The Automobile, Our Master

In the Great American Necropolis of today, the automobile continues to be a major source of dysfunction.  It remains a seemingly inoperable cancer that is devouring what little remains of our diminishing quality of life.  The automobile isn’t just polluting and time-wasting; it is an amazing waste of resources at all levels.  The automobile is insanely expensive to purchase and operate, and it is a sign of our desperation that no matter how costly it becomes to operate, we can’t give it up.  It is the working poor that suffer most from our addiction to the automobile.  More often than not, one needs a car to get to his or her crappy job, and gas, repairs, licensing, safety inspections, and insurance all devour a proportionally higher percentage of a poor person’s income than someone from the middle or upper class.  For those who live paycheck-to-paycheck, a major auto repair spells literal economic disaster.  Few American cities have more than laughable public transportation, and the outlays for necessary expansion will not be forthcoming unless we demand them.  The bicycle, the most efficient means of transportation in existence, is not an option for most people because a) it is just too risky to share the congested roads with dangerous, aggressive automobiles, b) one must be willing to tolerate the miasma of toxic pollutants that the cars around you are emitting, and c) freeways, the great arteries of our cities, are off-limits to self-powered transportation.  This is to say nothing of the problems the pedestrian faces.  Cities pay lip service to increasing bike and pedestrian access and safety, but usually reserve their improvements for recreational settings.  We must demand that city, state, and federal transportation plans prioritize, rather than marginalize, bike and pedestrian roads.  Public transportation, too, must be expanded to the point where it actually becomes an efficient and attractive alternative to the car.  Without expanded hours of service, increased frequency of vehicles, and better scheduling, public transportation will remain the stepchild of the automobile, and we the auto's slaves.