Boomers Don’t Accept That They Won’t Be Able To Drive Forever

[240B]

Boomers Don’t Accept That They Won’t Be Able To Drive Forever

STREETSBLOG
By Lloyd Alter
January 23, 2025

AARP has released the results of its survey “2024 Home & Community Preferences Among Adults 18 and Older” and of course, it is illustrated with what looks like an AI version of an idyllic suburban community of culs-de-sac and single detached houses with three-car garages. Because that is, apparently, what everyone wants.

Reading it reminded me of a controversial and deleted post, “Study confirms that boomers are clueless,” which I wrote for the Mother Nature Network in 2016, where the consensus among the baby boomers surveyed was:

“Americans want a fuller life, but they don’t want to live where the amenities, the libraries and theaters and bookstores and where the other people are, which is in the city. They are worried about their health but don’t want to be where the hospitals and the doctors and the specialists are. They want peace of mind, but they still want 2,000 square feet of house in the middle of a lawn that has to be mowed, on a cul-de-sac where they can’t get transit. Basically they want what they have now, but on one floor.”

(more)
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2025/01/23/survey-boomers-dont-accept-that-they-wont-be-able-to-drive-forever

[240B]

I am not a member of AARP. I do not support their far-Left "WOKE" politics.

[libertybele]

My health doesn't allow me to drive distances like I used to. I've accepted that as just part of my life now.  When I venture out, it's not very far, and I mostly take backroads. 

There are good days, not so good days and bad days. I try to find some beauty in every day. No one lives forever.

[Smokin Joe]

I am unlikely to drive the distances I drove in the past in the time I drove them in.
My 1000 mile days are over, pretty much.
But that does not mean I'm not still good for 100 miles before breakfast, and 500-700 miles a day.

So far, so good. I DO keep distractions to a minimum.

[rustynail]

Old and in their way. :)

[berdie]

My health doesn't allow me to drive distances like I used to. I've accepted that as just part of my life now.  When I venture out, it's not very far, and I mostly take backroads. 

There are good days, not so good days and bad days. I try to find some beauty in every day. No one lives forever.

I feel the same. Going to Dallas scares the socks off of me. Fortunately it's only once a year. Further than that is out of the question.

I can still get to the grocery store. And like you said, there is beauty in every day.

[Bigun]

I am not a member of AARP. I do not support their far-Left "WOKE" politics.

Ditto!

[Smokin Joe]

Old and in their way. :)

WHAT? NOBODY does the SPEED LIMIT! 
Last long trip (4500 mites r/t) on the interstates, 80 was a suggested minimum...even though it was officially the speed limit. There were those who zig-zagged their way through traffic doing at least 100.

[DB]

That's what curbs and guard rails are for...

[deb]

That's what curbs and guard rails are for...

 

[Smokin Joe]

That's what curbs and guard rails are for...

Actually, if they'd just stop building eurotrash traffic circles here in 4-way stop country, we'd need the curbs a lot less. Try doing a reverse camber traffic circle when it's coated with ice...

[DB]

Actually, if they'd just stop building eurotrash traffic circles here in 4-way stop country, we'd need the curbs a lot less. Try doing a reverse camber traffic circle when it's coated with ice...

They've been building a lot of those all over these days. I hate them. Never thought about ice... That quickly gets messy. I wonder if Nordic countries do traffic circles?

[Smokin Joe]

They've been building a lot of those all over these days. I hate them. Never thought about ice... That quickly gets messy. I wonder if Nordic countries do traffic circles?

I don't know, but I do know that semis have a lot of trouble with them in the snow and ice up here, and we have a high percentage of semis on the roads.

With raised centers on most, there is a virtually guaranteed snowdrift somewhere on the circle, too.  Hard to get up enough speed to 'bust' it driving in a circle. 

[DefiantMassRINO]

Damn mailboxes, telephone poles, and buildings jumping in front of Q-tips' cars.

[DCPatriot]

Roundabouts are preferred more than 4-way stop-sign intersections or speed bumps...depends on the size.

There are a series of roundabouts in Boonsboro, Maryland (Monument St) that goes thru a residential neighborhood that could be used as a shortcut...avoiding a historic intersection in the middle of a 1700's town/village.

Its purpose is traffic-calming...the circles (4 of the bastards) are tiny and force traffic to slow down to less than 20mph.

[Smokin Joe]

Roundabouts are preferred more than 4-way stop-sign intersections or speed bumps...depends on the size.

There are a series of roundabouts in Boonsboro, Maryland (Monument St) that goes thru a residential neighborhood that could be used as a shortcut...avoiding a historic intersection in the middle of a 1700's town/village.

Its purpose is traffic-calming...the circles (4 of the bastards) are tiny and force traffic to slow down to less than 20mph.

Get a water hauler and a sandbox driver (semi trucks), a couple of 1-ton work trucks in that SOB on ice...you be in a little car...

Not one thing 'calming' about that sh*tshow...

[DCPatriot]

Get a water hauler and a sandbox driver (semi trucks), a couple of 1-ton work trucks in that SOB on ice...you be in a little car...

Not one thing 'calming' about that sh*tshow...

 

[Bigun]

I live in the middle of nowhere, Texas and what is out brilliant TEXDOT engineers wasting $$$ on? F'n Traffic circles!!! 

[Lando Lincoln]

I just learned something meaningless. Ours in Wisconsin are technically roundabouts, not traffic circles. Traffic circles are wider and larger and allow for higher speeds. Now, you may have learned a meaningless tidbit also.

Anyway, Wisconsin is filled with ‘em.

[bigheadfred]

Actually, if they'd just stop building eurotrash traffic circles here in 4-way stop country, we'd need the curbs a lot less. Try doing a reverse camber traffic circle when it's coated with ice...

[/b]

That's right. They put one in at the last intersection on my way to work. Once you start turning right when you really want to go left is damn near impossible on ice (even with 4wd). I can't tell you how many times all I could manage was ending up going straight, heading on down the road until I could turn back around and approach from the other direction in the dedicated turning lane.

[DefiantMassRINO]

For decades, Massachusetts has been struggling to eliminate its (large) rotaries (roundabouts) because of the accidents they can cause.  They finally eliminated one just before one of the bridges to Cape Cod.

In December, 2022, I had to fly down to Sarasota, FL, to deal with a family emergency.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing ... brand new (small) rotaries about every 1/8^th mile.  WTF?  It was like I drving back in South Boston.

It's just bizarre to hear the rest of the country is embracing rotaries while Mass wants to eliminate the ones they have.

BTW, WTF is with new pedestrian crossings?  I'm used to red & yellow traffic lights for pedestrian crossings, but my town has these flashing yellow lights for pedestrian crossings.  When I was learning to drive, yellow meant to slow down, but not stop.  Flashing red was equivalnet to a stop sign.  Red and yellow lights meant stop, pedestrians crossing.  So, when I see flashing yellow lights, my lizard brain is conditioned to slow down, but not to stop.  Where the F are they getting these traffic engineers, Amsterdam?

[GtHawk]

This Boomer will never accept that he can’t drive forever, I find the way the majority of younger people drive scary as hell, they have no commitment, they are afraid to make a decision and are fearful of getting within five or eight car lengths of the car in front lest they come scary close to damaging their pretty little lease car. I drive the same as I did when I was 16, and that isn’t defensively, I live in the land of offense and in close to 54 years of driving I can count the times I have hit someone or been responsible for an accident on two closed hands. And don’t even get me started on Asian drivers.

It’s not the age of the driver it’s the attitude, and if the attitude is one of fear those are the most dangerous drivers.

There now you can all be thankful you don’t drive anywhere near me in SoCal😄😆😂🤣

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I am not a member of AARP. I do not support their far-Left "WOKE" politics.

Became a member of AMAC.  Very conservative company with excellent periodic magazine filled with conservative articles.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

There now you can all be thankful you don’t drive anywhere near me in SoCal😄😆😂🤣

ok, just tell us make, model and color of vehicle. License plate # would be even better