Taken for a Ride 1996
Distributed by New Day Films, 190 Route 17M, P.O. Box 1084, Harriman, NY 10926; 888-367-9154 or 845-774-7051
Producer n/a
Directed by CJim Klein
DVD , color, 55 min.
General Adult
Transportation, Automobile industry, Social Sciences, History, Economics and Management, Social Justice
Date Entered: 02/18/2016
Reviewed by James Gordon, University at Buffalo LibrariesDid you ever wonder why streetcars disappeared in the USA but not other countries? This film explains why this happened in the USA in the 1930’s and 1940’s. It carefully documents how a joint venture spearheaded by General Motors used shell companies to purchase profitable streetcar companies and then strip off, sell and even physically burn their assets to completely dismantle them. Why would GM do that? Who was behind the conspiracy? Were laws broken? How were the crimes prosecuted? Find out by watching this documentary. There’s a lot of great footage and some humor, as well.
This is a must-view movie for anyone who is interested in learning about how the US current urban transportation infrastructure was manipulated to eliminate competition and prevent a free market. Supplemental pdf files are included in the DVD.