Urbanologists Without Cars

(LVCI is getting nasty again)

For some time I've read articles and comments by supporters of urban transformation who claim they don't own cars.
      Well la-di-da for you!

There are quite a few questions and issues I have for these cheerleaders, The way I figure it they either are full of horse feathers, some kind of hermit or sponging on someone else for a ride. Here's why I have my doubts.


Question #1: My daughter has twin daughters that are now 8 months old. One of them needs specialized care that local doctors said she needs at CHOPS in Philadelphia. How the hell would she be able to take her there w/o a car?

Question #2: Our medical plan says we can visit any doctor. However when the wife goes for her annual checkup she has to go various locations scattered about the Lehigh Valley for her annual tests. Keeping in mind it could be pouring rain on the day of her appointment or the middle of winter should she (a) Walk? (b) Peddle her bike? (c) Take a bus that stops a couple miles away?

Question #3: Before I retired my job was 9 1/2 miles outside of town. The wife's current job is 6 miles. My daughter works at a hospital 15 miles from her home. None have bus service to and from these locations. Even if they would, bus service is not available in the late evening hours each of us work(d). So what would the carless cheerleaders recommend each of us do?

Question #4: I bring home three or four bags of groceries each week. Assuming I am forced to take a bus to a grocery store I much less prefer, do I set the bags on the seat next to me, put them in a cart blocking the bus aisle or what? Then lug them several more blocks from the bus stop to home? Should I even have to spend and hour or two (possibly changing buses) when the store I most favor is less then 5 minutes (26 blocks) by car? What do carless people do.. eat out every night or spend 30% more at the neighborhood bodega (with it's extremely limited selections?

Question #5: We have pets. If you will note there is not one veterinarian located in downtown Allentown. Do the carless just ignore pet care?

Question #6: What about vacations? What do these carless wonders do? (a) Pack the bags and family and take a cab to the Greyhound bus terminal or airport? (b) Hookup with someone else's vacation plans who has transportation? (c) Screw the family out of vacations?

Question #7: When carless wonders need supplies for hardware, electronics, clothes, etc. do they order online (possibly paying extra for delivery)? Kind of defeats the argument they aren't contributing to the consumption of gasoline/diesel, doesn't it?

Question #8: Assuming their kid joins a sports team, what about the away games. Are they making them walk or bike to each game miles apart from each other? Or are they sponging on other parents (who pay for their cars) to take their kid(s) to them?

Question #9: Unless someone is a miserable bastard no one ever invites, how do they/their family get to a picnic at someone's house, a wedding/reception, etc?

These were a few examples of the questions I have for the carless. Furthermore, my wife and I also enjoy riding on the various trails throughout the Lehigh Valley. We also watch the daughters babies when she works and go up to her house to watch them on occasion. There is absolutely no bus service to these locations. The added expense of cab rides is out of the question.

I don't know who these carless advocates are. Nor ever want to emulate their lifestyle. Do they not understand even going back to 1792 in the days of James Allen folks used wheels to get where they needed to be in Allentown in the form of horse and wagons? Even before that Indians in this area used horses to get around!

No matter how much urban planning goes into making Allentown a one-stop for everything, it never did nor ever will happen. Neither is it possible to provide convenient public transportation to all the places one needs to go.

Anyone who claims they and their family can walk or ride public transportation for all their needs is flat out FOS. Either that or too cheap, broke, incompetent enough to drive or lost their driving privileges. There is only one other possible explanation. They are so obstinate in their beliefs they're not capable of being rational when it comes to practicality.

There's only one more thing that remains to be said. Less then 5% of the people in the United States live in large urban cities. If carless wonders want to hoof it in large urban cities, go for it.

Speaking for the rest of us, living in town or otherwise, don't expect to hitch a ride with us. That was your choice.. live with it!