything I need by walking except for work and I feel far more free than a car ever made me feel. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago* (1 child) No, I know US used to have the best public transit in the world at one point. I meant they designed the rebuilt cities. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago The suburban experiment is more responsible for the design of american cities. The post WW2 period saw rapid expansion of suburbs and road networks. Country style living with city amenities. The problem is they stopped building any other type of development and pretty much exclussively building SFH suburbs and strip malls/big box stores. permalink fedilink source parent [–] ripcord@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago (1 child) many did have their transit bought out by the car lobby I know that happened in LA, where else? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) https://www.vox.com/2015/5/7/8562007/streetcar-history-demise This article covers the GM holding comapny that bought lines. It also mentions how just buying the lines wasn't the only issue, once cars were normalized they were just allowed to drive on street car tracks which effectively turned street cars into buses and caused massive delays. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] CoreOffset@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago Those are good rules. American cities used to be designed around reasonable things like walking and using Streetcars but then were bulldozed to make way for the automobile. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] novibe@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago Not built by, but rebuilt by. And all the tram networks were bought and purposefully destroyed by car and oil companies in the early 20th century. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (2 children) They werent designed by the car lobby, but many did have their transit bought out by the car lobby coupled with the suburban american dream resulting in the demolition of many downtowns and neighbourhoods to make highways and surface level parking lots. I live somewhere that I can get to nearly everything I need by walking except for work and I feel far more free than a car ever made me feel. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago* (1 child) No, I know US used to have the best public transit in the world at one point. I meant they designed the rebuilt cities. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago The suburban experiment is more responsible for the design of american cities. The post WW2 period saw rapid expansion of suburbs and road networks. Country style living with city amenities. The problem is they stopped building any other type of development and pretty much exclussively building SFH suburbs and strip malls/big box stores. permalink fedilink source parent [–] ripcord@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago (1 child) many did have their transit bought out by the car lobby I know that happened in LA, where else? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) https://www.vox.com/2015/5/7/8562007/streetcar-history-demise This article covers the GM holding comapny that bought lines. It also mentions how just buying the lines wasn't the only issue, once cars were normalized they were just allowed to drive on street car tracks which effectively turned street cars into buses and caused massive delays. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago* (1 child) No, I know US used to have the best public transit in the world at one point. I meant they designed the rebuilt cities. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago The suburban experiment is more responsible for the design of american cities. The post WW2 period saw rapid expansion of suburbs and road networks. Country style living with city amenities. The problem is they stopped building any other type of development and pretty much exclussively building SFH suburbs and strip malls/big box stores. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago The suburban experiment is more responsible for the design of american cities. The post WW2 period saw rapid expansion of suburbs and road networks. Country style living with city amenities. The problem is they stopped building any other type of development and pretty much exclussively building SFH suburbs and strip malls/big box stores. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 1 point 2 years ago (1 child) many did have their transit bought out by the car lobby I know that happened in LA, where else? permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) https://www.vox.com/2015/5/7/8562007/streetcar-history-demise This article covers the GM holding comapny that bought lines. It also mentions how just buying the lines wasn't the only issue, once cars were normalized they were just allowed to drive on street car tracks which effectively turned street cars into buses and caused massive delays. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) https://www.vox.com/2015/5/7/8562007/streetcar-history-demise This article covers the GM holding comapny that bought lines. It also mentions how just buying the lines wasn't the only issue, once cars were normalized they were just allowed to drive on street car tracks which effectively turned street cars into buses and caused massive delays. permalink fedilink source parent