Okay, I've just seen the term "anti-car" used again, so let's talk about the term and why I'm anti-using-it (THREAD)

Used originally to try and shut down debate, the term has become normalised, to the extent people discussing traffic reduction will often say "Of course, I'm not anti-car! But..."

So what's the problem? Well, let's say I suggest excessive urban traffic is a problem and you accuse me of being anti-car. At this point, I could ask you how you feel about, let's say, knives.

"Are you anti-knife?" I might ask. "Because if so, why don't you care about all the cooks and chefs? Why do you want to close down the entire catering industry, which cannot possibly operate without knives?"

"I'm not anti-knife," you say. "People who cook clearly need knives."

"So you're pro-knife?" I ask. "But don't you realise knives are often used as weapons? Do you support young people being killed in the street?"

And at this point, you're very likely to say "You're deliberately over-simplifying things! I'm not pro-knife and I'm not anti-knife - I just think knives should be used responsibly." To which, of course, we all say "EXACTLY".

So let's drop the term anti-car, shall we?