Lunatech @Lunatech@social.cleverlibre.org

@anubis2814 @dangillmor

It's not that you CAN'T bike in almost all weather conditions, it's that most people don't WANT to bike unless it is pleasant and warm, and they don't have a big load to carry. It has nothing to do with a car/oil/lithium propaganda campaign. You are falling into the trap of thinking that if only people had more correct information they would see things your way. You are totally ignoring the comfort factor. People don't want to be cold or wet, or a moving target for bigger vehicles. Also they don't want to have to be bothered with servicing a bike (modern cars are pretty reliable compared to when I was a kid, I am not sure you can say the same about bicycles, because they still use chains).

Oh, and funny you should mention Lithium. I don't know what propaganda campaign you think they have going but it must not be woring very well because I frequently see stories on the news about lithium batteries catching fire (just saw another one last night in fact). That is another reason some people I know would not want an e-bike - having to store it in an apartment, house or garage (which you would have to do if you don't want it stolen) would make them fear the possibility of setting their place ablaze. This, I think, is a temporary problem (I have seen several solutions proposed to make lithium-ion batteries less volatile, and also they are working on promising alternatives to lithium-ion) but for now it is a problem.

Anyway I don't know if you think that if you keep saying "Netherlands" often ernough I'm magically going to come around to your point of view, but WE ARE NOT THE NETHERLANDS! In fact almost nobody is like the Netherlands, they are kind of a unique place in the world. And somehow they have managed to convince their citizens that some degree of hardship and deprivation are good things. Maybe if Donald fucking Trump started pushing bike paths (fat chance) hispeople would come around, but I think it more likely they turn on him.

As for making it work at the local level, I can think of only ONE city in my state (a college town) where your ideas might achieve wide acceptance. It's a terribly expensive city to live in and many people who are not students or faculty have fled to those suburbs you think will magically go away if they change the zoning laws, but I could see it happening there. In any other part of the state, whatever goof proposed it would get kicked out in the next election.

I stand by what I said before. I do think you are young and clueless and if you want to block me because you think I am too combative by not telling you what you want to hear, that would be great, because being polite to people who are spouting nonsense (especially when that nonsense can help people like Trump and DeSantis and other fascist slimeballs get elected) is not my thing. I don't suffer fools gladly! But yeah, scare Americans into thinking "the libs" are coming for their cars and help Republicans get elected. They are not going to build your bike paths for you (they are too invested in big oil), in fact it would not surpise me if they started passing laws aiming to ban government expendetures on bike paths, it would be another way for them to "own the libs" and in many towns it would be a somewhat popular proposal!