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Comment by yakireev | Hacker News Reader

So many people in the comments angry at the article author having the privilege of not having to drive, instead of being angry at the people who deny them this privilege.

Y'all need to visit Amsterdam and Rotterdam at least once in your life. One is an old city, the other was (re)built from scratch in 50s and 60s "for cars". Both have great cycling infrastructure and decent public transport. These things are doable.

Good luck to all who are trying to change the unsatisfying status-quo elsewhere.

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> Good luck to all who are trying to change the unsatisfying status-quo elsewhere.

Thank you. I think it's important to realize that changing the status quo requires people who stay and vote for that change, as happened in the Netherlands and elsewhere. People who run away to some place where it's already better, or grew up that way and never knew anything else, generate zero net change.

how do you visit your sick mother living in benschop once a week?

Never been to Benschop, but I've just checked, and Google says it's 1h 17m driving and 1h 36m on public transport from my place. It's a bike ride to Amsterdam Centraal, then a train to Utrecht Centraal, then a bus. No big deal, if once a week.

So what's your question?

do that three times and during winter. then report back ;)

Huh? Tried that. Dutch winters are pretty mild, still no big deal.

That being said, I used to live in Moscow before, and did have a daily 1.5h bus-and-metro commute there for a while. Not perfect, and quite anger-inducing because of the "tragedy of commons" situation: this commute would have been 1h long, if not less, if the bus didn't spend time in the traffic jams created by all those nice people in cars. But well, nowadays buses in Moscow have dedicated lanes, and that neighborhood got its own metro line, so it's getting better.

Still not sure what exactly you are implying.

now do that four times during high summer and you forgot your keys once at you mum's place and you notice it only after half the distance but your mother goes to sleep in half an hour and may not be disturbed thereafter - and then report back o.O

Huh? Could you please explain what you're alluding to?

well, thanks for your confirmation, i suppose ^^

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