Ever imagined a world without cars? Some might think a world without oxygen is more palatable, but would it really be so bad? There’d be no traffic, no car accidents, no parking tickets. Goodness, there’d be no need for traffic and parking consultants whatsoever…..
Actually maybe this isn’t such a good idea! Seriously though, would it be so difficult to adapt?
Well, it’s a reality on the US resort island of Mackinac, where motorized vehicles have been prohibited since 1898. The only exception to this law is for snowmobiles during winter, emergency vehicles and some essential service vehicles. Otherwise travel on the island is either by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage. How serene!
Mackinac Island covers just under 10 square kms and is situated in the middle of Lake Huron, Michigan. In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony, and is now listed as a National Historic Landmark.
So, no cars; why did this happen? The article says that in the olden days towns found the noise and exhaust from these novelty ‘horseless carriages’ so off-putting that cars had to be banned. Over 100 years later, nothing has changed on Mackinac Island. One resident was even quoted as referring to cars as “mechanical monsters”.
Is it possible that during the course of the last century Mackinac Island has adopted the right attitude to “mechanical monsters” and the rest of us need to adapt? It’s probably not for everyone, however it is an interesting concept to mull over for a minute or two…. But in the end, we really do need a world with traffic and parking consultants, right?