OF GOLD IS STILL RIGHT AROUND
12, ACTUALLY IT IS 1267 PER
OUNCE.
NOW THIS.
>>> ELON MUSK IN A TWITTER
BATTLE OVER PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION.
HE TOLD "WIRED" MAGAZINE THIS,
AN I'M QUOTING, IT'S A PAIN IN
THE BLANK.
THAT IS WHY EVERYONE DOESN'T
LIKE IT.
ONE MIGHT BE SERIAL KILLER.
THAT IS WHY PEOPLE LIKE
INDIVIDUALIZED TRANSPORTATION
THAT GOES WHERE YOU WANT, WHEN
YOU WANT.
THAT IS WHAT HE SAYS.
JARRETT WALKER IS PUBLIC TRANSIT
POLICY CONSULTANT AND HE
RESPONDED WITH THIS IN CITIES
ESSENCE OF ELITE PROJECTION.
JARRETT WALKER JOINS US.
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
WHY DON'T YOU RESPOND TO THE
IDIOT STATEMENT.
GO.
>> WELL, THANK YOU, STUART.
IT IS GREAT TO BE HERE.
LISTEN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ELON
MUSK STATEMENT THERE, THE REASON
IT HAS CAUSED SUCH AN ENORMOUS
BACKLASH IS THAT HE IS
DESCRIBING A SET OF VALUES THAT
JUST DON'T WORK IN THE DENSITY.
I THINK MANY AMERICANS PROBABLY
AGREE WITH THE QUOTATION YOU
JUST READ FROM MR. MUSK.
MANY AMERICANS LIVE IN SUBURBAN
AREAS.
THEY DRIVE CARS ALMOST
EVERYWHERE.
IN THAT KIND OF LIFE YOU DON'T
ENCOUNTER RANDOM STRANGERS AS
MUCH AS YOU DO IN THE BIG CITY
BUT THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT
THE BIG CITY AND IN THE BIG CITY
THERE JUST ISN'T ROOM FOR
EVERYONE'S CAR.
IT IS NOT A CULTURAL THING.
IT IS SIMPLY A GEOMETRIC THING.
THERE ISN'T ROOM.
SO EVERY BIG CITY IN THE COUNTRY
IS TRYING TO MAKE IT EASY FOR
PEOPLE TO GET AROUND WITHOUT
CARS.
NOW, THE PROBLEM WITH ELON
MUSK'S COMMENT THEN IT IS AN
ATTITUDE THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE
RANDOM STRANGERS.
THAT IS WHAT A CITY IS.
AND --
STUART: BUT SURELY PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION DEPENDS ON
DENSITY OF POPULATION.
IT JUST DOESN'T WORK FINANCIALLY
IF YOU HAVE GOT ONE LITTLE CAR
TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WANTS
IT DOESN'T WORK ECONOMICALLY.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE PRESENCE OF
TOTAL STRANGERS NEXT TO YOU.
THERE IS NO WAY AROUND IT, I
THIS GOES, THIS ISN'T REALLY
ABOUT THE BORING COMPANY, WHICH
ELON MUSK'S PROJECT TO BUILD A
NEW KIND OF SUBWAY IN DENSITY.
HIS IDEA OF A SUBWAY, THAT HAVE
POD CARS WITH EIGHT TO 10 PEOPLE
BUT A WAY TO PUT YOUR OWN CAR TO
THE SUBWAY, TAKE YOUR CAR WHERE
YOU'RE GOING.
IT IS LOVELY IDEA BUT MAKES NO
GEOMETRIC SENSE, BUT THE AMOUNT
OF SPACE A CAR TAKES IN SUBWAY
IS 50 TIMES WHAT A PERSON TAKES.
YOU WILL RUN OUT OF CAPACITY
VERY QUICKLY.
SO, AGAIN, THE COMMENT ABOUT
RANDOM STRANGERS IS SO
INTERESTING, BECAUSE NOT JUST
BECAUSE CITIES ARE THE COMPANY
OF RANDOM STRANGERS.
MOST PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE
IN CITIES LIKE THE COMPANY OF
RANDOM STRANGERS.
THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO
REMEMBER IF YOU'RE COMING AT
THIS FROM A SUBURBAN
PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT YOU MAY NOT
LIKE MANHATTAN, YOU MAY NOT LIKE
WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN
MANHATTAN DEALING WITH RANDOM
STRANGERS IF MANHATTAN WERE SUCH
A TERRIBLE PLACE IT WOULDN'T BE
SO EXPENSIVE TO LIVE THERE.
THE MARKET IS ABSOLUTELY
SCREAMING TO US TO BUILD MORE
DENSITIES BECAUSE THE DESIRE TO
LIVE IN DENSITIES IS JUST
INSATIABLE RIGHT NOW.
MAKE A GREAT DEAL SENSE,
MR. WALKER.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
RUNNING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN
CITIES.
LOOK, AS AN ASIDE I USED TO LIVE
IN HONG KONG, WHICH IS THE MOST
DENSELY-PACKED CITY ON THE
PLANET AND THEY HAVE THE BEST
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION I HAVE
EVER SEEN THINK WHERE.
