Dear NYC: Stop Hating on Drivers

Driving has become a sin, "demoted to a form of depravity": Holier-than-thou car-haters remind motorists that they're destroying lives, wrecking the planet, and boosting our dependence on foreign oil. But there's a time and a place for driving, even in New York City, writes Justin Davidson in New York. "Cars are too useful, too profitable, and too enjoyable to vanish."

Drivers can access the city in an entirely different way from public transit users, who "tend to stick to their habitual goat trails." A motorist can, for example, zoom from Queens to Brooklyn without changing trains three times. What's more, driving in New York has an element of the "extreme sport," requiring expert knowledge and reflexes. Sure, we could benefit from cutting down on cars, using programs like congestion charges; "saving time should cost money." But let's strike a balance so drivers can stop catching grief from everyone else. Click through for Davidson's full piece. (More New York City stories.)