this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2025
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Fuck Cars

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or buy bananas 🍌

or buy a sandwich πŸ₯ͺ

or buy seafood πŸŸπ“‡ΌπŸš

The important thing is that you just buy something.

For the first time, the City of Seattle banned cars in Pike Place Market this summer:

https://www.knkx.org/transportation/2025-05-08/seattle-pike-place-market-tests-car-ban-pilot-downtown-overlook-walk-flowers-vendors

Last year (2024), some politicians warned no one will shop here anymore if it’s pedestrianized :

https://publicola.com/2024/04/02/dont-open-pike-place-to-pedestrians-council-member-urges/

It's important Pike Place pedestrianization succeeds.

The stakes are high for the future of Seattle. If the experiment is considered a wild success, it will help fight back against pro-car politicians. But a failure will make future pedestrianization efforts harder.

So go out there and purchase something 🍏🍌πŸ₯ͺπŸŽπŸ›οΈ

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[–] Drusas@fedia.io 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

One of the most vocal vendors opposed to the street being pedestrian-only runs one of the produce shops. So, maybe buy something else.

[–] notabot@piefed.social 26 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'd say buy from them as well. They're a business owner, so showing that pedestrianising the area helps their business thrive is just about the surest way to change their mind.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

counterpoint: let them perish while everyone else there who wasn't a blithering moron prospers, and let someone else move in after their business goes under.

[–] notabot@piefed.social 4 points 11 hours ago

How does that benefit the community? Unless you manage to cut off a significant chunk of their trade they'll survive and have even more reason to oppose pedestrianisation. You're not giving them a way out, or a chance to change their position, so they can only harden their opposition to it.

Let them experience the benefits of pedestrianisation and you're likely to see their attitude change, and see them become a proponent of it instead.

Revenge is sometimes an enjoyable fantasy, but it rarely ever brings positive changes to people's opinions.

[–] EditsHisComments@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Which is ridiculous. Most rational people who have been to Pike Place know you shouldn't drive there if it's remotely busy. I remember, a few times, seeing a few tourists in cars get stuck in the crowds when I was there for work.