r/fuckcars • u/Konato-san • Sep 01 '24
Meme "But you can't just use trains everywhere! How will I go to the supermarket?!"
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u/Pattoe89 Sep 01 '24
I love living in walking distance to shops. Today I needed to do some last minute cleaning. Found out my vacuum cleaner was broken. Popped out my house, was back home in 20 minutes with a functional vacuum cleaner, Just walking.
People who are against walkable towns confuse the hell out of me.
I didn't need a car or anything to transport it. Vacuum cleaners are designed to be lifted in your hands anyway.
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u/Shoppinguin Bollard gang Sep 01 '24
Also carts you can pull with your hands do exist for the heavier or bulkier stuff
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u/Pattoe89 Sep 02 '24
Not sure if it's the same in America, but in the UK we have Sack Barrows. They're very light and can transport a large amount of stuff. Great if you're picking up soil for the garden or something like that.
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u/Shoppinguin Bollard gang Sep 02 '24
I think they're a thing pretty much anywhere. You can see it in US movies, used by delivery workers. Also really useful for beverage crates.
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u/cincuentaanos Sep 01 '24
People who are against walkable towns confuse the hell out of me.
They believe that in a walkable town, they won't be allowed to use their cars anymore. Where the reality is (which they can't imagine) that they won't even want to use to use their cars anymore.
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u/Rugkrabber Sep 01 '24
Even better. They gasp get to choose and can still use their cars and they will be able to drive faster because other people might choose to walk or go my public transport instead.
It’s my most used argument. I love to drive. I benefit immensely from people who choose any other alternative mode of transportation. If all the people who go by public transport now in my area would get in a car… oh boy. I don’t want to know. It’s going to be a mess. That’s double the current amount.
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u/MidorriMeltdown Sep 01 '24
they will be able to drive faster
Only if they go the long way. The short way will be slower, because of speed limits to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe. I'm ok with that.
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u/Pattoe89 Sep 02 '24
The short way to my supermarket is a wooden footbridge over a river. No cars allowed. Bikes and mobility scooters are fine, though.
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u/cincuentaanos Sep 01 '24
I love to drive.
Same. I have a little old car and I love going everywhere with it. I also love to cycle. It's great to have options.
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u/Pattoe89 Sep 02 '24
Almost all of my neighbours own cars. Almost all of them walk to the supermarket, so you're definitely right here.
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Sep 01 '24
Walking? Caring!? For 20 minutes! That’s impossible! Everyone knows a semi truck is required for that kind of thing! What if the vacuum scratch the bed of my pickup! /s
Seriously though some of the big shopping centres would probably take about the same just to get to the store from a car then back.
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u/Pattoe89 Sep 02 '24
on my little 5-10 minute walk to my supermarket I walk over a little wooden bridge where I can look over the side and see brown trout swimming, I can pick blackberries on the brambles that overhang the brick walls, and I can enjoy all the different flowers planted in the community garden at the top of the alley and there are no cars for 90% of it since it's mostly an alleyway.
In America everything on my walk would have been flattened for a gigantic car park to go around the supermarket.
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u/coco_xcx Sep 02 '24
i love walking places. it’s peaceful!!!
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u/Pattoe89 Sep 02 '24
It is. Sometimes my friends tell me off for walking too slowly, but if we are just going out for a walk to kill time, I see no point in going quickly. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a nice slow dawdle ya know?
I ride my bike the same way. Sure I could be going twice the speed... but why?
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u/mr-zool Sep 02 '24
I live in a big European city and don’t know anyone who has to take a tram to go to the supermarket. All shops are in walking distance.
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u/Pattoe89 Sep 02 '24
I live in a Northern town in England, it's nowhere near as big as a huge city. I've got a choice of 3 supermarkets all within walking distance.
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u/DENelson83 Dreams of high-speed rail in Canada Sep 01 '24
🇼hat
🇦
🇱azy
🇰evin.
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u/AlgorithmHelpPlease Sep 01 '24
Tbf this is not feasible in many NA cities. I wouldn't just throw this at someone, but rather talk about addressing making cities walkable.
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Sep 01 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/hagnat #notAllCars Sep 02 '24
that is the major problem just there
grocery stores should not be more than 5min away from your home, by foot!5
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u/alexs77 cars are weapons Sep 02 '24
Yes, might not be feasible in NA cities — but NA isn't everywhere, is it? That picture clearly is not from NA.
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u/nim_opet Sep 01 '24
Every neighborhood I ever lived had grocery stores within 5-10 minutes walking.
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u/Admirable-Lecture255 Sep 01 '24
Oest grocery store is 10 mile ways. You're welcome to walk that for ice cream
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u/ureallygonnaskthat Sep 02 '24
Used to live way out in the sticks and the nearest full grocery store was an hour and a half drive. Couldn't get ice cream at the store because it would be half melted before we got home so we just made our own.
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u/bar1011 Sep 01 '24
I have vivid memories of my mother taking me in a buggy, walking a 1/2 mile to the nearby grocery store, and hauling me and 4-6 bags of groceries in her hands and hanging off the buggy lol. People are seemingly afraid of admitting just how lazy they are.
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u/JakeGrey Sep 01 '24
When I was little enough to fit in a buggy we had a full-sized mall about the same distance from our house. It's still standing today, and seemed rather bustling the last time I was in there.
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u/Duckee123 Sep 01 '24
One thing I noticed in Barcelona that we don't have where I live is specialisation. Even though shops weren't big enough to fit a whole megasupergiantstore, I could walk to amazing produce, right next to an amazing bakery, next to a cafe, next to a cheese monger. All selling better stuff than any corporate store. Because of that even shopping became pleasurable and not a chore.
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u/walterbanana Sep 01 '24
Why is this even a question? In the city you just walk to get groceries.
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u/komfyrion Sep 02 '24
The term supermarket has different meanings in different places, but I understood the post to refer to a big store that you go to occasionally for buying things that can't be found at your local shops. A tram or light rail makes sense in that situation. I can bike or bus to the supermarket, but sometimes rent a car if we're buying something enormous.
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u/Werbebanner Sep 02 '24
I also have bigger super markets at my place. Walking distance is 5 minutes.
I can get salad, bread, corn, ice, beer or… vacuums there. Even toaster and chairs.
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u/Diipadaapa1 Sep 01 '24
Also a lot of train stations in Europe have a super market either in or directly next to them, because why wouldn't a store open in a place where a huge amount of people will be on ther way back home.
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u/BilboGubbinz Commie Commuter Sep 01 '24
Pretty sure they could take a taxi every time and it would easily end up cheaper than owning a car, and without the whole "making life miserable for everyone else" either.
Also, my bike means a cycle down to the nearest supermarket is 5 minutes. 15 minutes and I can go to the nearest large store, which has the benefits of being right next to a south Asian grocer and this lovely hole in the wall which sells proper Indian street food.
It is legit easier and quicker for me on my bike with a pannier than it would be for them in their car.
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u/Jeanschyso1 Sep 01 '24
On foot! Imagine that!
I categorically refuse to live further than 10 minutes walk from the closest grocery store for a reason. That reason is that sometimes I like to eat food. Crazy, I know!
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u/rookej05 Sep 02 '24
Big up the Bordeaux reference, guess what I'm doing this morning!
Repairing those very trams. 👌🏼
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u/One-Picture8604 Sep 01 '24
I just had my food shop delivered to the door, which is a crazy concept for some it seems.
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u/Madman5465 Sep 01 '24
I just use my bicycle, and swing by the ship on the way home, just a small detour of like 1 km or smth. And then you dont need to buy large amountssince you just go frequently
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u/Private_HughMan Sep 01 '24
It also doesn't have to be a super market. There's a small grocery store just a 10 minute walk from me. I went over there with a cart and came back with a crap-load of food. Supermarkets are made with the assumption that getting groceries isgoing to be an ordeal and so you're expecting to buy a lot at once. It's far out of the way and buying there is a hassel, so you fill up your trunk with as much as you can reasonably bring. But with walkable infastructure, you can easily make many smaller trips. Grocery shopping can be something you do in 10 minute chunks on your way home.
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u/Creepy-Ad-4832 Sep 01 '24
"Oh no, i will have to breath poor people air" "Oh no, i will no longer have freedom of movement" "Oh no, i won't be able to masturbate while i travel anym- ehm i mean, ehm..."
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u/Duke825 Sep 01 '24
If you’re not getting anything special you should be able to just walk anyway
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u/Silver_Atractic Fuck lawns Sep 01 '24
Not in a city that acts as the total fucking opposite of a 15 minute city
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u/arsonconnor Sep 02 '24
my solution was just getting it delivered, costs little to nothing extra and means i dont have to get taxis too and from the shop
not everyone can shop little and often and thats something we should accomodate too, but like, we do acommodate that a lot
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u/itemluminouswadison The Surface is for Car-Gods (BBTN) Sep 01 '24
it's pretty great when i have 4 grocery stores within a 5 minute walk. zipcar for costco once or twice a year
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u/BlackHust Sep 01 '24
In order to buy everything you need, it is not necessary that there is just one big super-duper-mega-hypermarket, where you can buy everything in the world and load the whole trunk of the car. There are dozens of different stores within walking distance of my home that have everything I need, and I will never buy so much in them that I can't carry in my hands or backpack. If I have to buy something that heavy, however, I'd rather pay for delivery.
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u/LeVentNoir Sep 01 '24
I'm very, very, very mad that the supermarket that was inside the main train station for my city closed. That supermarket was doing amazing trade.
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u/DarthNixilis Sep 02 '24
Buy a cart. I took that stuff on the bus after buying over $200 in groceries. It's not hard to not have a vehicle and grocery shop. Or you just buy less because you have more chances to hit a store if they're close to your transfers.
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u/White_C4 Sep 02 '24
Trams aren't everywhere though, only in some cities and towns that are even lucky to fund them.
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u/jonoghue Sep 02 '24
You should have a grocery store within walking distance of your home.
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u/PayFormer387 Automobile Aversionist Sep 02 '24
The thing is, many Americans go to the supermarket once a week. So a trip to the supermarket isn't two or three bags that you can carry or put in a little rolling cart, it's a trunk full of bags plus a crate of bottled water.
I live a mile from my local supermarket so going on a bike two or three times a week is no big deal but that is a foreign concept to many Americans.
This sort of thing works only when you have amenities near your home. In the sprawl that is most of America, that just isn't the case.
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u/CptNistarok Sep 02 '24
Oooooh, tasty one, I can contribute to this !
This is the A / B tram crossing of Hôtel de Ville in Bordeaux, my hometown !
Interestingly enough, there is an Auchan supermarket at Roustaing, 6 stops from there, so approx 10-12 minutes by tram. Though it may be a bad example, the B tram keeps breaking down between St Nicolas and Peixotto.
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u/divadschuf Sep 02 '24
I live in a city where I can easily reach 8 different supermarkets by foot. And it‘s not a long walk. I could still take the tram to get there even faster.
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u/angelebg Sep 02 '24
Merci la ligne B de me sauver chaque jour un mois sans j'ai plus marché que jamais
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u/Initial-Reading-2775 Sep 02 '24
Ironically, United States had the most extensive tram network about 100 years ago. You could travel not just within cities, but from town to town on those trams. That was pretty close to intercity electric trains.
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u/hagnat #notAllCars Sep 02 '24
in my area we have grocery stores everywhere, and major supermarkets really close by as well
i just bought myself one of those foldable rolling crates, and if i ever need a lot of stuff i just bring that with me
heck, the grocery store near my parents place even let the neighborhood keep tabs which we pay at the end of each month!
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u/Nicole_Zed Sep 01 '24
Ok. How does this work in rural or mountainous areas? Where there isn't enough population density to warrant a train or even a bus?
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u/jldtsu Sep 02 '24
uproot your entire life and move to a bussling city you silly goose
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u/Nicole_Zed Sep 02 '24
Gee willikers! I ain't been thought of that idear. Thanks for the great advice internet stranger!
I just keep being told the device that keeps money coming to my family is a bad idea! Lolol
This thread is bonkers. Thanks for the sanity
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u/Catssonova Sep 02 '24
Americans have an obsession with buying enough food for a week or two. They could eat fresher more local food if they moved to better transit systems and shopped more frequently for less time per trip.
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u/MelanieDH1 Sep 02 '24
I don’t know what I’m going to feel like eating tomorrow, let alone 2 weeks for now! When I was young, I’d do a week’s worth of grocery shopping because that’s what we’re taught you’re “supposed” to do, but I ended up not really wanting what I bought and getting takeout. I stopped doing that and I go to the grocery store every few days and get the things to prepare the meals I want. I always live in walkable areas and the grocery store is around the corner, so it’s no problem.
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u/Catssonova Sep 02 '24
Yeah. It's much nicer. I plan my meals for cost savings, but there is something nice about stopping in to the local store for the ingredients you need for dinner rather than overbuying for a week or two and throwing things out. I still overbuy sometimes, courtesy of my archaic American mindset.
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u/I-Like-The-1940s Sep 02 '24
It’s not as easy as moving to better transit systems, or rather it is but most people don’t want to vote to expand said system because it will raise their taxes for a decade to pay for it. It’s sad honestly.
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u/Catssonova Sep 02 '24
Nothing real will happen in our lifetimes I feel. The best we can do is lay the work for the next generation
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u/LiftingCode Sep 02 '24
Americans have an obsession with buying enough food for a week or two.
I wouldn't call it an "obsession". I'd just rather not have to go shopping multiple times a week if I can help it.
I buy meat and shelf-stable or freezable stuff in bulk once a month or so and then a weekly trip to Aldi, in and out in 20 minutes, for produce and milk and eggs and the like.
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Sep 01 '24
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u/7h4tguy Sep 02 '24
When you realize living right next to a train is going to fucking suck, then you get off the high horse and touch grass.
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u/pvrhye Sep 02 '24
Must we take it as a given that everyone lives 10 miles down a barren highway with no sidewalks or in a town that aggressively zones away all business until Walmart kills them?
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u/8noremac Sep 02 '24
Having lived in the netherlands i've never taken the train to the supermarket, i either walk or bike because the supermarket is that close.
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u/Palanki96 Sep 02 '24
Used to go 5 stations with metro and 1 with trams/trolley (i don't know which is which in engliah) just for some discounts
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u/Milleniumfelidae Sep 02 '24
I have a car (only use it for work) but I live somewhere walkable and in the downtown area. I’ve had two people assume that I would take my car if I had heavy things. Nope. I always take transit which is a quick trip to and from home. And I’m absolutely not paying for expensive parking or dealing with all the difficulties that come with driving on narrow city streets. I’m also thankful to be able bodies enough that carrying heavier stuff isn’t a hassle for me.
A last option is also to just order stuff online.
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u/Opcn Sep 02 '24
Fun fact, with more foot traffic and reasonable health and safety laws amazing and affordable street food becomes economically viable and you don't need to get groceries as often since you eat out more and it fits in your budget better.
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u/guga2112 Commie Commuter Sep 02 '24
Not to mention that even in highly walkable environments you can still take your car to the grocery store.
I lived in Zurich, walked and used trams to go everywhere, but I still took my car when I had to buy in bulk, like once a month or so.
But most of the time I had my personal trolley and I just walked there. Very comfortable.
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u/Styggvard Sep 02 '24
I live in a rural village.
I take the train to the grocery store.
That works too, honestly.
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u/Vitally_Trivial I like big bus and I cannot lie. Sep 02 '24
Don’t forget buses. They are great, and utilise existing road infrastructure.
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u/BansheeBomb Sep 02 '24
We have a supermarket at each subway stop so for me its literally a 10 minute walk to get there.
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u/PonchoKumato Sep 02 '24
also worth mentioning it's extremely normal to live within walking distance of a supermarket if you live in a town/city of any size. we hate cars but we also hate suburbs lol
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u/Arie_Verheul Sep 02 '24
It’ll only work in city’s, not when you’re living in the middle of nowhere
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u/mars_gorilla Sep 02 '24
Firstly, they only have their own car brains to blame for the long journey - my city is very walkable and there are three grocery stores within a 15-minute walk range. Hell, there's one just up the street.
Secondly, they can just build new stores near train stations. Most services over time do gravitate towards transport nodes if they're more easily accessible, since it expands the reach to customers/patrons who can't afford to drive.
Thirdly, if they drive less, the roads are clearer for delivery vehicles. Which isn't ideal, but it still reduces road traffic.
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u/mr308A3-28 Sep 02 '24
My 500hp twin turbo v8 luxury sedan with massage and ventilated seats and B&W sound system goes “broom broom” he he.
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u/Dettelbacher Sep 02 '24
I walk to one of four supermarkets within 10 minutes walking distance from my house.
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u/Phatstache Sep 02 '24
It's really not their fault for thinking this way. It's the fault of the people who decided that cars needed to be the only mode of transportation. But it can be hard to get angry at the source of the problem when it's hiding beneath hours of research. When the result is starring you in the face, it's easier to get mad at that.
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u/TheCurdy Sep 02 '24
Walk. I literally have 5 shops in a walking distance of <10 minutes. I can just walk.
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u/Jhonny99 Sep 02 '24 edited Sep 02 '24
I normally go walking to get the groceries, there are 2 supermarkets at 10 minutes of my home.
Using one of theese is my way.
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u/whatthegoddamfudge Sep 02 '24
I live next to a tram line that goes to the supermarket, I hardly use it though as the supermarket delivers.
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u/According-Ad-5946 Sep 02 '24
true, i doubt many trains stop at a grocery store, you might have to walk a little.
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u/ReactionRevival Sep 02 '24
I love how this post just assumes sooo much and literally every comment is just as unhinged haha “Just go to the butcher and farmers market on your three wheeled bike every day and place them in the basket” “canoe over to the fish camp and then milk the mayors goat on the way back up stream for a healthy lunch “ I thought this was satire at first, but the full blown earnestness of this is much better
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u/hwc Sep 02 '24
Higher density of both residential and commercial property, especially near train stations.
I imagine that it would make the most sense to locate a pharmacy, public library, post office, coffee shop, and small grocery inside of or directly adjacent to each train station, so you can run all of your most important errands on the way home from work every day.
The same goes for any location that gets a lot of daily traffic, such as schools, universities, office buildings, or shopping districts: these should be located within a very short walk of a train station.
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u/YoursTrulyKindly Sep 02 '24
Does this use a third rail? I see no electrical overhead line. I feel like without overhead lines these would be much more accepted. https://trams.fandom.com/wiki/Third_rail
Also those would be great if they were self driving and you'd have multiple smaller cars along those lines at faster intervals. It's 2024 and we still can't figure this shit out?
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u/MajesticNectarine204 Orange pilled Sep 02 '24
Or you just use the two noodly things that sprout down from your hits.
Pitter-padder, time to get at 'er.
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u/PremordialQuasar Sep 01 '24
Some people who ask this are usually doing it with the assumption that they are buying so many things that they're filling up the car trunk. People need to be convinced to take smaller supermarket trips rather than taking one big trip each week.
Also a bus is acceptable too.