Construction costs are currently skyrocketing

I have to say that I was born in Münster, where you practically come into the world on a bicycle. For us, being driven somewhere by the mom taxi would have been the ultimate embarrassment. That would have been a social death... just going 5-10 km to a party in the evening was actually nothing special.

The Münsterland makes it easy for you anyway ;) I grew up south of Münster in a village, and the 10 kilometers to the city were just for pre-gaming ;)

My requirements for such a means of transport are pretty modest: on call within minutes, reliable, reasonably clean, safe and relatively inexpensive.

It would be enough for me if the bike paths were covered with gravel. I ride through 2 districts in the morning. In one, the paths are maintained and even despite rain I manage to get to work relatively clean, it wouldn't be our district. That's a disaster, not only do I sometimes have mud, I also have to dodge branches and potholes.

But what will never work is the means of transport you want. Especially if everyone has to be at work by 8 am. You need thousands of vehicles that stand around during the day. Or you share them with dozens of others, then you have the problem again that everyone has a different idea of cleanliness, hygiene, etc.

You need thousands of vehicles standing around during the day. Or you share them with a dozen others, then you have the problem again that everyone has a different idea of cleanliness, hygiene, etc.

No, they don’t just stand around, but deliver packages and medicines and stuff or briefly charge at some station. Cleanliness and hygiene – no problem, if the next user notices dirt at the start of the ride, they report it in the app. Cleaning is then charged (really expensive) – you do that once, then never again. It already works like that with car-sharing providers and works pretty well in the grime capital Berlin.

But what will never work is the means of transport you want. Especially if everyone has to be at work at 8 o’clock. You need thousands of vehicles that stand around during the day.

Sounds like the current reality :)

There are over 48 million registered cars in Germany that have to stand around somewhere and mostly do so. In contrast, there are 46 million employees, of whom always about 20% are simultaneously sick or on vacation. Minus shift workers, home office, etc., etc., who do not have to show up somewhere at exactly 8 o’clock. That means the existing number of cars is already more than enough to get everyone who needs it to their destination at 8 o’clock. Without a single train or bus.

But what will never work is the means of transport you want. Especially if everyone has to be at work by 8 o'clock. You need thousands of vehicles that stand around during the day. Or you share them with dozens of others, then you have the problem again that everyone has a different idea of cleanliness, hygiene, etc.

Why does everyone have to be at work at the same time? On the one hand, there is often shift work in industry, on the other hand, there are also some jobs (e.g. gastronomy) that start later. In addition, there are often flexible working hours, the best example is our team: I was the first this morning at 6:15, colleague 1 came at 7:20, and colleague 2 usually comes around 9:15. Colleague 3 as well as colleague 1 are working from home today. According to your theory, there would have to be a means of transport ready for the five of us, but actually exactly 1 would be enough. In contrast to the present, where today three cars are in the garage (colleague 1 takes the bus) and two stand in front of the company...

Morning,
and to exactly prevent that, my children (8 and almost 6) ride their bikes to riding lessons, hockey, guitar, etc. (no, not alone, we go with them).
I have to say that I was born in Münster, where you are practically born on a bike. For us, it would have been the absolute maximum embarrassment factor to be driven somewhere by the "mom taxi". That would have been social death... going to a party 5-10 km away in the evening was nothing special.
Best regards,
Andreas

Yes, but when the daughter is 14, sneaks into the disco with a fake ID, calls at 3 a.m. wanting to be picked up, you still jump into the (personal) car. The alternative I always had in mind then was that she would get into a car with some drunks and end up at the next tree in Münsterland. Unfortunately, there were way too many of those back then... My personal "satisfaction" will still come ;-) Her daughters are now 2 and 4, in 10-14 years they will face the same fate. I believe this will only change when autonomous cabin transports can be called cheaply via app even to the sticks (the discos in Münsterland are not all inner-city) and drop the child in front of the door at night.