• AviAdi@lemmy.worldOP
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    24 hours ago

    Living in southern California messes with my head! Perfect weather for cycling and just being outside yet almost everyone just chooses to drive, even on trips 1/2 a mile away.

    Though maybe my head has been warped from visiting Europe multiple times but the American car brain cannot comprehend walking somewhere close. It takes more time looking for parking than actually just walking there, it drives me wild!

    Anyway I have stopped riding my bike a lot because the routes I take have no bike infrastructure and the drivers here have tried to kill me a few to many times. I usually just resort to Public transportation which disappoints me almost on a daily bases, mostly because I’ve been to Europe and seen what functional systems look like.

    • takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      18 hours ago

      Do you actually walk everywhere where you live, because parts of the city aren’t even designed for walking. There are some areas where there’s no sidewalks for example. And that doesn’t even cover bad public transportation.

      It is very different than in European countries.

      • AviAdi@lemmy.worldOP
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        18 hours ago

        Yea I unfortunately do. It’s very annoying being forced to take the long way because there is no sidewalks. The local council member keeps saying nothing can be done since sidewalks must be installed by the property owner. When I point out that we can remove parking to make a path for pedestrians and maybe bikes, I get ghosted.

        Sometimes the sidewalk just ends and I’m forced to unprotected cross 6/7 lane road to get to the other side for a sidewalk. I know my routes now and stopped exploring.

        So I 100% agree with you, I feel like a second class citizen. Luckily I still can walk, I feel bad for anyone who is older or in a wheelchair. This city forces them to drive somewhere and if you can’t you’re stuck.