The thing is liking cars and liking public transportation are not mutually exclusive. You can do both. I like my cars otherwise I wouldn't have bought them. I enjoy them like I enjoy having a DVD player or mountain bike. I also like public transportation. I always enjoyed taking the train and knowing my trip to and from work would be fast, efficient and on time baring some unforeseen accident. It was much less stressful than driving around in commuter traffic. If I moved back to Lake Forest IL I would keep two of my cars and still prefer public transportation for the majority of my trips, especially to and from work. If I moved back to NY I wouldn't move back to Manhattan because I can't afford it but if I moved back to Queens I could keep two of my cars as well. Again, I just wouldn't drive them into the city everyday and would work commute via subway.
Do some list members "hate cars"? I never got that vibe from anyone but I'm pretty clueless about a lot of stuff like this. I wouldn't infer someone hated cars from the car topics discussed here. Someone would probably have to openly state they hated cars for me to know they felt that way. I know James loves the whole idea of suburban living with 2 SUV's in the driveway, 72" flat screens, maximum consumption and all that jazz. Doesn't Charles have a fast car that he likes driving? Are there car lovers out there in LBO-land who keep quiet because they think it incorrect to like their cars? How can you hate a car? You can hate the unregulated and reckless use of it but hating "the car" makes as much sense as hating the radio, or dishwasher. I like driving but not in commuter traffic. I can listen to music at home. I'm interested in efficiency and safety where work commuting is concerned. Getting to and from work the quickest, safest and most convenient manner would seem to be the goal. Not driving through the San Juans however would be like not hiking through them either.
John Thornton