I think of it as The Fool's Journey. I've been asked who the "fool" is. It's me, but in the classical sense of the court jester. Only the fool was allowed to tell the king of his follies. All cartoons are available as prints or originals, framed or unframed, through my website or e-mail. For mugs, t-shirts, and other products visit my gift shop at www.zazzle.com/jcrowtherart* (be sure to include the *).
California is now threatening to do one of the looniest things I've heard yet to deal with the growing budget mess, charge a fee to allow solitary drivers to use carpool lanes. Right, it'll clog up the lanes that are supposed to move quickly while taking some pressure off the rest of the freeway.
posted by John M Crowther @ 8:30 AM
I think of it as The Fool's Journey. I've been asked who the "fool" is. It's me, but in the classical sense of the court jester. Only the fool was allowed to tell the king of his follies. All cartoons are available as prints or originals, framed or unframed, through my website or e-mail. For mugs, t-shirts, and other products visit my gift shop at www.zazzle.com/jcrowtherart* (be sure to include the *).
Artist, writer, filmmaker, actor. Wrote "The Evil That Men Do" starring Charles Bronson. "Missing in Action" starring Chuck Norris. Performed one-man play "Einstein" off-Broadway and in Europe. Tours US with "Meet Mr. Wright," his one-man play about Frank Lloyd Wright. Art exhibitions in Italy and U.S. His work as a cartoonist has been seen in MAD magazine. Illustrated the children's books "How the Waif Bunny Saved the Boy" and "The Man In the Red Bandana" about his nephew Welles Crowther, a hero of 9/11, written by his niece, Honor Crowther Fagin, Welles's sister. Author of novel "Firebase," published in UK by Constable and US by St. Martins Press. For many years an avid student and reader of Tarot. Performs weddings as a Los Angeles County Deputy Commissioner of Civil Marriage.
5 Comments:
Not to mention trade off the environment - which was one of the key reasons carpooling/express lanes were introduced in the first place. It's a bit like the current proposed carbon trading scheme where major polluters can pay for the privilege of continuing on in the same old way.
PS Why not just introduce a huge toll for all freeway users? That way only those who really need to use the freeway will do so. Traffic flows. Money in the Bank. Problem Solved. Or am I missing something?
Jean, if the freeways in the majors cities in Cal became toll roads it would truly become a nightmare on all the main arteries of the cities. The Sacramento gov. body has gone nuts! They are increasing the cost of car licenses by double them which means that we will have even more uninsured drivers on the road.
Funny cartoon, John C
Maybe we should look to Singapore for answers. A Driver's License there cost around $10,000 and commuters can only come into the Central Business District on alternate days. They have a great public transport system... and people seem to get used to not having two (or more) cars per household. It's all relative. An adjustment in thinking is all that change requires.
Australia has tolls on many major freeways but people are essentially lazy and still prefer to pay up and get there (hopefully) a little bit quicker. The rat runs (arterial roads) are all well used as well. Granted we don't have the population... but I guess that's all the more reason to find effective solutions.
Jean, things are complicated here in Southern California by the fact that most people have a dysfunctionally intense relationship with their car. It began decades ago when Otis Chandler, the then publisher of the L.A. Times conspired with the auto and tire industries to build up the freeway system and destroy public transport.
Not just in So Calif. John. It seems that car ownership (and especially brand ownership) plays a huge part in defining "who we are" as individuals these days. Car manufacturer's have really done a number on us and we have played into their hands by desiring the status of multiple cars in various shapes sizes and price brackets. The humble motor vehicle is no longer four wheels go round... it now speaks for us and defines our socioeconomic standing. Ludicrous comes to mind... but hey... it's going to be a heck of a re-education process to defuse the desirability factor and reshape current thinking toward a more environmentally sustainable, economically workable model (not talking cars here) LOL
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