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xkcd #2940: Modes of Transportation (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/xkcd

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xkcd #2940: Modes of Transportation

https://xkcd.com/2940

Explain xkcd #2940

Title Text:

My bold criticism might anger the hot air balloon people, which would be a real concern if any of them lived along a very narrow line directly upwind of me.

alt-text:

A chart that categorizes various modes of transportation based on their practicality and danger level:

Zone of Practicality:

Trains
Airliners
Boats
Walking
Cars
Scooters
Bicycles

Zone of Specialty and Recreational Vehicles:

Motorcycles
Helicopters
Light aircraft
Go karts
Skateboards
Rollerblades
Skis
Unicycles
Sleds
Bumper cars

?????:

Hot air balloons

“Hot air balloons are the optimal mode of transportation, if your optimization algorithm has a sign error.”

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Bicycles more dangerous than cars? I guess I must have missed all the stories about people being run over by bikes.

[–] Armok_the_bunny 34 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I think it means more dangerous to use, not more dangerous to be around.

[–] slipperydippery 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Unless you have pepper infrastructure.

Edit: sorry that's not true, see this from the Netherlands:

Voor het vierde jaar op rij kwamen meer fietsers (270; 39%) dan inzittenden van personenauto's (194; 28%) om in het verkeer. De meeste doden in het verkeer vallen onder ouderen: in 2023 waren 375 (55%) verkeersdoden 60 jaar of ouder. Kinderen (0-14 jaar) komen juist relatief weinig om in het verkeer; in 2023 waren dat er 20 (3%). Het risico om te overlijden in het verkeer, het aantal verkeersdoden per afgelegde kilometer, is het ho ogst voor gemotoriseerde tweewielers. Het risico voor brom- en snorfietsers en motorrijders is ongeveer dertig keer zo hoog als het risico voor inzittenden van een personenauto. Voor fietsers en voetgangers is het overlijdensrisico respectievelijk acht en zes keer zo hoog als voor auto-inzittenden, in de periode 2012-2021.

Translation:

For the fourth year in a row, more cyclists (270; 39%) than passenger car occupants (194; 28%) were killed in traffic. Most traffic fatalities occur among the elderly: in 2023, 375 (55%) traffic fatalities were 60 years or older. Children (0-14 years) are relatively rarely killed in traffic; in 2023 there were 20 (3%). The risk of dying in traffic, the number of traffic fatalities per kilometer travelled, is highest for motorized two-wheelers. The risk for moped and light-moped riders and motorcyclists is approximately thirty times higher than the risk for passenger car occupants. For cyclists and pedestrians, the risk of death is eight and six times higher, respectively, than for car occupants, in the period 2012-2021.

https://swov.nl/nl/factsheet/verkeersdoden-nederland

[–] Zehzin 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Also, bikes more dangerous than unicycles?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I've never seen some ride a unicyle on a road in regular traffic, which is where most of the danger of riding a bike is.

[–] NoRodent 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Do those electric unicycles without a seat count? Because those are weaving through traffic at insane speeds all the time where I live.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Oh wow, never seen one of these. No idea.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

Bike on pedestrian violence is an epidemic!

I see what you mean about net safety and not just thinking about the operator of the mode of transport. Will look into this later.