[meme] Name one good reason we should stick with outdated cars when we have yachts now??
Pros, cont'd:
I like how you think. We should invest in all that soon-to-be waterfront property and resell it for huge unearned profits in 10 years when it becomes waterfront!
I once wrote a semi-satirical short story for a writing contest about Norway in the future, and I haaaate how much I had to trim that story down for word count, because I had a ton of ideas for it. I was going to write at length about how rising sea levels and more frequent flooding due to extreme weather had encouraged a shift to canal-centric reconstruction of Norwegian cities. These canals were known to locals as "moats", because their primary purpose was not to facilitate transport, but rather to hinder it: traveling around cities now required either a fancy boat, or crossing one of a limited number of drawbridges, which frequently broke down for extended periods of time in poorer areas, and universally prioritized boat traffic over foot traffic.
The growing underclass of Norway still found some use for the canals, though, as they could fish for drift-litter in the contaminated waters, which they would use for crafts and gardening and such. Meanwhile in other areas, the canal water had been purified: the parks and plazas of Norway's cities had all been transformed into public swimming pools, leaving would-be protestors with virtually no choice but to don their favorite bikinis and swim-trunks while holding up water-proof signs.
This story is amazing. I personally thought about canal development in a more positive light, as cargo transport over seas is the most fuel efficient form of transport known to men, beats even trains. Rowing in boats is also fun! Also most landlocked countries are poorer and have less freedom, because they have 0 access to the open oceans to trade and flee opressors and neighbors.
Well, in the version of the story that I actually sent into the writing contest, I basically had to scrap the canals idea entirely because the maximum word count was too short for that kind of worldbuilding, so the canals unfortunately never got past the notes stage. All around I was pretty dissatisfied with how the final draft of the story came out, so I've been thinking of having another go at writing a full-length version of the story that goes in-depth about all the crazy worldbuilding ideas I had.
But what incentive will there be to buy yachts -- something any moral, upstanding citizen needs! -- if there is no threat of drowning??
Seems to me we’re just gonna transfer the car problem to boats. People worried about all those sports boats mowing over us poor kayakers and row boaters, and even worse, disregarding paddle boarders crossing at designated points, but it’s our fault because they have big boats that can’t stop, forcing us to row down small canals or risk being stranded on a narrow river arm with a hole in our hull and no flex tape to at least get to a repair shop. But maybe we’ll start getting protected rowing lanes and not just a line of buoys that tell us where to be.
But I do like the idea of the Venetian solution from another comment. Build bridges low enough to block boats from coming through but high enough to let rowers and paddlers through. And if we need a place to pass on foot on busy places, we can always build drawbridges, but those would get pushback due to the danger they’d cause distracted boat drivers.
The future is wet, but not so different.
Ah yes, B.O.A.T. (break out another thousand). Perfect replacement for cars (according to boat dealers).
Do millionaires drive around in expensive Caravans?
But a yacht is probably cheaper than a house nowadays...
Why would I sit in a car and maybe even have to drive? What if get a craving for a club sandwich?
You really expect me to ask some stranger in another car for Grey Poupon?
I gotta bring a chef and kitchen and waitstaff with me everywhere, just in case!
Silly OP.
You don't want to take it to waters, because there's where Deep Ones live and Cthulhu dreams his everlasting nightmares embraced by the walls of R'lyeh.
To be honest, I'd be down to a canoe or a row boat to get to and from my house. Or a floating house with a small electric motor to change neighbours from time to time.
Just make the yacht big enough to build roads on for cars. That way you can contribute to climate change while contributing to climate change.
Have to make sure the island city floats, when the inevitable polar icecaps melting floods their property value increases!
Ever been to Venice? The plumbing is a major issue. More docks and water housing aren't a bad idea per say (the earth's surface is mostly water) but it needs to be done in a way that makes sense.
Maybe instead of dense single person vehicles infrastructure we just make cities dense?
