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   Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 04:44:15 JST Charlie Stross

   @CoolBlenderKitten Edinburgh. Which is marginally more car-hostile than Manhattan.

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     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 05:16:41 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • Schroedinger

     @SteveClough @CoolBlenderKitten I'm not sure how you think granite discourages cars? (It makes it more expensive to build level roads, true, but that's insignificant compared to Edinburgh being a UNESCO world heritage site with an old town that's 600-800 years old and a new town that was laid out in the 1750s! The former designed for pedestrians and ox-carts within medieval walls, the latter for horse-drawn carriages. Cars are not a good retrofit …!

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     Schroedinger (steveclough@metalhead.club)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 05:16:43 JST Schroedinger

     in reply to

     @cstross @CoolBlenderKitten In truth (I think), Edinburgh is hostile by virtue of it being solid granite, as much as anything. So it makes sense to not have big, expensive cars, because there will be big expensive scratches.

     I think the UK does encourage smaller cars. Although I have seen a rolls drive down a very narrow lane.

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     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 05:42:12 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • Schroedinger

     @SteveClough @CoolBlenderKitten You don't hit it. You hit the buildings instead. (Which are mostly made of sandstone, so not much better if you hit them at speed.)

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     Schroedinger (steveclough@metalhead.club)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 05:42:14 JST Schroedinger

     in reply to

     @cstross @CoolBlenderKitten Mainly because it is solid when you hit it.

     It means if you hit it, the car will come off worse.

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     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 05:46:57 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • Schroedinger

     @SteveClough @CoolBlenderKitten There is zero practical difference between ramming a block of sandstone 50cm thick and ramming a similar block of granite: neither of them comes with a crumple zone.

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     Schroedinger (steveclough@metalhead.club)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 05:46:59 JST Schroedinger

     in reply to

     @cstross @CoolBlenderKitten Ah OK. I stand corrected.

     I have been, but only once. It always struck me as looking very solid.

     Sandstone is much more forgiving.

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     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 05:59:08 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • Schroedinger

     @SteveClough @CoolBlenderKitten You don't get close enough to the buildings to scrape your paint without driving up on the pavement, which is generally swarming with pedestrians. A big no-no!

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     Schroedinger (steveclough@metalhead.club)'s status on Sunday, 12-Jan-2025 05:59:10 JST Schroedinger

     in reply to

     @cstross @CoolBlenderKitten Ramming - yes. I am also thinking of scrapes. I think a scrape along sandstone will be better?

     What do I know? I will shut up.