I listen to audio books in my car all the time, and I would not feel the least bit safe listening to my ipod with a million strangers walking all around me, I want to be fully aware of my surroundings if I am rubbing shoulder to shoulder with strangers. Sorry, but car culture is still >>>>>>>>>>>>> hippy mass transit culture. Not to mention the mass transit cities are all too damn expensive and it is impossible to get decent property if you dont have a six figure salary. I do NOT want to be forced into having a freaking roommate for the 'luxury' of having to live within city limits, nor do I enjoy living somewhere with like 10k people living per square mile. I would rather commute two hours before ever going back to that.
I honestly can't imagine mass transit to work in a place like Houston. WAY too spread out. However, I did used to ride my bike for shopping needs when lived in Houston. Which I found to be a hell of a lot more convenient and refreshing than driving for such purposes.
yeah, mass transit is only for hippies who just want to strip you of your autonomy. trains are more reliable, cleaner and safer. cars are sociopathic devices. read this book.
No one is suggesting that you can't listen to anything in your car. The point is you do not have to interact with anyone if you don't want to. Transit doesn't have to be a social experience. Also, I'd feel a LOT safer on transit than being in a car surrounded by a ton of other people who suck at driving.
different soil structure, vastly different climate/weather patterns... subway is not an option here. that being said, Houston is way behind the times in mass transist, at least in the inner loop area. Dallas, Atlanta, LA all have decent mass transit options (read: rail) that have left Houston in the dust.
That is absolute insanity... 2 hours commute each day? That's freakin crazy and I don't understand that at all. Talk about a waste of time and life. But different strokes and all that.
Most Southern cities don't have good mass transit systems. I would rather live in a place where I don't need a vehicle to get around, not only is mass transit faster, you don't have to deal with being stuck in rush hour traffic, rather, you might be subject to squeezing into a bus or train during peak hours. Do you REALLY want to drive an hour for work each day when you are barely awake? Or would you rather take a train, listen to your iPod, close your eyes, and get to your destination on time every day if you have your routine set up? Not only that, mass transit can be a place to meet chicks. See a hot chick sitting by herself? Sit in a seat next to her and get your game on. Can't do that while driving!
LOL! I do not actually drive two hours, no, it is more like 30 min or less on bad days, just exaggerating to make a point. Also I do not waste my life in the car, if anything I have gained a lot of knowledge during that 'down time' of driving around. Point still stands: for ME (yes I know it is not for everyone), commuting to work in a car beats the living you know what outta riding a piss infested L train to work every morning. I just got a little ticked off that a bunch of people here are apparently trying to remake Houston and Texas in general into something mirroring the northeast experience, which to me has FAILURE written all over it. Diversity is nice, choice is nice, if you like dealing with grumpy, smelly strangers on your way to work each morning, then great for you! For me? Not so much. Keep Houston the anti-NYC, is what I say.
Houston floods everytime there is a thunderstorm. Bayous get filled to capacity on major thunderstorm. If the bayous are at capacity at the next major thunderstorm, you can bet the surrounding streets will be flooded and the subway trains destroyed.
This (maybe not the zoning, but better ordinances). The mass transit is coming. It was just approved by the FTA not too long ago. We'll see it complete in about three to four years (depending on which line).
No, this isn't true. Look at the Washburn Tunnel on the east side. That thing has only flooded once during its history, and that was with Ike. Subways can easily work in Houston. Really, just certain parts of lines should be in a subway (for example, the Uptown Line should be in one). The only reason why the Downtown tunnels flooded during Allison was because a parking garage wall, not made to hold water, caved in. People really exaggerate this issue of subways in Houston. If Amsterdam can have them (a city below sea level), Houston can.
Dallas and Atlanta are bad example. Atlanta has had MARTA since the 70s. Dallas already has 45-miles of light rail, and The Green Line will completely open next year (only partially opened now) and will double their mileage. The Orange Line not too long after that. Houston is FAR behind in the light rail/commuter rail department. It's doing good on buses though. And sorry for the triple post. Was a mistake.
1. Houston and many Southern cities did not really grow until after World War 2 when the excess war manufacturing capacity was converted to auto manufacturing making cars affordable for everyone. 2. At the same time, we developed a huge refining capacity that made gasoline cheap. And frankly it still is. 3. There are no natural boundaries for development in Houston, you can stamp out houses and roads for as far as the eye can see. And most every family prefers having a single family home with a private play area for the children. 4. The automobile is one of the highest expressions of personal freedom; go anywhere, anytime, with all your stuff ...door to door in most cases, heated air conditioned, out of the rain with no bums or piss smelling stations. You rarely get mugged in your car either. So if you are coming to Houston, rent a damn car. We need you to pay for the Reliant Stadium and the Toyota center for us anyway.
Fair points except for the safety issue. If anything it is more dangerous to drive, and you're just as likely (if not MORE likely) to get mugged where you're going in your car, vs. the subway station. Plus, your car is a very tangible, valuable "rob me" sign (especially if its a NICE car) you're carrying with you, unlike on the subway, where you're far less valuable.
