This Just In: American Cities Too Big

I thought it was only men that didn't ask for directions....

Sorry, it's a sad situation for these folks but disturbingly comical.

Imagine if they were driving from New York to Miami. They'd probably be in Wyoming by now.

Note that they're "three eldery Americans". If there's anything anyone with a driver's license in the US knows, it's that old people can't drive, and don't know where they're going.

You think after the first night of sleeping in your car at a gas station, you might shelve your pride and ask for directions.

Though the story kinda reminds me of that Fastball song "The Way" about Lela and Raymond Howard. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3701

Counterfit said:

Note that they're "three eldery Americans". If there's anything anyone with a driver's license in the US knows, it's that old people can't drive, and don't know where they're going.

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oh god yes, they are horrible and driving

Tanglewood said:

You think after the first night of sleeping in your car at a gas station, you might shelve your pride and ask for directions.

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I find it funnier if you assume they did and got perfect directions but would forget them after completing the first turn and then spend another 6 hours wondering around until they needed gas again.

Counterfit said:

Note that they're "three eldery Americans". If there's anything anyone with a driver's license in the US knows, it's that old people can't drive, and don't know where they're going.

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True story: several weeks ago, I was driving through a winding woody area on my way - surprisingly - to a Starbucks. The whole way, a white Mustang was riding my butt. Now, granted, I was driving a minivan (deep shame). Still, I think I was in no way going even vaguely slowly, and the guy was annoying me. I got to a stoplight and finally got to see who it was: an elderly woman. She clearly hadn't lost her ability to drive.

"The gentleman does have alzheimer, so he didn't even know he was lost," she said.

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I've known people who've died with that disease, and I know it's not a pleasant thing. Still, that quote made me laugh.

the people weren't even *that* old... the article said they were all in their early 70's...

I sorta feel like this is an issue with really stubborn and not overly intelligent folk rather than American cities being too big.

I mean, it's just sort of pathetic to be driving around lost for 72 hours, and not stopping to eask for directions, even though you have a cell phone...

treblah said:

I find it funnier if you assume they did and got perfect directions but would forget them after completing the first turn and then spend another 6 hours wondering around until they needed gas again.

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That would be golden

What's funny is that most of us will be there before we know it.

Time passes quickly and seems to go more fast as you get older. Most Americans do not want to give up their ability to drive since that is a basis for freedom in our society. Once you cannot drive, you are chained to your home with little ability to go anywhere on your own without assistance.

In other countries with developed mass transit systems (bus, trains, subways, etc.) older people are not trapped by the need to drive.

jsw said:

I've known people who've died with that disease, and I know it's not a pleasant thing. Still, that quote made me laugh.

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I "lost" my uncle (the patriarch of the family) to alzheimer's; so I know the pain. I chuckled too. And thought that this one man was not the only one with alzheimer's in that group.

Truly sad story IMO.

nbs2 said:

It isn't the mobility that cars provide, it's the sense of freedom. Mass transit is not as free as a car - so you still want to drive...

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If mass transit was available at 10-15 intervals, I doubt that it would be an issue.

In my case,why should I chose between driving my car to the METRO, or needing to take a taxi in order to make the "best" use of my time?

comictimes said:

the people weren't even *that* old... the article said they were all in their early 70's...

I sorta feel like this is an issue with really stubborn and not overly intelligent folk rather than American cities being too big.

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Yes, only the man had alzheimers. The other 2 women simply suffered a case of the stupids. Some cities are too big, but the 2 women were just dumb.

nbs2 said:

The problem for most folks is that tarvel is that having your own vehicle lets you survive without learning the local transit system. Of course, once you know what to take, it does make it a bit harder to get lost.

Anyway, I think that for old folks in the US having mass transit wouldn't even be enough. It isn't the mobility that cars provide, it's the sense of freedom. Mass transit is not as free as a car - so you still want to drive...

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My grandmother is 92 and lives in Switzerland. Until she moved into a nursing home recently, mass transit allowed her to get almost anywhere in Europe with nearly unlimited freedom.

From my grandmothers old apartment you could walk 150 feet to a bus stop, get a public (clean, quiet, safe, on time, efficient, electronically-ticketed) bus directly to the train station and take the train absolutely anywhere. If she had wanted she could have gone to Paris, London, Moscow, Rome, Madrid, Berlin....anywhere. Cheaply, efficiently and without needing a car at any time.

In Europe no old people have/use cars. Mass transit is so much easier, safer and you can get anywhere you need to go.

edit: If old people can get around Tokyo, American cities are not too big.

nbs2 said:

Anyway, I think that for old folks in the US having mass transit wouldn't even be enough. It isn't the mobility that cars provide, it's the sense of freedom. Mass transit is not as free as a car - so you still want to drive...

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Isn't that what I said?

Anyhow agree with you on this.

perfectly illustrating why the trip i made through miami three years ago will probably be both the first time and the last time i visit the place...

my grandmother's 86 and sharp as a tack. she still owns and perates her own car around burnaby, bc (a pretty big city). its clearly person to person, because i know people of all ages that can't drive, its just that older people have the excuse of age, whereas young people are just slow and ignorant.

Sometimes mass transit is not sufficient, because you're not just bringing yourself, but also some groceries, heavy objects, or luggage. Add on being old, and not so capable of carrying heavy loads, and I see why old people still try to drive.

Also, I've travelled before, and had people give exactly wrong instructions, most likely because they don't like where I'm from. I'm a very polite person, so I doubt I mistreated them, or in any way deserved the bad instructions. I can see some prick messing with old people, for kicks.

MarkCollette said:

Sometimes mass transit is not sufficient, because you're not just bringing yourself, but also some groceries, heavy objects, or luggage. Add on being old, and not so capable of carrying heavy loads, and I see why old people still try to drive.

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Then again... if you've got reasonable mass transit for regular journeys, does the cost of owning/maintaining/insuring/running a car for those ones with groceries/luggage cover the cost of a cab/car rental?

In my city/life, it doesn't. By the time I covered the cost of a car, I could catch several cabs a week if I really wanted to. And at least if you tip the driver, there's some chance of them helping you in/out the car or into the house with the object/luggage/groceries as opposed to if it's just yours. And internet grocery shopping is the bees knees since they both bring it and carry it to the kitchen units.

Applespider said:

Then again... if you've got reasonable mass transit for regular journeys, does the cost of owning/maintaining/insuring/running a car for those ones with groceries/luggage cover the cost of a cab/car rental?

In my city/life, it doesn't. By the time I covered the cost of a car, I could catch several cabs a week if I really wanted to. And at least if you tip the driver, there's some chance of them helping you in/out the car or into the house with the object/luggage/groceries as opposed to if it's just yours. And internet grocery shopping is the bees knees since they both bring it and carry it to the kitchen units.

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I could afford a transit pass (bus and train) and a short cab ride every single day for the cost of my car lease plus insurance plus gas. But then again, that cab ride would only be useful because I live right by down town. If someone wanted to live in the suburbs, then that would quickly become 1 cab ride every 3 days or worse. Plus the cab would take over half an hour to even get there.

But that would still cramp my social life considerably, because a lot of my friends don't live as centrally as I do.

But, I also do know a bunch of people (less friends, more aquaintances) who all live near each other even closer to down town. Those people have it made, because they don't need the transit or cars or cabs. Saving three grand a year would be nice. Of course I'd be spending a bunch of that on a higher mortgage...

OutThere said:

In Europe no old people have/use cars. Mass transit is so much easier, safer and you can get anywhere you need to go.

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After driving along a national speed limit road at just over 20mph stuck behind an old woman driving her Vauxhall Corsa I'm not so convinced..she even pulled up in the left lane of a roundabout..then indicated right and cut up the person actually in the correct lane..

sushi said:

What's funny is that most of us will be there before we know it.

Time passes quickly and seems to go more fast as you get older. Most Americans do not want to give up their ability to drive since that is a basis for freedom in our society. Once you cannot drive, you are chained to your home with little ability to go anywhere on your own without assistance.

In other countries with developed mass transit systems (bus, trains, subways, etc.) older people are not trapped by the need to drive.

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true.

cheekyspanky said:

After driving along a national speed limit road at just over 20mph stuck behind an old woman driving her Vauxhall Corsa I'm not so convinced..she even pulled up in the left lane of a roundabout..then indicated right and cut up the person actually in the correct lane..

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Hah...well. No comment. There are always exception right.