L.A. Artist Contemplates Future Traffic Flow, With Hot Wheels 118
John3 writes "American artist Chris Burden is finishing up his latest work titled Metropolis II for display this fall in Los Angeles. There's a fascinating five minute documentary on YouTube about his miniature city and the traffic that flows through it. He comments 'The idea that a car runs free, those days are about to close.' Whether you agree or disagree, he certainly has built one of the coolest Hot Wheels layouts I've ever seen."
Re:This is bad. As if downing the 405 wasn't enoug (Score:4, Insightful)
Ted Kazinski, is that you? I didn't think you had internet access! What you say makes complete and utter sense. I wish I could say it so clearly. Big fan of your writing!
Blame the greenies (Score:2, Insightful)
It has the environmentalists' dream for years now for high-density living with mostly public transportation. What they call sprawl and fight tooth and nail against is what most of us call personal space, a yard for children, and a nice house. They would rather cram everybody in the smallest area possible and hope we all convert to riding buses because the traffic congestion is so bad. Urban planning classes pump out more and more people with this same view every year, so I can only imagine it getting worse.
Re:"About to close"? (Score:2, Insightful)
But he has run hundreds of unpowered toy cars downhill along pre-set non-intersecting routes - don't you see how that makes him an expert on traffic flow?
Re:This is bad. As if downing the 405 wasn't enoug (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem is a lack of rapid transit. Cars alone cannot deal with the traffic of a large, dense city.
But of course, American's would never do something as sensible as vote to build rapid, socialist, transit, when highly subsidised roads, gas, etc.. are so free market.
Re:"About to close"? (Score:4, Insightful)
And Mel Gibson is an expert on Christ because he made one crappy film about him.
Welcome to America, where it doesn't take actual knowledge to become an expert on any given subject.
All it takes is exposure.