Most of us have wasted a day (or more) here and there sitting in city traffic. It' terrible. It makes you feel angry, violated, defeated, or some combination of the three.
But traffic along a city's narrow streets isn't a new problem, as you can see in this 1950s traffic reduction film. But it's taken decades for us to take much of its advice. I like driving as much as the next guy, but there's little worse than sitting in city traffic for hours on end. You want to hit the gas and be free so badly, but ahead, there's only the hateful glow of immobile tail lights to greet you.
As the film points out, a car (at least a 1950s land barge) takes up 24 times as much space as a person, so they don't make much sense in city centers. But as this film — which, I should point out, was sponsored by the GMC Truck & Coach Division — also points out, buying a shitload of buses and investing in public transportation infrastructure solves all sorts of transportation woes.
Of course it's never that simple, but even this paid-for message brings up a few good points about city centers. But all of that aside, the horrible traffic depicted in the film gives you a chance to gawk at scores of beautiful classics. Even the buses are sexy.