Taken for a Ride is a documentary film by Martha Olson and Jim Klein about the Great American Streetcar Scandal. The 55-minute film was first broadcast on August 6, 1996 on the PBS television series POV.
| Taken for a Ride | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jim Klein |
| Starring | Narrated by Jim Klein, Renée Montagne |
| Distributed by | New Day Films |
Release date | 1996 |
Running time | 55 minutes |
| Land | Vereinigte Staaten |
| Sprache | Englisch |
Synopsis Taken for a Ride begins with interviews on the inefficiencies and congestion on Los Angeles' highways. Next, the film displays a variety of archival footage on streetcar systems around America, demonstrating that streetcars were a widespread and efficient means of transportation. The film continues into a description of the General Motors streetcar conspiracy; starting with a history of National City Lines and Pacific City Lines, building the argument that streetcar systems purchased by these companies were deliberately made inefficient and replaced with bus systems. Next, the film describes the connection of this conspiracy with the construction of the Interstate Highway System and the suburbanization of America in the face of the Highway revolts in the 1960s and 1970s.
External links
- Official website
- Taken for a Ride at the P. O. V. website
- Taken for a Ride at IMDb
- Article on the film at Culture Change magazine
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