05-29-2007, 07:07 AM
Hi Munkay,
I was just trying to put some more fule onto the fire. Didn't have any real stance on anything. By the way, it has always been my understanding that, in part due to the size (after all, I would say Europe was much more "isolated" into separate countries except for late) USA *did* have a good infrastructure for long distance travel, namely by air. That one did travell much more by air than in Europe. Sure, we travell a lot here too and more so recently perhaps with EU and so , but I think that at least non business travell has not been by air here in Europe so much.
By the way, I thought it was quite clear that I also thought that what works "here" doesn't work "over there" many times. Yet, it makes people on both sides think that "the silly people over there" complain about things when in fact they have it much better than we in that aspect and so on. I think that goes for both directions over the Atlantic Ocean.
As for land mass and population, it all depends on were you draw the boarders of course, yes, we are for the most part more populated but sure, if you like to add Alaska, we should be allowed to add Greenland:)I don't think the popultion density difference as such makes any difference, you will probably see the same mentality and use of cars if you go to some densly populated area of USA as one not so dense.
By the way, you mentioned the differences in towns. I think that is an interesting topic. In part, I believe it comes from the fact that most towns in Europe are quite old and comes from a time when they were very small and have then grown. Sure, US towns has also grown but basically also been built from scratch pretty recently. The main difference is that, at least to me and also many others one talk to, is that people in USA tends to live much more outside towns. Downtown in USA is usually business areas and poor areas. SUre, we have business areas downtown too but much of the shopping is (or at least was, it is slowly changing) is traditinally downtown and a lot more people from all social classes lives downtown. There are some exceptions and the ones that pop up immediately are New Your, San Francisco and Boston, they feel more "European" in that aspect. But the differences is everywere even if small (and they sure exist between countries in Europe too). I recall always sighing when reading a book or viewing a film from USA on how they always had to conveniently place a fire escape ladde outside every building/flat/whatever to get the story flow. Then I came to USA and realised (obviously) that that is how houses are, most of them, everywere. There are tons of small things like that, and I like it:)
If this has anything to do with the mentality of how one view cars, I have no idea.....
PS! I had a friend here in Sweden and once, long ago, we were a few people that decided to start excesize together in the form of swiming. So we decided to meet at the local swiminghall each saturday. Now, he lives about 400 meters from the swiming hall, in a town were people (especially students and young on, use bicyle a LOT, yes even by Swidish standard and we travell by bicyle a lot as a whole). We all got there the first time, took our swim, enjoyed our sauna and then were going home when he went out to his car!!!! The car trip probably took longer as well since you had to go way arround since there was no short cut like if you walked or took a bike, and he did this when we were going to train. We still like to tease him about it these days. Perhaps he had american blood in his veins:)
I was just trying to put some more fule onto the fire. Didn't have any real stance on anything. By the way, it has always been my understanding that, in part due to the size (after all, I would say Europe was much more "isolated" into separate countries except for late) USA *did* have a good infrastructure for long distance travel, namely by air. That one did travell much more by air than in Europe. Sure, we travell a lot here too and more so recently perhaps with EU and so , but I think that at least non business travell has not been by air here in Europe so much.
By the way, I thought it was quite clear that I also thought that what works "here" doesn't work "over there" many times. Yet, it makes people on both sides think that "the silly people over there" complain about things when in fact they have it much better than we in that aspect and so on. I think that goes for both directions over the Atlantic Ocean.
As for land mass and population, it all depends on were you draw the boarders of course, yes, we are for the most part more populated but sure, if you like to add Alaska, we should be allowed to add Greenland:)I don't think the popultion density difference as such makes any difference, you will probably see the same mentality and use of cars if you go to some densly populated area of USA as one not so dense.
By the way, you mentioned the differences in towns. I think that is an interesting topic. In part, I believe it comes from the fact that most towns in Europe are quite old and comes from a time when they were very small and have then grown. Sure, US towns has also grown but basically also been built from scratch pretty recently. The main difference is that, at least to me and also many others one talk to, is that people in USA tends to live much more outside towns. Downtown in USA is usually business areas and poor areas. SUre, we have business areas downtown too but much of the shopping is (or at least was, it is slowly changing) is traditinally downtown and a lot more people from all social classes lives downtown. There are some exceptions and the ones that pop up immediately are New Your, San Francisco and Boston, they feel more "European" in that aspect. But the differences is everywere even if small (and they sure exist between countries in Europe too). I recall always sighing when reading a book or viewing a film from USA on how they always had to conveniently place a fire escape ladde outside every building/flat/whatever to get the story flow. Then I came to USA and realised (obviously) that that is how houses are, most of them, everywere. There are tons of small things like that, and I like it:)
If this has anything to do with the mentality of how one view cars, I have no idea.....
PS! I had a friend here in Sweden and once, long ago, we were a few people that decided to start excesize together in the form of swiming. So we decided to meet at the local swiminghall each saturday. Now, he lives about 400 meters from the swiming hall, in a town were people (especially students and young on, use bicyle a LOT, yes even by Swidish standard and we travell by bicyle a lot as a whole). We all got there the first time, took our swim, enjoyed our sauna and then were going home when he went out to his car!!!! The car trip probably took longer as well since you had to go way arround since there was no short cut like if you walked or took a bike, and he did this when we were going to train. We still like to tease him about it these days. Perhaps he had american blood in his veins:)
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