More importantly, on this walk I saw many people who didn't have the option of driving. Maybe they're poor, or maybe they have a disability.
Why must they be degraded by our infrastructure? In the richest country in the world, EVERYONE should be treated with dignity and respect
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Didn't want to be hit by this dirty sheet flapping in the wind, so I had to walk on the road. But there's more flappy dirty sheets behind it so I decided to run across to the other side.
Fortunately, there's a "pedestrian refuge" here I guess
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There's a bus stop here with no shelter. Fortunately, there's at least a sign and seating. This would be a top 1% bus stop in San Francisco
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No, this is just a bus transportation center. Everyone waiting for the bus here, as well as every pedestrian and transit user I encountered on my walk so far has been black. For context, Miami is only 12% black.
There's not enough seating here, despite having lots of space
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To get to the train station, I have to cross the highway using this overpass
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It's not that simple, though. Due to the hostile pedestrian architecture, I have to walk ALL the way around just to cross the street. At least it's hostile pedestrian architecture in service of buses, instead of private cars!
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Made it! But trains only run every hour, and I just missed one, so I'm heading back home
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Decided to take the bus back. Everyone on the bus is black. Reminder: Miami is only 12% black
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For those of you wondering why I didn't just drive: I did, after I got back.
And even though I paid for the "Lexus Lanes" (express lanes), it was still stop and go traffic
It SUCKED. Why would anyone want to drive here??? Oh, because the transit experience is EVEN WORSE
@adhderall
I did, after I got back. Was hoping to get to downtown Miami via transit, though, but alas
Yet another car on the road, contributing to traffic
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@deapthoughts
By some measures that βrichest country in the worldβ thing is no longer true. China has passed the US and weβre not even trying to catch up.
But we do have the most billionaires and isnβt that what matters?
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@deapthoughts
I don't drive bc of a medical condition. Living in the states was hard, especially the south bc the infrastructure was terrible. Moving abroad was amazing bc I have so many options for public transit and walkable sidewalks. You can do better America!
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@deapthoughts
The country is rich but the people aren't rich, most of the money seems to be concentrated in a small number of incredibly large rich businesses (just 5 companies make up 25% of the S&P 500 which itself is 500 of the biggest companies in the US)
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@deapthoughts
Florida is horrible. We don't spend on infrastructure at all. When we do (Lexus lanes), we make the most inconvenient decisions possible forcing people to pay to play. Those lanes should be illegal since it denies a government service to those who can't afford it.
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@deapthoughts
I had exactly the same experience in Milwaukee about 10 years ago when I walked to the zoo :D although instead of cars hitting me they stopped and asked if I'm all right, because I'm walking :D
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@jhowfa
If it treated everyone with dignity and respect, it would be even richer. Those people I saw on the bus could contribute a lot more to society if they had better opportunities and didn't have to waste so much time and energy just getting from point A to B
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@deapthoughts
But if they made it easier for disabled and elderly people who are unable to drive to get around, the STS contractor wouldn't be motivated to donate so much money to
@MiamiDadeBCC
campaigns & their associated political committees.
1/2 Transportation America has appeared!
@MiamiDadeBCC
D11 Comm
@RobJGonzalezFL
's MD-ED 28 PC America First Florida First has posted their Q4 report. They raised $149.9K mostly from county contractors, real estate developers, and their associated lobbyists & attorneys.
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@deapthoughts
The main reason they don't have the option of driving is actually that they can't pass the minimum standards of a driving test. So they do have the option, they just are unsafe/ won't learn what the signs mean.
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@deapthoughts
Just for your amusement as Americans: a bike ride from the bike parking garage at Utrecht Central train station to another Utrecht train station. Utrecht is a town in the Netherlands with about half a million inhabitants.
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@deapthoughts
Correction: the country with a larger number of rich people. The money in few hands there, at expense of the mid and low classes
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