Nine-tenths of our crimes an' calamities are made possible by th' automobile. It has unleashed all th' pent-up criminal tendencies o' th' ages. It's th' central figure in murders, hold-ups, burglaries, accidents, elopements, failures an' abscondments. It has well nigh jimmed th' American home.... No girl is missin' that wuzn' last seen steppin' in a strange automobile.... An' ther hain't a day rolls by that somebuddy hain't sellin' ther sewin' machine, or ther home, or somethin' t' pay on an automobile.... Maybe th' jails an' workhouses are empty, but that's not because th' world is gittin' better. It's because all th' criminals escape in automobiles.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author claims cars cause most crimes and escape routes for criminals.
- In plain terms
- Cars make it easy to commit crimes and run away.
- What can you take from it?
- Technology can enable crime as much as solve problems.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does technology enable crime?
- How does infrastructure change behavior?
Another view
The claim exaggerates the link between cars and all crimes.
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