Sarah Goodyear
Sarah Goodyear is the co-host of The War on Cars. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow The War on Cars on Twitter here.
What made you want to start the show?
We wanted to contribute to the growing international movement to reduce car dependence and promote less destructive modes of transportation. And have a good time doing it.
What are the three worst things about cars?
They ruin cities, they melt glaciers, and they put people into debt.
Can we be good car owners? How?
By using cars only when they’re needed. Maybe that means replacing some trips with walking or biking. Maybe it means having one car in a family instead of two. Buy a smaller car rather than a bigger one. Try to buy electric or hybrid. Drive with care and consideration for people and nature. Remember that when you drive you are wielding lethal force.
Do you think there’s a feud raging between cars and pedestrians on the New York City streets?
I think cars take up a wildly disproportionate amount of space in NYC and that pedestrians—which means everyone, at one point or another—are left with crumbs. That leads to anger, frustration, fear, and a sense of helplessness in the face of lethal threats, constant din, and the filth that cars throw off.
What’s your solution to get rid of cars?
Fund better public transport to give people real alternatives. Regulate vehicles by size in cities—people shouldn’t be able to drive 22-foot-long Escalades around central NYC because they think they deserve a deluxe rolling living room. Price parking. Why do people get to store their enormous expensive pieces of property in public space for free? In Japan you have to prove you have a parking space where you can store your car before you can buy one.
Who loves your show? Any fan comments/interactions you can share?
We have fans all over the world. I have been staying for a few weeks in a small village in southern France and a man walked into a party I was at here and told me he is a huge fan of the show. He lives in Sweden! It was amazing to really experience that reach in person, so unexpectedly. I gave him a sticker, of course!
Who hates your show? Any hater comments/interactions you can share?
Judd Apatow recently tweeted that we were “projecting” when we talked about how Hollywood portrays people on bikes as losers. Judd! Come on the show! Let’s talk!
How do you come up with ideas for the show?
Every day we see something that makes us think, we could do an episode on that. Our culture is saturated with cars. They affect literally every aspect of our lives and yet they are invisible to most of us. Once you see the effect they have…you can’t unsee it. We will never run out of show ideas!
Self-care tip:
Audio production is time-consuming. Remember to pace yourself.
Thanks, Sarah!