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Our cities are choked by cars – here’s how experts would fix them (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/fuckcars@lemmy.ca
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[–] -2 points 6 months ago (9 children)

Can you elaborate on your negative opinion on disabled people?

Your negative comment got me to thinking and realizing, that my roommate has to travel 72 miles (one way, double that to 144 miles both ways), at least twice a month, to his healthcare provider, in his truck. There's no buses around here either.

To make matters worse, he also has to take his family members around for doctor visits. Half the time out of state. Why out of state? Health insurance...

My job? Keep the truck running.

My question? Why the fuck does health insurance force people to drive so fucking far? Shit, we got a local healthcare facility within bicycle riding distance, but they only cover people actively working for one of the war machine manufacturing factories...

I do think that my question regarding the healthcare system heavily ties into the whole transportation problem.

What do? My job is just to keep the vehicle running, not to drive it..

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  • [–] 9 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    I understand that you live in America and there's no hope of untangling this problem, anymore. I am disabled and I live in a ghetto full of disabled people, but in Denmark, and none of us have cars. That's my point. If you build a real city, nobody needs cars, much less the disabled.

    There is one person here in a wheelchair who racks up more daily miles than I do and I have a bicycle.

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  • [–] 6 points 6 months ago (6 children)

    for people with certain disabilities, cars can be a lifeline for accessing work and services

    This is valid.

    But for EVEN MORE people woth disabilities, they are unable to drive. So any system built around driving automatically excludes them.

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  • [–] -1 points 6 months ago (5 children)

    Umm, did you even read my comment?

    My roommate is disabled, yet just 15 minutes ago had to go drive his disabled sister to the store.

    Seriously, did you even read my comment? I'm the mechanic, keeping a truck running for a disabled man, that has to drive his disabled family members around.

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  • [–] 7 points 6 months ago* (2 children)

    I think your described Problem is more the healthcare system.

    The original complaint is more that people use disabled people as an argument against public transport expansion which is bad because car centric infrastructure isn't that good for disabled people either.

    Public transit can also include a lot of disability infrastructure to accommodate for different needs. This leads to fewer and fewer people needing to take the car

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  • [–] 0 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Okay. Well why the hell does it seem everyone's disabled healthcare has them traveling 30 to 80 miles away, when there's a healthcare facility literally 3 miles from us?

    Oh that's right, the disabled people aren't working for the war machine, so they're not qualified for the local facility..

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago*

    I think that's also a big thing in the US healthcare system. It's probably more profitable for the insurance company to let the disabled people travel to a different facility instead of the closest one which is probably more expensive for the company or something.

    This kind of shit happens when people are worth less than the profit of a company.

    In Germany you decide which facility you visit if it gives the same kind of care.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Yes, and that is valid. You are doing a good thing keeping that teuck running. And your roommate is doing a good thing driving his sister.

    But your roommate is disabled in a way that they can drive. Some are disabled in a way that they cannot drive (say, blind) and are therefore unable to drive at all.

    Perhaps your roommate's sister is disabled in a way she can't drive? In this case, how much easier would your roommate, and your (the mechanic's) lives be, not keeping that truck alive? If there were good transportation alternatives, of the ability to use closer clinics; it could be your reality.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago

    Roommate has COPD, a bad shoulder, and the start of a cataract in his left eye. But he's still fully capable of driving.

    His sister already had a double lung transplant, and she's suffering from arthritis, to the point she can't even take care of her own hair or hygiene..

    I worry every time he drives away without me, as the truck only properly seats two. Me, roommate, his sister, and our dog equals 4...

    At least the truck seems to be running well, but it still worries me every time he's gotta drive far without me. If only their healthcare services were available within a sensible distance...

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