Homer Simpson once said “Public transportation is for suckers,” and after watching this video of a New Yorker beating a bus in a one-mile race from 10th avenue to Madison avenue by two minutes. How can we fix that?
Mark Malkoff, “amateur daredevil” and professional comedian (perhaps best known for living in an Ikea for a week) rode what is clearly a pretty sweet big wheel down 42nd street between 10th avenue and Madison. Malkoff admits to no longer riding the bus much, as it is too slow for him, and after watching this video I can see his point. The trip took Mark, on his oversized child’s toy, about 12 minutes to go a mile. The bus? Over fourteen minutes to get down that same mile. Seriously, I ran faster than that back in Middle School (and I was a pudgy little kid.) And keep in mind, both competitors were racing on congested pathways, so if ever there was a fair bout between different forms of transportation, this is it.
Is it any wonder that Homer Simpson and much of America has a poor opinion of public transportation? You’re better off riding a bike or even jogging than taking a bus in NYC, and this is not a unique problem. Where I live, the bus only comes by every forty-five minutes, and depending on the day it’s sometimes better to go for a walk than wait for the bus.
It’s a pretty entertaining video if you ask me, but it raises a lot of important points too. Would a larger fleet of smaller buses be faster and more efficient? What about more dedicated busways? Or maybe New York should downsize its bus fleet altogether and instead invest in light rail or more subway routes. Or maybe just ban personal automobiles from the city center altogether? Yeah, keep dreaming…but watch the video anyways for some morning infotainment.
I have to say, it’s a bit telling that these days we are getting more useful information from comedians like Malkoff, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert than the actual news. This guy may have been trying to be funny, but he did it in a way that raises a number of questions about public transportation. What’s the point in having it if it’s not actually making our lives easier.
Source: My Damn Channel
Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.