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.

Yes well you made the case for why cars are a pia or rather their owners are, they stop alternative ways to travel.

It's hardly the public at fault 🙄

The reason people don't use alternative methods is because they don't exist in most places, or if they do, they're extortionately priced.

This, I generally get this opinion off MN.

Are you joking? Most Mumsnetters could not give a shiny shit about pollution and seem to positively hate people who don’t drive!

@pissssedofff

It's perverse isn't it?

If any other machine killed so many it would be banned, but those deaths are accepted as collateral damage on the altar of car ownership.

You seem to think you know a lot about commuting on a bike, for something who lives where it's impossible.

All that stuff about Greta and I hope you're all vegan??

You can't come out with that kind've thing and expect to be taken seriously.

Do you mean older SUVs, specifically? There's an argument that scrapping any car which is still working and buying another vehicle (whether a "green" vehicle or not) is worse for the environment than keeping it running until it's no longer serviceable.

Newer SUVs have no greater environmental impact than any other newer car; the engines are generally efficient and driving particulates excluding exhaust emissions are lower than some EVs and "friendly" alternatives, due to weight impact.

An EV takes something like 70k miles to become carbon neutral, due to the filthy way they are produced, including needing much larger amounts of rare earth minerals, often mined in very dodgy countries and often by children.

Why do you even care if anonymous people are 'anti-car'? Just a bit bizarre. Of you need a car, use one.

We should be dissuading unnecessary car journeys, yet I have a car myself. Am I anti-car? Whatever that even means. Who actually wants more cars and pollution?

All that stuff about Greta and I hope you're all vegan??

What are you talking about? I haven't mentioned Greta once 🤣

Whataboutsecondbreakfast - some workmen I've seen have moved onto cargo bikes, it can be done

And demonising cars 😂

Oh won't somebody think of the cars!

This.

Car pollution can kill people, especially children.

Pretty good reason for anti-car feeling on MN.

And that’s before we start on:
the way roads and car parks use the enormous and irreplaceable resource of land

pollution more generally

oil use

pressure of car lobby on destroying a good public transport system

*All that stuff about Greta and I hope you're all vegan?? Grin

You can't come out with that kind've thing and expect to be taken seriously*

You've mixed up posters.
But again why can't I? I'm vegan and I don't go about demanding others are because I realise that it's not that simple. Dogs I do wish people would actually consider animal welfare and the planet before getting one.

If I wrote a post saying how everyone should blanket be vegan then I imagine you would get cross that I wasn't considering the impact on your lifestyle. And let's face it, it's far easier to modify your diet than move house and rely on public transport.

As for Greta, I can bring her up because she started all this lack of nuance demand but no solution virtue signalling which is so loved by you and your ilk.

@whataboutsecondbreakfast

Apologies, that was someone else.

Nobody is suggesting that people cycle where it's not possible- what we're talking about is making it possible!

Poor infrastructure and distance are barriers, nonsense about hills and rain or not to most people. They just lack confidence.

Its all a bit ' car drivers matter too' - cyclists recieve much more hate, here and on the roads. Cars have been the dominant mode of transport for decades, time to recalibrate in favour of other ways of travel

Everyone should drive as little as they can and use other options wherever possible. It's up to individuals to decide what is possible for them but we should all have that goal. And people shouldn't dismiss things they haven't even tried.

This is ironic considering the majority of MN consider non drivers as half people,living half lives .

@usernamealreadytaken

SUV's have huge blind spots and take up too much space. They're also more likely to kill you.

No problem!

Yes - I agree infrastructure is the main issue but hills and bad weather are an issue in many areas too and I do think it's silly to suggest otherwise.

Like I said there's a big difference between a well-lit hill in a town with cycle lanes and lots of room for overtaking and a dark, unlit rural hill that barely has enough room for two cars to pass as it is, let alone cars and bikes with children being towed behind them.

Increasing people's confidence won't make country roads any safer for people.

They're also the only option for childminders or those with more children.

Again. It's not a one size fits all situation.

This. Haven't seen any anyi-car threads but plenty of threads about how people who don't drive or doesn't have cars are not worthy.

My impression of mumsnet is having 2 cars or more is considered the norm

You can't make cycle lanes let alone paths on many country roads because of drainage and space issues for farmers.

Again, all these 'solutions' are from people rather reliant on cars for their food but have no idea how it works.

Exactly.

Most country lanes are also too narrow for cycle tracks! They barely even fit a car down them

Whewillmylifebegin - suvs are the only option for child minders and people with more kids! Heard it all now