Transport Emoji Series

The visible pro and con of modern life.

Everything has a constructive and a destructive side. A pro and a con in other words. Only, that list could be endless. On both sides. The same applies to the department of transportation as well. As much as technology and industrialism have helped us get to places quicker, it has that much harmed the earth. Lots of ‘give and take’, to be honest.

Including our very existence!

It’s the sad but true reality. However, that does not mean in any way that we couldn’t help the planet while helping ourselves. The classic win-win. But, we don’t want that do we? Why the heck would I want to ride a cycle to school when I can take the damn car! Humans. SMH.

Anyway. There’s been a LOT of evolution in the field of transport across all platforms; land, water, and air, and this series compile them. Each section moves from the least to the most upgraded mode of transport.

Water Transport

Unexpected. They usually begin with land transport! Well, we decided to honor chronology. Boats! Yep, these water vessels have been carrying people and things across waterways for nearly 60,000 years now. Shocker.

Beasts of Burden

Animals have been domesticated by humans for at least 15 millenniums now. Such an expansive practice has completely and genetically transformed animals like horses and dogs to serve us unconditionally.

Many “domestic” animals were used as direct modes of human transportation in the past. They were also used to “ship” things across. However, things didn’t change very much even if we did. Animal transport is still an accepted form of transport in many parts of the world.

Here are some of the animals that were used for transport. Some still are.

The Wheel

The first wheeled vehicles were launched in 3500 BCE. Though these modes of transport are said to have been around for much longer, the first automobile; a steam-powered three-wheeler came along only in the 1760s. There are speculations about the first automobile, but pretty sure the first one was a far cry from a gas/engine-powered engine.

Automobile Edition

Truck Edition

Utility Vehicles

Passenger Cart

Buses

Medical Vehicles

Two-Wheelers

Wheelchairs

Other Alternatives

Railways

Though railway transport is found to have existed in the 6th century BCE, trains truly changed tracks only in the latter half of the 1700s. Steam engines became a thing of the present and water transport too was quick to integrate this new technology in town.

Aviation/Airways/Air Travel

Believe it or not, flyable devices were first introduced to the planet 2000 years ago. Our ancestors were way ahead of their time. Literally fast-forwarding to us. Nevertheless, this genius piece of ancient history does not provide enough evidence about air travel.

The first airplane was flown by the Wright Brothers in 1903. We’d like to call it the Wright Flight. But. History always has a possible chance of being whitewashed. There are claims and possible evidence of airplanes being operated even before the historic moment in 1903.

An Indian teacher from Mumbai city, Shivkar Talpade, is said to have piloted an airplane in 1895. Making that, the first airplane. Unless, there are more such niche facts, figures, and history we’re leaving out.

Outer-Space Travel

Travel is one of the many incredible human inventions. Someone, somewhere along their life thought about something totally out of their reach, and today, we physically exercise those inventions that were merely thoughts at one point. Nonetheless, all these good sides to transport do not negate the damage they’re causing the planet.

Land transport has eaten up almost all grasslands. Fuel emissions filth up the air. Water transport, though the most inexpensive, ought to pay a huge price for jeopardizing the seas and the life it holds. Air transport trickles the polluted aftermath through the atmosphere down to the earth, thus creating double layers of contamination.

Anything sustainable needs effort. Ease is what causes adversity, and humans have been leading excessively easy lives for a very very long time. That extra effort to cut down on the ease could possibly save us from generations of climatic torture ignited and constantly kept burning by us.

Think about bicycles. Not everyone has them because not everyone is un-lazy enough to ride one. Cars, bikes, trucks, airplanes, trains, are all better any day, ain’t it? But bicycles, ah man! Why do I gotta ride those tiring things! Think about it.