car-free readers?

[cgs]

Just wondering if there are any fellow car-free readers of SP, and where you are from.

[DWarrior]

Student in New Jersey.

Not by choice (well, I suppose we choose our own destiny), I screwed up and had my license suspended.

[David Hausladen]

Louisville, KY: Right now I'm just out of college and still living with my mother, so while I don't have a car I still rely on private transportation more than I'd like. Once I get a place of my own in a year or two, I will be relying exclusively on public transportation, my own two feet, and the very occasional taxi to get around--I expect it to be less expensive than all the costs associated with a car, and more importantly, much more environmentally conscientious.

[tobyhede]

I've never owned a car, I rode my push bike everywhere for over a decade and recently upgraded to a motorbike, which I actually feel is much safer ... you can keep up with the traffic, have proper lights (brake, indicator) and I wear good gear ... leather jacket, gloves, Kevlar reinforced pants. I feel like a Knight, protected by my not-so-shiny armour.

Of course, the push-bike was more exercise ...

[thef0x]

The longest goal I've made for myself, which spans my whole life, is to not have a car.

I have a big ego, I perform well, I am talented, and I think I will do great things (5 I's...6).

I will be noticed and not having a car will be noticed.

My statement is clear.


My only issue is becoming a father and maybe moving out of a city. Luckily I'm a bit young for that and thank medicine for the pill. I might do a sexual education rant in here because I think some people will actually read it.

[andyspinks]

I'm 27, Australian, and never owned a car and hope I never have to.

I live in Melbourne, so that makes it easy. I just ride or walk everywhere. 9/10 times its quicker that way too.

I've also traveled quite a bit up the west coast of Australia and the north. Not quite as convenient, but it can be done (and you generally meet more people too!).

I could see myself living in the country or a more isolated place in the future, so I might have to buy a car then, but I'm going to try my hardest to avoid that.

[Erki]

I, Erki, will own a Subaru Impreza WRX STi. And so it is!

[andyspinks]

Originally Posted by Erki

I, Erki, will own a Subaru Impreza WRX STi. And so it is!

I find one of the most satisfying things to be passing cars like that stuck in traffic on my bike

Each to their own!

[Nathan]

I have my license and own a car (shared with my brother) and I used to use it quite a bit when I didn't work in the city. When I started a new job in the city I started using public transport and found it possibly even more expensive then fuel. Since then I have invested in some bike repairs and a good lock. Wouldn't have it any other way now. It's incredibly cheap and it's great for fitness with a 30 minute ride in and out of the city!

Ditching the car was a great move for me

[Erki]

Originally Posted by andyspinks

I find one of the most satisfying things to be passing cars like that stuck in traffic on my bike

Each to their own!

I walk 1-2 hours each day and I often see I'm way faster than cars when it's something like 5pm. But yeah, driving on town streets sucks. I don't really want to be on a motorway either, way too many people driving with no skills or being drunk or whatever. I'll wait till the lakes are frozen.

Speaking about public transport, I veeery rarely use that as well. I don't know how long my route has to be that I would take a bus... 10kms? Nah, if the weather is any good, I'll enjoy it.

I have also found that I sometimes get that "high" feeling when walking, my steps get so easy and long, I walk faster and faster and don't want to stop because it feels too good and it's practically effortless. Cool.

[justin]

I am currently without a car, and I've spent the last 3 out of 4 years car-less in a moderate sized, automobile-friendly (and thus pedestrian unfriendly) Midwestern town.

I'd love to eventually live where public transit is rampant.

[cgs]

Originally Posted by justin

I am currently without a car, and I've spent the last 3 out of 4 years car-less in a moderate sized, automobile-friendly (and thus pedestrian unfriendly) Midwestern town.

I'd love to eventually live where public transit is rampant.

I hear you! I live in Cincinnati, which isn't the best facilitator of a car free life. But I get by

[kthdsn]

I don't have a car, I don't have a license and I don't want either. I walk to work and back, I take the train longer distances, and I don't feel the need to have it any other way.

I'm from the UK, I live in a small town with my husband the three young daughters. I like being car free.

[WanderingOak]

I spent the first 26 years of my life car-free. A majority of the time, my parents didn't have a car either. I've allways associated being car-free with poverty myself. Im a major metropolitan area such as NYC or DC, it is possible to get by without a car. However, having to plan your walking routes around the worst neighborhoods gets annoying at time. There were times when I had to walk 16 blocks out of my way because the direct route would have taken me through a very dangerous part of town, where I would have been mugged/killed had I been on foot. It was not my part of town, and the locals made that very clear. I tried getting around car-free in Reston, VA for a while as well, and ran into the same problem. It seems that the Cholos and MS-13 really don't like each other, and apparently they spend a good part of their time on the local bike paths laying in wait for each other. I don't live in Reston anymore, and while there are times when I would like to go without the hassles of having to drive everywhere, I find urban areas where it is possible to be car free to be too dangerous to live in. It might be better in a small town, but then everything is sprawled so far apart as downtown gets moved out to new strip mall developments.

[Dan032]

Hi I'm from Ontario, Canada and I haven't had a car in years. I suppose I just don't have the need for one. Everything I need is within walkable distance. Besides, it costs so much to run a car here.

It's my way of helping fight global warming

[Lotus]

Car-free since I flipped a truly stunning red 1998 Intrigue named Mona about 3 weeks ago. Of course, I'm terrified of driving at the moment, and my neck is injured, so I don't think I really count as "car-free".

...
But I do all my own stunts.

[Kristoffer]

Hi, live in Yokohama Japan.

Trains run everywhere and is faster than cars. (You get stuck in traffic with a car here!) All stores have home delivery so there is really no need for a car.

A LOT of people have scooters here. It's a faster way to move in traffic, cheaper and fits the mild climate.

So, no car yet. But it would be nice have one to go surfing..

[Scott Bird]

I haven't had a car for years (there's enough public transport here), but I've got a license, just in case

[cgs]

I'm looking for a good city to move to to support this lifestyle, anyone have any suggestions? Right now I'm looking at Philly and Portland.

[Scott Bird]

Originally Posted by cgs

I'm looking for a good city to move to to support this lifestyle, anyone have any suggestions? Right now I'm looking at Philly and Portland.

How far are you prepared to move? I would suggest Sydney, Australia; but then I'm a little biassed

[Cassie]

I used to live in Copenhagen, Denmark and their 'parking lots' were actually rows and rows of bike racks. There were two huge bike lanes that took up most of their city streets where hundreds would bike to work every day. They are very environmentally conscientious. I love Scandinavian culture.

[ReallyGoodIdeas]

I have a car, but most of the time I use public transport. I SO love walking past traffic jams in the city, they probably wonder why I have a maniacal grin! :-)

Within 15kms of Mlebourne you can generally get by without a car.

Smiles to all
Hazel

[Andrew Brunelle]

I believe a car is something that can be good if you live far away from everything, but it's not so good if you only drive a mile in it to go somewhere. People will use a car as an excuse not to exercise. I don't own a car and am working towards my license, but eventually hope to move somewhere where there is no need for a car and can walk/bike everywhere. A nice, small town/city where I can realisticly not have a car. Sounds good...

[cftwo]

After college, I lived in Iowa City for a year without a car (I could walk everywhere I needed to go there) and I lived in Pittsburgh for 5 years without a car - public transportation and walking got me everywhere I needed to go. Then I moved to a small town, needed a car to get to the grocery stores and other shopping, and gained 10 pounds.

[Kimberly]

Originally Posted by Cassie

I used to live in Copenhagen, Denmark and their 'parking lots' were actually rows and rows of bike racks. There were two huge bike lanes that took up most of their city streets where hundreds would bike to work every day. They are very environmentally conscientious. I love Scandinavian culture.

You mean something like this? That's near the trainstation in Amsterdam!
I'm in my last year of university, but I've already decided that when I start working, I'll find a job close to home so I can walk/bike or use public transport to get there. I can't imagine having to start my working day stuck in a traffic jam for an hour every morning (and don't forget the hour on the way home too). Not even to mention the nasty fumes you're inhaling that whole period..ewwww. For those odd occasions in which a car is the only way to go, I'd join a car-sharing company.

[Scott Bird]

Originally Posted by Kimberly

That's near the trainstation in Amsterdam!

I love Amsterdam. For me it manages to combine the best of urban and village living. Superb.

[bgmark13]

More day light savings is needed.
"However, Daylight Saving Time does save energy. Studies done by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that Daylight Saving Time trims the entire country's electricity usage by a small but significant amount, about one percent each day, because less electricity is used for lighting and appliances. Similarly, in New Zealand, power companies have found that power usage decreases 3.5 percent when daylight saving starts. In the first week, peak evening consumption commonly drops around five percent.

Energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting homes is directly related to the times when people go to bed at night and rise in the morning. In the average home, 25 percent of electricity is used for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs, and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, the amount of electricity consumed each day decreases."

[Tuumble]

I don't drive for medical reasons - I have a mild form of epilepsy called Petit Mal which I basically infrequent black-outs which obviously are a bit dangerous if you drive!

I would probably still rant about the traffic on the roads and public transport but I took my views a bit further when I wrote an article for my journalism course last year. Read below:

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Let’s Go Public On Transport

I have been disqualified from driving and have had my licence taken away.

I guess you’re thinking of why that is. How many of you are suggesting a drink driving conviction? What about ‘driving without due care and attention’ or for gaining 12 penalty points for a collection of speeding charges?

It’s none of those - I cannot drive for medical reasons and haven’t done since 1991. That’s so long ago that Maggie Thatcher’s scent was still lingering at number 10.

Why am I telling you this? Well, it’s now nearly 15 years since being forced into using public transport and I’m getting fed up with it. The buses being run in the city are often unreliable, use curious routes and are driven by some - but by no means all - dour and unfriendly drivers and we all have an opinion why that is.

While I am often quick to moan at Stagecoach, the real culprits for the delays are in reality the other motorists who clog the up highways unnecessarily.

Now come on, admit it - are you one of the multitudes who are traveling to work in your car alone? If you are you must be so disappointed that you have no-one to talk to on these chilly winter mornings. I bet you really wish you had a friend to travel with, someone who could even save you money by sharing petrol costs.

Well, if you think this way you are almost certainly in a minority. A recent road traffic survey in Aberystwyth revealed that 70% of vehicles traveling into the town were passengerless. How lonely they must be feeling in Wales.

In Werrington the other morning I counted eight cars out of ten waiting at a set of traffic lights that had single occupants and the other two were mums driving their children to school. Now, I don’t know how close by they lived but I would wager it wouldn’t be that far away as we have three schools in close proximity. Did they ever consider walking? I seriously doubt it.

A number of schemes have been developed over the years with the aim of changing the habits of drivers. Why? Because the roads are becoming choked on the number of vehicles using them and the high levels of pollution which are harming our environment.

The two main solutions appear to be car sharing and an increased usage of public transport.

Can you imagine how less crowded the roads would be, and more reliable the bus services would be, if you cut the number of vehicles using them by half?

Could this ever be a realistic target? Not a chance while the general public continue to be so bloody selfish. They prefer the freedom and the choice of traveling when and where they want without seeming to show the slightest concerns for the consequences.

The problem is that more we have this attitude the less 'freedom and choice' we have as we sit in grid-locked cars choking from each others fumes.

More traffic, more delays, more fuel consumption, higher costs, more pollution is the price we’re all paying.

In Scotland there has been an interesting twist in car sharing where some drivers have been driving across the Forth Bridge with shop dummies and even blow-up dolls in passenger seats to avoid extra toll charges. Under the current congestion-cutting scheme drivers can get a 50% discount at peak hours if accompanied with fellow travellers.

However, a state-of-the-art CCTV system called Cyclops is being tested to spot these toll dodgers. The camera that tracks the vehicles as they cross the bridge can spot whether the passengers are human or made of plastic.

Dr John Tyrer, managing director of Vehicle Occupancy Ltd explained: “Our breakthrough came when we found a tiny gap in the infrared spectrum in which light is absorbed by human skin but reflected by hair, clothing and upholstery.”

So the games up - if you don’t have any friends and you keep company with blow-up dolls, everyone is gonna know about it!

It’s laughable that people want to flaunt the law in such a way to save money on the tolls when there’s already a solution on offer which not only will save them cash on the bridge but will help with their fuel costs and the environment too.

And while we’re on the subject of petrol consumption, another example of the selfishness of the car driver was highlighted this weekend by the panic buying of fuel after the fire at the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead. There is enough fuel to go round but only if demand doesn’t exceed supply. You can almost hear the motorists saying: ‘Yeah, people shouldn’t panic buy but I just wanted to make sure I had enough petrol for the week.’ It’s the absolving of responsibility that I can‘t stand.

It’s not one rule for one and one for another - how you use the highway and treat the environment affects all of us. Question is: ‘What are you gonna do about it?’