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Baby On Board: A Desperate Plea 21

Baby On Board: A Desperate Plea
Photo by Steve and Sara Emry Driving in North America has reached such a low level of selfishness and entitlement that many parents with young children in their car have succumbed to a desperate plea for safety for their children by erecting a “BABY ON BOARD” sign in their car. I view these signs as ...

Paris Cyclists Allowed To Run Red Lights 11

Paris Cyclists Allowed To Run Red Lights
“Guess what? I’m French! – Photo by Rohand / ratemyvelo.com Paris city councillors recently voted to give the green light to cyclists to legally proceed through red lights in the French capital. The pilot program will be tested at 15 intersections in east end of Paris and if successful will roll out to 1,700 intersections ...

Emotional Affection For Automobiles 31

Emotional Affection For Automobiles
Top Gear Season 13 Ending – Aston Martin V12 Vantage HD (via YouTube) In a recent comment on a Grist article, I was accused of being “jealous” of a proud owner of a Ford Mustang with a 5.0 liter V8 engine with over 400-HP Ford Mustang (labeled as a “penile extension” by another commenter). I ...

Awkward Moments In China’s Car Culture Frenzy 36

Awkward Moments In China’s Car Culture Frenzy
Cyclist in Shanghai – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country (2010) As a Canadian ex-pat currently residing in China, there are moments where my culture and values clash with Chinese culture. A recent situation at a dinner with my wife’s family and friends surfaced the importance placed on car ownership in Chinese culture. ...

Canada’s Magnificent Scenic Wonders 12

Canada’s Magnificent Scenic Wonders
Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country A few months ago I came across this Canadian Tire Corporation poster from a 1936 store catalogue and I snapped a photo of it on my phone. The poster had been all but forgotten when it resurfaced again while I was sorting through the photos on my ...

Sunday Afternoon Ride in China 8

Sunday Afternoon Ride in China
Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country It was hot and sunny – peaking at 27 degrees Celsius on Sunday afternoon here in the middle of the South China Sea – so we decided to take 7-month-old Sofia out for a bicycle ride. It was her first bike ride, and she clearly loved every ...

Our Streets Are Like A Giant Lollipop 4

Our Streets Are Like A Giant Lollipop
Photo from Sotres, Asturias, ES courtesy of pablerax In North America there is a common perception that drivers “own the roads” and deserve as much surface area as can be paved. This perception exists despite the heavy subsidization that drivers receive through motorist socialism, which ironically, is prevalent in the United States where socialism is ...

Want to Get Rich? Open a Gas Station in China 37

Want to Get Rich? Open a Gas Station in China
Cars lined up at a Haikou, China gas station – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country (Jan 2012) Want to get rich? Open up a gas station, a car wash, or an auto repair garage in China. Car culture is sweeping through China as car ownership becomes affordable to countless new Chinese families. ...

81-Year-Old Gene Hackman Hit On His Bike 102

81-Year-Old Gene Hackman Hit On His Bike
Gene Hackman in 1993 (AP Photo/File) On Friday at approximately 3PM, Oscar-award winning actor Gene Hackman was hit by a pickup truck on his bicycle in the Florida Keys. The incident was covered widely by the media which made sure to point out that the 81-year-old Hackman was not wearing a helmet. Though true, this ...

Sunday Afternoon Traffic in China 22

Sunday Afternoon Traffic in China
Pedaling in Haikou, Hainan, China – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country Last Sunday afternoon I hopped on my Giant folding bicycle and headed from where I am living in the “suburbs” and headed into downtown (a 5 kilometre jaunt). What ensued was a thrilling ride among a myriad of other two-wheeled travelers ...