Comments on: Why I Can’t Go Home http://www.theparisblog.com/why-i-cant-go-home/ The Blog with Gaul! Group blog about expat life in Paris, France Wed, 22 May 2013 05:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Larry http://www.theparisblog.com/why-i-cant-go-home/comment-page-1/#comment-202449 Larry Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:34:21 +0000 http://www.theparisblog.com/?p=6534#comment-202449 I love Paris too, but I am not sure that I can entirely agree with you that riding the Paris Metro is easier than driving a car in suburban USA. Take for instance the fact that the car is just outside your front door, it has air-conditioning, you choose the journey it takes, it can carry a child stroller and luggage, it seldom smells like tramp piss or has eastern european thieves. Eco-friendliness is a good pro-public transport argument, but its silly to think that a European style TGV network would work in the USA. The distances are too big in the USA to make it practical. The private car will survive- but it will need to innovate. Green cars, with intelligent traffic management systems are the answer. The Chevy volt/Nissan Leaf is a step int he right direction. How do you compare transport affordability in any case? In most US states it costs next to nothing to run a car and even with gas at $4/gallon thats hardly expensive. I love Paris too, but I am not sure that I can entirely agree with you that riding the Paris Metro is easier than driving a car in suburban USA.

Take for instance the fact that the car is just outside your front door, it has air-conditioning, you choose the journey it takes, it can carry a child stroller and luggage, it seldom smells like tramp piss or has eastern european thieves.

Eco-friendliness is a good pro-public transport argument, but its silly to think that a European style TGV network would work in the USA. The distances are too big in the USA to make it practical. The private car will survive- but it will need to innovate. Green cars, with intelligent traffic management systems are the answer. The Chevy volt/Nissan Leaf is a step int he right direction.

How do you compare transport affordability in any case? In most US states it costs next to nothing to run a car and even with gas at $4/gallon thats hardly expensive.

]]> By: Kelly http://www.theparisblog.com/why-i-cant-go-home/comment-page-1/#comment-181475 Kelly Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:41:26 +0000 http://www.theparisblog.com/?p=6534#comment-181475 First - I love your blog. Second - there are places in the States where you can abstain from driving. I live in a southern state and not driving very much is important to me. Charlotte, NC is very accessible via walking or biking. I only find myself in a car on the weekends when going somewhere at night or out of town. I walk and bike everywhere. First – I love your blog. Second – there are places in the States where you can abstain from driving. I live in a southern state and not driving very much is important to me. Charlotte, NC is very accessible via walking or biking. I only find myself in a car on the weekends when going somewhere at night or out of town. I walk and bike everywhere.

]]>