“Why are so many trans people into urban planning?” That’s the question independent journalist and co-host of the Cancel Me, Daddy podcast Katelyn Burns asked her Bluesky followers, and she got an overwhelming response. Katelyn wrote up some of those answers in a recent piece on The Flytrap, the feminist media outlet she recently co-founded and launched. It’s a thought-provoking read. We talked with Katelyn about the safety that trans people can find in dense cities, the “trans on trains” meme, and what the game Cities: Skylines has to do with all of this. And she discusses how the trans perspective can illuminate problems and solutions within urban systems.

Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive exclusive access to ad-free versions of regular episodes, Patreon-only bonus content, Discord access, invitations to live events, merch discounts and free stickers!

This episode was produced with the generous support of the Helen & William Mazer Foundation.

This episode was also supported by Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest discount on the best and most stylish rain gear for walking and cycling.

Save 15% on the amazing Arclight Pedals and everything from Redshift Sports with code WARONCARS at checkout.

LINKS:

Read and subscribe to The Flytrap.

Check out Katelyn’s piece on how you can tell that cities are designed for (and by) men.

Find Katelyn Burns on Bluesky.

Listen to the Cancel Me Daddy podcast.

thewaroncars.org / lifeaftercars.com

This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. For complete access to this and all of our bonus content, plus ad-free versions of regular episodes, merch discounts, pre-sale tickets to live shows and more, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars.

This is an excerpt from our interview with Ed Niedermeyer, the author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors. Ed has been writing about Elon Musk for years, and he's been one of the billionaire's most astute critics since way back.

We talked with Ed for our recent episode "Inside the Tesla Takedown Movement," about his involvement with the protest movement that has sprung up around the country at Tesla showrooms, targeting the destructive alliance between Musk and Donald Trump. Ed believes the protests are quite possibly the most effective tool we have right now to diminish Musk’s influence and power, and to counter the Trump regime.

Subscribe on Patreon for access to the entire episode.

Since early February, a protest phenomenon has been building steadily across the United States, springing up at scores of Tesla dealerships from coast to coast. Organizers call it Tesla Takedown. It's remarkable in part because in today’s United States, we have engineered an environment that prioritizes automotive convenience and speed—and in the process deadens civic life and makes protest difficult. So it’s ironic that Tesla dealerships, many of them located in the worst kind of automotive sprawl, have emerged as crucial nodes in a decentralized network of resistance to Elon Musk and Donald Trump.

In this episode, we talk to participants and organizers about what is motivating them. We also caught up with journalist Ed Niedermeyer, return guest of The War on Cars and author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors, about what effect this could have on Tesla’s bottom line, and why it’s an effective tactic to weaken the hold that the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has on the United States government.

Note: This episode was recorded before the huge Hands Off protests of April 5th, 2025. Clearly, American protesters are starting to find their voice, and their space.

*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive exclusive access to ad-free versions of regular episodes, Patreon-only bonus content, Discord access, invitations to live events, merch discounts and free stickers! ***

This episode was produced with the generous support of the Helen & William Mazer Foundation.

This episode was also supported by Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest discount on the best and most stylish rain gear for walking and cycling.

Save 15% on the amazing Arclight Pedals and everything from Redshift Sports with code WARONCARS at checkout.

LINKS:

• Find a #TeslaTakedown protest near you.
• Check out Ed Niedermeyer’s Autonocast podcast.
• Read Ed's book, "Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors."

Pick up official podcast tees and other merch in our online store.

Save 15% on everything from Redshift Sports, including the amazing Arclight Pedals, with code WARONCARS.

This episode was edited by Ali Lemer. It was recorded by Justin Fernandez at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Transcripts are by Russell Gragg.

TheWarOnCars.org