A Conversation About Transportation

Sheila: Are you okay Joe? You look gassed!

Joe: I rode my bike here. Gas prices are out of control right now, so I’ll be either riding or taking the bus every day.

Sheila: They sure are. Could be worse though! Imagine if we didn’t have cars and we had to use other forms of transportation to get around.

Joe: Ha! I cannot imagine riding a horse to work. Right now, my biggest worry is filling the car up with gas and general maintenance every few months. A horse would be a lot of work, wouldn’t it? Making sure it’s fed, and has water, not to mention all the poop all over the street! Also, imagine parking your horse outside of the supermarket or post office, restaurant, or bar. I can’t even imagine what it was like back then.

Sheila: Me neither. Today we rely on our cars to get us from point A to point B every day. Nothing is really considered within walking distance anymore. I guess some people still walk to places such as the grocery store or to work, but it’s usually done out of necessity. I think if given the option, most people would much rather drive than walk. People have become really lazy since cars went mainstream.

Joe: What about public transportation? Everyone has the option to use public transportation.

Sheila: Yes, true, but again if given the choice, most people would choose to drive then get on a crowded bus or train full of strangers. And public transportation is unpredictable. At least it is here anyway. I’ve heard it’s really great in Japan, Hong Kong, London, and France, but… we aren’t living in any of those places, are we? Public transportation in the U.S. is always late. Also with public transportation, you are at the mercy of the bus, subway, or train schedule. When you have your own vehicle, you can choose what time you want to go someplace.

Joe: That’s true. Cars are pretty convenient, aren’t they? Public transport really stinks in the U.S.!

Sheila: Yeah, I think I would much rather ride my bike to work than take the bus or train. I know a few people that used to ride everywhere they went. It’s really hard to imagine life without cars, and airplanes though, isn’t it?

Joe: Sure is. I mean, can you imagine wanting to go to Florida for a vacation and not being able to travel by airplane or car? It would take days, weeks, maybe even months to get anywhere.

Sheila: No, I really can’t imagine. I have always found it fascinating that people traveled the world by water. Of course, the boats were nothing like the ships or yachts we know today. Transportation by water was pretty popular in the Middle Ages. Steam-powered ships were created in the 1700s, which allowed people to travel on the water without wind. The development of the steam engine, eventually led to the growth of railroads which cut travel time tremendously. Trips that took weeks, could be accomplished in days. I believe automobiles were invented shortly after.

Joe: If I remember correctly, bicycles were created in the early 1800s and automobiles in the late 1800s. Obviously, automobiles weren’t nearly as safe to travel in as they are now, but they were still a more convenient mode of transportation than anything else. And although they may not have been very safe, I guess they also didn’t go very fast, so there’s that to consider as well.

Sheila: Cars are so much easier to drive compared to even twenty years ago. All new vehicles have rear-facing camera technology that helps with backing out. They are connected to your phone, touchscreen navigation, airbags, and other tools that make traveling so much simpler and safer. We have come a long way from horseback and camel riding, haven’t we?!