To wonder why is Mumsnet so anti-car?

[Ticketsto]

There is at least one thread a week on here demonizing cars! What is with all the hate? I know they cause pollution and can kill people however they’ve revolutionized the way we live! Not all of us are fortunate enough to live somewhere with good public transport.

Why are people who live at the end of dirt tracks in the middle of the countryside, objecting to urban traffic control?

Maybe I should start objecting to the countryside code? Go round leaving gates open, hold a BBQ in the middle of a wheat field, that sort of thing?

Nobody is objecting to it.

They're saying it won't solve all the problems people think it will.

They're not, are they? So far they've only provided a photo of a byway (official status uncertain) in Cumbria (which almost certainly 90% of the local population never even use, you can tell by how clean their X4 is) as evidence for why the Smith family of Penrith absolutely must have a juggernaut. God knows why the Leadbetters of Godalmoaning "need" one...

Where I live there is a high street that is within one mile's walk for 99% residents.
They still drive to the local convenience store and park on the double yellow lines outside.

Yes of course nuance exists but there are an awful lot of people that use their cars unnecessarily. And the high street is dying because people don't like the fact there isn't parking so they would rather drive to an out of town shopping centre than walk 15 minutes.

@Whewillmylifebegin Its also not about you, its about small changes most of us can make, what me or you might do is immaterial.

We need the majority to start looking at their car use and trying to limit it where possible.. yes with sport, thats impossible as i know only too well when my DD was competing.

It's small changes inc diet, someone focusing on losing weight will also try and be more active as well as what they eat i.e walk instead of drive.

They're 95% paved. That 5% is quite a few miles though.

2 from my local area, flower lane and church road. Both woldingham/oxted area, one of them inside the M25

Sorry but flower lane, water lane oxted

*not

Water lane is known locally as a slayer of BMW x5s

Pitchfork lane

I've never once mentioned "Chelsea tractors" or "juggernauts" and their necessity (or otherwise), though.

I was just responding to your post stating there are no unpaved public roads in England.

But as you asked - the road is the C3004 and it's council owned as per this image.

The link is: cumbria.highway-iams.uk/Live/PBLC/PIP/?cg=networks

Church road inside M25.

I just remembered a few more from the same area, long lane but I can't find any pictures because the Google cars won't go down it

Its a bit off topic banging on about lanes that very few of us would consider a road, let alone attempt to drive down....
these are used mainly by farmers and off road hobbyists or ramblers that are very surprised and angry to find a m/c or 4 wheel drive truck heading toward them.

Bottom line is we could all do with looking again at our car use, esp with cost of living and fuel costs.

I've found that gravelly bit now. I'd rather take a VW Golf down that road than an SUV, which rather illustrates my point that "living rurally" isn't an excuse for buying a Chelsea tractor.

The conversation leading up to that comment revolved around the existence of such a road (that is probably used by half a dozen households at best) being used as a justification for 40% of car sales across the UK being SUVs.

Fair enough, I didn't read the whole 8+ pages first.

Oh there were some howlers. Apparently an SUV is the only car available for large families to travel in. The poster apparently hadn't heard of people carriers or estates.

It us a bit odd to comment on suvs when you don't know what they are

Whewillmylifebegin, bikes also offer freedom

It's not just about exercise v obesity. A sedentary lifestyle can cause more diseases than just obesity. Getting people moving is a massive contributory factor to improving the health of the nation

I hate cars.
I do my utmost not to get in one.
I don't see my (extreme) view reflected on mn.

I consider the statement all roads have paths to be a howler.

So, I don't know car makes. Big deal. SUVs are just something people like to whine about when the reality is very few people have them and most people but a car for their needs. Just pointing out that people buy cars for their needs and will bike or walk where they can.

All this, I bike everywhere and I'm a dumpy middle aged woman is just virtue signalling and rather pathetic.

Yes bikes offer freedom. I don't think I've ever argued against people using bikes. I'm not into curbing freedoms unlike the hypocrites on this thread who live in lala land.

Most cars sold are SUV's and as we go to EV, they will become the norm because of battery size.

There are millions of SUV's on the Uk's roads.

Fashion dictates new vehicle sales and a majority of 2nd hand dealer ones too.

Most rural roads don't have paths, thats v true but there are usually alternative very quiet lanes... rural dweller like yourself would know this... even Lalalandshire has them in abundance.

You wouldn't get up or down it in a golf, trust me I've tried. or not with everything still attached to the bottom of your car, it's regularly got foot deep ruts that you need to be very careful in a 4x4

The local group was awash lately with people getting their 4x4s stuck after the rain and needing towed out by a farmer.

Regardless your point about their being no unmade roads in Europe is a nonsense. There's not loads, it definitely doesn't require as many SUVs as there are currently, but there are loads of them about

And how do I safely get to the alternative quiet lanes safely?
Use a car I expect haha.
Logic fail much. I expect this is what they teach you in extinction rebellion meetings. Why don't you do something useful and go glue yourself to a train or something haha.