Comments on: pod car city http://www.clusterflock.org/2008/10/pod-car-city.html a site about everything Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:14:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Phil Bebbington http://www.clusterflock.org/2008/10/pod-car-city.html/comment-page-1#comment-264404 Phil Bebbington Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:14:57 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=13830#comment-264404 Yea they all promise us so much...I remember the years leading up to 2000...we all do, the promises of backpacks and silver suits. I was there Jan 1st 2000....where were these items? Hollow promises, broke my heart, please don't do it again with the hope of Pod Cars. And don't even get me on the promise of a paper free society, I bought that first computer with so much hope. I am still reeling from this paper free society not being just that, paper free! Yea they all promise us so much…I remember the years leading up to 2000…we all do, the promises of backpacks and silver suits. I was there Jan 1st 2000….where were these items? Hollow promises, broke my heart, please don’t do it again with the hope of Pod Cars.

And don’t even get me on the promise of a paper free society, I bought that first computer with so much hope. I am still reeling from this paper free society not being just that, paper free!

]]> By: Sheila Ryan http://www.clusterflock.org/2008/10/pod-car-city.html/comment-page-1#comment-264392 Sheila Ryan Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:01:51 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=13830#comment-264392 Or the GM Futurama at the 1939 Worlds Fair. I once asked my mom about her visit to that fair -- and about that fabled attraction in particular. "What was it? What did you do?" I asked. "Oh." She rolled her eyes, tossed her head, and smiled a dismissive smile. "We just rode around in little cars on a track and gaped at the future." Or the GM Futurama at the 1939 Worlds Fair. I once asked my mom about her visit to that fair — and about that fabled attraction in particular.

“What was it? What did you do?” I asked.

“Oh.” She rolled her eyes, tossed her head, and smiled a dismissive smile. “We just rode around in little cars on a track and gaped at the future.”

]]> By: Mike Dresser http://www.clusterflock.org/2008/10/pod-car-city.html/comment-page-1#comment-264373 Mike Dresser Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:50:36 +0000 http://www.clusterflock.org/?p=13830#comment-264373 The plan sounds like electric cars with computerized drivers (asleep at the wheel, counting electric sheep...) That is, I can't really see how this is a form of mass transit. There's still the last mile problem, that people won't walk more than 5 to 10 minutes if they can drive; far less than that if it is in the inhospitable environment of parking lots and highways. The suburban ideal of every man's little estate is lovely, but it just doesn't scale. How many square meters of roadway, gas station, drive thru and parking lot are allotted just for one of us? It's all adding up, one driver at a time, pushing man further from man. I wonder how long before the thought leaders realize density is the only solution. The plan sounds like electric cars with computerized drivers (asleep at the wheel, counting electric sheep…) That is, I can’t really see how this is a form of mass transit. There’s still the last mile problem, that people won’t walk more than 5 to 10 minutes if they can drive; far less than that if it is in the inhospitable environment of parking lots and highways. The suburban ideal of every man’s little estate is lovely, but it just doesn’t scale.

How many square meters of roadway, gas station, drive thru and parking lot are allotted just for one of us? It’s all adding up, one driver at a time, pushing man further from man. I wonder how long before the thought leaders realize density is the only solution.

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