Its the birthday of the car- font of all misery!

Leafing through a book called the 'Art of the Automobile'....

Turns out that the first ever gasoline powered car made its first run today in Protected content the USA... What a terrible revolution that prompted! - and we think the internet is changing lives. -

I for one won't be celebrating. While cars remain amazing (truely works of art and craftsmanship), and must have been all the more so when they first arrived, in modern times, the automobile has been perhaps the biggest single factor in the polarisation of our communities and decline of urban standards of living.

When I look at almost any city, anywhere in the world, I felt that the one thing that would instantly make it better was banning cars. Nearly all the social problems from bad health to bad planning to crime, deprivation and isolation would be hugely positively affected by banning cars from our cities.

What is incredibly depressing, is that cities in the developing world that until very recently have been dominated by the bicycle, are suddenly seeing a huge rise in the number of cars on the streets. - Preparing the way for congested, unpleasant and impoverished urban spaces the world over. - Yet I bet its still quicker to get from one side of Saigon to the other on a bicycle than it is in a car. - Its pure status and false consciousness at work.

People are superficially attracted to cars as lifestyle and status objects. They fail to realise that their lives (true in cities only) would be much healthier happier places if they stuck with the bike. - Look at people driving round town in cars - they look miserable and stressed. Look at cyclists - they look happy.

So happy birthday car. Heres to a speedy demise. - May more enlightened future generations see through your shallow charms.