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this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2024
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It's quite common here to have one for driving around neighbourhoods, as cheap ones can be $1,000+.
That still does not answer my “why” question tbh.
But I suppose that in a country where “walkable neighborhoods” are construed to be some nefarious communist plot to rob people of their freedom, not walking its a status symbol.
"for driving around neighbourhoods", same as having a car.
So an inferior bicycle basically.
Depends on your needs.
Fair enough, although I’d argue getting around the neighborhood is easier on a narrow vehicle that can carry some cargo and doesn’t depend on batteries. A golf cart has all the downsides of a car in day to day use and it’s slower and exposed to the elements. It’s probably a Veblen good in this case.
My friends have one because they have a small baby and don't want to use their scooters (small motorbikes) with her when going out. They don't own a car. They can carry their shopping in it.
Sometimes things depend on other things.
Your out of hand dismissal of complexity is, frankly, baffling and concerning.
That said, I have lived in suburbia all my life and never have I gone “hmmmm, I really wish I had a golf cart in addition to my car and bicycle”.
People in my neighborhood have golf carts as well. I don’t get it either. Just drive the car …
Can you drive a golf cart with a DUI?
Because sherry moms would explain at least part of it.
Children are driving them too so you probably have a good point with the DUI angle I hadn’t considered.
Nah you can get a dui on a bicycle or even a horse.
Does your neighborhood have cart paths?
Yes, it’s one of those resort neighborhoods. We have trails, wide sidewalks, wide bike lanes (this is what everyone drives their carts on usually).
The US hasn't really discovered Bakfiet bicycles yet.
Watching people take six kindergarten kids or a whole refrigerator on a bike through town in Berlin and Amsterdam was wonderful. They could do a pretty good Costco run on those things.
Yes, but mostly used by fat, old people.
Yeah the why is laziness I guess? Why walk when you can drive a smaller electric buggy for small distances and a big car for big distances?
Golf carts make sense in retirement communities - presumably the companies behind them are "growing the market" by targeting families as an alternative to push chairs and walking? Also I'm guessing these are American neighbourhoods which still are designed around cars than true walkability?
They are popular in more affluent areas so they can be driven to clubhouses or other neighborhood spots, and unsurprisingly very common in neighborhoods that have their own golf course.
Imagine spending $1,000+ when walking is free.
I can imagine someone with a disability wanting a cart like this to get around, but this woman does not need a fucking golf cart.
We're all going to die because of this overconsumption bullshit.
Does someone having one prevent someone from getting one?
My friends have one because they have a baby and no car. Is their consumption too much for you?
Having one instead of a car isn't overconsumption, but the woman in this article clearly has both. It's a problem.
This seems exclusive from that.
So, where I come from, there's nothing to drive to in the neighborhood except other houses. Also, a neighborhood is at most a square mile. That's all I envisioned.
What, exactly, did you even mean by "neighborhoods"? It's starting to sound like you're talking about driving several miles.
It can be several miles since my friend's one goes for 40km. Your neighbourhood is yours, we have lots of places to go to between neighbourhoods and districts, and lots in each.
Again, I was just envisioning going around the neighborhood, not going all over a town or city.
That is around the neighbourhood as they can be quite large; it can also be 40+ degrees here, which the baby cannot manage. It means they can go to a restaurant, a cafe, get the shopping, go to a place where it's nice to walk, then home again, perhaps a 2-3km little trip within their neighbourhood.
Where is "here"?
A lot of California is like this. I lived in San Diego and most homeowners had a golf cart. It’s actually really nice to use for groceries shopping and hauling coolers, surf boards, and small boats to the beach without using any gasoline. They are basically ultra light EVs.
Cali lets you register golf carts for the road as a non-highway vehicle. So you can putter around your local neighborhood but not any further. They actually reduce highway congestion and parking congestion since you can park 5 of them in a street parking space that holds only 2 cars.
My first thought was "that's insane", but when you put it that way, it seems less insane than driving a car.
Normalize golf carts! I guess?! 🤷
Electric cargo bikes fill the same niche here. Well, minus the boat part.
I feel like people just haven't tried hard enough with the boats. 😉
Ehh. I fit myself, my wife, my kid, my dog, and a cooler and 2 surf boards on a golf cart and I can park it without needing to lock it up somewhere. A cargo bike that big easily costs 2-5x more than a golf cart. Realistically I’d actually need two cargo bikes to haul that much.
A single golf cart can hold 2-6 people plus cargo depending on the model. They fill the car niche better than the bike niche but at a ridiculously low price point if you aren’t getting fancy.
Cambodia.
Seems ridiculous. Why not a bicycle?
Because babies exist.
Babies shouldn't drive golf carts though
Shit, you got me.
Why should everyone live exactly how you want them to?
Can I do an audit of your life and switch everything over to how I think you should live?
Lol
Generally, people can live how they want. It doesn't mean I can't think doing something a certain way is ridiculous.
I did ask a "why" question. I'm open to changing my mind.