jaunty75

One of the most interesting side-effects of the pandemic that I've been reading about in a number of places is the return to private vehicle ownership. All that talk about self-driving cars and no more need for privately-owned vehicles in every driveway because we can just summon a self-driving car to take us where we want to go? I had long thought that this was inevitable. Not anymore. Now all of this is out the window.

There is no better way to "socially distance" while traveling than in your own, private vehicle. You know who's been sitting in it. You can control who sits in it. You know where it's been. Sitting in a taxi? Who was sitting in it just before you? The same is true for that Uber or Lyft vehicle you just called for. Riding on a crowded, standing-room-only bus? No one wants to do that any more.

I think private vehicle ownership is in for a revival like we haven't seen in 50 years. This isn't going to bode well for commuting in large cities, which is the subject of this article, but I think people will put up with that in exchange for some peace of mind about their health.

Transportation lab predicts “extreme traffic” for some cities following COVID-19

https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2020/06/...wing-covid-19/

knowitall

gaunty75, your title is somewhat misleading as to suggests private car ownership was gone but if people reduce usage of mass transit then what about car pooling and HOV lanes?

I don't know the percentage of people that bought into the hysteria about COVID-19 but hopefully the latest from a WHO official saying that the spread of corona virus by people not showing symptoms "appears to be rare" will calm people's fears.

I'm just glad I live in the country surrounded by 45 acres of trees. Maybe the trees act like a filter and definitely help my social distancing. lol

gs72

I keep seeing people in their own cars driving down the street by themselves with a mask on. Do they really think their car is contaminated, or are they worried about something coming into the car from outside.
The guidelines I read didn't suggest that.

Fun71

You missed the next day's update - the WHO backtracked said it could be as much as 45%.

knowitall

Which only proves the WHO doesn't know what they are doing.

oldsrocket88

Well, just a thought, you never know where or what people are doing... today I was running errands... I had to make several stops within a 2 mile drive down my main drag near my home. All the places I was going required a mask to enter. So, I just wore in between the drive to the various stores. I'm not going to take it off and put it back on every minute in order to "look cool" to others who are "observing me". I can give 2 f*cks what someone thinks IMHO.... so don't assume

bw1339

The WHO know exactly what they are doing. Which is whatever the Chinese tell them to do or say.

gs72

ya, this is in my Neighborhood and surrounding area. I live in a very rural area. There is not much around me to go to, So ya I'm assuming.