Ever wonder why Americans are fat and consume so much oil?

[Lotus49]

No fancy link here, this is an account of something I just saw on 10 August. I was on a (3 hour) walk/hike around my heighborhood, which has a bunch of big parks, etc. Anyway, there I was walking, and I couldn't believe this; I saw this guy DRIVE... to his mailbox. Seriously, the distance from the garage to the mailbox was maybe about 100 feet, and it was only 'slightly' uphill. I saw the whole sequence, as the man got out of the truck, and got his mail... and there's no question that there is NO handicap involved here whatsoever. He was totally capable of getting around. He was a little fat, though - but that's typical, who isn't. But yeah, he cranked his big Dodge Ram V10 Turbo-Diesel (or whatever it is), revved it up, drove up to the mailbox, got the mail, and drove back and parked it again.

Seems every time I go out - on foot, all I see is people driving around - so many cars, each with only one person, and they just drive, and drive, and drive. Burning gasoline is the real 'national past time'. And the air really stinks, while the heat sears down during another scorching day. Suburban backroads just PACKED with cars, so many it's hard to even cross the road to go from one park, to another. Even when you get deep within the park, totally surrounded by greenery you can't get away from the bad air.

All we do here, is drive - for the sheer sake of driving. But anyway Thursday, I saw an example of just how tragic things are really getting. I think people have totally lost the concept that it's possible to go places on foot. That is, except from the couch to the refigerator.

What a bunch of slobs. Millions of them. That's really what's at the bottom of all these headlines. The wars, the geo-political maneuvering, and all the pin-action involved around the world. Practically all of 'em. And it's all in the name of keeping these numbskulls driving... back and forth, back and forth. I swear, it's like the Truman Show. "Let's see how much exhaust fumes we can produce!"

/rant

 

[nivi]

Driving to the mailbox?

Increase gas tax x2
Make a fat tax

That will solve most of your problems, except doing that will be political suicide, oh well, guess your screwd forever.

 

[Gelion]

Smells of a troll

 

[steviejay]

I believe that's an unjust generalisation, although my own observations I have noticed that the Americans would rather drive somewhere than walk, in contradiction to what we do over in the UK, but I think that's more due to the fact there is inadequate sidewalks. At least where I was (Indiana)

 

[Grisu]

to be fair, many places in the US make it really hard for people to get somewhere on foot.

I stayed at a motel somewher outside san diego once, and we wanted to go have dinner at a restaurant that was maybe 500m away. after failing to find a pedestrian walk and finding no way to cross the highway (without being run down) we finally went back and took the car.

totally crazy, IMHO

 

[C~G]

There was this funniest home made films show in finnish television and most of them were from america. After some of the most stupidest flicks he used to say "And remember, these guys are world's only superpower and own nuclear weapons capable of blowing everything up." The guy currently has documentary show about Japan running currently on TV. Today's episode is about sex in Japan...

I bet the car is part of the american identity. Just like some women dress-up nicely in order to look good even when they goto store next door or go take out the crash during nightfall.

In Finland there are similar issues, people want their own cars and younger people haven't used to move in bigger cities from point A to point B. I'm from middle sized town myself so for me moving by foot and by bike is self-explanatory. People love their cars as it gives them "freedom. I have hardly noticed still any freedom to it if the car actually handicaps you from moving by any other means.

I guess many of the men are becoming ladies too.
Every ride must be from door to door.
It ain't over till the incredible fat lady sings and her arteries give up the fight.

EDIT: It is indeed so that in some places it's hard to get around because lack of pedestrian walks but as they say the lane runs both ways.
If people would use and desire sidewalks there would be some. Or at least this is the way in liberal Europe how we deal with these issues, people decide, not oil or car companies.

 

[unscratchedfoot]

I like the mailbox story! Very interesting. You are right about too much driving Lotus49 (why 49?) and I think this is not just an American thing. Every country does this now. In Japan, stinky salarymen park their cars on roadsides and let them run uselessly for hours filling up the streets with exhaust. It's like a national hobby here, along with smoking, drinking and pornos. We need some homeboys from America to come here and jack some of those idling cars.

Smells of a troll

Then try using some deordorant. Isn't it embarrassing airing your hygene deficiencies on a public forum?

 

[Gelion]

Then try using some deordorant. Isn't it embarrassing airing your hygene deficiencies on a public forum?

If I had problems of that nature I would have dealth with them myself....

 

[aaglo]

Drive to get your mail. What Jerk.
But hey, I believe your story about the americans being lazy...

.
If you don't see anything funny about that image, then maybe - this is just guessing - you're one of the lazy ones

 

[unscratchedfoot]

If I had problems of that nature I would have dealth with them myself....

Hmmm Gelion, I just read your signature and I think there's more to your case than just a hygene problem.

 

[Gelion]

Hmmm Gelion, I just read your signature and I think there's more to your case than just a hygene problem.

If this is personal - take it to the mods.

EDIT: Actually dont take it to the mods... I've remembered you made me laugh yesterday.... so I forgive you

 

[unscratchedfoot]

aaglo, why did they spend the money to put in escalators going both ways?

 

[aaglo]

Why did they build escalators at all, that's what I'd like to know. Especially given the extreme 15 steps required to go up/down...

 

[Elta]

I was driving and ghost ridin da whip as I read this post.*


























*Props if you get that.

 

[aaglo]

no props for me then

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It's not only America anymore. At least I have seen many such occurances in the Netherlands as well.

Example 1.
There's a supermarket with the parkinglot across a small one-way street. The parkinglot always has more than enough parkingspace and still I see people parking right next to the supermarket so they don't have to walk across the parkinglot and cross the street. The same parkinglot has handicapped spaces which are of course nearest to the supermarket. They are always taken, and almost never by handicapped people. I had to wait for a freind there and I was amazed how lazy people have become

Example 2.
A guy who lives in my street takes his car to work. Which is just around the corner of where he lives. It's all one way traffic, so when he drives home he has to drive around the block to get there. Still he preffers that to a 2 minute walk.

I could go on ....

Maybe this trend has progressed more in America, but it sure isn't solely an American problem anymore.

 

[Elta]

It's not only America anymore. At least I have seen many such occurances in the Netherlands as well.

Example 1.
There's a supermarket with the parkinglot across a small one-way street. The parkinglot always has more than enough parkingspace and still I see people parking right next to the supermarket so they don't have to walk across the parkinglot and cross the street. The same parkinglot has handicapped spaces which are of course nearest to the supermarket. They are always taken, and almost never by handicapped people. I had to wait for a freind there and I was amazed how lazy people have become
.

In america we park in handicaped spaces while handicaped people make handicapped faces. ........I know it's not funny ...but.....who am I kidding

 

[C~G]

I was driving and ghost ridin da whip as I read this post.*

Do you mean you were Surfin U.S.A while you were getting around?

Props to you too if possible.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Denis Leary

That quote also went through my mind when I typed that

(btw, it's 'make handicapped faces' [/nitpick] )

 

[Elta]

Denis Leary

That quote also went through my mind when I typed that

(btw, it's 'make handicapped faces' [/nitpick] )

Brain fart