Car future? Crazy European cities

That might be the situation in Switzerland, but certainly not in all of Europe, which the article implies!

 

I'll take Sarko you can have Obama

 

I love Europe, spent a lot of time there and my wife and I are planning to retire there at some point. Yes the city laws get onerous, but I can live with that. I live in Atlanta, a city totally and completely designed around the car. The solution to everything is to add lanes, raze buildings, build more bridges and flyovers, HOV and HOT lanes, and on and on. The freeway near my house has a section that is 18 lanes wide. Yes 18! It's ridiculous. I work in the city center and there is no such thing as walking areas, nowhere friendly to the pedestrian, no outdoor cafes. Public transportation is completely useless, if you don't drive a car you're not getting anywhere.

I can't stand it, and we can't wait to get away from here to a different lifestyle. Sports and exotic cars don't belong in the city anyway. Drive a Smart if you have to, and keep the Ferrari for long drives in the country. Yes I'll take the south of France, northern Italy or Switzerland over Atlanta/Houston/LA/Chicago/New York in a second.

 

While our cities may leave something to be desired, I would NEVER consider residing anywhere outside of the US.

 

Why? I'm genuinely curious. I love the US and it's been good to me and my family, but given the ability to live anywhere, I'll choose some place that suits me and that might not be in the US.

 

Having been all over the world, I've seen many very nice places, nice places, and some not so nice. All things considered, none, IMO, offered enough to seriously consider becoming a resident. Visitor yes, resident no.

The US offers whatever preferences one may have. Mountains, desert, forest, seashore, etc. Heavy population, light population, NO population. Take your pick. Like it hot, cold or in between, choices are here. The choices are endless.

Being unhappy in one's surroundings is a personal issue. Change, domestically, is easily accomplished, far easier than an international move. Many people feeling trapped where they are, are in reality, slaves to financial matters. That feeling will willingly, and most assuredly, follow, wherever one goes.

It's all about priorities.

 

Yes, and it gives the title an intellectual "twist".

What, what in the... by your own government.

The first part is truly ignorant and denial. A person owning several Ferraris judging anyone should be easy for any american to accept. It´s the behaviour of the USA all over the world. It does you credit that you see the irony of the "american way".

The media of the USA generally lack analysis and intellectual critcism.

No offence taken. This is a forum. And as you americans always say I don´t share your opinion but I defend your right to express it. (It´s originally an old Greek adage.)

As someone latter pointed out the puplic transports are functioning in european cities.

 

Some of the main streets of my city, Turin, Italy, already existed about 1500 years before Christopher Columbus made his first trip to the US.
Most of the historical centers are definitely not designed for cars and driving here is one of the most stressing things.

Lights every 100 yards, limited traffic areas where only residents and public vehicles can enter with relative cameras, speed cameras, red light cameras, Italians driving cannon ball style, scooters everywhere.
Finding a place to leave the car is sometimes nearly impossible.
Add the pollution to that.

I personally love cars but I also love walking in the center of a carless square or street.

You don't need to be a green movement activist to appreciate the feeling.

Plus if you have to go to the center it is 10 times faster to take public transportation and walk.

I guess Americans just have a completely different lifestyle and live in a totally different environment.

 

EXACTLY. You see, one of the things that Americans get tired of hearing is how they do whatever (typically health care) so much better in Europe. We ain't Europe. Not even close.

Dale

 

And here you have it.

Swap American and European in your post and then you know EXACTY how they feel about us (USA).

I'll take American ideas and live in Europe. Thanx.


America's "magic" is grealy tainted for me over the past 30 years. Ain't interested in what America has become or the shallow BS anymore.

We have lost almost all our bragging rights.

 

Depends on who is doing the bragging. Of course, things are better in Texas. What did ya expect?

But don't forget, the Euros have issues they'd rather not talk about. Like the Africans in France, the Turks in Germany, the mishmash that lives in East London, or that the trash never gets picked up Napolis.

Me? I like visiting Europe and California. But I wouldn't want to leave there.

Dale

 

That's OK, nobody is missing you.

 

No problemo. Ah, can I interest you in some jelly donuts?

Dale

 

Sure!

I can see two great reasons to move to US...

1) Business potential (a lot less restrictive market than the European markets).

2) Cheapest cars on the planet. Sigh, lucky guys...

 

Dale,

Your points are absolutely correct. Europe DOES have its problems.

 

Yep. Good. Me either.

Why I wasted 27 years of my life in uniform defending what you turned the USA into I have no idea.


I DO regret it sometimes though. Seriously.




America HAD to crash and burn. All GREAT Powers have and ALL GREAT powers to come, will.

I just NEVER expected it to come from within.

THAT angers me the most.

 

But also remember that they are all in different countries... You could easily move to a country which does not have the problems that bothers you... It's not like the garbage in Napoli will disturb you if you live in a total different part of Italy, and so on with the other problems/issues. But I guess, if you are accustomed to the American level of freedom, you might not be comfortable over here (especially because some of the countries are considered socialist, which it seems Americans hate more than the Devil himself...)

 

Wow, are you having a bad day? Yeah, I'm not really happy about what's going on inside the beltway,and I'm upset that a bunch of oligopolists have stolen everything there was to steal.

But you know what really pisses me off? I got a flat tire yesterday and the replacement tire will not be in until Tuesday. That pisses me royally!

Dale

 

Guys,

US and Europe cities are done for cars. In Europe, you have traffic and restricted areas. In the US you have traffic and the worst quality roads for a developed country i have ever seen.

There is no winners, we are the losers on both continents. You can still drive outside the cities though.

 

Clearly you have never been to America.

I was almost laughing as I was reading your post about being fingerprinted to go to an amusement park or garden (I think you mean park). I haven't been fingerprinted since I was a little kid. O don't think I even was for my passport. Maybe I was but I don't recall it. I can't remember the last time I was figerprinted. Ha.

The Patriot Act hasn't affected me in one bit as far as I know. From what I know of it, it will benefit me as a law abiding citizen. Two presidents have now endorsed it (one republican and one democrat).

We don't have traffic jams all over. Literally 99% of the time you won't find yourself in traffic. There are a lot of roads in this country where you could drive for 30 minutes and not see a single other car. I don't know of you could do that in europe.

You really should come visit sometime. If you ever wanted to see out country, I'll take you out and show you some great open roads in addition to some of the finest food and wine in the world.

 

Disneyworld fingerprints at the entrance. They did it to me last summer.

 

We don't have traffic jams all over either (don't know where that perception comes from?)

The distances in US are much greater than in Europe, due to Europe being smaller than the US. Furthermore, the population density is greater in Europe. This means that the possibilities for driving and not meeting other cars on the roads are limited, but certainly not impossible.

The topic is on larger cities and my experience says, that you would find yourself in traffic more than 1% of the time spent in larger US cities!

 

Why is this thread in the Ferrari general discussion section?

 

Well, Ferrari has been mentioned...from time to time.

FWIW: Visited Disney in January. No fingerprints required.

 

Thanks, for the invitation! I´ve been to the USA and since I´ve made a fortune out of your financial crisis I´ll pick up the restaurant bill.