Thursday 19 June 2008

Brain Training

One of few challenges of being car-free is brain training. Not your own brain, but those of people who automatically think travel equals car. Allow me to illustrate using two invitations i've recently received.

1. A simple txt message - limit 160 characters - managed to cover the event details, the two closest train stations, and the exact street address (handy if i want to search transinfo for alternate transport like buses)

2. A somewhat longer email message, detailing the night (at a restaurant) but giving only the suburb name and a landmark - which is fine if you're a driver, who can cruise around a suburb searching for landmarks. The clincher was the sign-off line "hope you can make it". It almost reads like a deliberate challenge.

Now, i'm not having a go at anyone (although i'm very impressed with person 1). It's just interesting how car-oriented (or car-dependent) we have let ourselves become. Sometimes the human brain (despite it's amazing abilities) can be a difficult thing to adjust.

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