Philosophy Friday: Defending the Merits of Driving Alone

A while back I caught a video by the Youtube channel Vlogbrothers, which frustrated me as a car person. For those not in the know, Vlogbrothers is a popular Youtube channel run by a brother duo of John Green, author of “The Faults in Our Stars” and his brother Hank Green leans towards science and music. This video in question happened to be the younger Brother Hank. You see, this video claims that scientifically driving alone is a detriment to one’s happiness and posits that riding a bike to work every day will make you happier. It cites a study, which may be valid for some, but one which I find it quite disingenuous in its claim to represents all or even a majority of people. As a car person, I find driving alone to actually be a preference. Also, I have doubts about showing up to work disheveled after a sweaty bike ride. Most of all the video just flat out fails to exhibit understanding for why some people love driving. So this post is an explanation of why driving alone is more enjoyable for many car people, and why this video and the study completely miss the mark.

In the video, Hank states a study in which those claiming to have longer commutes report being more unhappy. He also states that going from $60k job to a $100k job is the same happiness gain as traveling less distance to work, a very extreme claim. Another claim is that shortening your commute is preferable even if it means a smaller more expensive house. I happen to disagree, as a family needs space and where will I work on my car if I own a New York City studio apartment? What’s that you say, dump the car, get a bike and sip on some kale juice or go on a train with a bunch of smelly homeless people and criminals? Sorry, but that’s just not the way I roll. He also states longer commutes are a detriment to the environment, which is honestly one of the more valid points. Hank goes on to say that spending time with people is preferable, which while true for some is not true for everyone. Some of us cherish our alone time. My response is partially a refutation of these points and expanding on how I enjoy driving alone. Sure, commutes aren’t the best with all the traffic and monotony, but it seems to be left out in the video, that driving can be extremely enjoyable, and how to spice things up.

Escapism

When you in your car, alone, you simply don’t have to put up with other people or have anyone there to judge you. No one’s going to yell at you for driving too fast or too slow, nobody to critique your music choice from the radio or aux cord. Being alone is one ticket to ride the ecstasy of a curving back road or an infinitely straight highway. At worst, driving alone is just a bit boring, but boring sure beats nasty coworkers, endless family and friend drama, and all the negativity in the world. We all need a break, and it’s hard to justify just taking a drive alone, but in reality, it is a form of therapy. Is the gas more wasted on giving yourself a good driving experience or on taking you to the job you don’t like, to do the chores you loathe, and even to the parties which ultimately leave you unsatisfied. Try thinking about every time driving alone as an escape and not an isolation. Look at the trees, turn on the radio, rev the engine a little, and remind yourself that in this moment everything’s alright.

The Commute is by Far NOT the Worst Part of Life

As previously mentioned, escaping the stress of work and home is a big reason why petrolheads can enjoy even the most grueling commutes. A lot of people work jobs they don’t like, married the wrong person, or have a crappy social life. In the car, you are away from all that unpleasantness. A long commute can admittedly be stressful, but I fail to see it outway the stress of work itself for most individuals. Moving closer does not promise a less stressful job either. There’s also certainly more stress if the new job makes you less money.

A Bike is Not Practical for Getting to Work (also a car beats the bus or subway)

Riding a bike, while good fun exercise and environmentally friendly, would not be practical for most people. At work, you need to be presentable, and if it’s a particularly hot day, or god forbid raining, that’s not going to end so well. If you want to be soaked in cash from a promotion, best not to be drenched in sweat or rain. Furthermore, work attire does not exactly lend itself well to riding a bicycle. Unless you are a carefree, adventurous individual like Casey Neistat, you’ll need to wear a suit or at least business casual to work. If you work a job such as construction, in a factory, or as any sort of laborer, you probably won’t be wearing ideal clothes either, especially if you need boots. We haven’t even gotten to cargo, which a bike severely limits. You might be able to find a spot for a briefcase, but that’s not even enough for some people. The heavier you make it, the harder it becomes to make it up any hills. On a side note, while the bus and subway are good for some, it’s a place where you really have to watch yourself and your stuff. You also do not have total freedom with this option. Forget something at home, and you can pretty much consider yourself royally screwed.

Correlation Does NOT Equal Causation

Other factors contribute to why people with shorter commutes have happier lives that would not go away if we took out the factor of the commute altogether. It’s as American writing legend Mark Twain once said,”There are lies, d@mned lies, and statistics”. Statistics are not the same as scientific proof. To get solid evidence, you need to compare individuals with similar incomes, social lives, type of family, the level of traffic, driving habits, quality of car (or other transit), or at least take these other factors into account. Part of what makes this such a poorly conceived video comes down to the fact that statistics does not equal scientific proof. Also, how does one quantify happiness? One person may answer a 5 and another an 8, but in reality be of the same level of happiness, and it’s just a difference in judgment. People who live in the city often think they are happier, cause living in the big city gives them a superiority complex, which in my area has given NYC transplants a bad name, as they treat our state like useless trash. Seriously, it parallels the Nazis invading Poland for “Lebensraum”, even though the country was founded here. To end that tangent, even if people who have shorter commutes are in fact happier, changing up your commute is not going to fix the unrelated issues you have in your life such as mental health issues, a bad family situation, a poor social life, or a bad job. I recommend putting on some tunes, or just listening to the sound of the engine purr as you eat up the miles, hey, changing your automotive philosophy might even smile! #blogpost #philosophyfriday #carphilosophy