Mastodawn

HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jan 14, 2023

While true, this commonplace #Green thinking ignores the needs of the many handicapped or frail elderly people or stressed-out parents with several younger kids who already feel guilty about spending too little time with their family.
Using public transport in off-peak times often doubles or triples travelling times + involves quite some walking.
Furthermore, in rural areas, #PublicTransport is mostly too rare and often too expensive due to low population density.

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Badtux the Snarky Penguin Jan 15, 2023

@HistoPol @JessTheUnstill @[email protected] In short, your observations about the handicapped and public transit are totally divorced from the reality. Public transit is the most friendly form of transit for the handicapped, and that has been true for decades.

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HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jan 15, 2023

@badtux @JessTheUnstill @[email protected]

Interesting observation.

A longer time ago, I was managing a driving service for the handicapped. All of our clients would not have shared your opinion. In particular, as almost all would not have made it even to the next bus stop half a mile away by themselves.

The ones that might have made it would still mostly have preferred a cab/taxi.

Most of the people I know aged up to 80/85 who are not nursing-home residents still manage to drive...
1/2

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HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jan 15, 2023

@badtux @JessTheUnstill @[email protected]

2/3
...however, many would not manage more than walking to a bus station and back 600m/half a mile (and back) and then still go shopping downtown.

Also, someone merely having an injured foot would not make it out of the unfathomable undergrounds in the #CityOfLondon when the #escalators are out of order.
...

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Badtux the Snarky Penguin Jan 15, 2023

@HistoPol @JessTheUnstill @[email protected] The fact that the EU does not have handicapped-access laws is not my problem here in the United States. The lack of any functional mass transit at all in most US cities is my problem. There's basically only two cities in the United States where you can easily live without a car -- New York City and San Francisco. That's pathetic.

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HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴Jan 16, 2023

@badtux @JessTheUnstill @[email protected]

Yes, the #US has been too focused on the #CarIndustry since #WWII.

But wheelchair accessibility is a problem in most countries, also in the #US:

"A 2011 report from Amtrak's Office of Inspector General found that 48 of the stations used by the railroad met the requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, while 434 did not."

Even if there R willingness + laws, the funding must B there as well. Upgrading platforms + bus stops is very expensive.

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HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴

@badtux @JessTheUnstill @[email protected]

Source:
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/01/29/amtrak-trains-stations-pose-problems-wheelchair-access/4589972002/

After $25,000 fee, wheelchair users wait for better Amtrak stations, trains

Amtrak has been slow to make progress on improving accessibility of its stations and trains 30 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act passed.

USA TODAY