Industrial Evolution
I was driving recently and realized how industrial and gritty some suburban areas are looking nowadays. Being outside in the spring and summer months is always enjoyable, but with it being a prime season for construction of all sorts, the roads can be a pain if you’re driving. Not only are some streets torn apart and littered with dirty, orange cones, barrels, and signs, but they’re traversed by hideous construction and industrial vehicles too. A big, grey, filthy truck blasting down the road and spewing black smoke doesn’t look very modern, does it? Everything we have today is made to look sleek and streamline. Sure, some things are designed for function and not looks, but why not rethink industrial transportation at least? I’m so tired of getting stuck behind huge, slow-moving trucks headed god-knows-where with god-knows-what. I’m tired of the blaring sound of diesel engines and the stench of their exhaust pervading the spring air. I’m tired of things constantly being torn apart and put back together by ugly, mammoth machines for seemingly no reason. Of course some of these things need to be done, but can’t we spruce up our methods of doing them a bit?
Industrial Evolution: What do I mean?
I’ve talked about aesthetics before, and how it can affect people. If you live in an environment that’s depressed it can make you depressed. What’s more depressing than big, smelly, smoggy machines clanging around and tearing up the earth? Construction makes nice new things, sure, but what about all the roads that get ripped apart for no reason? We’ve all seen crews decimating streets that had no real issues to begin with. Is it the locality just coming up with things to do to justify their budgets? Who knows. And what about the potholes and cracks in the road that are caused by huge vehicles? Sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it? Companies use antiquated, diesel engines to transport the cones and barrels used at the construction site. On the way there, they bang up the road and leave more potholes that need fixed, adding more cones to the order. After all these diesel monsters spew their filthy gunk into the atmosphere for so long eventually we get smoggy cities in which it’s unhealthy to even go outside. And what happens then? New smog trucks are sent with a shipment of gas masks for the people to wear. They leave more potholes and start the process all over again!
Now of course, that scenario is purely satirical. But like all big things, there are motives behind these methods that the everyday person doesn’t know about. Whether it’s kept from us purposely or not is tough to say. I’ll admit I’m no expert on transportation technologies and industrial products. And this post like some of my others isn’t really advocating a specific plan of action. I just feel like there must be better, cleaner ways we can do things like this without utilizing seemingly antiquated technology. I’m sure cost is a factor that goes into the decisions, just like with anything else. I’d be interested to know if there’s a simple answer as to why old, slow, smelly diesel engines are the best ones for this kind of thing. Maybe I could just Google it, but I think ranting is more fun.
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