Most Influential Transportation?

[Smellincoffee]

I just finished Blood, Iron, and Gold, a superb story of the history of railroads (or railways) and how they have transformed the world. After reading, I wondered to myself if railroads weren't the most influential form of transportation ever invented, outside of the basic wheel. I think the case could be made for railroads in this regard; although they have declined in the age of the automobiles, they created the economies and urban networks that cars needed for their invention. But then I thought of ships, and I realized that sea transportation has probably formed a substantial part of human history, as well. I'm not referring to seafaring empires of the 'common era', either, but of the first primitive boats and ships plying rivers, and their role in giving life to early cities and linking human communities before roads were practical.

So -- let's discuss. What have been the most influential forms of human transportation, or the technologies which allowed them, throughout history? There are at least five that have to be considered: animal-based (horses, drawn carts, camel caravans...); marine-based (ships/boats on rivers, canals and coasts); trains, automobiles, and aircraft.

 

[NedimNapoleon]

Two legs.

 

[Antilogic]

The first non-trivial question I have is whether we should count domesticated animals separately from the vehicles attached to them.

Second, I'd probably vote for the boat. Boats allowed more rapid communication (compared to moving along what passed for roads in prior eras), allowed for large amounts of cargo to be moved, enabled exploration, and more advanced warfare. It also has the benefit of being first-developed among the triumvirate of boats, railroads, and aircraft (tiebreaker).

 

[Cutlass]

All of the revolutions in transportation resulted in revolutions in the rest of society. Singling out one over the other isn't easy to do. I could make the argument that the railroad was most transformative for the world. But other arguments could be made as well.

 

[Phrossack]

Feet. Where would we be without them? Lying on the ground, that's where.

Other than that, though, RR and boats, but probably boats. Though that's such a broad category that it's a mite unfair to compare it to something slightly more specific like trains.

 

[Antilogic]

All of the revolutions in transportation resulted in revolutions in the rest of society. Singling out one over the other isn't easy to do. I could make the argument that the railroad was most transformative for the world. But other arguments could be made as well.

Not disagreeing with you, but that's the point of the thread: which transformation had the largest impact (however you choose to measure it) on human society? I ended up picking the earliest tech that enabled long-distance communication, trade, warfare, etc. because it has cumulative influence down the line.

 

[Dachs]

All of the revolutions in transportation resulted in revolutions in the rest of society.

Thus devaluing the term "revolution" to near meaninglessness.

 

[Tee Kay]

I'd make a (dis?)honourable mention for the car. Trains and ships have their limitations with regards to where they can go, how they get there, and who decides where to go in the first place. With the car, you have both the speed of the train, the flexibility of walking, plus comfort and privacy thrown in.

 

[Cutlass]

But the car wasn't as transformative of the rest of human society as trains were.

 

[Tee Kay]

But the car wasn't as transformative of the rest of human society as trains were.

I'm not too sure. The automobile gave rise to the suburbs and the megacities, greatly increased personal mobility, probably did its bit to decrease local community interactions and strongly reinforced the trend towards individualism. I'm not going to say that the car is more or less transformative than the train, but it is pretty damn influential.

 

[Cutlass]

The auto is arguably more of a hindrance than a help for the megacities. Granted it's important for what our current society is shaped like. But I would argue that the changes per-railroad to railroad are of greater importance than railroad to automobile.

 

[Tahuti]

I'd vote for boats. Cars and trains make it easier and quicker to get from one location to another, while boats actually allow you to access places you couldn't access otherwise (except by aircraft, but these are pretty much to boats and walking what cars and trains are to walking as well).

Should space travel become affordable, space travel will become the most influential form of transportation, for pretty much the same reasons boats have now.

 

[blunt3d]

Sea Vessels/Boats the amount of cargo and oil that is moved on ships from one country to another is crazy.

 

[ZeletDude]

My first instinct is to say cars for the reasons TK said, but RRs, and ships are pretty dang influential too :\

 

[Tee Kay]

How about we turn this thread into a discussion of how different mode of transportation influence people and society, instead of which one is the most influential.

 

[Traitorfish]

Feet.

I misread that as "ferret". Which is now my answer to the question.

 

[Silurian]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the Bicycle.

The Bicycle allowed the urban working class to travel cheaply over relatively long distances opening up the countryside, more work opportunities and chances of social interaction.

 

[Lord Baal]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the Bicycle.

The Bicycle allowed the urban working class to travel cheaply over relatively long distances opening up the countryside, more work opportunities and chances of social interaction.

The bicycle is really just a cheap alternative to the horse. COnsidering the fact that horses produce manure, glue and food, whereas bicycles tend to produce very little of these things - though if you aim them correctly and pedal fast, I suppose you could get some food from them - I'm not sure if bicycles are actually cheaper, on balance. It would be an interesting exercise to quantify them both.

 

[Cutlass]

Well you don't have to feed or clean up after a bike once you've bought it.

 

[Lord Baal]

Well you don't have to feed or clean up after a bike once you've bought it.

I'm well-aware of that. You do, however, have to fill the tyres with air, repair punctures, spend an absolute fortune on bandages for your stupid, uncoordinated children's knees, buy a helmet, reflective clothing if you're biking at night, etc.. Off the top of my head, I'd say horses cost more, but as I said, I'd like to see the numbers crunched, because I doubt bicycles win the fiscal race by nearly as much as you'd think at first glance.