No you're good, a lot of people here have cars out of necessity, but advocate for change anyway. The whole basis of the sub isn't fighting cars, but car dependency and many of us live in the thick of it.
It's seriously astonishing how badly planners screwed up LA. Second largest city in the US. Year round warm climate. Liberal stronghold. Cities half their size with below freezing winters in the rust belt have better urbanism.
California in general is a great case study in what happens when the unstoppable force of economic innovation meets the immovable object of bad land use policy.
Many of its biggest current problems — mass homelessness, a severe housing crisis, traffic, overpriced infrastructure projects, overpriced everything, even some crime — stem directly from bad planning. And it’s really strangling a place that otherwise has all the natural advantages you could ask for.
100% this. Mixed use neighborhoods make it a thousand times easier for evrrything. If you're just starting out it's so much easier to find a small private flat instead of having multiple strangers split a house. You can walk and not need a car, as opposed to shilling out hundreds and hundreds per month on a car.
I don't understand how California can justify its gas prices either when the fact there is literally no alternative to cars.
Lived there for 30 years. It’s a shithole top to bottom. Zero urban planning. Will never improve and living costs will continue to go up until the San Andreas fault ruptures and kills 5M people. OC is a little better but is still heavily “car based” if the Irvine Company made the streets 20 feet wider and just put in streetcars it would have been even better. Plus connectors to SNA airport and UCI and people who lived there wouldn’t need a car unless they wanted to go to the beach because you know the asshats in Newport Beach don’t want any mass public transport going thru their neighborhoods.
At the moment, due to construction, it's 45 min to an hour to my husband's work by car, about 2 hours by bus, and there is no bike route I've found that wouldn't get him killed.
They're putting in new bridges for a new freeway and the best road and the mixed use path are both closed. The next through road north is down to one lane. The next through road is closed. The next through road is closed. So, yeah. The closest through road south of us is an interstate and the closest north is reached by a truck route.
Normally, though, 20-25 by car, not including walking from parking, 30 by bike, 1 1/2 hrs by bus not including however you travel the 4 miles to the bus stop. By bike, the trip is 7. I don't think he's ever ridden that bus.
My "commute" to work is about 30 feet. This was not the whole cause, but they cancelled all the bus lines near our neighborhood, and I got a fully remote job. I used to work about a mile further down the mixed use path from his job.
Here in the states it’s unfortunately the opposite. My commute to work is a 20 minute drive. Via public transit it would be a 15-20 minute walk to the train then over an hour on the train, then another 15-20 minutes via bus to my final destination. It’s just not viable outside of cities like nyc or Chicago. I would kill for the opportunity to have proper and safe public transit.
I live in Istanbul as well and a car is a necessity for me because the damn m12 couldn’t open, whereas my friend in Erenkoy laughs at people driving to work when he can hop on the suburban line. Even within a city there are car dependent areas that you can’t avoid. But we should advocate for change
I also used to live in Istanbul and I drove a car for different reasons through my life;
- When I was young, I liked the freedom. (2005-2008)
- They gave me one from work. (2008-2011)
Since 2016, I live in Germany. In two weeks, I'm selling my car and then signing up for a motorcycle license.
I love driving. Hate having to drive.
I’ll gladly do an inter city drive through the old highways enjoying the scenery just making a journey out of the to
I hate having to go to a shoot in my car because public transport here is too crowded because the government is too busy making a coastal road that allows only private 4 wheelers on it
I didn’t buy my first car until I was in my 30s and even then I didn’t use it for my daily commute. Train, bike, or bus (or sometimes Uber/taxi) were preferable most days. I’d only drive in certain scenarios like when I needed to get to a specific place after work that was hard to get to on time via transit. Otherwise the car was just for personal things/hobbies, travel, and enjoyment.
IMHO, that’s how it should be. Cars can exist and have their place, but they aren’t something everyone should need to own. You should be able to live a fulfilling and happy life without them.
Not really an issue for me anymore, but I shudder to think how annoying my 20s would have been in a car dependent place unless I was willing to just be a shitbag and drive drunk. I never had to think about my ability to drink, deal with designated drivers, etc…could just go to a happy hour, go out and party, enjoy an impromptu whiskey tasting, etc. without issue.
Ownership isn't a problem necessarily either way. There's a lot more to car culture than just owning it, and driving it once in a while. Just if everyone would decrease their car usage, that'd already be a step in the right direction.
I wish that was completely true. The reality is that there are people in this sub who don’t own a car and think that just because they can do it, anyone can.
i have a car, and i have to travel a lot for work. in my free time, the last thing i want to be doing is driving in the city. i love to bike and ride the bus when i can.
whenever i have to haul gear around, the insane traffic makes me wish more people took public transit. less traffic to hold up buses, more space for drivers. everybody wins.
Fuck car dependency. support options for everybody
Yeah idk how storing your personal 2 tons of metal only you can use could be so cheap. We really do hide certain problems behind policy as a society, whether its meat production, oil or cars or whatever.
I can pay $60-90 a month or $60 for an unlimited bus pass. That assumes there's any reasonable way for me to ride the bus now that they canceled all three routes anywhere near me.
I chose getting a remote job. I can't say parking is free before I'm paying for the house, but I'm not paying even more for parking anymore. I don't understand those who can easily walk to a bus stop, ride one bus to right in front of their workplace, and still pay those parking fees, though. Especially when they then complain about how bad traffic is.
We have a car because we live in America, and not New York or Chicago.
We are remedying that by moving to Europe soon. The car will be gifted, and we won't be purchasing a new one unless absolutely necessary.
I was diagnosed with a stroke a coupla weeks ago. State law says that is an automatic 60 day ban on driving.
I don't drive a lot, but this is still a car-brained city in California.
I **can** be car free if I really work at it.
And so yesterday my doctor told me that they're not sure what actually happened in my noggin, but it wasn't a stroke. Neurology is trying to figure out what exactly it was.
"We don't know what it was, but a stroke is the worst case and it wasn't that."
And suddenly I'm allowed to drive again.
I lost my license over a decade ago, because one doctor thought I may have had a seizure. By the time we figured out it was a cardiac event, the paperwork was already filed. I still haven't fixed it, in part because the paperwork involved is a lot, and moreso because since then I moved to Brooklyn and haven't had any need to drive.
One of these days I gotta get it sorted for the rare time I might need to rent a vehicle, but the cardiology maintenance comes first.
Edit: I also owed money for points on the license; I was not a good driver. Didn't see much point in paying them after it was suspended, though now I wonder if that decision might hurt me long term. Ah well.
I have epilepsy, and I got my license back after a year seizure free on medication. The paperwork wasn't that bad for me. My neurologist filled out a form, and I took it to the DOL. Done and done.
For the money you didn't pay, you'll likely have to pay it plus late fees plus a reinstatement fee plus the cost of the license itself.
Yeah, I should probably get back to it since I'll be seeing my cardiologist soon and have had no issues for over a decade. The last annoying thing was since I had moved states, NJ wouldn't even send me the paperwork until I updated my State ID with new address...which has changed again. Might as well give em a call.
I moved states while mine was suspended, and it really wasn't an issue for me. But I didn't owe any money. I think. ;)
If I lived somewhere I could get away with no vehicle, I'd love it. Working from home, I've gotten pretty close, but they keep cancelling bus lines around me and shutting down bike paths (temporary= a year or more) because they're building a new freeway. Tbh, it's hard to get anywhere I need to go by car now, too. I wish there was a decent neurologist on my side of the city. I did find a new rheumatologist over here... And there's construction on the trail that way now, too. SMH
Oh absolutely. The biggest reason I haven't gotten it back is because I really don't need to. I live in Brooklyn and take the subway everywhere. Still need to get a good bike to get across town, since I don't think the Brooklyn-Queens line will be built for another decade, if ever.
I knew this would come up as a comment when I was writing the comment.
I know. There's a man who works down at the local grocery store who doesn't have a car. It's a small town kinda in the middle of nowhere in the mid Atlantic. He walks a mile and a half to work. The next closest grocery store is 20 minutes away by car. The bus service is non existent. No passenger rail within 45 minutes (by car). He is car free by financial circumstance, though.
You can live just about anywhere without a car. I mean, that's what people did before it was invented and mass produced. But that doesn't mean being without one is convenient or empowers you to thrive. And that's why we're moving to somewhere that does offer those options.
> You can live just about anywhere without a car. I mean, that's what people did before it was invented and mass produced
But back then, provision was made for living without a car. In the early 20th century: You didn't have 10 miles of sprawling suburbs. Your town would have had a railway station and likely a tram or trolley-bus network. Roads would have been much safer to cycle or walk on.
Or if you're talking pre-industrial, well, life was crap and going anywhere more than the next village was a difficult trek. You don't want to go back to that.
I’m in a smaller city in America and it’s fine. Grocery store down the street. I can bike to almost anywhere in the city and burbs. It’s a mindset and planning. Like for example if you don’t want to drive everywhere, when you move look for the things you need.
I’m honestly quite privileged to not own a car. It’s weird to say but it’s true.
I'm really happy for you. If you don't mind, could you DM me the city or rough area? That way, if something doesn't work out for us in Europe, we have another possibility on our list of potential places to move back to in the US?
I totally did look. I limited my house search to 1/2 mile or less to a bus stop. A month after I moved in, they cancelled that line, and it was about 3/4 mile to the next. Then, a few months later, they cancelled that line, so it was 2 1/2 miles. Guess what they just cancelled?
I am about 1 mile from a pretty decent mixed use path, but right now it's closed between me and anywhere useful - for maybe a year - because they're building a new freeway. 4 roads are, as well. I'm 9 miles from downtown but either have to take the interstate about 4 miles south of me or go North on a truck route to a rural route detour that's bumper to bumper now and not at all safe for a bike even at the best of times.
Luckily, I very very rarely have a reason to be downtown, but I do miss being able to take a bus to buy groceries or use that bike path rather than having to ride along the side of a truck route and over a bridge and train tracks. Ordering grocery delivery kind of defeats the purpose of not driving. Plus, they tell me things aren't there that clearly are, substitute random ass stuff when I say no substitutes, and choose the most beat up fruit and veggies I've ever seen.
I hate to tell you, but in most places in Europe a car is still a convenience, even if not an absolute necessity. That's why there are loads of Europeans on here. There are so many things where driving a car shouldn't be the better option, but currently is.
I keep complaining on here how ridiculous it is that to take my kids to visit their grandparents takes 20 mins by car, but 90 mins by public transport, and the public transport costs more than the incremental cost of using the car. And that's despite living next to a rail station, and near several bus routes.
I know. We've visited multiple times in order to narrow down where we want to live in order to not have to require a car to thrive. We've found one, and now we're navigating the visa requirements stage to move there.
If you said that you live next to a rail station, and near several bus routes in America, that would put you in one of like a half dozen metropolitan areas. In Europe, that doesn't really narrow much down at all, except you live somewhere near a rail station.
No, it's all good. I was just trying to make the point that the public transit is so much more robust and available in many many places in Europe.
Thank you for the well wishes.
Europe is hugely carbrained and car-addicted, much more than many Americans here realise, but at the same time it’s possible to live without a car in most towns if you also work in the same town.
Even the shittest towns have some kind of bus service (and often rail and/or trams), grocery stores and other shops in residential areas, and a walkable core with little or no car traffic. If you work remotely or find a job and a home relatively close to each other, you can be car-free pretty easily, if somewhat boldly.
A lot of Europeans own a car because they basically need it (or think they do) to commute (because moving is painful, jobs change, different family members work in different places, life happens), and then it’s “well, I have a car I’m already paying for, I might as well drive to this other place rather than spend more time on public transport”.
From what I gather (I’ve visited but never lived there), North America is different; public transport and walkable town cores are not a given, and you might need to drive for basic necessities even if they are.
Middle management right now, I've been working on powertrain efficiency for most of the 25 years. Did a lot of work on alternative fuels, mostly hydrogen, and over the last five years or so EV's.
Every time I dug deeper into the impact of engines + automobiles, it came closer to the conclusion that we need to avoid them entirely.
I'd leave if I could, but I've had a lot of trouble finding roles in which I could have a positive impact on the world; I'm a bit pigeon-holed unfortunately.
Fwiw your work did a great deal to help the environment. Just because there is more work to be done doesn’t mean we haven’t made great strides in typical passenger automobiles. And the true devil is something that only governments can solve by investing in railroads and extra taxes for ocean liners and long haul trucking. Which they would never do because of citizens united v fec
I own a Toyota Camry that I drive here and there. I bike to work daily or take the bus. I also have a cargo bike and a carriage for lugging kids and stuff. People think going to Costco on bike is weird.. I call it Saturday.
Camry is basic and will last forever, considering I basically only drive it once a week.
Mine is like a miniature version of a camry, also being Toyota with bulletproof engines and basic everything else. I'm hoping it lives until it's 20, then I'll have 8 years to save up and get an EV.
Should last more than 20 years if you don't drive it to death. I've had a 30 year old Honda and a truck from the same year. Just gotta change the oil once a year to make sure there's no water building up.
I think last year I spent less than $200 on gasoline...
Yep. I'm a journalist for a local newspaper and need a car to be able to get around the community and report on stories. It's also part of my employment agreement that reporters need cars. I did just get a used EV so I don't have to pay for gas, it's the lesser of the evils. I bike for every other possible trip, however. Cargo bike for the win :)
I'm a bit of a radical and arrange my life to live without a car. I live in rural England so not so easy and there are tradeoffs, definitely things that would be much easier with a car. We planned where we live based on proximity to bus and rail, so it's not the typical experience in rural England. I think for me, the benefits of not having my own 2-tonne metal depreciating money sink is worth the sacrifices. I realise that others may not have that luxury, even if they would prefer it.
That's quite an achievement in rural England. I've been car free here and there but always with rail and bus within a mile or two. Now I'm in a city so can just walk to like 30 pubs etc. And cycle to many more.
You would be surprised by how many car enthusiast actually support the sub.
People want to drive cars for FUN and look after them as a hobby/activity. They don’t want to be forced to drive for day to day activities and to commute in one.
Can confirm, I'm a car enthusiast who owns several cars. Less people commuting means less traffic, which makes driving more fun. Most car makers also don't care about enthusiasts at all because we're such a small market segment, and less people commuting via car means auto makers have to actually make fun cars for people that enjoy and appreciate them.
Yup this should be higher up. I hate the car-centric world we live in and think every part of society would be better without cars. But… I own a car and I really love driving. I also need one where I live (regional city) to do most things. When I travel to Melbourne (nearest big city) I drive there but then use PT in the city as much as possible
yes. drive it once a month. wife drives it once a week or so. take my bike most of the time and public transit occasionally, but still more frequently than the car.
My household has multiple. Because where I live, it is impossible to do so without one. Doesn't mean I don't hate each and every one of them, and would trade them in an instant if there was anything remotely like transit infrastructure here (or could convince my significant other to move away from her aging parents to a place where that existed).
>I fully expect to be downvoted to oblivion, but I'm just seeking different opinions and viewpoints.
Eh, the only downvotes I'd expect is because of the disingenuous way that phrase was tossed in. I can't speak for anyone here but myself, but I'd hazard a guess that most here acknowledge that some level of car existence is probably a modern societal necessity. We're just awfully damned tired of society built around the idea that requires EVERYBODY needing a car to do almost ANYTHING.
That's fair. we're a household of 4 with 4 cars for the same reason, all small 3 cylinder compacts, likely soon to be 3.
As from the downvoting point of view, I've only been lurking and haven't gone too indepth. The reaction to the post so far has been great.
I live in a pretty walkable city in Eastern Europe and I have a 0.9 liter Renault Clio that I RARELY use for city, I mostly use it to get to my parent which live about 160km from me because the car is the only way to get to them. The infuriating fact is that close to my parents there are 2 rail lines that stop pretty close to them but NO TRAIN is available. Those tracks are abandoned. For a quarter of the trip I drive next to the rail line and I wish I could just take a train to enjoy the view because it's beautiful there, but I have to concentrate on the road.
I am in San Diego and sold my car about a month ago. I was driving it maybe monthly; transit is okayish here and I’m pretty happy to ride my bike twenty miles to have lunch with a friend for the instances where transit isn’t convenient
The use cases where I kinda miss having a car are group outings or transporting furniture. I’ve found that for the first one, at least one person in the group probably owns a car. If nobody does, then they’re probably used to taking transit or cycling so we can just do that to get where we’re going. For the second; anything smaller than a coffee table will fit on my bike, or I can just pay for shipping. I’m enjoying not owning one
Yeah the worst part about not having a car is seeing nice furniture and thinking it's not worth having to coordinate with someone that has a car for something that big... nevermind that like a 3rd of our current place is stairs
Yes, loads of people here do. I have to have a car for work, and I want to have a car anyway because I like cars and driving, but I want to need to use it less because there are better alternatives, and I don't want cars making residential roads unlivable.
That's fair, I plan to keep my car until it falls in half because it's it's been really good to me. By the time that happens, I'd like to get an electric one.
I commute from the edge of a city to a neighbouring city, but our trains are sparse, unreliable, and takes over 2 hours. With the car because I tend to travel outside of peak hours (11-7), it takes a quarter of the time at a third of the cost, including parking.
Yep I have a car. Honestly some of the posts on here are just weird hate on people for owning cars. Owning cars is not the problem - it’s the usage and the systemic favouritism towards cars that’s more important
I consider myself a three season cyclist. I would be willing to bike in the winter here in Canada but the maintenance of bike paths is rather limited. I still do some errands by bike year round but it’s only feasible on specific routes. Otherwise I’m “car-lite” where I have a car but mainly use it for road trips and the like, not daily use
No, it's an inline 3, variable valved economy box. It'll get 67 horsepower from 998ccs of displacement.
But it weighs fuck all too so its good for 80mph. (It'll still get better fuel economy than most cars going 60)
Yes, but I drive it rarely, maybe once every couple of weeks.
And honestly if everyone had a car but used it like that we'd be ok. It's the peak time journeys from people doing it every day that cause problems.
Loads of people have cars here. I would assume the majority opinion is that individual ppl who own/drive cars because its the easiest is understandable, but most ppl don't like that our society is designed to prioritize driving over other forms of transportation, especially with the massive negative effects driving has on health, safety, the environment, and efficient city design. Like I have a 2002 Toyota Tacoma I drive about 120 miles every weekend. This isn't really environmentally friendly, but I have to in order to visit and take care of my parents on the weekends because other forms of transport are just not feasible. I would like to live in a world where it isn't impossible to reach my family without a car, but because of the current conditions, its required for me to be able to reach my family.
I still have my reichmobile (that's what I call my bmw because of the history of the maker) from my carbrain past. But I barely drive it, I'm procrastinating to sell it.
Yes.
Its just too dangerous going in by bike. That's road wise and there are a lot of homicides here. When 2 people where shot in front of my work I was told by all 3 of my bosses individually to drive in lol.
Outside of that the road infrastructure doesn't support cyclists, so I have to ride on a stroad with cars going 70+. That typically didn't bother me but its definitely not a safe route. I remember getting downvoted on this sub for commuting at 25+ mph on my bike but really on stroads and country roads, speed is safe.
We're moving in August so hopefully I can go back to ABATT (all bike all the time).
I have a car, that I drive every so often. It’s a convertible and honestly I love the car.
What I hate, is car dependency. Suburban developments, and moats of parking.
I mostly just take the bus and the train. I take my car to go to Costco or Sam’s club and the occasional Walmart because I don’t bike. Also it’s useful to have a car to go to places that are literally in the middle of nowhere.
But my main mode of transportation is public transportation.
I can drive but I don’t have a car (I bike and use public transport). I hire a car once or twice a year mainly for family outings. About 5 or 6 times a year I drive a big van for a charity I work with. This works for me, owning a car would add a lot of complications and cost to my life.
I don't. I fortunately live in a city with pretty good public transport, and for most things I need to do, I can walk or bike. I don't want people to be dependent on cars and I'd like the number of cars to be reduced as much as possible (i.e., have cars for emergencies, for people who really need them, and for deliveries), but I l don't blame people who depend on them the way it is currently.
I don't own a car, but I do drive on occasion as there are several car sharing stations and rental agencies within walking or biking distance. The majority of my trips are by bicycle.
I own a bunch. I'm a HUGE nut for almost anything with wheels. But I *loathe* the car dependent lifestyle that defines much of the US because it's miserable and terrible for the planet.
And even though I own so many very expensive cars, I still live in a condo downtown. I put more miles on my electric skateboards and scooters than I do my cars. I have 2 parking spaces in my building, 1 is my primary car (EV) and the other is modified Honda scooters. I have a few Ruckus, an electric Motocompacto, and I just bought a Honda Ube. We have a decent light rail network. We have a skyway network and in the winter I can walk around the city without ever going outside. I can get around pretty well without a car and it's great. But I'd probably rather kill myself than live in the suburbs full time, especially if I had to commute to the city for work.
My wife and I live in Seattle and own a 2008 BMW wagon. We drive it occasionally, and go through a tank (cca 250-300 miles) of gas a month, relying on her ebike and my bicycle for most things.
Considering I work in Everett and have been commuting by bike since September, I think we're doing very well
Yes. We have one car for our family.
In my opinion, anything less than every adult having their own car and using it for virtually every trip is better than most in America.
I have a pickup truck. I'll admit I don't need it. I use it mainly for offroading, travel, camping, helping out friends and family move stuff, and other hobbies.
I use my truck everyday but actually need the bed about 2-3 times per month.
I do realize we would be better without car dependency though.
I do not own a car. If I need to use a car, there's Zipcar. You can haul a surprising amount of things in a Prius with the seats down. For everything else, I ride my bike.
I drive a 5-series BMW. I enjoy cars and motoring generally. I just recognise the inefficiency of it, and believe it should be reserved for hauling loads or fun - it shouldn't be a necessary part of my daily routine.
I've been living in Paris and Copenhagen for the past 10 years.
I sold my car before moving to Europe, and never even felt the need of having one after that. In fact, I don't even have a driver's license anymore.
Currently, for me it's a 30 min walk between home and work. It's hard for me to imagine something healthier than this when it comes to commute (both physically and mentally).
We don't need cars. We need better cities.
This subreddit is about discussing and sharing information regarding car dependacy and car infrastructure that negatively impacts our lives.
We don't really hate cars (fuck trucks and massive sun's though. Those can go to hell)
I live in a village of less than 400 people. I have to get to work in the nearest city somehow. Hope fully I get an apartment I've been eyeing up as well as the job. Should turn my 30 minute drive into a 20 minute walk.
Yea, I have a car, but I've been using it only in days were I will get home like 01:30 am if using a bus. With the car, I will get 11:40 pm (it is only 2 days a week)
Yes, to both. If I can, I prefer to ride a bicycle. My current job does not allow me to ride to work, but I need to stick it out for a while unfortunately.
I moved from a big city to a little village. I had to buy a car. But I'm 37 and that's the first time in my life I commute by car. And I'm the kind of driver that you would like. I only buy used cars, I drive slow, and I always stop for walkers to cross or to stay behind bikes if not safe to pass them.
Ah and I don't drive to work, I drive the mandatory part of my commute, then park and take the train.
You do what you have to do. The issue is not really about cars, cars are needed for many people and situations. The real issue is about car-only commute, car priority and car drivers lack of charges when they create accidents
In general I think a movement that aims to change society should lead by good example but you cant expect to ignore that you need some things to be part of society. Having a car and be against car dependent society is not hypocritical. Owning a car park with the biggest SUVs and Trucks would be. I also own a car (or rather my FIL but his daughter and I use it like our own). Where we life grocery shopping is unrealistic without a car, traveling to our family is tricky without it and for my hobby I regulrly use the car aswell. I am all for better bus and train connections to all these things, but without them, I need a car.
Yep I have a car and use it weekly to do things like hiking. I'm on here because I use my bike daily for chores and commuting and I'd prefer never to use the car or use it as little as possible. I think cities are for people and cars are a terrible means to achieve this.
I'm moving to a rural area soon so I bought a car for the family. For now I'm commuting by bike and train since I work 3d/week far away, might need a second car when I change jobs to something local. :(
My parents are forcing me to learn how to drive, and when I get my license they will probably keep forcing me to drive, but as soon as I move out I won't get into the driver's seat again.
I don't own a car but I'm sympathetic to those for whom it is a necessity. I have able-bodied neighbours who work nearby and never walk anywhere. I know people who have free access to public transport but would still rather drive everywhere.
I live in a small walkable town with decent public transport but most of my neighbours never walk anywhere. Not only are they destroying their environment, they're also destroying their own health. Let them.
I have a 2005 Mustang which I love driving, I live in the South, public transportation is shit, and my workplace is 5 miles away, I can and have walked it before but obviously I do prefer my own car. Though outside of that I don't drive it much, I only put maybe 6-7k miles on it a year. Just because we're on a subreddit dedicated to hating car infrastructure doesn't mean we can't use it, sadly that's the problem is there isn't a feasible alternative for much of North America
I don't own a car, I live in Italy and I always take the bus everywhere, but I wanted to learn to drive just in case of emergencies where I absolutely need a car, so I'm in the process of getting my driving license
I hate every second of it: the costly fees, the driving, the constant focus on your surroundings while driving, the asshole drivers who don't follow traffic rules, the fact that NO ONE except me uses their blinkers on the road, the awfully _costly fees..._ I was regretting my decision the whole time until I got myself in a situation where I needed to go back and forth between the 2 most important cities in my region (a distance of 100+km ×2) and guess what? there isn't a good train connection between them (because of mountainous terrain) and there weren't any busses at the times I needed them, so the only viable solution is to go by car.
JUST BUILD AN EFFICIENT RAIL LINE BETWEEN THE 2 CITIES ALREADY
everyone _has to_ move by car between them and it sucks
I had a Skoda Fabia for 13 years. Sold it 3 years ago. Now I am car free. Still, about once a year I borrow a car for 3-4 days for a holiday. Then I also drive. I do my best to be a good driver. Be nice to cyclists. Yield to pedestrians. Stick to the limit.
I think it's ok to drive a bit every now and then. There are remote villages in Italy that you can't reach otherwise.
The problem is that we have lost control. Driving should be exceptional, not the standard. And it should be safe. Like cars should be electronically limited to 20mp/h or 30km/h in cities.
Yes. Even worse a gas guzzler of a truck. Which I do need because a) I live very rural in the mountains so even getting out of my driveway in the winter is a struggle with high clearance and four wheel drive and b) I really do use it for my small business, just yesterday I had a ton of landscaping mulch in there.
However the point is that I want to use it less. Our tiny town of 5000 used to have trains 5 times a day. They interviewed a person turning 100 for the local newspaper and she talked about how she used to be able to take the first train out to the nearest big city get her shopping done, have a nice lunch, visit her brother and then watch a football game and then take the last train home. I want that. Being able to sleep for two hours, have a nice day in the city, then come on home at midnight where you get to sleep again on the way home. Heck yeah. Yesterday cause I had to get some stuff from Home Depot I drove all the way. Was exhausted when I got there, just had time to do my shopping then turned around and came back and was super tired and grumpy when I got home. If we still had trains i could simply call them and ask them to put my lumber on the next train and just drive my truck into town to get it. Heck our next town is a half an hour away, plenty of people work there and live here. Imagine how much safer it would be if with our mountain weather they could simply get on the 8am train for work and the 6pm one home. That’s at least one less person dead from driving in a snowstorm a year. Even with all that i would probably still own a truck because cars will have their place but it should be a much better smaller one.
Yup, I have a car, but hardly drive it. I know that I am very priviliged to be able to afford to live in a completely walkable neighbourhood... so I do try and not get too high and mighty about other's reliance on cars. Our entire suburban housing model is based on car ownership, and there will be no overnight cure.
I have never in my life owned a car. The last time I drove one I was too young to do so legally (it was on private property). I'm middle-aged now but I've always managed to get around on foot, by bike, or by bus. Even when I lived in car-dominated cities. In my late teens and early 20s I spent my summers hitchhiking across Canada and exploring BC, now I go on camping trips by bike.
Not owning a car has given me the freedom to travel. My living expenses are significantly cheaper without one so I don't have to live my whole life at work just to pay for one, and I don't spend 2 hours a day sitting in traffic so I actually have time to go out and enjoy the weather.
Just because you live in a society/system that makes car use a requirement, it doesn’t mean you have to agree with it.
I have a car but hate car culture.
I do not own or plan to own a car, but I do drive my friends' cars from time to time usually for intercity trips where we share the wheel so we don't fall asleep driving. It's more economical than flying. If I am going to Ankara though, I take the train.
I own two cars.
One is purely a hobby car. The other is part hobby car part used for errands and/or trips that are particularly difficult due to car dependent infrastructure and lack of good transit options.
That said, my spouse and I use a car maybe once every week or two weeks, sometimes less frequently.
A car is an optional luxury for us that we use infrequently.
Our regular car is a 2014 Subaru BRZ, when we lived in a much more car dependent place than we do now it served about 99% of our needs. Now that we live somewhere less car dependent it servers probably 99.5% and we use it rarely.
In the rare occasion, once every few years, that we need something bigger we rent.
The project car is a 1993 Honda Prelude. It is built out as a track car.
2014 Nissan Versa Note hand me down from my mom. Barely even put 4k miles on it per year, mostly for the occasional work related travel in the state that I can't take a train to (conferences and meetings) and to visit my folks in Asheville. I live the Richmond's Fan District and work downtown. I likely put as many miles walking and biking per year as my car and more miles on the bus and train.
We have a 2005 compact car. We mainly use public transport & active travel, but my husband is disabled & sometimes can't really cope with alternatives.
I would like to get rid of it & use car sharing instead; that wasn't available when we got the car.
I have to commute. It's the worst. It's basically a pay cut. However I always think "cars are not natural. Pedestrians are the norm and have been for thousands of years. Jaywalking is an urban legend and we are killing the planet" whenever I get off of long stretches of interstate into urban sprawl. I'm more blessed than most in terms of density as a Kentuckian. There are suburbs of Houston that give me cold chills
I have one. I rarely use it. I live in a major city with good transit, pedestrian, and bicycle infrastructure. I drive to occasionally get out of the city and access hiking and skiing.
Frankly if it died tomorrow I wouldn't get a new one. I keep it because it's long paid off and my insurance is under $100/month.
Totally makes sense to me. I don't like to drive, and I don't own a car myself. But my wife is required to have one for work (field sales means she has to travel to far-flung locations for her job) and it sure is convenient to have. I'm trying to get her into ebikes for short-distance trips, but I am also careful not to be That Guy who tries to bully his partner into liking all the same stuff he's into.
Mine broke down 2 years ago I saw it coming so I was kind of mentally prepared to shoulder being a pedestrian in the car dependent southeastern united states.
We try to manage everything with a single car, which is already an exception over here. We do have a cargo bike that can hold all our kids for school runs so for short-distance we have an eco-friendly backup.
I did just order a second car through my work but that's mainly because it barely costs me anything and it would allow us to drive electrical instead of fossil fuel a lot more. We still need our current car because then new one will probably struggle to fit 3 child seats and I still need to occasionally tow something but I doubt we'll use both cars at the same time that often.
Spouse and I have a car. Just a regular sedan, fully paid for, union made. We're working on decreasing our reliance on it, but living in a semi-rural area, a vehicle is most likely always going to be part of our lives in some form.
I (we) have a (one) car because it's too expensive to move to a walk/bike/better transit neighborhood, even if we sold the car. That COL/housing crisis is real.
We aim to drive only when it's logical -- significant time savings vs. transit, multiple people, cargo, no transit option, driving out of town or into the wilderness lol, etc.
Regular in-office work day or going downtown for an event or night out - always transit.
Driving into the city is awful and to be avoided when possible. Here in the suburban outer rim, not really other good options. No bike infrastructure, and most transit just goes one axis so isn't useful to get around locally. Distances too long to walk and hit or miss on sidewalks + fast cars zipping by.
Oh sorry we do actually have one road with bike lanes, but they are painted gutters and the traffic goes 70+ km/h with lots of large trucks dragging wheels into the "bike lane" lol
I drive my mum's car sometimes, even as a European some cities are car dependant. Luckily I moved recently, closer to the bus and metro lines, and can now afford to only use public transportation and my bike.
Anywhere id want to get to takes 3-5x longer to get to by transit than by car, even in parking lot traffic, and i value my sleep and free time, so i’m stuck with my car until things get better.
And i value my life too much to bike alongside Kyle’s F150 going 20 over the speed limit, so that’s a no-go for me as well
Car owner here, and I drive a decent amount to get kids to sports practices, grocery shopping, etc, and my family takes road trips to rural areas. I am trying to minimize my car usage (I take Metro downtown and walk to my local Aldi/coffee shop), but realistically, I don’t think I can go car free.
It’s not that driving is all bad. It’s just that we’re trying to get away from a car-first mindset.
We have a new(ish) practical automobile. Two adults and 1 child. I am slowly changing my ways, my partner didn’t have one before I came along, and now I’m the one who daily drives a bike
Yes I have a car, I have to to do some of the things which help my physical and mental health (hiking, getting into nature etc) and for commuting. However big advocate for change and use my ebike for as many journeys as possible aswell as trains
I own a car, and even sometimes drive it! However, I own it out of necessity (where I currently live, there is no other realistic way to get to my parents' house - the local car club doesn't offer sufficient flexibility, and the bus routes don't mesh well). I use once a week or so for going to classes, but generally with at least one friend as a passenger. It gets a very short run to the shops on a Saturday to do the big shop, largely because loo roll is a giant PITA on a bike. If there was a better option locally, I'd give it up in a heartbeat. I did manage about 6 years without a car, but honestly, it was getting to the point where I was relying on others to go out of their way to help me live like that, which is do-able in your mid-20s, but harder to pull off when you're in your mid-30s and earning more than the people who do have cars.
I do my commute by bike/bus and train.
I have a car, it's a Peugeot estate and I do less than 2,000 miles a year on it. I would trade it in for an electric cargo bike in a heartbeat but I don't know how I'd manage longer journeys as the thought of paying £300 for me and my family to get the train to any part of the country makes me die inside a little when that's the yearly cost of my car insurance.
My husband and I share a car. We were excited to sell our second, and are trying to get the maximum lifespan out of our remaining car in hopes that by the time it needs replacing, we’ll have figured something better out. We use the car primarily on weekends to see friends across town, go hiking in the woods, etc. and our bikes are our “daily drivers” for shorter stuff including my commute.
I do have a car, and sometimes use it (about once in 2 weeks). I will use it this weekend to transport 25 stepping stones to home.
Otherwise I still say that daily usage is utterly ridiculous and harmful. I cycle daily everywhere (even groceries with bicycle trailer), and my 7 yo cycles to school as well (with me, while I have my 5 yo in the seat).
It's not about having a car, it's about overusing and towns being built around cars are the problem.
Yep. I drive a gas guzzler Ford Crown Victoria (the iconic cop car) so I felt the gas price extortion push/pull before anyone else does. I'm a car enthusiast, but that doesn't stop me from wondering if there's a better way to commute for day-to-day life than just getting stuck in traffic with some road rage and being stressed about more bad drivers popping up nowadays.
Covid lockdown gave me time to experiment with different ways to commute--I didn't need to go anywhere much so I don't really need my car except for grocery every month or so. I thought the less cars on the road the better traffic/driving is, but to my surprise the few drivers who are out there tend to make brasher/bolder shortcuts and infractions, so the problem isn't traffic, it's the car (and "car-brain" mentality of making everything convenient for the car and driver).
I decide not to be part of the problem and instead ride my bike to the grocery store. Surprisingly it gave me an immense mental health boost (not to mention physical benefits). Besides, I live really close to one (less than 1km!) so I don't see the point of driving a car too short a distance to properly warm up its engine. Of course, even though I obeyed the road laws on the bicycle I was met with hostility, further highlighting what is wrong with car-centric road design. Naturally, I opted to ride to a farther grocery store (3km away) so I don't have to cross a stroad, but I understand why not many people walk/cycle around here.
Yes I have a compact sedan that I need to get around my city because it has such abysmal public transit. There are a few places I can get to with transit so I use transit when it’s an option but more often than not it’s not viable or not an option period.
I drive a car, my town is getting better but not quite bike friendly. Also they've been a part of the country that has a ton of hills and snow so there's that too.
I did, but that was when I still lived with my parents in a more rural area with subpar public transport. But even then I still used to go around by bike to the most places nearby or just walked if I felt like it and had the time.
Now I live in a city and havent driven since then. I can get everywhere I need by foot or by bus/tram/train. A car would just swallow up money that Id rather spend elsewhere.
Also as a side effect I lost a lot of weight.
We are a 1 car family. We can't get rid of the car because we are in a place without transit, I have a disability that drastically limits movement and requires trips to a specialist over 3 hours away by vehicle, we live in an area with extreme winter weather. Sometimes fuck cars is a harm reduction approach while sustainable alternatives are put into place rather than an instant abolition
Yes, my wife and I share a sedan. It's fairly efficient, was a good deal used, and by supplementing it with planned shared trips and bikes, with a bike rack, we make the low car lifestyle work. It's so much less expense than trying to keep 2 cars maintained an fueled. I would like to do without entirely, but the infrastructure, and distances as they are currently don't make that possible. That's why I advocate for change, safe routes, denser development, and expanded mass transit. Things are improving where I am, but it's still the deep south with car centric thinking, and frequent extreme weather. As I'm not willing to move, already owning a small, but paid for home, and having an established career, my best options are to stay the course, and advocate for a better future.
I have one bc my current and past living situations have necessitated it. I really hope that one day in the (near enough) future that I can lead a car-free life. I think that’s a shared sentiment here: enjoying an environment constructed with people’s needs first (walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented).
Car culture is so awful and intertwined with capitalism, nationalism, misogyny/racism, and our pervasive status quo of senseless violence/extravagant technology.
It takes people living in car dependent cities to really understand how bad it is living in car dependant cities. You can absolutely advocate for change while being at the mercy of the status quo. Any movement that requires a purity test is a movement doomed to implode into itself. Drive if you have to. Just don't be a carbrain.
I do. I’m staying close to family in Boston because they’re getting older. Anywhere walkable in Boston is unbelievably expensive so I live a bit outside the main city
Really wish that supply and demand would tell people that we want more walkable places…
I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of people here do own a car, because they HAVE to. And that's the crux of the issue, a lot of people wish they didn't have to have a car, but because of car dependency its nearly impossible not to. If anything it probably galvanizes peoples opinions against cars more because you are dealing with traffic, smog, crashes, etc. daily. Plus paying tons of money for something you resent having to own in the first place.
I have a car for trips I can't take by train, bus or foot. I advocate for better public infrastructure and try to lead by example by busing or walking when I have to go somewhere in town, but my city is small enough that you can walk across it in about an hour and a half. The number of people who are shocked when I walk 4 miles to a carpool is sadly way too high. Outside of town, the infrastructure is too dangerous with windy roads and no shoulders. It's too dangerous to walk or bike. For that, I drive, but I'd take a bus or train if it were available.
Wait whaaaaat?
You guys are inherently part of a system and want to change it from the inside out and can't partake in any of the benefits of our technology because of principles you hold whaaaaat?!
But on a serious note, I think it is okay to have a car, so as long as the car is frugal for your needs and only for long journey's.. I think using cars in metropolitan areas is just silly.
I do, and I share your outlook. Cars have their uses. But there should be safer and cheaper alternatives that have priority when city-planning.
My car is basically a big-grocery-trip-to-suburban-Korean-grocery-mobile at this point. I also lend it out to car-less friends when I’m out of town, if that will help them not buy cars that they wouldn’t otherwise need.
Yes, a Nissan. Pretty gas efficient. I’m in college so I go back and forth to and from home a lot and I live in Texas, so public transport is not an option really.
My spouse and I have an electric car. While we use public transit as much as we can, there are some tasks that would take a couple hours instead of half an hour by public transit. If local public transit were better, I'd use it more.
Both a car and a motorcycle, both of which is use for almost all of my transportation needs. I would use public transit quite happily, but my commute takes 20 minutes by car, and 1h 45min by bus. I don't have an extra 2h to waste every single day.
I could also ride a bike there, but there are many many hills, i'd be drenched in sweat, and exhausted. An ebike would solve this, but i can't afford one, nor would it realistically replace my car (winter weather is really not all that bikable here).
I'm not here because i particularly hate cars, i'm here because i hate the idea that the only sensible way to get somewhere is by driving there.
Even if we got better public transit, the motorcycle (ok it's a scooter, sue me) stays.
I actually am an EV enthusiast, just from an electrical and engineering standpoint, but I absolutely hate the dystopian car-dependent hellscape we live in here in the US
I have a car for two primary reasons. There is a 23 acre dog park on the San Francisco Bay (Point Isabel) that is phenomenal, but only accessible by car or bike. And I do love to get out and hike in the hunter lands of norther California. But 80% of my travel is public transit and walking (30% & 50% respectively) hence why I am here 😌
Got 3 kids. Can't get to costco without 'sharing the road' so we have an older van. I'll probably replace it with the VW electric van when the time comes.
I own a family station wagon. Though we do 95% of all our daily activities either on foot, or by bicycle. I purchased it outright in cash during the start of the pandemic and is minimal $ to insure and maintain.
I find “freedom” in options, not in worshipping car centric development and ways of life. I love that I don’t „need” a car, but it is nice to have to explore the nearby small towns, forest, and for emergencies/extenuating circumstances.
I have a number of cars, all 20-40 years old. they’re fascinating machines, and I live in the country where storage is no problem. they mostly work, and all serve different roles. after working as a taxi driver and a touring musician, I’ve still come to the conclusion that I want to drive less and less- but I want to have an interesting, engaging experience when I still do drive. despite enjoying the machines and driving, I recognize that car culture is a unaffordable status symbol contest, an ecological disaster, and is fueling horrific soulless development patterns. and it’s incredibly unfair for us to design a world where people need to use cars just to survive. enjoying cars and using them is no barrier to critiquing the automobile’s terrible role in our society.
I drive an 20 year old pickup. I use it for hauling metal and other parts of my welding business. I live close enough to downtown that I can ride my bike for everything else
I have a car and a motorcycle. The motorcycle is loud, but I prefer it for trips where I NEED a vehicle.
My FAVORITE mode of transportation is my bicycle or my legs. Sadly, infrastructure in my area actively discouraged that. I’ve almost been flattened on my way to college over and over again. I’ve been an INCH away from being meat on the pavement from a car that did not see me and turned into me on the way to work. If I hadn’t braked, I’d be dead. If he hadn’t braked, I’d be dead. We BOTH had to screech to a halt to prevent my fatality. (I was 100% in a bike lane with ROW)
I drive a commercial van for work. Can't imagine doing any of my work without all my tools and ladders on hand. For everything else I take my bike + public transport. I still don't own my own car.
I believe cars are still useful for work purposes but literally we can cut out 8 lanes of highway for rail instead and we'd all be happier for it. Those who actually need to drive get clearer streets (I could get more service calls done for work) and those who commute by public transit will get better service (I could actually do more errands on the weekend).
I don't own a car and get around using my bike or public transit. I do have a licence, and if I need a car for something I would borrow my parents' MG ZS. If that wasn't an option, I would probably join one of the car-shares operating here, or possibly just rent a car when I needed one.
If I wanted a car, I would need to get a parking spot in the condominium I live in, which would be the cost a second, decently good, new car. Needless to say, I save a lot of money not having one.
I do regularly ride cars as a passenger though. Mostly joining my parents on weekend outings.
No you're good, a lot of people here have cars out of necessity, but advocate for change anyway. The whole basis of the sub isn't fighting cars, but car dependency and many of us live in the thick of it.
That's fair, I used to live in Istanbul and considered anyone driving crazy. I could get to work for 20p. in half an hour versus up to 2 hours by car.
Meanwhile my drive to work near Los Angeles is 10 mins, or a 1 hour bus ride.
It's seriously astonishing how badly planners screwed up LA. Second largest city in the US. Year round warm climate. Liberal stronghold. Cities half their size with below freezing winters in the rust belt have better urbanism.
I remember seeing somewhere that the company that made the monorail for disney offered to make a train system for LA, and the city turned them down
There's a documentary about how LA got so screwed up with it's public transportation called _Who Framed Roger Rabbit?_
California in general is a great case study in what happens when the unstoppable force of economic innovation meets the immovable object of bad land use policy. Many of its biggest current problems — mass homelessness, a severe housing crisis, traffic, overpriced infrastructure projects, overpriced everything, even some crime — stem directly from bad planning. And it’s really strangling a place that otherwise has all the natural advantages you could ask for.
100% this. Mixed use neighborhoods make it a thousand times easier for evrrything. If you're just starting out it's so much easier to find a small private flat instead of having multiple strangers split a house. You can walk and not need a car, as opposed to shilling out hundreds and hundreds per month on a car. I don't understand how California can justify its gas prices either when the fact there is literally no alternative to cars.
Lived there for 30 years. It’s a shithole top to bottom. Zero urban planning. Will never improve and living costs will continue to go up until the San Andreas fault ruptures and kills 5M people. OC is a little better but is still heavily “car based” if the Irvine Company made the streets 20 feet wider and just put in streetcars it would have been even better. Plus connectors to SNA airport and UCI and people who lived there wouldn’t need a car unless they wanted to go to the beach because you know the asshats in Newport Beach don’t want any mass public transport going thru their neighborhoods.
Rust belt places have the advantage of being developed pre-automobile. LA was clearly built for cars as is so much of California.
What is it by bicycle? Even possible?
At the moment, due to construction, it's 45 min to an hour to my husband's work by car, about 2 hours by bus, and there is no bike route I've found that wouldn't get him killed. They're putting in new bridges for a new freeway and the best road and the mixed use path are both closed. The next through road north is down to one lane. The next through road is closed. The next through road is closed. So, yeah. The closest through road south of us is an interstate and the closest north is reached by a truck route. Normally, though, 20-25 by car, not including walking from parking, 30 by bike, 1 1/2 hrs by bus not including however you travel the 4 miles to the bus stop. By bike, the trip is 7. I don't think he's ever ridden that bus. My "commute" to work is about 30 feet. This was not the whole cause, but they cancelled all the bus lines near our neighborhood, and I got a fully remote job. I used to work about a mile further down the mixed use path from his job.
Here in the states it’s unfortunately the opposite. My commute to work is a 20 minute drive. Via public transit it would be a 15-20 minute walk to the train then over an hour on the train, then another 15-20 minutes via bus to my final destination. It’s just not viable outside of cities like nyc or Chicago. I would kill for the opportunity to have proper and safe public transit.
Me too, it's the same situation where I live now.
I can't believe they put a highway around the coast of such a historic city.
I live in Istanbul as well and a car is a necessity for me because the damn m12 couldn’t open, whereas my friend in Erenkoy laughs at people driving to work when he can hop on the suburban line. Even within a city there are car dependent areas that you can’t avoid. But we should advocate for change
I also used to live in Istanbul and I drove a car for different reasons through my life; - When I was young, I liked the freedom. (2005-2008) - They gave me one from work. (2008-2011) Since 2016, I live in Germany. In two weeks, I'm selling my car and then signing up for a motorcycle license.
I love driving. Hate having to drive. I’ll gladly do an inter city drive through the old highways enjoying the scenery just making a journey out of the to I hate having to go to a shoot in my car because public transport here is too crowded because the government is too busy making a coastal road that allows only private 4 wheelers on it
Exactly this. Love to drive to remote locations and enjoy the ride. Hate having to drive every day to work
I didn’t buy my first car until I was in my 30s and even then I didn’t use it for my daily commute. Train, bike, or bus (or sometimes Uber/taxi) were preferable most days. I’d only drive in certain scenarios like when I needed to get to a specific place after work that was hard to get to on time via transit. Otherwise the car was just for personal things/hobbies, travel, and enjoyment. IMHO, that’s how it should be. Cars can exist and have their place, but they aren’t something everyone should need to own. You should be able to live a fulfilling and happy life without them. Not really an issue for me anymore, but I shudder to think how annoying my 20s would have been in a car dependent place unless I was willing to just be a shitbag and drive drunk. I never had to think about my ability to drink, deal with designated drivers, etc…could just go to a happy hour, go out and party, enjoy an impromptu whiskey tasting, etc. without issue.
We did that in March/April for the eclipse. We went cross country on old roads, mostly, and had a blast. But in city driving? Why?!
Ownership isn't a problem necessarily either way. There's a lot more to car culture than just owning it, and driving it once in a while. Just if everyone would decrease their car usage, that'd already be a step in the right direction.
I wish that was completely true. The reality is that there are people in this sub who don’t own a car and think that just because they can do it, anyone can.
Yeah lmao like that guy that started tweaking bc he got an ad for a pickup truck bro this sub has gone downhill
i have a car, and i have to travel a lot for work. in my free time, the last thing i want to be doing is driving in the city. i love to bike and ride the bus when i can. whenever i have to haul gear around, the insane traffic makes me wish more people took public transit. less traffic to hold up buses, more space for drivers. everybody wins. Fuck car dependency. support options for everybody
I agree, the main reason I switched to driving my commute was because it's cheaper including parking
Now *that* is a policy failure! Parking is too cheap. :)
Yeah idk how storing your personal 2 tons of metal only you can use could be so cheap. We really do hide certain problems behind policy as a society, whether its meat production, oil or cars or whatever.
2 tons of metal? Maybe if I were towing a golf behind me. My cars only 3/4 of a tonne at best and that's with me inside it.
Don't say that, it's £300 a year
I can pay $60-90 a month or $60 for an unlimited bus pass. That assumes there's any reasonable way for me to ride the bus now that they canceled all three routes anywhere near me. I chose getting a remote job. I can't say parking is free before I'm paying for the house, but I'm not paying even more for parking anymore. I don't understand those who can easily walk to a bus stop, ride one bus to right in front of their workplace, and still pay those parking fees, though. Especially when they then complain about how bad traffic is.
We have a car because we live in America, and not New York or Chicago. We are remedying that by moving to Europe soon. The car will be gifted, and we won't be purchasing a new one unless absolutely necessary.
Nyc and Chicago aren’t the only places you can be car free in America.
I was diagnosed with a stroke a coupla weeks ago. State law says that is an automatic 60 day ban on driving. I don't drive a lot, but this is still a car-brained city in California. I **can** be car free if I really work at it. And so yesterday my doctor told me that they're not sure what actually happened in my noggin, but it wasn't a stroke. Neurology is trying to figure out what exactly it was. "We don't know what it was, but a stroke is the worst case and it wasn't that." And suddenly I'm allowed to drive again.
I lost my license over a decade ago, because one doctor thought I may have had a seizure. By the time we figured out it was a cardiac event, the paperwork was already filed. I still haven't fixed it, in part because the paperwork involved is a lot, and moreso because since then I moved to Brooklyn and haven't had any need to drive. One of these days I gotta get it sorted for the rare time I might need to rent a vehicle, but the cardiology maintenance comes first. Edit: I also owed money for points on the license; I was not a good driver. Didn't see much point in paying them after it was suspended, though now I wonder if that decision might hurt me long term. Ah well.
I have epilepsy, and I got my license back after a year seizure free on medication. The paperwork wasn't that bad for me. My neurologist filled out a form, and I took it to the DOL. Done and done. For the money you didn't pay, you'll likely have to pay it plus late fees plus a reinstatement fee plus the cost of the license itself.
Yeah, I should probably get back to it since I'll be seeing my cardiologist soon and have had no issues for over a decade. The last annoying thing was since I had moved states, NJ wouldn't even send me the paperwork until I updated my State ID with new address...which has changed again. Might as well give em a call.
I moved states while mine was suspended, and it really wasn't an issue for me. But I didn't owe any money. I think. ;) If I lived somewhere I could get away with no vehicle, I'd love it. Working from home, I've gotten pretty close, but they keep cancelling bus lines around me and shutting down bike paths (temporary= a year or more) because they're building a new freeway. Tbh, it's hard to get anywhere I need to go by car now, too. I wish there was a decent neurologist on my side of the city. I did find a new rheumatologist over here... And there's construction on the trail that way now, too. SMH
Oh absolutely. The biggest reason I haven't gotten it back is because I really don't need to. I live in Brooklyn and take the subway everywhere. Still need to get a good bike to get across town, since I don't think the Brooklyn-Queens line will be built for another decade, if ever.
I knew this would come up as a comment when I was writing the comment. I know. There's a man who works down at the local grocery store who doesn't have a car. It's a small town kinda in the middle of nowhere in the mid Atlantic. He walks a mile and a half to work. The next closest grocery store is 20 minutes away by car. The bus service is non existent. No passenger rail within 45 minutes (by car). He is car free by financial circumstance, though. You can live just about anywhere without a car. I mean, that's what people did before it was invented and mass produced. But that doesn't mean being without one is convenient or empowers you to thrive. And that's why we're moving to somewhere that does offer those options.
> You can live just about anywhere without a car. I mean, that's what people did before it was invented and mass produced But back then, provision was made for living without a car. In the early 20th century: You didn't have 10 miles of sprawling suburbs. Your town would have had a railway station and likely a tram or trolley-bus network. Roads would have been much safer to cycle or walk on. Or if you're talking pre-industrial, well, life was crap and going anywhere more than the next village was a difficult trek. You don't want to go back to that.
I’m in a smaller city in America and it’s fine. Grocery store down the street. I can bike to almost anywhere in the city and burbs. It’s a mindset and planning. Like for example if you don’t want to drive everywhere, when you move look for the things you need. I’m honestly quite privileged to not own a car. It’s weird to say but it’s true.
I'm really happy for you. If you don't mind, could you DM me the city or rough area? That way, if something doesn't work out for us in Europe, we have another possibility on our list of potential places to move back to in the US?
I totally did look. I limited my house search to 1/2 mile or less to a bus stop. A month after I moved in, they cancelled that line, and it was about 3/4 mile to the next. Then, a few months later, they cancelled that line, so it was 2 1/2 miles. Guess what they just cancelled? I am about 1 mile from a pretty decent mixed use path, but right now it's closed between me and anywhere useful - for maybe a year - because they're building a new freeway. 4 roads are, as well. I'm 9 miles from downtown but either have to take the interstate about 4 miles south of me or go North on a truck route to a rural route detour that's bumper to bumper now and not at all safe for a bike even at the best of times. Luckily, I very very rarely have a reason to be downtown, but I do miss being able to take a bus to buy groceries or use that bike path rather than having to ride along the side of a truck route and over a bridge and train tracks. Ordering grocery delivery kind of defeats the purpose of not driving. Plus, they tell me things aren't there that clearly are, substitute random ass stuff when I say no substitutes, and choose the most beat up fruit and veggies I've ever seen.
I hate to tell you, but in most places in Europe a car is still a convenience, even if not an absolute necessity. That's why there are loads of Europeans on here. There are so many things where driving a car shouldn't be the better option, but currently is. I keep complaining on here how ridiculous it is that to take my kids to visit their grandparents takes 20 mins by car, but 90 mins by public transport, and the public transport costs more than the incremental cost of using the car. And that's despite living next to a rail station, and near several bus routes.
I know. We've visited multiple times in order to narrow down where we want to live in order to not have to require a car to thrive. We've found one, and now we're navigating the visa requirements stage to move there. If you said that you live next to a rail station, and near several bus routes in America, that would put you in one of like a half dozen metropolitan areas. In Europe, that doesn't really narrow much down at all, except you live somewhere near a rail station.
Sorry, I should have said I live in London, and near a bunch of public transport. Anyway, good luck with your move.
No, it's all good. I was just trying to make the point that the public transit is so much more robust and available in many many places in Europe. Thank you for the well wishes.
Europe is hugely carbrained and car-addicted, much more than many Americans here realise, but at the same time it’s possible to live without a car in most towns if you also work in the same town. Even the shittest towns have some kind of bus service (and often rail and/or trams), grocery stores and other shops in residential areas, and a walkable core with little or no car traffic. If you work remotely or find a job and a home relatively close to each other, you can be car-free pretty easily, if somewhat boldly. A lot of Europeans own a car because they basically need it (or think they do) to commute (because moving is painful, jobs change, different family members work in different places, life happens), and then it’s “well, I have a car I’m already paying for, I might as well drive to this other place rather than spend more time on public transport”. From what I gather (I’ve visited but never lived there), North America is different; public transport and walkable town cores are not a given, and you might need to drive for basic necessities even if they are.
Yes, 2016 Mazda MX-5. I get gas once every other month.
I wish... My 2012 Toyota Aygo gets filled up weekly these days, at £1.50/l it's painful but somehow still cheaper than going by public transport.
Nice! Soft or hard top?
Soft top 😁
Hell I've been in the auto industry for the past 25 years.
Fair does. What sort of role are you in?
Middle management right now, I've been working on powertrain efficiency for most of the 25 years. Did a lot of work on alternative fuels, mostly hydrogen, and over the last five years or so EV's. Every time I dug deeper into the impact of engines + automobiles, it came closer to the conclusion that we need to avoid them entirely. I'd leave if I could, but I've had a lot of trouble finding roles in which I could have a positive impact on the world; I'm a bit pigeon-holed unfortunately.
Fwiw your work did a great deal to help the environment. Just because there is more work to be done doesn’t mean we haven’t made great strides in typical passenger automobiles. And the true devil is something that only governments can solve by investing in railroads and extra taxes for ocean liners and long haul trucking. Which they would never do because of citizens united v fec
That's funny, I'm currently researching powertrain efficiency in aerospace applications.
I own a Toyota Camry that I drive here and there. I bike to work daily or take the bus. I also have a cargo bike and a carriage for lugging kids and stuff. People think going to Costco on bike is weird.. I call it Saturday. Camry is basic and will last forever, considering I basically only drive it once a week.
Mine is like a miniature version of a camry, also being Toyota with bulletproof engines and basic everything else. I'm hoping it lives until it's 20, then I'll have 8 years to save up and get an EV.
Should last more than 20 years if you don't drive it to death. I've had a 30 year old Honda and a truck from the same year. Just gotta change the oil once a year to make sure there's no water building up. I think last year I spent less than $200 on gasoline...
Yep. I'm a journalist for a local newspaper and need a car to be able to get around the community and report on stories. It's also part of my employment agreement that reporters need cars. I did just get a used EV so I don't have to pay for gas, it's the lesser of the evils. I bike for every other possible trip, however. Cargo bike for the win :)
My mate has got an old cargo bike that we've partially restored together. It's nice, but it'll take me 8 hours to get to work lol
Yeah I'm in a similar situation. 44 km commute :(
I'm a bit of a radical and arrange my life to live without a car. I live in rural England so not so easy and there are tradeoffs, definitely things that would be much easier with a car. We planned where we live based on proximity to bus and rail, so it's not the typical experience in rural England. I think for me, the benefits of not having my own 2-tonne metal depreciating money sink is worth the sacrifices. I realise that others may not have that luxury, even if they would prefer it.
That's quite an achievement in rural England. I've been car free here and there but always with rail and bus within a mile or two. Now I'm in a city so can just walk to like 30 pubs etc. And cycle to many more.
You would be surprised by how many car enthusiast actually support the sub. People want to drive cars for FUN and look after them as a hobby/activity. They don’t want to be forced to drive for day to day activities and to commute in one.
Can confirm, I'm a car enthusiast who owns several cars. Less people commuting means less traffic, which makes driving more fun. Most car makers also don't care about enthusiasts at all because we're such a small market segment, and less people commuting via car means auto makers have to actually make fun cars for people that enjoy and appreciate them.
Yup this should be higher up. I hate the car-centric world we live in and think every part of society would be better without cars. But… I own a car and I really love driving. I also need one where I live (regional city) to do most things. When I travel to Melbourne (nearest big city) I drive there but then use PT in the city as much as possible
yes. drive it once a month. wife drives it once a week or so. take my bike most of the time and public transit occasionally, but still more frequently than the car.
My household has multiple. Because where I live, it is impossible to do so without one. Doesn't mean I don't hate each and every one of them, and would trade them in an instant if there was anything remotely like transit infrastructure here (or could convince my significant other to move away from her aging parents to a place where that existed). >I fully expect to be downvoted to oblivion, but I'm just seeking different opinions and viewpoints. Eh, the only downvotes I'd expect is because of the disingenuous way that phrase was tossed in. I can't speak for anyone here but myself, but I'd hazard a guess that most here acknowledge that some level of car existence is probably a modern societal necessity. We're just awfully damned tired of society built around the idea that requires EVERYBODY needing a car to do almost ANYTHING.
That's fair. we're a household of 4 with 4 cars for the same reason, all small 3 cylinder compacts, likely soon to be 3. As from the downvoting point of view, I've only been lurking and haven't gone too indepth. The reaction to the post so far has been great.
I have not owned a car for about 15 years.
I live in a pretty walkable city in Eastern Europe and I have a 0.9 liter Renault Clio that I RARELY use for city, I mostly use it to get to my parent which live about 160km from me because the car is the only way to get to them. The infuriating fact is that close to my parents there are 2 rail lines that stop pretty close to them but NO TRAIN is available. Those tracks are abandoned. For a quarter of the trip I drive next to the rail line and I wish I could just take a train to enjoy the view because it's beautiful there, but I have to concentrate on the road.
I do not. Just an electric bicycle and transit pass
I am in San Diego and sold my car about a month ago. I was driving it maybe monthly; transit is okayish here and I’m pretty happy to ride my bike twenty miles to have lunch with a friend for the instances where transit isn’t convenient The use cases where I kinda miss having a car are group outings or transporting furniture. I’ve found that for the first one, at least one person in the group probably owns a car. If nobody does, then they’re probably used to taking transit or cycling so we can just do that to get where we’re going. For the second; anything smaller than a coffee table will fit on my bike, or I can just pay for shipping. I’m enjoying not owning one
Yeah the worst part about not having a car is seeing nice furniture and thinking it's not worth having to coordinate with someone that has a car for something that big... nevermind that like a 3rd of our current place is stairs
Yes, loads of people here do. I have to have a car for work, and I want to have a car anyway because I like cars and driving, but I want to need to use it less because there are better alternatives, and I don't want cars making residential roads unlivable.
yeah, i drive an e-golf and i live in a fairly rural place
That's fair, I plan to keep my car until it falls in half because it's it's been really good to me. By the time that happens, I'd like to get an electric one. I commute from the edge of a city to a neighbouring city, but our trains are sparse, unreliable, and takes over 2 hours. With the car because I tend to travel outside of peak hours (11-7), it takes a quarter of the time at a third of the cost, including parking.
I don’t but I know a lot of people need to.
Did you really think in a sub of 400,000 people, none of us would drive a car?
I don't have a car or a license. I live somewhere that I have can walk, ride a bike, take a bus or train to easily get around.
Yep I have a car. Honestly some of the posts on here are just weird hate on people for owning cars. Owning cars is not the problem - it’s the usage and the systemic favouritism towards cars that’s more important
I consider myself a three season cyclist. I would be willing to bike in the winter here in Canada but the maintenance of bike paths is rather limited. I still do some errands by bike year round but it’s only feasible on specific routes. Otherwise I’m “car-lite” where I have a car but mainly use it for road trips and the like, not daily use
OP ... 3-cylinder ? Is this an older Mazda with the rotary engine ?
No, it's an inline 3, variable valved economy box. It'll get 67 horsepower from 998ccs of displacement. But it weighs fuck all too so its good for 80mph. (It'll still get better fuel economy than most cars going 60)
Yes, but I drive it rarely, maybe once every couple of weeks. And honestly if everyone had a car but used it like that we'd be ok. It's the peak time journeys from people doing it every day that cause problems.
Yup. I can hate the fact that we live in a society designed around them at the same time that I have one.
Most people here drive at least a bit. We don't have a choice lol
Loads of people have cars here. I would assume the majority opinion is that individual ppl who own/drive cars because its the easiest is understandable, but most ppl don't like that our society is designed to prioritize driving over other forms of transportation, especially with the massive negative effects driving has on health, safety, the environment, and efficient city design. Like I have a 2002 Toyota Tacoma I drive about 120 miles every weekend. This isn't really environmentally friendly, but I have to in order to visit and take care of my parents on the weekends because other forms of transport are just not feasible. I would like to live in a world where it isn't impossible to reach my family without a car, but because of the current conditions, its required for me to be able to reach my family.
I still have my reichmobile (that's what I call my bmw because of the history of the maker) from my carbrain past. But I barely drive it, I'm procrastinating to sell it.
Yes. Its just too dangerous going in by bike. That's road wise and there are a lot of homicides here. When 2 people where shot in front of my work I was told by all 3 of my bosses individually to drive in lol. Outside of that the road infrastructure doesn't support cyclists, so I have to ride on a stroad with cars going 70+. That typically didn't bother me but its definitely not a safe route. I remember getting downvoted on this sub for commuting at 25+ mph on my bike but really on stroads and country roads, speed is safe. We're moving in August so hopefully I can go back to ABATT (all bike all the time).
I have a car, that I drive every so often. It’s a convertible and honestly I love the car. What I hate, is car dependency. Suburban developments, and moats of parking. I mostly just take the bus and the train. I take my car to go to Costco or Sam’s club and the occasional Walmart because I don’t bike. Also it’s useful to have a car to go to places that are literally in the middle of nowhere. But my main mode of transportation is public transportation.
I can drive but I don’t have a car (I bike and use public transport). I hire a car once or twice a year mainly for family outings. About 5 or 6 times a year I drive a big van for a charity I work with. This works for me, owning a car would add a lot of complications and cost to my life.
I don't. I fortunately live in a city with pretty good public transport, and for most things I need to do, I can walk or bike. I don't want people to be dependent on cars and I'd like the number of cars to be reduced as much as possible (i.e., have cars for emergencies, for people who really need them, and for deliveries), but I l don't blame people who depend on them the way it is currently.
I don't own a car, but I do drive on occasion as there are several car sharing stations and rental agencies within walking or biking distance. The majority of my trips are by bicycle.
I own a bunch. I'm a HUGE nut for almost anything with wheels. But I *loathe* the car dependent lifestyle that defines much of the US because it's miserable and terrible for the planet. And even though I own so many very expensive cars, I still live in a condo downtown. I put more miles on my electric skateboards and scooters than I do my cars. I have 2 parking spaces in my building, 1 is my primary car (EV) and the other is modified Honda scooters. I have a few Ruckus, an electric Motocompacto, and I just bought a Honda Ube. We have a decent light rail network. We have a skyway network and in the winter I can walk around the city without ever going outside. I can get around pretty well without a car and it's great. But I'd probably rather kill myself than live in the suburbs full time, especially if I had to commute to the city for work.
I use an ebike so much I have to keep my car on a battery tender... but I need it to care for my mom and pops.
My wife and I live in Seattle and own a 2008 BMW wagon. We drive it occasionally, and go through a tank (cca 250-300 miles) of gas a month, relying on her ebike and my bicycle for most things. Considering I work in Everett and have been commuting by bike since September, I think we're doing very well
I don’t drive or own a car. I never got my license. I occasionally take car service, but that’s maybe 2-3x a year.
No car, 3 bikes (road, commute, cargo), and a year pass for public transport.
Yes. We have one car for our family. In my opinion, anything less than every adult having their own car and using it for virtually every trip is better than most in America.
I have a pickup truck. I'll admit I don't need it. I use it mainly for offroading, travel, camping, helping out friends and family move stuff, and other hobbies. I use my truck everyday but actually need the bed about 2-3 times per month. I do realize we would be better without car dependency though.
Yes, there is an area of my city I can’t reach by transit but it has the best food in the world so I drive there weekly.
Not me, 21 years car free but I collect hot wheels obsessively.
I do not own a car. If I need to use a car, there's Zipcar. You can haul a surprising amount of things in a Prius with the seats down. For everything else, I ride my bike.
I drive a 5-series BMW. I enjoy cars and motoring generally. I just recognise the inefficiency of it, and believe it should be reserved for hauling loads or fun - it shouldn't be a necessary part of my daily routine.
I've been living in Paris and Copenhagen for the past 10 years. I sold my car before moving to Europe, and never even felt the need of having one after that. In fact, I don't even have a driver's license anymore. Currently, for me it's a 30 min walk between home and work. It's hard for me to imagine something healthier than this when it comes to commute (both physically and mentally). We don't need cars. We need better cities.
This subreddit is about discussing and sharing information regarding car dependacy and car infrastructure that negatively impacts our lives. We don't really hate cars (fuck trucks and massive sun's though. Those can go to hell)
My wife owns one, that I occasionally drive for family stuff. I do commute to work by bike 100% of the time.
I live in a village of less than 400 people. I have to get to work in the nearest city somehow. Hope fully I get an apartment I've been eyeing up as well as the job. Should turn my 30 minute drive into a 20 minute walk.
Yea, I have a car, but I've been using it only in days were I will get home like 01:30 am if using a bus. With the car, I will get 11:40 pm (it is only 2 days a week)
lol yup. A broken Volvo and a pickup truck. But we only ride our bikes around town. Truck is for necessity or camping with the dog.
Yes, to both. If I can, I prefer to ride a bicycle. My current job does not allow me to ride to work, but I need to stick it out for a while unfortunately.
I moved from a big city to a little village. I had to buy a car. But I'm 37 and that's the first time in my life I commute by car. And I'm the kind of driver that you would like. I only buy used cars, I drive slow, and I always stop for walkers to cross or to stay behind bikes if not safe to pass them. Ah and I don't drive to work, I drive the mandatory part of my commute, then park and take the train. You do what you have to do. The issue is not really about cars, cars are needed for many people and situations. The real issue is about car-only commute, car priority and car drivers lack of charges when they create accidents
Nope, but I live in a city with one of the best public transportation systems in the world
Of course, most people NEED a car. Thats one of the biggest issues.
In general I think a movement that aims to change society should lead by good example but you cant expect to ignore that you need some things to be part of society. Having a car and be against car dependent society is not hypocritical. Owning a car park with the biggest SUVs and Trucks would be. I also own a car (or rather my FIL but his daughter and I use it like our own). Where we life grocery shopping is unrealistic without a car, traveling to our family is tricky without it and for my hobby I regulrly use the car aswell. I am all for better bus and train connections to all these things, but without them, I need a car.
This is really the "yet you participate in society!" comic post of the day I guess.
Yep I have a car and use it weekly to do things like hiking. I'm on here because I use my bike daily for chores and commuting and I'd prefer never to use the car or use it as little as possible. I think cities are for people and cars are a terrible means to achieve this.
I'm moving to a rural area soon so I bought a car for the family. For now I'm commuting by bike and train since I work 3d/week far away, might need a second car when I change jobs to something local. :(
My parents are forcing me to learn how to drive, and when I get my license they will probably keep forcing me to drive, but as soon as I move out I won't get into the driver's seat again.
I don't own a car but I'm sympathetic to those for whom it is a necessity. I have able-bodied neighbours who work nearby and never walk anywhere. I know people who have free access to public transport but would still rather drive everywhere. I live in a small walkable town with decent public transport but most of my neighbours never walk anywhere. Not only are they destroying their environment, they're also destroying their own health. Let them.
I don't, but that's because the public transport here is good enough that I don't need one
I have a 2005 Mustang which I love driving, I live in the South, public transportation is shit, and my workplace is 5 miles away, I can and have walked it before but obviously I do prefer my own car. Though outside of that I don't drive it much, I only put maybe 6-7k miles on it a year. Just because we're on a subreddit dedicated to hating car infrastructure doesn't mean we can't use it, sadly that's the problem is there isn't a feasible alternative for much of North America
I don't own a car, I live in Italy and I always take the bus everywhere, but I wanted to learn to drive just in case of emergencies where I absolutely need a car, so I'm in the process of getting my driving license I hate every second of it: the costly fees, the driving, the constant focus on your surroundings while driving, the asshole drivers who don't follow traffic rules, the fact that NO ONE except me uses their blinkers on the road, the awfully _costly fees..._ I was regretting my decision the whole time until I got myself in a situation where I needed to go back and forth between the 2 most important cities in my region (a distance of 100+km ×2) and guess what? there isn't a good train connection between them (because of mountainous terrain) and there weren't any busses at the times I needed them, so the only viable solution is to go by car. JUST BUILD AN EFFICIENT RAIL LINE BETWEEN THE 2 CITIES ALREADY everyone _has to_ move by car between them and it sucks
I had a Skoda Fabia for 13 years. Sold it 3 years ago. Now I am car free. Still, about once a year I borrow a car for 3-4 days for a holiday. Then I also drive. I do my best to be a good driver. Be nice to cyclists. Yield to pedestrians. Stick to the limit. I think it's ok to drive a bit every now and then. There are remote villages in Italy that you can't reach otherwise. The problem is that we have lost control. Driving should be exceptional, not the standard. And it should be safe. Like cars should be electronically limited to 20mp/h or 30km/h in cities.
Yes. Even worse a gas guzzler of a truck. Which I do need because a) I live very rural in the mountains so even getting out of my driveway in the winter is a struggle with high clearance and four wheel drive and b) I really do use it for my small business, just yesterday I had a ton of landscaping mulch in there. However the point is that I want to use it less. Our tiny town of 5000 used to have trains 5 times a day. They interviewed a person turning 100 for the local newspaper and she talked about how she used to be able to take the first train out to the nearest big city get her shopping done, have a nice lunch, visit her brother and then watch a football game and then take the last train home. I want that. Being able to sleep for two hours, have a nice day in the city, then come on home at midnight where you get to sleep again on the way home. Heck yeah. Yesterday cause I had to get some stuff from Home Depot I drove all the way. Was exhausted when I got there, just had time to do my shopping then turned around and came back and was super tired and grumpy when I got home. If we still had trains i could simply call them and ask them to put my lumber on the next train and just drive my truck into town to get it. Heck our next town is a half an hour away, plenty of people work there and live here. Imagine how much safer it would be if with our mountain weather they could simply get on the 8am train for work and the 6pm one home. That’s at least one less person dead from driving in a snowstorm a year. Even with all that i would probably still own a truck because cars will have their place but it should be a much better smaller one.
Yup, I have a car, but hardly drive it. I know that I am very priviliged to be able to afford to live in a completely walkable neighbourhood... so I do try and not get too high and mighty about other's reliance on cars. Our entire suburban housing model is based on car ownership, and there will be no overnight cure.
I have never in my life owned a car. The last time I drove one I was too young to do so legally (it was on private property). I'm middle-aged now but I've always managed to get around on foot, by bike, or by bus. Even when I lived in car-dominated cities. In my late teens and early 20s I spent my summers hitchhiking across Canada and exploring BC, now I go on camping trips by bike. Not owning a car has given me the freedom to travel. My living expenses are significantly cheaper without one so I don't have to live my whole life at work just to pay for one, and I don't spend 2 hours a day sitting in traffic so I actually have time to go out and enjoy the weather.
Yeah I have to get into work at times public transport does not run
Just because you live in a society/system that makes car use a requirement, it doesn’t mean you have to agree with it. I have a car but hate car culture.
I do not own or plan to own a car, but I do drive my friends' cars from time to time usually for intercity trips where we share the wheel so we don't fall asleep driving. It's more economical than flying. If I am going to Ankara though, I take the train.
I own two cars. One is purely a hobby car. The other is part hobby car part used for errands and/or trips that are particularly difficult due to car dependent infrastructure and lack of good transit options. That said, my spouse and I use a car maybe once every week or two weeks, sometimes less frequently. A car is an optional luxury for us that we use infrequently.
Fellow fuckcars car enjoyer. What project/ hobby car do you have?
Our regular car is a 2014 Subaru BRZ, when we lived in a much more car dependent place than we do now it served about 99% of our needs. Now that we live somewhere less car dependent it servers probably 99.5% and we use it rarely. In the rare occasion, once every few years, that we need something bigger we rent. The project car is a 1993 Honda Prelude. It is built out as a track car.
Yes, reluctantly. Even in the Netherlands it can be a necessity. It's a compact and I try to use it as sparingly as I can.
2011 sienna
2014 Nissan Versa Note hand me down from my mom. Barely even put 4k miles on it per year, mostly for the occasional work related travel in the state that I can't take a train to (conferences and meetings) and to visit my folks in Asheville. I live the Richmond's Fan District and work downtown. I likely put as many miles walking and biking per year as my car and more miles on the bus and train.
I have a Subaru with 200k on it that I use for the 60 mile trip to visit my mother as the Amtrak service between the two places is s awful.
We have a 2005 compact car. We mainly use public transport & active travel, but my husband is disabled & sometimes can't really cope with alternatives. I would like to get rid of it & use car sharing instead; that wasn't available when we got the car.
I have to commute. It's the worst. It's basically a pay cut. However I always think "cars are not natural. Pedestrians are the norm and have been for thousands of years. Jaywalking is an urban legend and we are killing the planet" whenever I get off of long stretches of interstate into urban sprawl. I'm more blessed than most in terms of density as a Kentuckian. There are suburbs of Houston that give me cold chills
Yes, my work requires a car. And they pay for it.
I drive a car don’t own one. Commute is biking and bus.
I drive every single day and every day I hate it more than the last.
I *live* in my car.
car is basically required in florida unfortunately
I have one. I rarely use it. I live in a major city with good transit, pedestrian, and bicycle infrastructure. I drive to occasionally get out of the city and access hiking and skiing. Frankly if it died tomorrow I wouldn't get a new one. I keep it because it's long paid off and my insurance is under $100/month.
Totally makes sense to me. I don't like to drive, and I don't own a car myself. But my wife is required to have one for work (field sales means she has to travel to far-flung locations for her job) and it sure is convenient to have. I'm trying to get her into ebikes for short-distance trips, but I am also careful not to be That Guy who tries to bully his partner into liking all the same stuff he's into.
Mine broke down 2 years ago I saw it coming so I was kind of mentally prepared to shoulder being a pedestrian in the car dependent southeastern united states.
We try to manage everything with a single car, which is already an exception over here. We do have a cargo bike that can hold all our kids for school runs so for short-distance we have an eco-friendly backup. I did just order a second car through my work but that's mainly because it barely costs me anything and it would allow us to drive electrical instead of fossil fuel a lot more. We still need our current car because then new one will probably struggle to fit 3 child seats and I still need to occasionally tow something but I doubt we'll use both cars at the same time that often.
Spouse and I have a car. Just a regular sedan, fully paid for, union made. We're working on decreasing our reliance on it, but living in a semi-rural area, a vehicle is most likely always going to be part of our lives in some form.
I (we) have a (one) car because it's too expensive to move to a walk/bike/better transit neighborhood, even if we sold the car. That COL/housing crisis is real. We aim to drive only when it's logical -- significant time savings vs. transit, multiple people, cargo, no transit option, driving out of town or into the wilderness lol, etc. Regular in-office work day or going downtown for an event or night out - always transit. Driving into the city is awful and to be avoided when possible. Here in the suburban outer rim, not really other good options. No bike infrastructure, and most transit just goes one axis so isn't useful to get around locally. Distances too long to walk and hit or miss on sidewalks + fast cars zipping by. Oh sorry we do actually have one road with bike lanes, but they are painted gutters and the traffic goes 70+ km/h with lots of large trucks dragging wheels into the "bike lane" lol
Nope, only empty parking spot in my neighborhood. Netherlands is bike focused but many still own cars.
I have a license and drive rentals if I need to.
I drive my mum's car sometimes, even as a European some cities are car dependant. Luckily I moved recently, closer to the bus and metro lines, and can now afford to only use public transportation and my bike.
Anywhere id want to get to takes 3-5x longer to get to by transit than by car, even in parking lot traffic, and i value my sleep and free time, so i’m stuck with my car until things get better. And i value my life too much to bike alongside Kyle’s F150 going 20 over the speed limit, so that’s a no-go for me as well
Car owner here, and I drive a decent amount to get kids to sports practices, grocery shopping, etc, and my family takes road trips to rural areas. I am trying to minimize my car usage (I take Metro downtown and walk to my local Aldi/coffee shop), but realistically, I don’t think I can go car free. It’s not that driving is all bad. It’s just that we’re trying to get away from a car-first mindset.
I own a car I drive less than once a month. I would get rid of it, but my partner insists on having one because we have a toddler.
We have a new(ish) practical automobile. Two adults and 1 child. I am slowly changing my ways, my partner didn’t have one before I came along, and now I’m the one who daily drives a bike
Yes I have a car, I have to to do some of the things which help my physical and mental health (hiking, getting into nature etc) and for commuting. However big advocate for change and use my ebike for as many journeys as possible aswell as trains
I own a car, and even sometimes drive it! However, I own it out of necessity (where I currently live, there is no other realistic way to get to my parents' house - the local car club doesn't offer sufficient flexibility, and the bus routes don't mesh well). I use once a week or so for going to classes, but generally with at least one friend as a passenger. It gets a very short run to the shops on a Saturday to do the big shop, largely because loo roll is a giant PITA on a bike. If there was a better option locally, I'd give it up in a heartbeat. I did manage about 6 years without a car, but honestly, it was getting to the point where I was relying on others to go out of their way to help me live like that, which is do-able in your mid-20s, but harder to pull off when you're in your mid-30s and earning more than the people who do have cars. I do my commute by bike/bus and train.
I have a car, it's a Peugeot estate and I do less than 2,000 miles a year on it. I would trade it in for an electric cargo bike in a heartbeat but I don't know how I'd manage longer journeys as the thought of paying £300 for me and my family to get the train to any part of the country makes me die inside a little when that's the yearly cost of my car insurance.
I think they are fun to drive but the cost and disadvantages are greater
My husband and I share a car. We were excited to sell our second, and are trying to get the maximum lifespan out of our remaining car in hopes that by the time it needs replacing, we’ll have figured something better out. We use the car primarily on weekends to see friends across town, go hiking in the woods, etc. and our bikes are our “daily drivers” for shorter stuff including my commute.
I do have a car, and sometimes use it (about once in 2 weeks). I will use it this weekend to transport 25 stepping stones to home. Otherwise I still say that daily usage is utterly ridiculous and harmful. I cycle daily everywhere (even groceries with bicycle trailer), and my 7 yo cycles to school as well (with me, while I have my 5 yo in the seat). It's not about having a car, it's about overusing and towns being built around cars are the problem.
Yep. I drive a gas guzzler Ford Crown Victoria (the iconic cop car) so I felt the gas price extortion push/pull before anyone else does. I'm a car enthusiast, but that doesn't stop me from wondering if there's a better way to commute for day-to-day life than just getting stuck in traffic with some road rage and being stressed about more bad drivers popping up nowadays. Covid lockdown gave me time to experiment with different ways to commute--I didn't need to go anywhere much so I don't really need my car except for grocery every month or so. I thought the less cars on the road the better traffic/driving is, but to my surprise the few drivers who are out there tend to make brasher/bolder shortcuts and infractions, so the problem isn't traffic, it's the car (and "car-brain" mentality of making everything convenient for the car and driver). I decide not to be part of the problem and instead ride my bike to the grocery store. Surprisingly it gave me an immense mental health boost (not to mention physical benefits). Besides, I live really close to one (less than 1km!) so I don't see the point of driving a car too short a distance to properly warm up its engine. Of course, even though I obeyed the road laws on the bicycle I was met with hostility, further highlighting what is wrong with car-centric road design. Naturally, I opted to ride to a farther grocery store (3km away) so I don't have to cross a stroad, but I understand why not many people walk/cycle around here.
Yes I have a compact sedan that I need to get around my city because it has such abysmal public transit. There are a few places I can get to with transit so I use transit when it’s an option but more often than not it’s not viable or not an option period.
I drive a car, my town is getting better but not quite bike friendly. Also they've been a part of the country that has a ton of hills and snow so there's that too.
I did, but that was when I still lived with my parents in a more rural area with subpar public transport. But even then I still used to go around by bike to the most places nearby or just walked if I felt like it and had the time. Now I live in a city and havent driven since then. I can get everywhere I need by foot or by bus/tram/train. A car would just swallow up money that Id rather spend elsewhere. Also as a side effect I lost a lot of weight.
We are a 1 car family. We can't get rid of the car because we are in a place without transit, I have a disability that drastically limits movement and requires trips to a specialist over 3 hours away by vehicle, we live in an area with extreme winter weather. Sometimes fuck cars is a harm reduction approach while sustainable alternatives are put into place rather than an instant abolition
Yes, my wife and I share a sedan. It's fairly efficient, was a good deal used, and by supplementing it with planned shared trips and bikes, with a bike rack, we make the low car lifestyle work. It's so much less expense than trying to keep 2 cars maintained an fueled. I would like to do without entirely, but the infrastructure, and distances as they are currently don't make that possible. That's why I advocate for change, safe routes, denser development, and expanded mass transit. Things are improving where I am, but it's still the deep south with car centric thinking, and frequent extreme weather. As I'm not willing to move, already owning a small, but paid for home, and having an established career, my best options are to stay the course, and advocate for a better future.
I have one bc my current and past living situations have necessitated it. I really hope that one day in the (near enough) future that I can lead a car-free life. I think that’s a shared sentiment here: enjoying an environment constructed with people’s needs first (walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented). Car culture is so awful and intertwined with capitalism, nationalism, misogyny/racism, and our pervasive status quo of senseless violence/extravagant technology.
It takes people living in car dependent cities to really understand how bad it is living in car dependant cities. You can absolutely advocate for change while being at the mercy of the status quo. Any movement that requires a purity test is a movement doomed to implode into itself. Drive if you have to. Just don't be a carbrain.
I do. I’m staying close to family in Boston because they’re getting older. Anywhere walkable in Boston is unbelievably expensive so I live a bit outside the main city Really wish that supply and demand would tell people that we want more walkable places…
I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of people here do own a car, because they HAVE to. And that's the crux of the issue, a lot of people wish they didn't have to have a car, but because of car dependency its nearly impossible not to. If anything it probably galvanizes peoples opinions against cars more because you are dealing with traffic, smog, crashes, etc. daily. Plus paying tons of money for something you resent having to own in the first place.
Yes.
I have a car for trips I can't take by train, bus or foot. I advocate for better public infrastructure and try to lead by example by busing or walking when I have to go somewhere in town, but my city is small enough that you can walk across it in about an hour and a half. The number of people who are shocked when I walk 4 miles to a carpool is sadly way too high. Outside of town, the infrastructure is too dangerous with windy roads and no shoulders. It's too dangerous to walk or bike. For that, I drive, but I'd take a bus or train if it were available.
Wait whaaaaat? You guys are inherently part of a system and want to change it from the inside out and can't partake in any of the benefits of our technology because of principles you hold whaaaaat?! But on a serious note, I think it is okay to have a car, so as long as the car is frugal for your needs and only for long journey's.. I think using cars in metropolitan areas is just silly.
I take transit to work and around my city but I drive when I have to. You’re not a bad person for working with the public resources you have access to
I don’t drive due to disability.
I do, and I share your outlook. Cars have their uses. But there should be safer and cheaper alternatives that have priority when city-planning. My car is basically a big-grocery-trip-to-suburban-Korean-grocery-mobile at this point. I also lend it out to car-less friends when I’m out of town, if that will help them not buy cars that they wouldn’t otherwise need.
Yea. I drive a bigass Ram for work too. Ugh.
Yes, a Nissan. Pretty gas efficient. I’m in college so I go back and forth to and from home a lot and I live in Texas, so public transport is not an option really.
My spouse and I have an electric car. While we use public transit as much as we can, there are some tasks that would take a couple hours instead of half an hour by public transit. If local public transit were better, I'd use it more.
Both a car and a motorcycle, both of which is use for almost all of my transportation needs. I would use public transit quite happily, but my commute takes 20 minutes by car, and 1h 45min by bus. I don't have an extra 2h to waste every single day. I could also ride a bike there, but there are many many hills, i'd be drenched in sweat, and exhausted. An ebike would solve this, but i can't afford one, nor would it realistically replace my car (winter weather is really not all that bikable here). I'm not here because i particularly hate cars, i'm here because i hate the idea that the only sensible way to get somewhere is by driving there. Even if we got better public transit, the motorcycle (ok it's a scooter, sue me) stays.
yes, I am able to commute, grocery Shop on my bike. my car us a luxary for ca twice a month to visit friends, go hiking further away.
I actually am an EV enthusiast, just from an electrical and engineering standpoint, but I absolutely hate the dystopian car-dependent hellscape we live in here in the US
I have a car for two primary reasons. There is a 23 acre dog park on the San Francisco Bay (Point Isabel) that is phenomenal, but only accessible by car or bike. And I do love to get out and hike in the hunter lands of norther California. But 80% of my travel is public transit and walking (30% & 50% respectively) hence why I am here 😌
Got 3 kids. Can't get to costco without 'sharing the road' so we have an older van. I'll probably replace it with the VW electric van when the time comes.
I own a family station wagon. Though we do 95% of all our daily activities either on foot, or by bicycle. I purchased it outright in cash during the start of the pandemic and is minimal $ to insure and maintain. I find “freedom” in options, not in worshipping car centric development and ways of life. I love that I don’t „need” a car, but it is nice to have to explore the nearby small towns, forest, and for emergencies/extenuating circumstances.
I have a number of cars, all 20-40 years old. they’re fascinating machines, and I live in the country where storage is no problem. they mostly work, and all serve different roles. after working as a taxi driver and a touring musician, I’ve still come to the conclusion that I want to drive less and less- but I want to have an interesting, engaging experience when I still do drive. despite enjoying the machines and driving, I recognize that car culture is a unaffordable status symbol contest, an ecological disaster, and is fueling horrific soulless development patterns. and it’s incredibly unfair for us to design a world where people need to use cars just to survive. enjoying cars and using them is no barrier to critiquing the automobile’s terrible role in our society.
I drive an 20 year old pickup. I use it for hauling metal and other parts of my welding business. I live close enough to downtown that I can ride my bike for everything else
I have a car and a motorcycle. The motorcycle is loud, but I prefer it for trips where I NEED a vehicle. My FAVORITE mode of transportation is my bicycle or my legs. Sadly, infrastructure in my area actively discouraged that. I’ve almost been flattened on my way to college over and over again. I’ve been an INCH away from being meat on the pavement from a car that did not see me and turned into me on the way to work. If I hadn’t braked, I’d be dead. If he hadn’t braked, I’d be dead. We BOTH had to screech to a halt to prevent my fatality. (I was 100% in a bike lane with ROW)
I drive a commercial van for work. Can't imagine doing any of my work without all my tools and ladders on hand. For everything else I take my bike + public transport. I still don't own my own car. I believe cars are still useful for work purposes but literally we can cut out 8 lanes of highway for rail instead and we'd all be happier for it. Those who actually need to drive get clearer streets (I could get more service calls done for work) and those who commute by public transit will get better service (I could actually do more errands on the weekend).
I don't own a car and get around using my bike or public transit. I do have a licence, and if I need a car for something I would borrow my parents' MG ZS. If that wasn't an option, I would probably join one of the car-shares operating here, or possibly just rent a car when I needed one. If I wanted a car, I would need to get a parking spot in the condominium I live in, which would be the cost a second, decently good, new car. Needless to say, I save a lot of money not having one. I do regularly ride cars as a passenger though. Mostly joining my parents on weekend outings.
I own a car and love driving. Just not HAVING TO drive and especially not in crowded city.