In Episode 2 of The Traffic Jam, the car-disliking Bryan Crump eyeballs his prejudices and walks a mile in some strange shoes.  They’re the steel-cap boots of someone for whom the van or ute feels as essential as a limb: a tradie. 

This post was originally on The Traffic Jam and is reproduced with thanks. [Additions] by Talk Wellington

I’d like to put some cards on the table.

I own half a car. I like driving.

But there’s no way our family would buy a second one. Given all the things we could do with the thousands of dollars needed to purchase another four wheels, it’s not worth it.  Even if our income increased by a quarter or more, I suspect we’d find better things to do with the extra dosh.

That’s why I cycle to work, that, and the fact it keeps me fit.

But I’m lucky. I have a choice.  Others don’t. My partner is a musician, she needs a car. And then there are all those people who need a motor vehicle not just to get to work, but to carry the tools and materials they need for the job.

That’s the ethos of The Traffic Jam; encouraging people to think outside, and beyond, their transport-mode-induced bubbles. [Common bubbles: “motorists vs cyclists” hatred,  footpath carparking, streets designed for the designers]

So before you condemn those whose mode choices you can’t understand, I invite you to spend some time in their shoes, or in this case, their white van.

And while you’re at it, listen out for a special guest appearance from George the Cat, who likes cars, especially to sleep on.

Happy jammin’…!

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Image credit:

Toyota Hiace and tradies –  CBC Construction

 

Tags: commercial driving, empathy, motor vehicles, tradies