I just found out about slugging - essentially a form of commuter hitchhiking in which the 'slug' gets a free ride, and the driver gets a quicker commute (by accessing HOV lanes). It's anonymous carpooling.
This is pretty interesting... The American landscape (physically and culturally) has evolved in the context of large space. In this environment, the automobile became the ideal form of transportation - it is an effective means to navigate the distances involved, and it also enables a very high level of independence.
Slugging maintains the geographic distances, but the independence of driving your own car is traded in for a 'free ride'.
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Ironically, the independence once offered by the automobile has been replaced by a kind of slavery. As gas prices rise, people realize that they have no real alternatives to driving. The form of our landscape (outside of very few urban centres) offers little to those without a car. (This has long been known by bored suburban kids, trapped elderly populations, and the very poor - but these are easy groups to ignore).
Hopefully our geography can be retrofitted to allow for alternative means of getting around. Until then I will try to remember that it is a luxury for me to NOT have a car.
3 comments:
I just spent a week in the Chicago suburbs, and I can't agree with you more. People here are completely turned upside down by the new high gas prices. And really -- they have no other options.
It is truly a luxury to be car-free.
WARNING FELLOW SLUG RIDERS!
In these times of + $4.00 for Gasoline and $5.00 for Diesel Fuel, it’s been hard on us all. Today, I was listening to a group of Slug Drivers from Woodbridge, Virginia today, who stated that they were going to start a group discussion on charging their Slug Riders $2.00 to $3.00 a day to commute into the Washington D.C. Metro Area. Even through I understand the perceptions of the Slug Drivers and the High Cost of Gasoline during our current economy, I refuse to pay money for a ride into Washington D.C. from Woodbridge, Virginia! BOYCOTT, SUPPRESS and SQUASH any discussions of charging SLUG RIDERS $3.00 a day to drive into work! TO HELL WITH THE SLUG DRIVERS AND TO HELL WITH HIGH GAS PRICES! SOMEONE NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ASAP!
Thank you for listening.
John
John
Um. You're welcome??!
I ride my bike / the subway...
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