Love of cars puts brakes on bike culture

CHINA Bicycle company one of the country's biggest manufacturers and it
largest exporter, went into bankruptcy this week, a victim of th
growing Chinese love affair with the car

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117...562-401,00.htm

Just doesn't make much sense, does it

--
EuanB

EuanB wrote:
CHINA Bicycle company one of the country's biggest manufacturers and its
largest exporter, went into bankruptcy this week, a victim of the
growing Chinese love affair with the car.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117...62-401,00.html

Just doesn't make much sense, does it?

Makes perfect sense. China's standard of living is going
up, they can afford cars. Cars are status symbols (and
useful, you can carry lots more in a car than on a bike,
usually ). Life is one big ****ing contest after all.

Bleve Wrote:

Makes perfect sense. China's standard of living is goin
up, they can afford cars. Cars are status symbols (an
useful, you can carry lots more in a car than on a bike
usually ). Life is one big ****ing contest after all.
I'd argue there's a difference between something being understandabl
and making sense :-

A modicum of research in to traffic problems associated wit
unrestrained car use would have shown the way for China, that woul
make sense. It's understandable that China sees itself `catching up
with the western world and wants to emulate the trappings of tha
success

As for ****ing contests, well that's one view of the world and one I'
rather not subscribe to :-

--
EuanB

On 2005-08-24, Bleve wrote:
Makes perfect sense. China's standard of living is going
up, they can afford cars. Cars are status symbols (and
useful, you can carry lots more in a car than on a bike,
usually ). Life is one big ****ing contest after all.

The funny thing is, I'm in the middle (well, ok, at the start) of
evaluating a lifestyle without a car. In other words: I own a car. For
six weeks, I shall try to live without it. At the end of that time,
depending on how I go, I may well sell my car and live my life with just
my bike, my feet, and public transportation.

The interesting thing: if I do this, I'll be in a position to *hire* a
car from Budget for no more than 24 times a year (twice a month), and
*still* be ahead, money wise. And that's without considering the fuel
savings in not using a car much, and the environmental effects were
everybody to do this. (They won't, but the point still stands.)

I'm quite happy to let other people win the ****ing contests. My
viewpoint is that those, for the most part, don't deal with the things
that truly matter ... I suspect the major reason people set up such
contests is because, deep down, they know they lose out on those things,
so try to divert attention from them.

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@" to "usenet".

Stuart Lamble Wrote:

The funny thing is, I'm in the middle (well, ok, at the start) of
evaluating a lifestyle without a car. In other words: I own a car. For
six weeks, I shall try to live without it. At the end of that time,
depending on how I go, I may well sell my car and live my life wit
just
my bike, my feet, and public transportation.



dunno where you are, but checkout:

wwwflo.net.au

OR

www.goget.com.a

--
flyingdutch

EuanB Wrote:
CHINA Bicycle company one of the country's biggest manufacturers and it
largest exporter, went into bankruptcy this week, a victim of th
growing Chinese love affair with the car.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117...62-401,00.html

Just doesn't make much sense, does it?

From the Chinese perspective it makes perfect sense. But those aspirin
to a better life don't realise it all could be very short-term.

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

Wheels of revolution turning toward cheap, friendly transit
http://tinyurl.com/d33h6
Americans are subjected to a daily catechism extolling the comfort
status, ex appeal and freedom bestowed on us by the Almight
Automobile.
This prevailing orthodoxy is just beginning to be challenged by loca
officeholders across the country, but a grassroots, two-wheele
rebellion has been brewing in San Francisco for more than a decade. I
is anarchistic, playful and youth oriented, celebrating a level o
freedom no longer delivered by the automobile. And it has spawned
wide range of creative expression, from bicycle ballet to bicycl
rapping. (more in article

--
cfsmtb

They were talking about the demand China had on resources throughout th
world, on one of the current affair programs this week.

Apparently there is a massive shortage of petrol because 2000 new car
are being put on the road there every day/week?

--
Dancier

On 2005-08-24, flyingdutch wrote:

Stuart Lamble Wrote:

The funny thing is, I'm in the middle (well, ok, at the start) of
evaluating a lifestyle without a car. In other words: I own a car. For
six weeks, I shall try to live without it. At the end of that time,
depending on how I go, I may well sell my car and live my life with
just
my bike, my feet, and public transportation.

dunno where you are, but checkout:

wwwflo.net.au

OR

www.goget.com.au

Funny you should say that; I got the same suggestion from a friend.
Those services are inner city suburbs, though, not outer eastern (ie:
Mitcham), which makes them less useful to me. They're also on a par,
cost wise, with hiring a small car from Budget, which would do most of
what I'd need to do with a car (assuming the *need* is there.)

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me, and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@" to "usenet".

Stuart Lamble wrote:

I'm in the middle (well, ok, at the start) of evaluating a lifestyle
without a car. In other words: I own a car. For six weeks, I shall
try to live without it. At the end of that time, depending on how
I go, I may well sell my car and live my life with just my bike, my
feet, and public transportation.

Awesome! Sell the bloody thing right now tho, or give it away, or eve
set fire to it.

I gave my car away about eight years ago (hey, it was a Sigma - nobod
was gonna give me money for it) and really haven't looked back. You'
be totally amazed at how much beer you can buy with th
insurance/rego/petrol/tyres money that you blow on a car.

The interesting thing: if I do this, I'll be in a position to *hire
a
car from Budget for no more than 24 times a year (twice a month)
and
*still* be ahead, money wise.

This is the secret to living car-free. Don't hesitate to hire a ca
when you need to. We probably hire a car on average one day every fou
weeks or so, taking into account the occasional multi-day trip etc.

Best of luck,

Suz

--
suzyj

Stuart Lamble Wrote:
Funny you should say that; I got the same suggestion from a friend.
Those services are inner city suburbs, though, not outer eastern (ie:
Mitcham), which makes them less useful to me. They're also on a par,
cost wise, with hiring a small car from Budget, which would do most of
what I'd need to do with a car (assuming the *need* is there.)

--
My Usenet From: address now expires after two weeks. If you email me
and
the mail bounces, try changing the bit before the "@" to "usenet".

oh yeah, Mitcham

you could always get a cardboard box from someone's ne
fuggin-big-telly and run around inside it so as to look like a ca

--
flyingdutch