Gm: Government Motors

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Now that Obama's doing the hiring and firing at GM, what sorta cars should GM build?

 

[sr71plt]

Energy efficient/alternative?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

SR71PLT

When I was in Spain most people rode in Fernando's taxi (they walked).

 

[sr71plt]

SR71PLT

When I was in Spain most people rode in Fernando's taxi (they walked).

Unfortunately post-industrialization urban planners in the United States were in love with the automobile. Americans have a fetish about living across town from where they work and opting for megastores dotted around the landscape in the middle of acres of asphalt rather than neighborhood markets.

 

[cloudy]

Unfortunately post-industrialization urban planners in the United States were in love with the automobile. Americans have a fetish about living across town from where they work and opting for megastores dotted around the landscape in the middle of acres of asphalt rather than neighborhood markets.

Perhaps in cities, they do.

Every market here is a "neighborhood market," and we live maybe two miles from where my husband works.

There is no public transportation - zero, nada, zilch - and no such thing as a bike lane or even a sidewalk except for two or three blocks around the courthouse.

What would you suggest we do for transportation?

eta: this is far from the only town like this. I've lived in many small-ish towns, and they're all basically the same in that respect. I had my fill of cities after Los Angeles and Raleigh.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

SR71PLT

I agree.

Its very congested around here. The politicians are orgasmic to build lite-rail but refuse to consider any sort of metro planning that would make lite-rail affordable, practical, and efficient. We could, with hardly any inconvenience or hardship, increase our greenspace 100% and decrease 95% of the car traffic with efficacious construction and planning.

But, as I keep saying, if a politicians hair was on fire he wouldnt let you put it out until you paid him first.

 

[sr71plt]

What would you suggest we do for transportation?

Uh, use a car?--or in the rural case, maybe a pickup would be more practical. That's what they were meant for. Doesn't mean that if the government calls GM's shots now, GM shouldn't be producing more environmentally friendly vehicles. It's a myth that people won't buy them. I didn't have to go on a waiting list for my Camry Hybrid, but those deciding to buy just a couple of months later did.

 

[cloudy]

Uh, use a car?--or in the rural case, maybe a pickup would be more practical. That's what they were meant for. Doesn't mean that if the government calls GM's shots now, GM shouldn't be producing more environmentally friendly vehicles. It's a myth that people won't buy them. I didn't have to go on a waiting list for my Camry Hybrid, but those deciding to buy just a couple of months later did.

I would dearly love to have a hybrid, but just can't justify the expense at the moment, considering how little we actually drive (my husband has a work truck/fuel furnished by his company).

My point was, in a round about way, that so many complain about long commutes, shopping at big box stores, etc., but that's not really a big percentage of the problem.

The population centers may be the cities, but there are far more towns like the one I live in than cities, and we have no alternative but to live a distance from work, shop a distance from home, etc., and to drive there ourselves, as there is no public transportation available. The expense of a new hybrid car really isn't justified for those like me, nor is it even feasible for many of those that live in the area I live in.

 

[JackLuis]

How about this?

Some of the money from the stimulus is going to support domestic battery manufactures.

Plug in cars are just waiting for low cost high capacity batteries. New Lithem Ion chemistry are showing promise of reducing the tendancy for LI batteries to explode in flames!

Here is a new development I'd buy stock in.

Anyone who travels less than 20 mile radius could use a direct plug in and plug in hybrids could fill in the rest. We'd still be stuck with diesel trucks for freight but using trains is an option for a lot of our commerce.

They are already making short range electric cars in small quantities and it ain't GM making them. Modifying small trucks to electric is easy in a production setting, they just need batteries that are up to the task.

 

[freshface]

I would dearly love to have a hybrid, but just can't justify the expense at the moment, considering how little we actually drive (my husband has a work truck/fuel furnished by his company).

My point was, in a round about way, that so many complain about long commutes, shopping at big box stores, etc., but that's not really a big percentage of the problem.

The population centers may be the cities, but there are far more towns like the one I live in than cities, and we have no alternative but to live a distance from work, shop a distance from home, etc., and to drive there ourselves, as there is no public transportation available. The expense of a new hybrid car really isn't justified for those like me, nor is it even feasible for many of those that live in the area I live in.

But, in a way, that is the point. I used to live in a little German village, no more than a wide spot in the road, but it had a butcher, a bakery, a hardware store and a small grocery store. All of the basic necessities were within about three blocks from where I lived. That's typical in Germany. Neighborhoods are built for livability and mixed uses, land is expensive so towns are more compact, parking lots are tiny, and the small grocery stores charge about the same prices as the big box stores. It's unusual to be more than a mile from a store. The difference is in the variety available. Germany has big box stores, but I don't need to go to them for routine stuff. The big box stores also have have small parking lots, with spaces designed to fit small cars. German homes tend to have tiny refrigerators and no pantries, so Costco style shopping is really impractical here. German towns also have excellent bike paths and traffic signals and decent public transportation. The last place I lived in the US, the grocery store was about a mile and half away, but you couldn't walk to it. It was on a busy four lane road, with no sidewalks or crossing signals, and one section where your choices were to talk in the ditch or walk in the traffic lane. In that town, if I needed a loaf of bread, I drove. Here, I can go for weeks without driving to a grocery store. It does make a difference. SR is right, we Americans do have a fetish for strip malls, cars, and acres of asphalt.

 

[Liar]

I haven't had a car in four years. It has very rarely felt like an inconvenience.

 

[freshface]

I haven't had a car in four years. It has very rarely felt like an inconvenience.

You don't live in Texas.

 

[cloudy]

But, in a way, that is the point. I used to live in a little German village, no more than a wide spot in the road, but it had a butcher, a bakery, a hardware store and a small grocery store. All of the basic necessities were within about three blocks from where I lived. That's typical in Germany. Neighborhoods are built for livability and mixed uses, land is expensive so towns are more compact, parking lots are tiny, and the small grocery stores charge about the same prices as the big box stores. It's unusual to be more than a mile from a store. The difference is in the variety available. Germany has big box stores, but I don't need to go to them for routine stuff. The big box stores also have have small parking lots, with spaces designed to fit small cars. German homes tend to have tiny refrigerators and no pantries, so Costco style shopping is really impractical here. German towns also have excellent bike paths and traffic signals and decent public transportation. The last place I lived in the US, the grocery store was about a mile and half away, but you couldn't walk to it. It was on a busy four lane road, with no sidewalks or crossing signals, and one section where your choices were to talk in the ditch or walk in the traffic lane. In that town, if I needed a loaf of bread, I drove. Here, I can go for weeks without driving to a grocery store. It does make a difference. SR is right, we Americans do have a fetish for strip malls, cars, and acres of asphalt.

Two completely different animals.

This is a rural community: farms, cattle, etc. Land is reasonably priced, but more importantly, if these people here didn't do what they do, the rest of the country wouldn't eat.

There are no strip malls, very little asphalt...there is very little similarity between this town and the type of town you mention. Come to rural Alabama some time. HUGE difference.

 

[amicus]

"...what sorta cars should GM build?..."

Gee, JBJ, I have a really novel but revolutionary suggestion, GM should maybe, kinda, oughta build the 'sorta' cars that people want?

(Called the 'consumer', for those unfamiliar with a free market place)

I know, I am an heretic, suggesting such fringe concepts, guess I am bound for hell, eh?

Ami

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

CLOUDY needs to get a pony.

AMICUS

Oh! Man! You stepped in it now. I can smell the aroma from here! I dont know that anyone can handle the bull your comment will unleash.

Whats wrong with a 1950s Checker? Paint it some nice pastel color, remove the climate control stuff, haul some homeless bums with you when you go to the store. It might be okay.

 

[cloudy]

CLOUDY needs to get a pony.

I already have one....three, in fact. Well, they're horses, not ponies.

 

[redpaint]

Why does the government feel they need to take over GM, when they can't even run the country. And I don't care who in charge Dems or Rep. The Government needs to stay out of Privet Buisnes.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

REDPAINT

Bailing out GM was a nice idea until they removed the celophane wrapper and discovered it was shit sandwich instead of pastrami.

 

[sr71plt]

Why does the government feel they need to take over GM, when they can't even run the country. And I don't care who in charge Dems or Rep. The Government needs to stay out of Privet Buisnes.

Our government is being run quite well. There are troubles on the margin, as with any government, but if our government were not moving along satisfactorily, you'd know about it in about twenty minutes--and you'd be sorry you were so critical before.

 

[sr71plt]

"...what sorta cars should GM build?..."

Gee, JBJ, I have a really novel but revolutionary suggestion, GM should maybe, kinda, oughta build the 'sorta' cars that people want?

(Called the 'consumer', for those unfamiliar with a free market place)

I know, I am an heretic, suggesting such fringe concepts, guess I am bound for hell, eh?

Ami

If GM had been able to think that out on its own, most of us wouldn't be driving Japanese cars (called consumer choice) now.

 

[Katyusha]

Two completely different animals.

This is a rural community: farms, cattle, etc. Land is reasonably priced, but more importantly, if these people here didn't do what they do, the rest of the country wouldn't eat.

There are no strip malls, very little asphalt...there is very little similarity between this town and the type of town you mention. Come to rural Alabama some time. HUGE difference.

Very true...rural America is Rural America.

There were a couple towns like this in Alaska that we'd stop in for lunch. One of them was well over a hundred miles from where the pavement stopped...everyone living up there had either a ranch or a small store (there's not much produce that grows well enough above the circle to warrant farming). It was such a change, and honestly a welcome one, from the grind that is often living in a metropolitan area.

I have to say that the best food I've ever had has always come from some little tiny place in a little tiny rural town. People there still care about quality.