xkcd #2940: Modes of Transportation

https://xkcd.com/2940

Explain xkcd #2940

Title Text:

My bold criticism might anger the hot air balloon people, which would be a real concern if any of them lived along a very narrow line directly upwind of me.

alt-text:

A chart that categorizes various modes of transportation based on their practicality and danger level:

Zone of Practicality:

  • Trains
  • Airliners
  • Boats
  • Walking
  • Cars
  • Scooters
  • Bicycles

Zone of Specialty and Recreational Vehicles:

  • Motorcycles
  • Helicopters
  • Light aircraft
  • Go karts
  • Skateboards
  • Rollerblades
  • Skis
  • Unicycles
  • Sleds
  • Bumper cars

???:

  • Hot air balloons

“Hot air balloons are the optimal mode of transportation, if your optimization algorithm has a sign error.”

  • Michal@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    97
    ·
    6 months ago

    I cant believe bicycles and scooters are perceived as more dangerous than cars. They’re slower, offer better visibility, and kill way less people.

        • AwesomeLowlander@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          49
          ·
          6 months ago

          Not only. I live in Norway, where pedestrians have right of way and drivers are extremely careful. Discounting the risk from cars, there’s still more personal danger to users of scooters as opposed to cars. If you have an accident on a scooter, you’ll get scrapes, bruises, broken bones. As compared to a car, where unless you’ve really screwed up, you’re unlikely to take any injuries at all.

          Source: scooter user who HAS broken bones

        • floofloof@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          6 months ago

          The chart needs a third dimension: danger to you, danger to others, and convenience for travel.

      • MindTraveller@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        6 months ago

        Driving a car makes it more likely for your species to go extinct. Infinitely more dangerous than a bicycle.

          • Jentu
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            6 months ago

            Microplastics from heavy vehicles scrubbing away their tires is a bigger issue than tailpipe emissions, which is why tailpipe emissions are the only thing focused on with regards to regulatory standards. Can’t have people thinking BEVs are similar/worse for the environment than a small car.

      • brettvitaz@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        I just saw a pedestrian get hit by a person on a bike and end up with a concussion. Bicyclists don’t give a fuck about others

    • ealoe@ani.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      29
      ·
      6 months ago

      Hit a pothole going 25mph in your car. Hit the same pothole going 25mph on your scooter. I’ll come visit you in the hospital after the scooter one and we can talk about how cars are obviously safer.

      I ride an electric scooter, all it takes is one crack in the road that I’m less than prepared for and I’m going down hard.

        • ealoe@ani.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          10
          ·
          6 months ago

          That is a good point, mine is the second variety, electric one similar to the ones you see littering any major Urban area waiting to be rented. Although even the largest scooter is still far less safe over a pothole or around a rainy curve than a car, typical accident in the car you mess up the car and get a bruise from the airbag, but a typical scooter accident can be a lot more gnarly.

        • tyler@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          6 months ago

          I think most people in the USA refer to the third item as a moped, which only gives you two categories for scooter. Scooter and electric scooter, and then moped and electric moped.

        • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          6 months ago

          I own an electric scooter very similar to the second one pictured (minus the RGB) so that’s what I was thinking of.

      • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        6 months ago

        The roads are shit here. So badly cracked that I vibrate violently when I try to ride my scooter over them at like 10km/h. And that’s while dodging potholes.

    • jol@discuss.tchncs.de
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      6 months ago

      They are more dangerous exactly because of the existence of cars. Cars are a small fortress that makes others less safe while keeping its contents safer. Unless they hit another fortress.

      • Michal@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        That only makes sense if you cycle among cars, but that makes cars dangerous, not bikes. If you remove cars out of equation by cycling on pavement or cycle route, the danger is gone.

        Pedestrians get hit by cars all the time yet walking is rated the safest.

        • brbposting@sh.itjust.worksOP
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          6 months ago

          If you remove cars out of equation by cycling on pavement or cycle route, the danger is gone.

          If you remove air out of the equation the danger of helicopters are gone

        • jol@discuss.tchncs.de
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          Pedestrians don’t get hit by cars quite as much as cyclist, proportionally to their number, because cyclists are right in the street sharing the space with cars, trucks and buses. Cycling on the sidewalk is not allowed, and cycling lanes are often very dangerous. I understand that this chart is talking about danger to the passengers, not to others.

      • jaybone@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        6 months ago

        Even if there were no cars, I imagine biking is still less safe than walking. Just like running is less safe than walking.

    • JayObey711@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      6 months ago

      Heeeeell no. I had I minor fall on a scooter last week. I slipped at medium speed because of an uneven wet floor. I’m still fucked up and can’t walk properly

    • sheogorath@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      A mere fender bender on a car might be a life or death situation if you’re riding a motorcycle.

      Hmm. It seems that Sync posted my draft comment 😔

    • lunarul@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      kill way less people

      I believe the danger axis is about danger to the passengers, not others