Three hour parking

[somjournal.livejournal.com]

You can now park for three hours at lots in Davis Square. Weigh in on the change on our blog.

Comments

[turil.livejournal.com]

No one needs a car to live a happy and healthy life. Seriously. No one. Cars just aren't on the official list of human needs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs). Freedom of movement is. Safety is. A supportive community is. Clean food, water, and air are. But not cars. Nope, cars are just not there.

However, our society has chosen to structure people's lives and communities in ways that make it unnecessarily difficult for many people live without a car. But that isn't due to any real needs, it's due to confusion, lack of cooperation, and general inertia in government and individual thinking.

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

well, I think some of it also has to do with lack of funding and physical space to make public transportation available in every spot you can think of. Can you imagine a world where there was a subway to just about anywhere? How would we grow things? How would we pay for all the other things that a community needs - schools, healthcare, roads, etc.?

Just playing devil's advocate here. While I'm a thorough believer in public transport, I also recognize that it's not going to always be the answer at all. Ever.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

And for some people, "cars" are the best means by which they can meet those needs, like freedom of movement.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Society isn't an abstract force; it's individuals making choices. Some -- apparently many -- of those individuals have made choices that are not the ones you make. Bummer. But maybe not for them.

It is a choice.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Exactly my point. Owning a car is a choice that some people make. I'm jsut hoping that people are able to understand that they do have a choice. They may not know what other options there are, but there are definitely other options, especially in Somerville. I don't care about myself, I care about the whole community, including you. I see the unhappiness that owning a car causes and I wish to help alleviate that unhappiness. And while I'm obviously not that great at making that happen, I continue to try. I know how addictive the things are myself, having used one today because I didn't have enough energy to walk or bike up and down all these silly hills. I didn't need to use a car, but I did, and it had a negative impact on my neighborhood. And that is indeed a bummer for lots of people.

Re: It is a choice.

[cutieperson]

do you have any concept of how privileged you are to not have your mobility factor into the choice of whether or not to own a car?
i _could_ have all my food brought in by community programs, and do all of my socializing inside my house, or only when i have someone else to walk my wheelchair down my front steps. but man, that would be all sorts of isolating, not to mention discouraging.

Re: It is a choice.

[turil.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right! I am indeed priviledged - I don't have to suffer from the fear of my car being taken away from me anymore. It's already happened (a decade ago), and it was absolutely liberating. So, yes, I feel extrordinarily fortunate that I don't own a car anymore. Thanks.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Hear hear! (starts slow clap)

Thank you.