Adam Ruins Everything (2015–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Adam Ruins Cars - full transcript
Adam dives into the much-beloved auto industry exposing the surprising truths behind the car dealership monopoly, and the fact that the concept of "jaywalking" was created by auto manufacturers to blame pedestrians for car crashes.
>> (indistinct conversing)
>> Can you give it to me
for 23,050?
>> Oh, Mr. Cordova, I would love
to, but my manager, he would eat
my feet.
But, you know what?
I like you guys, so let me go
talk to him.
(phone ringing)
>> Unbelievable!
(glass breaking)
Do you realize, when the
manufacturer sends me these
cars, I've got to meet a quota?
Let me tell you something--
a person is not a number!
>> Taking weekend? out this
>> Uh-huh.
>> Oh, that'll be nice.
>> Unbelievable!
(glass breaking)
I don't even know how you got--
>> Dad, calm down.
I'm about to get my first car.
>> These people are like
vultures.
I hate dealerships.
>> Me, too. Ha!
And you'll hate them even more
after I tell you the truth
about them.
>> What are you, like, another
car salesman?
You're dressed like one.
>> That is a terrible thing to
say to someone.
Hi, I'm Adam Conover, and this
is "Adam Ruins Everything."
(crackling)
(ding-ding)
(buzzer)
Closed Captions Provided by
truTV
>> Okay, you can't ruin cars.
The car, like, represents
freedom.
>> Hmm, how can they represent
freedom when you have no choice
in where you buy them?
Why is it that if you want a new
car, you have to go to one of
these awful dealerships?
Doesn't that suck?
>> Yes! I hate haggling!
I hate driving from one
dealership to the next
dealership.
I hate dealing with this guy!
>> Hey!
>> So, why do we buy cars
this way?
Like, why does every dealership
only sell one brand of car?
What if every business worked
like that?
>> Welcome to Peterman Clancy,
serving all your Tom Clancy
needs.
>> I'd like "The Hunt for
Red October."
>> Oh, okay.
Well, I can offer you a
ten-chapter package for $20
a month for 36 months.
And would you like to add page
strengthening?
>> Why can't you just go to a
car store and buy whatever brand
of car you want for
a fixed price?
>> Do you have Toyota Camrys?
>> Uh, sedans, Aisle 6, right
next to the Accords.
>> Oh, I do have coupons
for those.
>> And why can't you buy a car
online?
>> Hmm, never mind, it's cheaper
on Amazon.
"Add to Cart."
>> Why isn't that how
we buy cars?
>> (laughs) Because that would
be crazy.
I mean, can you imagine such
a world?
Oh, boy, man, this guy, he sure
is funny.
>> You know, that would
be great.
Why can't I do that?
>> Oh, because these guys got
a law passed to stop you.
Come on.
>> Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Please!
Please don't talk about this!
>> Dealerships aren't owned by
the car makers.
They're separate businesses.
And since the 30s, dealership
associations have pressured
every state into passing
"franchise laws" that give them
a virtual monopoly over new
car sales.
>> That is a beautiful
anti-competitive law, Senator!
We are gonna make so much money
off of this!
>> These laws actually make it
illegal to sell new cars unless
you're a car dealership.
And if you want to become a
dealer... too bad.
It's also illegal to open a new
dealership in another dealer's
territory.
>> You are operating an
unauthorized dealership!
(sirens blaring)
>> It's not actually that
illegal, but you get the idea.
And the law also makes it nearly
impossible for car makers to
shut down dealerships, even when
they suck.
Which means they end up getting
passed from father to son like
family dynasties.
>> This top financing.
>> Great job, son.
Push those leather seats, okay?
>> Since they have no
competition and no oversight,
car dealers are free to force
you to haggle and treat you
like crap.
>> So, it's a lame law.
Let's change it.
>> That'll be tough.
20% of state sales tax revenue
comes from car dealerships,
which means Quint and his
buddies pretty much run
the show.
>> There you are, Senator.
>> (chuckling)
You own me.
(both laughing)
>> And all these middlemen do
is cost you money.
>> I knew it.
>> It's estimated that if car
manufacturers could sell to
consumers directly, every car
would be $1,800 cheaper.
>> Gah!
>> That'll be $1,800 to replace.
>> Uh...
I hate these guys.
>> Yeah, but because of dealer
franchise laws, you can't
avoid them.
If you want a new car, you have
no choice.
>> But, it's the only way to
get around.
I need a car.
>> Yeah, so does everyone.
Isn't it kind of weird that a
product marketed as the epitome
of freedom is totally mandatory?
Hell, your government-issued
I.D. is a driver's license.
Well, mine's a learner's permit.
I have bad depth perception,
so I'm still practicing,
you know?
>> Well, that's the way it is.
Man and car, forever locked
in battle.
>> Yeah, but it didn't
have to be.
Haven't you ever wondered why we
built our transportation system
this way?
>> No.
But... now, I do.
>> Oh, you're a little curious?
>> Yeah.
>> Awesome!
Well, the story begins when--
>> Excuse me, I'm looking for
a sedan.
>> I don't work here!
I have a pocket square!
♪
>> Here's the story of how the
car took over the American
street.
A century ago, the city street
was a public place that was open
to everyone.
It was shared by pedestrians,
horses, and weird old-timey
bicyclists alike, not to mention
streetcars that took people
to work.
>> Now, Teddy, you have a fun
day at the sweatshop.
And remember, always walk in
the street.
It belongs to all of us.
>> But when the car was
invented, people started driving
them at top speed through the
crowded streets, and the results
weren't pretty.
(crashing, screaming)
>> My boy!
He's dead!
>> Oh, dear!
So that's what happens when
one's motor car strikes
a peasant.
>> Naturally, everyone blamed
the new invention for the
carnage.
>> Seventh kid mashed by a metal
death machine this week.
Huh, maybe these things
shouldn't be allowed.
>> Public outcry grew.
>> Extra! Extra!
Innocent boy killed by
automobile!
>> And some cities even
discussed passing laws
against them.
>> We propose that the streets
not be filled with these
high-speed two-ton metal
projectiles.
>> Hear, hear.
We pay our taxes.
>> They're killin' us out there!
>> Well, technically, we're
killing them, Bill.
Ooh!
>> Good point.
We gotta fight this thing.
>> I got it! (snaps fingers)
We'll tell them the streets are
for cars only.
And if a car kills ya, it's your
own fault.
>> And we'll give the folks that
walk in the street a really
humiliating nickname.
>> What about "Irish walkers"?
>> Now, that's pretty cruel,
but we can do better.
(snaps fingers) I got it!
"Jaywalkers"!
>> Ugh, you disgust me!
And I love it.
>> It doesn't mean much to us
now, but back then, "jay" was
a really offensive slur.
It basically meant "dirty
hillbilly," which makes this
really messed up.
Like, what if today we called
them "(bleep) walkers," or
"(bleep) walkers," or even
"(bleep) walkers"?
>> Hey, man, come on, there's
"(a kid on set.s"?
>> Yikes! Sorry.
To publicize their new insult,
the auto industry actually
planted stories in newspapers
blaming pedestrians for
automobile deaths.
(typewriter dings)
>> (gasps)
>> Extra! Extra!
Lame-brained jaywalker flings
himself before a noble
automobile.
>> My boy, a jay?
>> Serves him right, I say.
I hate those good-for-nothing
jays. (spits, spittoon dings)
>> So do we all, sir.
(spits, spittoon dings)
>> Me, too.
I hope my stupid, jay son rots
in hell.
(spits, spittoon dings)
>> Today, jaywalking is a crime,
and, in fact, most of our modern
traffic safety culture descends
from this kind of blame-shifting
propaganda.
Think about it.
A group of private businessmen
coined an offensive slur to
promote their product, and it
worked so well that today, it's
a legal term.
That's like if the trash can
industry convinced us all to
call littering,
"(bleep) dropping."
>> Seriously, dude, do you even
think before you speak?
>> You know, funny, I don't.
As a result of this campaign,
the street went from being a
public place where everyone
was welcome, to a terrifying
off-limits death trap.
(cars speeding by)
>> Stay back, Ethel.
The streets belong to the
machines now.
(tires screeching)
Thank you for granting us
passage, metal majesty.
>> Well, so what?
We needed cars to get around.
>> Actually, we already had a
fast, efficient way to get
around the city-- the streetcar.
At the time, almost every major
city had them, but the
automobile killed them.
A single streetcar can carry
dozens of pedestrians.
But put each of those passengers
in their own car, and they take
up 100 square feet each.
(horns honking)
And that means one thing--
traffic.
Once the roads were gridlocked,
the old, reliable streetcar
became too slow to be effective.
And that was the death of public
transportation in America.
>> Whoa.
>> Once cars were the only way
to get from place to place,
we rebuilt our entire cities
around them.
And that's when things really
took a turn for the worse.
We started bulldozing entire
neighborhoods to build urban
highways, and in some cities,
parking lots now take up a
quarter of all the available
land.
All this space used just to
store cars while they're asleep.
(tires screeching)
>> Uh, this part of the show is
really weird.
>> Parking lots are deserts in
the city.
>> Who's this dude?
>> This "dude" is Professor
Donald Shoup, our foremost
expert on the economics
of parking.
>> Oh, okay.
>> Parking lots don't employ
any people.
They simply provide space
for cars.
We have expensive housing for
people, and free parking
for cars.
We have our priorities the wrong
way around.
And the worst part is, many
cities require far too much
parking, and this blights their
downtowns.
We're killing our own cities.
It's a huge bummer.
>> It is an honor to animate
you, sir. (chuckles)
When we design society so that
it's more comfortable for cars,
we make it less habitable
for humans.
In a city designed around public
transportation, this space would
be full of homes and businesses,
and you could walk from place
to place.
But in most of our cities and
suburbs, everything is so spread
apart that nothing is within
walking distance, giving you no
choice but to drive.
And it didn't have to be
this way.
We could have built walkable
cities based around public
transportation like western
Europe and Japan did.
But we missed that chance, and
now you have to have a car
to get around.
So, write him a check.
>> Yeah! (laughing)
(alarm blaring)
Oh, yeah!
Here it comes!
>> Well, you know, son,
I thought it was gonna be really
cool buying you a new car and
everything, but now I know that
we've been tricked by a bunch of
evil car guys, or whatever.
>> Nah, you know what?
Even knowing all that stuff,
I still love this thing.
Cars are still awesome.
(both screaming)
>> Actually, I haven't even
begun to scratch the surface of
why cars suck.
Stick around.
After this, I'll tell you why
your super safe car actually
makes you less safe.
>> Oh, what's up?
Hey, hey!
>> Hey! Ah!
>> Dude, sweet ride!
>> Paige is gonna freak when
we roll up to her party
in this dope--
>> Death trap?
Oh, no, uh, burden?
How about "infrastructural
tumor"? (chuckles)
>> Who's the hair dude?
>> Oh, greetings.
I'm Adam Conover.
>> Greetings, man, I'm Gavis.
>> I'm Trunt. Greetings.
>> Hey, is he riding with us
tonight?
>> No, no, no!
>> I'd be delighted to.
>> Oh, my God.
>> Aw, man, late night, chillin'
with the boys, right?
Yeah!
You know, I've never done this
before.
>> You'friends before?ut with
>> No, but I have practiced with
dolls at home, so, I think I can
nail this.
Man, just too be we gotta drive
to the party, right? (scoffs)
>> Okay, dude, you know what?
It sounds like you just
hate cars.
You don't even have a driver's
license.
>> I told you, Zack, I have bad
depth perception!
And, yeah, I do just hate cars.
And it is just my opinion.
But my opinion is based on a lot
of statistics, and logic, and
personal experience.
Oh, I hate them so much!
(engine revving)
>> Yo, can we pick up Stef--
>> Cars are great for
long-distance travel, but
they're an objectively terrible
way to get around a city.
>> Hey, whatever.
I love driving mine.
>> Okay, well, do you love
traffic?
Because the average driver
spends one work week a year
stuck in traffic.
>> Duh, we can fix that.
You want less traffic, just
build more roads.
>> Oh, that would be great if
it worked.
But it's the roads that cause
the traffic.
>> (scoffs) Yeah, right!
>> It's a concept called...
Here, check out Gavis's sick
cargo shorts.
His pockets look pretty full,
huh?
>> Oh, yeah, it's my cross
to bear.
>> I don't know, maybe he just
needs more pockets.
>> Great idea!
Let's test it.
(snaps fingers, magic shimmers)
>> Oh, green, sweet!
Aw, man, it's already full.
>> Sorry, dude.
If I see an open space,
I'm gonna fill it.
What can I say?
I'm only human.
>> Thank you for the
demonstration, Trunt.
>> Trunt!
>> Historically, every time
we've built more roads...
(horns honking)
(bulldozers razing)
The amount of traffic has gone
up by an identical amount.
We can't build our way out of
the traffic problem.
Cars equal traffic, period.
(popping)
>> Nice!
>> Plus, cars are inherently
unsafe.
>> Uh, no, only bad drivers get
in car accidents.
I'm fine because I'm a good
driver.
>> Yeah, you and everyone else.
90% of drivers say they're
better than average.
That's impossible.
>> Yep, plus, it's people who
think that they're good drivers
who are actually the worst
drivers.
>> Whoa, really?
>> Shut up, Trunt!
>> 'Cause most accidents are
caused by inattention, and you
pay the least amount of
attention to the road when
you're confident.
Which is also why most accidents
are caused on clear, sunny roads
and to sober drivers.
>> Yeah.
>> I love that you know stuff!
>> Yeah, well, I get that
a lot, too.
>> Okay, well, this car is
super safe.
It's like I'm driving a
spaceship.
I have this super smart
computer--
>> That mostly controls the
air conditioning.
The car itself is still
controlled by a human, an
unreliable and easily distracted
system that--
>> Aah! Oh, crap, oh, crap!
>> Guys, it's okay.
It's just me. (chuckles)
>> What the hell?
>> Ooh, TV magic, ahh.
>> But, he-- you-- you jumped
in front of my car.
>> Actually, you missed
the sign.
This area is a host crossing.
And maybe you missed it because
your car is too safe.
Studies have shown that modern
cars and roads that make us feel
secure cause us to unconsciously
compensate and drive more
dangerously.
And it's a big part of why tens
of thousands of Americans die
on the road every year.
>> Hey, Zack, this guy's making
me feel sad.
>> Ah, what a majestic creature.
(slurping)
>> Okay, but when I'm in this
baby, I'm free.
It's just me and the open road.
>> Yeah, you're free all right.
As long as you keep paying for
insurance, fuel, registration,
and repairs.
So, I hope you have a job while
you're on the open road.
The average car costs $9,000
a year just to own.
Now, maybe you can afford that,
but a lot of people can't.
The average American family
spends 20% of their income on
transportation.
That's more than they spend
on food.
And for the poorest Americans,
it's 32%.
Car ownership is a tremendous
burden on the working poor.
Oh, hey!
There's my friend, Tim Peters!
Yeah, pull over, pull over!
(tires screeching)
Hey, Tim.
>> Hey, Adam, sweet ride.
>> Aw, thanks.
my bros.
Guys, this is Tim Peters.
He is the executive director of
Door of Hope.
Would you tell them a little bit
about what you guys do?
>> Yeah! Hey, guys.
We help homeless families go
from homelessness, to
self-sufficiency, to permanent
housing, and everything
in between.
what your experience with, you
know, automobiles has been?
>> Yeah, transportation is a big
issue with our families.
Car ownership can actually send
them backwards.
>> So, how does a car make you
go backwards?
>> We had one client that was
paying over 80% of her income
on a car.
She thought it was more
important to have a car than
even a home, because if she
ended up homeless, at least she
had a car to sleep in.
And that had been her experience
before coming to Door of Hope.
Families need a car just to get
to work, or to be able to get
around in the city.
But, sometimes, to make a car
payment, they'll sacrifice their
rent payment, or food, or even
the basic essentials for
their children.
>> Wow, thank you for talking to
us about this, Tim.
Uh, hey, do you need a ride or
anything?
>> I think you're full already.
I'll ride the bus.
I'm okay.
(engine revving)
>> That's awful.
>> Yeah, it is.
Transportation is a fundamental
human need.
So, the fact that we built our
entire country so that everyone
in it has to buy and maintain
one of these things just to move
around their own community?
That's a genuine tragedy.
They're monstrously expensive,
you have to deal with a
psychologically manipulative
charlatan just to buy one, and
we are so bad at driving them
that there's an entirely
different predatory industry
based around the fact that we
constantly crash these things
and die.
>> Uh, you-- you're talking
about the insurance industry,
right?
>> Yes, very good, Trunt.
What really kills me about all
of this is the only reason we're
stuck with this clusterfudge is
because we were tricked into
building roads instead of
subways 100 years ago!
The dominance of the car is a
massive cultural mistake.
(door closes)
(distant dog barking)
But, I was gonna tell you how
we can fix everything!
Bros!
(distant dog barking)
(dialing phone)
Hey, Mom.
Can you come pick me up?
It happened again.
(tires screeching)
(door opens)
>> Get in.
Trunt's curious.
>> (whistling)
>> I'll call you back.
>> (whistling)
>> Stick around, because believe
it or not, there is a light at
the end of the tunnel.
♪
>> Whoa, what is that?
That, Trunt, is a subway
station.
>> In Los Angeles?
No way!
>> Yep! And there are more on
the way.
>> Hi, guys!
I'm Seleta Reynolds.
I'm in charge of the Los Angeles
Department of Transportation.
>> This is so weird.
We've been up, like, all night.
>> People say nobody walks in
L.A., but nothing could be
further from the truth.
We have one of the busiest rail
lines in the country, one of the
busiest bus lines in the
country, and more people walking
and biking every day.
We figured out that we have to
plan for people and not
just cars.
(crunching)
>> Is this a mirage?
>> No, it's a public plaza.
This used to be a road, but the
community leaders got together
and decided that they wanted
a place to gather, and created
a true public space.
It turns out, when you make
a great place to walk, it's
really good for local
businesses.
>> Yo, that's counterintuitive
as hell.
But, I like it.
>> So, sometimes, even though
it's controversial, we have to
take space for streets and give
it to people so that everybody
has a great choice for how they
get around.
>> And, look, no city has been
shaped by the car more than
L.A., so if they can make
positive changes here, we can
make them anywhere in America.
>> Okay, but cars are still just
fun to drive.
>> I know they are, Zack.
And they're a great option for
certain kinds of travel.
But, maybe we should be thinking
about cars more like
roller blades.
They're a lot of fun when you're
the only person using them.
But, it would really suck if
that was the only way people
could get to work.
>> So, you're saying I can keep
my car, but I should use public
transportation and support
walkability initiatives.
>> Exactly.
>> Cool.
Can I go?
>> Sure you can, buddy.
Put 'er there, dude!
Put 'er there, Seleta!
>> I gotta get back to work.
Bye, Adam.
>> Put 'er there, Adam.
>> (whistling)
>> Please.
You know, I have to ask-- are
you having a natural or
a cesarean birth?
Because, there are interesting
downsides, in both cases.
(chuckles)
Hmm.
Guess some people just don't
want to learn.
Hmm.
Next time, on
"Adam Ruins Everything..."
Cop shows present forensic
science as infallible, but in
reality, a lot of it isn't
scientific at all.
>> No two fingerprints
are alike.
>> That's never been proven.
>> Aah!
>> The FBI gave flawed testimony
in 90% of the cases they
reviewed.
The only backup we'll need today
is from scholarly sources.
>> Can you give it to me
for 23,050?
>> Oh, Mr. Cordova, I would love
to, but my manager, he would eat
my feet.
But, you know what?
I like you guys, so let me go
talk to him.
(phone ringing)
>> Unbelievable!
(glass breaking)
Do you realize, when the
manufacturer sends me these
cars, I've got to meet a quota?
Let me tell you something--
a person is not a number!
>> Taking weekend? out this
>> Uh-huh.
>> Oh, that'll be nice.
>> Unbelievable!
(glass breaking)
I don't even know how you got--
>> Dad, calm down.
I'm about to get my first car.
>> These people are like
vultures.
I hate dealerships.
>> Me, too. Ha!
And you'll hate them even more
after I tell you the truth
about them.
>> What are you, like, another
car salesman?
You're dressed like one.
>> That is a terrible thing to
say to someone.
Hi, I'm Adam Conover, and this
is "Adam Ruins Everything."
(crackling)
(ding-ding)
(buzzer)
Closed Captions Provided by
truTV
>> Okay, you can't ruin cars.
The car, like, represents
freedom.
>> Hmm, how can they represent
freedom when you have no choice
in where you buy them?
Why is it that if you want a new
car, you have to go to one of
these awful dealerships?
Doesn't that suck?
>> Yes! I hate haggling!
I hate driving from one
dealership to the next
dealership.
I hate dealing with this guy!
>> Hey!
>> So, why do we buy cars
this way?
Like, why does every dealership
only sell one brand of car?
What if every business worked
like that?
>> Welcome to Peterman Clancy,
serving all your Tom Clancy
needs.
>> I'd like "The Hunt for
Red October."
>> Oh, okay.
Well, I can offer you a
ten-chapter package for $20
a month for 36 months.
And would you like to add page
strengthening?
>> Why can't you just go to a
car store and buy whatever brand
of car you want for
a fixed price?
>> Do you have Toyota Camrys?
>> Uh, sedans, Aisle 6, right
next to the Accords.
>> Oh, I do have coupons
for those.
>> And why can't you buy a car
online?
>> Hmm, never mind, it's cheaper
on Amazon.
"Add to Cart."
>> Why isn't that how
we buy cars?
>> (laughs) Because that would
be crazy.
I mean, can you imagine such
a world?
Oh, boy, man, this guy, he sure
is funny.
>> You know, that would
be great.
Why can't I do that?
>> Oh, because these guys got
a law passed to stop you.
Come on.
>> Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Please!
Please don't talk about this!
>> Dealerships aren't owned by
the car makers.
They're separate businesses.
And since the 30s, dealership
associations have pressured
every state into passing
"franchise laws" that give them
a virtual monopoly over new
car sales.
>> That is a beautiful
anti-competitive law, Senator!
We are gonna make so much money
off of this!
>> These laws actually make it
illegal to sell new cars unless
you're a car dealership.
And if you want to become a
dealer... too bad.
It's also illegal to open a new
dealership in another dealer's
territory.
>> You are operating an
unauthorized dealership!
(sirens blaring)
>> It's not actually that
illegal, but you get the idea.
And the law also makes it nearly
impossible for car makers to
shut down dealerships, even when
they suck.
Which means they end up getting
passed from father to son like
family dynasties.
>> This top financing.
>> Great job, son.
Push those leather seats, okay?
>> Since they have no
competition and no oversight,
car dealers are free to force
you to haggle and treat you
like crap.
>> So, it's a lame law.
Let's change it.
>> That'll be tough.
20% of state sales tax revenue
comes from car dealerships,
which means Quint and his
buddies pretty much run
the show.
>> There you are, Senator.
>> (chuckling)
You own me.
(both laughing)
>> And all these middlemen do
is cost you money.
>> I knew it.
>> It's estimated that if car
manufacturers could sell to
consumers directly, every car
would be $1,800 cheaper.
>> Gah!
>> That'll be $1,800 to replace.
>> Uh...
I hate these guys.
>> Yeah, but because of dealer
franchise laws, you can't
avoid them.
If you want a new car, you have
no choice.
>> But, it's the only way to
get around.
I need a car.
>> Yeah, so does everyone.
Isn't it kind of weird that a
product marketed as the epitome
of freedom is totally mandatory?
Hell, your government-issued
I.D. is a driver's license.
Well, mine's a learner's permit.
I have bad depth perception,
so I'm still practicing,
you know?
>> Well, that's the way it is.
Man and car, forever locked
in battle.
>> Yeah, but it didn't
have to be.
Haven't you ever wondered why we
built our transportation system
this way?
>> No.
But... now, I do.
>> Oh, you're a little curious?
>> Yeah.
>> Awesome!
Well, the story begins when--
>> Excuse me, I'm looking for
a sedan.
>> I don't work here!
I have a pocket square!
♪
>> Here's the story of how the
car took over the American
street.
A century ago, the city street
was a public place that was open
to everyone.
It was shared by pedestrians,
horses, and weird old-timey
bicyclists alike, not to mention
streetcars that took people
to work.
>> Now, Teddy, you have a fun
day at the sweatshop.
And remember, always walk in
the street.
It belongs to all of us.
>> But when the car was
invented, people started driving
them at top speed through the
crowded streets, and the results
weren't pretty.
(crashing, screaming)
>> My boy!
He's dead!
>> Oh, dear!
So that's what happens when
one's motor car strikes
a peasant.
>> Naturally, everyone blamed
the new invention for the
carnage.
>> Seventh kid mashed by a metal
death machine this week.
Huh, maybe these things
shouldn't be allowed.
>> Public outcry grew.
>> Extra! Extra!
Innocent boy killed by
automobile!
>> And some cities even
discussed passing laws
against them.
>> We propose that the streets
not be filled with these
high-speed two-ton metal
projectiles.
>> Hear, hear.
We pay our taxes.
>> They're killin' us out there!
>> Well, technically, we're
killing them, Bill.
Ooh!
>> Good point.
We gotta fight this thing.
>> I got it! (snaps fingers)
We'll tell them the streets are
for cars only.
And if a car kills ya, it's your
own fault.
>> And we'll give the folks that
walk in the street a really
humiliating nickname.
>> What about "Irish walkers"?
>> Now, that's pretty cruel,
but we can do better.
(snaps fingers) I got it!
"Jaywalkers"!
>> Ugh, you disgust me!
And I love it.
>> It doesn't mean much to us
now, but back then, "jay" was
a really offensive slur.
It basically meant "dirty
hillbilly," which makes this
really messed up.
Like, what if today we called
them "(bleep) walkers," or
"(bleep) walkers," or even
"(bleep) walkers"?
>> Hey, man, come on, there's
"(a kid on set.s"?
>> Yikes! Sorry.
To publicize their new insult,
the auto industry actually
planted stories in newspapers
blaming pedestrians for
automobile deaths.
(typewriter dings)
>> (gasps)
>> Extra! Extra!
Lame-brained jaywalker flings
himself before a noble
automobile.
>> My boy, a jay?
>> Serves him right, I say.
I hate those good-for-nothing
jays. (spits, spittoon dings)
>> So do we all, sir.
(spits, spittoon dings)
>> Me, too.
I hope my stupid, jay son rots
in hell.
(spits, spittoon dings)
>> Today, jaywalking is a crime,
and, in fact, most of our modern
traffic safety culture descends
from this kind of blame-shifting
propaganda.
Think about it.
A group of private businessmen
coined an offensive slur to
promote their product, and it
worked so well that today, it's
a legal term.
That's like if the trash can
industry convinced us all to
call littering,
"(bleep) dropping."
>> Seriously, dude, do you even
think before you speak?
>> You know, funny, I don't.
As a result of this campaign,
the street went from being a
public place where everyone
was welcome, to a terrifying
off-limits death trap.
(cars speeding by)
>> Stay back, Ethel.
The streets belong to the
machines now.
(tires screeching)
Thank you for granting us
passage, metal majesty.
>> Well, so what?
We needed cars to get around.
>> Actually, we already had a
fast, efficient way to get
around the city-- the streetcar.
At the time, almost every major
city had them, but the
automobile killed them.
A single streetcar can carry
dozens of pedestrians.
But put each of those passengers
in their own car, and they take
up 100 square feet each.
(horns honking)
And that means one thing--
traffic.
Once the roads were gridlocked,
the old, reliable streetcar
became too slow to be effective.
And that was the death of public
transportation in America.
>> Whoa.
>> Once cars were the only way
to get from place to place,
we rebuilt our entire cities
around them.
And that's when things really
took a turn for the worse.
We started bulldozing entire
neighborhoods to build urban
highways, and in some cities,
parking lots now take up a
quarter of all the available
land.
All this space used just to
store cars while they're asleep.
(tires screeching)
>> Uh, this part of the show is
really weird.
>> Parking lots are deserts in
the city.
>> Who's this dude?
>> This "dude" is Professor
Donald Shoup, our foremost
expert on the economics
of parking.
>> Oh, okay.
>> Parking lots don't employ
any people.
They simply provide space
for cars.
We have expensive housing for
people, and free parking
for cars.
We have our priorities the wrong
way around.
And the worst part is, many
cities require far too much
parking, and this blights their
downtowns.
We're killing our own cities.
It's a huge bummer.
>> It is an honor to animate
you, sir. (chuckles)
When we design society so that
it's more comfortable for cars,
we make it less habitable
for humans.
In a city designed around public
transportation, this space would
be full of homes and businesses,
and you could walk from place
to place.
But in most of our cities and
suburbs, everything is so spread
apart that nothing is within
walking distance, giving you no
choice but to drive.
And it didn't have to be
this way.
We could have built walkable
cities based around public
transportation like western
Europe and Japan did.
But we missed that chance, and
now you have to have a car
to get around.
So, write him a check.
>> Yeah! (laughing)
(alarm blaring)
Oh, yeah!
Here it comes!
>> Well, you know, son,
I thought it was gonna be really
cool buying you a new car and
everything, but now I know that
we've been tricked by a bunch of
evil car guys, or whatever.
>> Nah, you know what?
Even knowing all that stuff,
I still love this thing.
Cars are still awesome.
(both screaming)
>> Actually, I haven't even
begun to scratch the surface of
why cars suck.
Stick around.
After this, I'll tell you why
your super safe car actually
makes you less safe.
>> Oh, what's up?
Hey, hey!
>> Hey! Ah!
>> Dude, sweet ride!
>> Paige is gonna freak when
we roll up to her party
in this dope--
>> Death trap?
Oh, no, uh, burden?
How about "infrastructural
tumor"? (chuckles)
>> Who's the hair dude?
>> Oh, greetings.
I'm Adam Conover.
>> Greetings, man, I'm Gavis.
>> I'm Trunt. Greetings.
>> Hey, is he riding with us
tonight?
>> No, no, no!
>> I'd be delighted to.
>> Oh, my God.
>> Aw, man, late night, chillin'
with the boys, right?
Yeah!
You know, I've never done this
before.
>> You'friends before?ut with
>> No, but I have practiced with
dolls at home, so, I think I can
nail this.
Man, just too be we gotta drive
to the party, right? (scoffs)
>> Okay, dude, you know what?
It sounds like you just
hate cars.
You don't even have a driver's
license.
>> I told you, Zack, I have bad
depth perception!
And, yeah, I do just hate cars.
And it is just my opinion.
But my opinion is based on a lot
of statistics, and logic, and
personal experience.
Oh, I hate them so much!
(engine revving)
>> Yo, can we pick up Stef--
>> Cars are great for
long-distance travel, but
they're an objectively terrible
way to get around a city.
>> Hey, whatever.
I love driving mine.
>> Okay, well, do you love
traffic?
Because the average driver
spends one work week a year
stuck in traffic.
>> Duh, we can fix that.
You want less traffic, just
build more roads.
>> Oh, that would be great if
it worked.
But it's the roads that cause
the traffic.
>> (scoffs) Yeah, right!
>> It's a concept called...
Here, check out Gavis's sick
cargo shorts.
His pockets look pretty full,
huh?
>> Oh, yeah, it's my cross
to bear.
>> I don't know, maybe he just
needs more pockets.
>> Great idea!
Let's test it.
(snaps fingers, magic shimmers)
>> Oh, green, sweet!
Aw, man, it's already full.
>> Sorry, dude.
If I see an open space,
I'm gonna fill it.
What can I say?
I'm only human.
>> Thank you for the
demonstration, Trunt.
>> Trunt!
>> Historically, every time
we've built more roads...
(horns honking)
(bulldozers razing)
The amount of traffic has gone
up by an identical amount.
We can't build our way out of
the traffic problem.
Cars equal traffic, period.
(popping)
>> Nice!
>> Plus, cars are inherently
unsafe.
>> Uh, no, only bad drivers get
in car accidents.
I'm fine because I'm a good
driver.
>> Yeah, you and everyone else.
90% of drivers say they're
better than average.
That's impossible.
>> Yep, plus, it's people who
think that they're good drivers
who are actually the worst
drivers.
>> Whoa, really?
>> Shut up, Trunt!
>> 'Cause most accidents are
caused by inattention, and you
pay the least amount of
attention to the road when
you're confident.
Which is also why most accidents
are caused on clear, sunny roads
and to sober drivers.
>> Yeah.
>> I love that you know stuff!
>> Yeah, well, I get that
a lot, too.
>> Okay, well, this car is
super safe.
It's like I'm driving a
spaceship.
I have this super smart
computer--
>> That mostly controls the
air conditioning.
The car itself is still
controlled by a human, an
unreliable and easily distracted
system that--
>> Aah! Oh, crap, oh, crap!
>> Guys, it's okay.
It's just me. (chuckles)
>> What the hell?
>> Ooh, TV magic, ahh.
>> But, he-- you-- you jumped
in front of my car.
>> Actually, you missed
the sign.
This area is a host crossing.
And maybe you missed it because
your car is too safe.
Studies have shown that modern
cars and roads that make us feel
secure cause us to unconsciously
compensate and drive more
dangerously.
And it's a big part of why tens
of thousands of Americans die
on the road every year.
>> Hey, Zack, this guy's making
me feel sad.
>> Ah, what a majestic creature.
(slurping)
>> Okay, but when I'm in this
baby, I'm free.
It's just me and the open road.
>> Yeah, you're free all right.
As long as you keep paying for
insurance, fuel, registration,
and repairs.
So, I hope you have a job while
you're on the open road.
The average car costs $9,000
a year just to own.
Now, maybe you can afford that,
but a lot of people can't.
The average American family
spends 20% of their income on
transportation.
That's more than they spend
on food.
And for the poorest Americans,
it's 32%.
Car ownership is a tremendous
burden on the working poor.
Oh, hey!
There's my friend, Tim Peters!
Yeah, pull over, pull over!
(tires screeching)
Hey, Tim.
>> Hey, Adam, sweet ride.
>> Aw, thanks.
my bros.
Guys, this is Tim Peters.
He is the executive director of
Door of Hope.
Would you tell them a little bit
about what you guys do?
>> Yeah! Hey, guys.
We help homeless families go
from homelessness, to
self-sufficiency, to permanent
housing, and everything
in between.
what your experience with, you
know, automobiles has been?
>> Yeah, transportation is a big
issue with our families.
Car ownership can actually send
them backwards.
>> So, how does a car make you
go backwards?
>> We had one client that was
paying over 80% of her income
on a car.
She thought it was more
important to have a car than
even a home, because if she
ended up homeless, at least she
had a car to sleep in.
And that had been her experience
before coming to Door of Hope.
Families need a car just to get
to work, or to be able to get
around in the city.
But, sometimes, to make a car
payment, they'll sacrifice their
rent payment, or food, or even
the basic essentials for
their children.
>> Wow, thank you for talking to
us about this, Tim.
Uh, hey, do you need a ride or
anything?
>> I think you're full already.
I'll ride the bus.
I'm okay.
(engine revving)
>> That's awful.
>> Yeah, it is.
Transportation is a fundamental
human need.
So, the fact that we built our
entire country so that everyone
in it has to buy and maintain
one of these things just to move
around their own community?
That's a genuine tragedy.
They're monstrously expensive,
you have to deal with a
psychologically manipulative
charlatan just to buy one, and
we are so bad at driving them
that there's an entirely
different predatory industry
based around the fact that we
constantly crash these things
and die.
>> Uh, you-- you're talking
about the insurance industry,
right?
>> Yes, very good, Trunt.
What really kills me about all
of this is the only reason we're
stuck with this clusterfudge is
because we were tricked into
building roads instead of
subways 100 years ago!
The dominance of the car is a
massive cultural mistake.
(door closes)
(distant dog barking)
But, I was gonna tell you how
we can fix everything!
Bros!
(distant dog barking)
(dialing phone)
Hey, Mom.
Can you come pick me up?
It happened again.
(tires screeching)
(door opens)
>> Get in.
Trunt's curious.
>> (whistling)
>> I'll call you back.
>> (whistling)
>> Stick around, because believe
it or not, there is a light at
the end of the tunnel.
♪
>> Whoa, what is that?
That, Trunt, is a subway
station.
>> In Los Angeles?
No way!
>> Yep! And there are more on
the way.
>> Hi, guys!
I'm Seleta Reynolds.
I'm in charge of the Los Angeles
Department of Transportation.
>> This is so weird.
We've been up, like, all night.
>> People say nobody walks in
L.A., but nothing could be
further from the truth.
We have one of the busiest rail
lines in the country, one of the
busiest bus lines in the
country, and more people walking
and biking every day.
We figured out that we have to
plan for people and not
just cars.
(crunching)
>> Is this a mirage?
>> No, it's a public plaza.
This used to be a road, but the
community leaders got together
and decided that they wanted
a place to gather, and created
a true public space.
It turns out, when you make
a great place to walk, it's
really good for local
businesses.
>> Yo, that's counterintuitive
as hell.
But, I like it.
>> So, sometimes, even though
it's controversial, we have to
take space for streets and give
it to people so that everybody
has a great choice for how they
get around.
>> And, look, no city has been
shaped by the car more than
L.A., so if they can make
positive changes here, we can
make them anywhere in America.
>> Okay, but cars are still just
fun to drive.
>> I know they are, Zack.
And they're a great option for
certain kinds of travel.
But, maybe we should be thinking
about cars more like
roller blades.
They're a lot of fun when you're
the only person using them.
But, it would really suck if
that was the only way people
could get to work.
>> So, you're saying I can keep
my car, but I should use public
transportation and support
walkability initiatives.
>> Exactly.
>> Cool.
Can I go?
>> Sure you can, buddy.
Put 'er there, dude!
Put 'er there, Seleta!
>> I gotta get back to work.
Bye, Adam.
>> Put 'er there, Adam.
>> (whistling)
>> Please.
You know, I have to ask-- are
you having a natural or
a cesarean birth?
Because, there are interesting
downsides, in both cases.
(chuckles)
Hmm.
Guess some people just don't
want to learn.
Hmm.
Next time, on
"Adam Ruins Everything..."
Cop shows present forensic
science as infallible, but in
reality, a lot of it isn't
scientific at all.
>> No two fingerprints
are alike.
>> That's never been proven.
>> Aah!
>> The FBI gave flawed testimony
in 90% of the cases they
reviewed.
The only backup we'll need today
is from scholarly sources.