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I haven't driven a motor vehicle since January 2nd, 2010. I don't miss it at all. I am car-free, and would not accept a car if someone gave me one for free. I plan to never own or drive another car for the rest of my life.
Cars fool a lot of people.
Cars are supposed to be fast and luxurious, but how many people include the amount of time worked to earn the money to afford the car itself, its upkeep, the insurance, the gas, the parking space, and so on? 35, 45, 75 miles per hour - are you sure? Many people might find they get around faster without a car, if they calculated time saved from work and money saved from health expenses.
Driving is one of the great American privileges, I'm supposed to believe, but when I am around traffic, the frustration, the quickness to anger, the general impatience and lack of compassion all lead me to think the experience is not all it's said to be. I certainly didn't think much of it, and I can say that after nearly a year and a half without driving, I don't miss it at all.
Vast parking lots and endless miles of road smother the soil and make ugly cities that many wish to escape. Suffocating traffic and smog. 40 to 50 thousand dead Americans per year due to collisions alone (and an estimated half billion animals). Energy waste and dependence, and wars for oil. Millions of fat Americans inching along interstate in metal cages, sealed off from each other and the rest of existence, ready to honk and shout profanities at the slightest provocation, while blood pressure rises. Fat, dying bodies, deprived of exercise and the joy of motion (I guess I believe humans are supposed to move around, just like birds are supposed to fly, but look how many humans spend most of their waking hours on their asses). And noise... endless noise. Who wants to live on a busy street?
Supposedly free societies accept such restricted motion, moving about on predetermined paths according to signs and signals, willing to pay such ridiculous prices (not just in terms of money, but in time and health) just to get from one place to another. In a free society you can move where you want to when you want to, and you don't have to pay for some special tool to do so. You just do it. In modern societies, the most basic ability to walk is highly compromised by dangerous roads and traffic.
Many people despise war, but how many people would choose to give up their car, rather than to invade a country that possesses much oil? I've seen many bumper stickers on cars, vans, SUV's, proclaiming "No Wars For Oil!," and this suggests an answer to my question.
For me, a car is not liberation; it's slavery. It's not fun; it's work. It's not convenience; it's a hassle. It is not sustainable, it is destructive.
I enjoy taking on most trips on my bicycle. I gather groceries, visit friends, travel to the mountains, commute to work (when I work), all by bicycle. 17 or 18 miles per hour is plenty fast for me, and the low cost saves me a lot of time that I might have to otherwise be working if my expenses were higher. My health is the best it's been in my 27 years of life, and I find that my often vigorous rides keep my stress low. I don't envy any motorist. My trips are enjoyable enough that I feel no need for any diversion in the form of music or phone conversation, and so I have no mobile phone, and no portable music player, and I'm glad. I suspect that any future trips I might take across the country will be by bicycle. I can stop whenever and wherever I like. I feel connected to my surroundings at all times, not screened off from them. My pace is quick, but not so quick that I must miss anything. My 35 mile trip to visit my fiance in the next town is mostly pleasant, and takes a bit over 2 hours. Everything within my city is within easy reach of me, by bicycle.
And of course, walking is great too.
For me, owning and driving a car was not liberating; giving the damn thing up for good is liberating.
Nick / InkMeister
  
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it's hard to travel everywhere on a bicycle in america. just trying to visit your friend 5 mins away on a car is multiplied by 5-6 with a bicycle and in an era where time=$$$, cars have become indispensable. that's why people are looking for cleaner fuel and safer cars.
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But it feels so good to break the law in my Mustang...
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Ayeh - there are many trips that I would wager that I could beat you - easily - on my bicycle while you are in your car, for the simple reason that you could easily lose your speed advantage just by looking for parking. Why mention this at all? Well, you mention visiting a friend "5 minutes away." Those are precisely the kinds of trips where a bicycle excels.
You mention that we live in an era where time = money. I address that specifically by pointing out that I save time (working) and I save money (by bicycling).
YMMV though.
Last)Chance - you may find it exhilarating to break the law in a car - many do. Of course, the consequences of an accident could be very dire. You'd likely feel very horrible if you killed someone. This is a scenario I am much less likely to face on my bicycle, traveling at speeds between 10 and 30 miles per hour (mostly around 17mph).
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Kamille - while a vespa is probably a cost effective and environmentally less damaging choice than a car, it still holds zero value for me, and I wouldn't keep one if given one free. I feel a bicycle is superior in every way. While I so heavily emphasize bicycling, in truth, walking must be superior even to the bicycle. Bicycling will always be a compromise.
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I have a fixed gear bike I have been thinking about riding around everywhere.
I'm unsure. What if I get demolished on an uphill. What if I get run over... agghhh.
I live in the heart of the city so it's very possible to become a cyclist but... I dunno, I find cyclists a pain as a driver and don't wanna be that guy.... or maybe i do?
Filling up cost me 75 bucks last time... and I do drive a lot of small trips I could ride...
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On April 27 2011 13:02 nA.Inky wrote:
Last)Chance - you may find it exhilarating to break the law in a car - many do. Of course, the consequences of an accident could be very dire. You'd likely feel very horrible if you killed someone. This is a scenario I am much less likely to face on my bicycle, traveling at speeds between 10 and 30 miles per hour (mostly around 17mph).
there's a time and a place, and i know when and where to do it.
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I agree with the spirit of the OP. However there are range and time limitations, among other things, if you restrict yourself to just walking and a bike.
Luckily, $5 and rising gas prices will influence behavior much better than just abstract arguments without actual tangible consequences.
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Where do you live >.> If in an urban area that makes sense, but out where it's more isolated things change.
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SuperJongMan - You'll never know if it's right for you unless you try it. I didn't plan to be a cyclist. Years ago my car had some problems, so I tried cycling, and liked it so much, I knew it was for me. Then 3 years later I finally ditched the car, having gotten a good feel for being car-lite.
As for irritating drivers - most cyclists have no intention of upsetting drivers. However, many motorists AND cyclists are ignorant of traffic laws, and so both sides make mistakes (particularly relating to cyclists and motorists sharing the road) that can be annoying at best, and deadly at worst. So, whether or not you get into cycling, make sure you are aware of traffic codes and how to drive around cyclists. As a cyclist, make sure you also follow the law.
Here in New Mexico, cyclists have a right to the road, but many motorists don't know that and do get very frustrated and hostile. I don't like to upset motorists, but I also don't mind being "that guy" (the annoying bicyclist). I follow the law and try to be respectful.
As to whether cycling is dangerous... it sure can be. You minimize the danger by following the law and being predictable and visible. I use lights at night, use traffic signals, and ride a straight path in the bike lane or in the right-most traffic lane. You are most likely to get hit at intersections or by cars coming out of driveways - NOT from behind, as many people suspect.
Fixed gear works for many cyclists, but I am skeptical of it. Since you have one gear, you must choose it carefully so as to be suited to all the terrain you cover. Generally, something around 70 gear inches should be good for a fit rider (something like a 50/20 or 46/18). If all I had was a fixie, I'd use it with brakes, but given a choice between a geared bike and a fixie, I'd go geared. I ride a 7 speed drivetrain, and a basically never used granny gear - useful if I were to bike to the peak of the mountains, perhaps, or go on a long tour. Spend most of my time between 65 and 95 gear inches.
Good to see you, RandomKorean!
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My only rant: don't be one of those bicyclists who both maintains that they are a pedestrian and a motor vehicle. You can be either, but it annoys me when they "follow motor laws" but then fly in front of you as a "pedestrian" >.>
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Bicycle is good, but try riding a motorcycle, your world will change once again. 
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I used to ride my bike a ton, but I got hit by a car at 55mph. I am fine, but I panic if I get on a bike anywhere it is possible for a car to come. Even the sound of cars freaks me out. I can only ride them somewhere like a state park now.
I would say there is a definite time and place for cars. Lived in rural Iowa one summer where the nearest grocery store (Walmart) was a 4 hour drive. It was an entire day's expedition to go and get things you needed. You cannot bike 200 miles to the grocery store and 200 miles back with 2 weeks of groceries.
I now live in downtown Philadelphia. I walk everywhere and I enjoy it. There is no need to have a car here, or even to take the bus or subway. A six or seven mile walk does not seem very far to me, and if the snow and rain is bad I have a grocery store a few blocks away and pretty much everything I need if I don't want to go far.
A lot of people don't need to use cars nearly as much as they do, and if you can get away with it, it is much better for you and the environment to walk or bike. However I think you are wrong that cars are wrong for everyone.
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Froadac, I do live in a smallish city (Albuquerque, the biggest city in New Mexico, but still not a large city). It is considered fairly bicycle friendly. I have no problems cycling here.
But I wouldn't hesitate to cycle anywhere. Small towns or what have you... In some ways, I would guess a more rural location would have some advantages, such as more recognition due to less people. Here in the city, I'm dealing with drivers I'll never see again, and have never seen before, and no matter how polite or careful I try to be, I often find I'm upsetting them and they are behaving with a lot of impatience and hostility. And the city has very dense traffic, which sucks.
Where - you comment on range and time limitations. Well, true, I didn't mention bus or train travel, but those are good options for some people, though inferior to bicycling by my standards. Just not my thing, but I respect anyone who ditches a car in favor of bus/train. As to cycling, many commuters think of 10miles as the upper range of a standard daily commute. I would have no problem with 20, though, and I think others could get used to it and enjoy it also. 10 is very easy and convenient for a one way trip. Helps stress and health, and is enjoyable. I often put in about 25 to 35 miles a day, visiting my fiance at work and doing random errands.
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Right on! Cars are too damn expensive.
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Interesting that you would think of a car as slavery. I love my car and feel like it gives me all kinds of freedom. There's a cool aquarium about 3 hours away. This weekend, if I wanted, I could pop in a CD, drive there, have fun, drive back in one day. If I jumped on my bike, the journey would take 3 to 4 times as long. I'd be biking all night back, completely worn out. And it might storm this weekend, too, so I'll be soaked and will probably be splashed by drivers going down the road. Not my idea of fun. My car actually gives me a direct, convenient path and shelters me from the elements.
If you're not into road trips, though, I can see how just having a bike would work. Stop-and-go city traffic isn't fun.
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Froadac: I agree! Sometimes I cycle as a pedestrian, which includes dismounting at intersections to cross to the other sidewalk. Usually i cycle as a motorist, and wait behind cars in front of me, unless there is a bike lane, which means cars must, by law, yeild to me. Sometimes I wait behind anyway, for safety. In short, follow the law - I agree.
HighTimes - I have absolutely zero interest in motorcycles. Wouldn't take one if given to me for free. I'd rather have the physical exertion of riding a bicycle, and having no worries of paying for insurance and gas.
Red Justice - Wow! Sucks that you got hit by a car! I find it interesting that given what happened to you, you aren't even more critical of cars. I don't have such a good excuse as you! Kudos for your car-lite or car-free lifestyle.
I can't imagine living 200 miles from the nearest grocery. Such a scenario would only appeal to me if it meant that I could sustain myself by my own efforts (grow my own food). All the rural locations I've been have had grocery stores close by enough. I'd not hesitate to fasten a trailer to my bike and ride a 40 mile round trip to get a week or two of groceries (you can haul truly mammoth loads in a trailer - there are some grand pictures to be seen online).
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I feel that America has it all wrong with respect to transportation. Horrendous inefficiency compared to many other countries. Good public transportation infrastructure is needed. That said, cars are a definite requirement for many people - especially people with families. While it is highly dependent on the neighborhood people are living in it would simply be impractical (or safe) to expect your whole family to bike everywhere with you. It is also a huge inconvenience to transport large purchases, even groceries (for a family) without a car. This is especially true in the suburbs where most places are out of a reasonable walking distance.
As a student in Boston I am currently without a car and manage just fine. Things like Zipcar also help out in those odd circumstances where you occasionally need a car. But once again, with a family I think it would not be feasible to live without a car. This is especially true the further north you go. Biking in the winter is not pleasant and is exceptionally dangerous at times. Anyways, just my thoughts. Given your circumstances living with a car is probably optimal. Unfortunately, due to poor transportation infrastructure it is not practical for a large majority of people - especially those with families.
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I commute to school, and between a 40 minute car ride and a 2 hour journey using public transportation, I'll take the car everytime.
If I lived and worked/took classes in an urban environment, I would definitely forgo cars in favor of bikes/bus/rail.
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ALLEYCAT BLUES50121 Posts
where i'm from a Bicycle gets me nowhere safely...I'm happy with my scooter,gets me somewhere but I'm still not that much safer...
Indian roads man...Indian roads and traffic.
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NukeTheStars: I won't reiterate the many reasons in my OP that point to the ways cars are not liberating. Instead, I'll say that there are often many great alternatives to a car. For instance, I live in Albuquerque NM. Santa Fe - the capitol - is 60 miles north. I could bike there in a day, no problem, but might not opt for that if spending time in Santa Fe and getting back home the same day was a big priority. But we have Rail Runner - a train that runs several times a day between Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and south to Los Lunas (where my fiance lives) and Belen. Sometimes I will take the train from Los Lunas back here, after a weekend visit with my fiance. I could easily take the same train to Santa Fe, spend an afternoon there, and take the train back. Or bike to Santa Fe, and take the train back, as a number of people do.
Or, you could have yourself a real adventure. The trip you mention - by bike, but not in a day. Maybe 2 or 3 days, and spend the night under the stars, by a fire you built yourself, and food you brought along for the journey. Perhaps with your girlfriend or some pals, sharing the fun. Bicycle touring, while something I've not explored (but want to, very badly), is something many people regard as a great vacation.
Many people speak of the convenience and speed of cars like it's their best feature. I think the challenge and relative slowness of bicycles is a feature, and wouldn't trade the experience for a car.
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An important point to make is that many people have built their lives around the car. Such people understandably tell me "I can't just cut the car out of my life - that's crazy!" Just like you plan your life around a car, you can learn to plan your life around not having a car. Will both kinds of living be the same? No. I don't live like a person that has a car. But then, I'd never want to.
If you want to free yourself of the car lifestyle, one thing that should surely be given consideration is choice of home. Another thing is choice of work/school.
In my case, it happened that where I lived when I had the car was also convenient for living without a car, so no major shift needed to happen there. For others, some adjustments may need to be made. Whether you want to or not, it is a choice you can likely make.
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I like driving though, and would never give it up. I enjoy driving in and of itself, as well as the process of always trying to get better. I think for many people driving is just a means to an end, but for me it is an end in and of itself. I am always trying to improve, whether its efficient braking and acceleration for better gas mileage, trying to figure out how best to make life most easy/stress free for other drivers, or constantly checking mirrors and always maintaining an awareness of what my "out" is going to be if the car in front slams his breaks or the truck next to me swerves into my lane. I guess traffic is annoying but thats a rare enough occurring that its no big deal. I just crack up over asshole or incompetent drivers, they don't bother me at all. I can't control what they do so who gives a shit.
That said, given the option I do agree that biking is preferable to driving when possible. However, living in Colorado trying to bike in the winter is futile with all the snow and ice. Not to mention I despise cold temperatures and would 10x rather be in my heated care than in 40 degree weather on a bike. Biking in the summer however is great, and I do use this fairly often when I can, of course the big complication is sweating. If I bike my normal 20-25 or so mph I can get places pretty fast, often beating cars. But if I slow down to whatever pace it takes to not sweat at all its going to consume alot of time.
More than anything though I don't bike alot because there isn't much in the way of sidewalks or even bike lanes, and idiot drivers on a bike are not something I am willing to put up with, or risk.
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Going to Work by car: 2 x 20 Minutes.
Going to Work by Public Transport: 2 x 40 Minutes.
Going to Work by Bike: 2 x 60 Minutes.
Shopping during my breaks and taking it home?
Car: Yes.
Public Transport: Some.
Bike: A little.
Going out to drink somewhere:
~10-30 Minutes by Car. Not allowed to drive drunk (Taxi solves)
~20-Not possible by Bike. Not allowed to drive drunk (and you cant sleep in it).
Public Transport.. Not really possible. (Tells you when you have to go home).
Having ONLY a Bike is fine and dandy when you live in a city... As soon as you move even a little away from a City it begins to really hurt you if your bound to Public Transport and a Bike....
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So you plan on staying confined to Albuquerque for the rest of your life?
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Whether you bike or not, I guarantee it is possible for everyone on Earth to be car free. How do I know? Easy - that's how it was for most of human history, and how it is for many people to this day.
People say "it's impossible to live X way and not have a car!" People want to have their cake and eat it too. I'm not saying you are the devil if you own and drive a car - my fiance owns and drives a car (though she is planning her next steps in life so as to be able to be car-free). But I will say it's a choice you make... just as you structure your life around a car, you can structure your life around not having a car. This can mean choosing a new living space, a new job, different school...
Those are, of course, "big changes." OK, but most people, at least in America, will change careers fairly often, move fairly often, and very few stay in school forever. So even if you were unwilling to actively change your lifestyle for the sake of living car-free, there will come "junctions" in your life - opportunities - to adjust how you do things in such a way that if you really care about being able to live without a car, you can do so, and probably easily. If you continue to build your life around the car, the it may be hard to simply cut the car out of your life at any given time.
But it does no good to say "But Inky! I can't just give up my car - it will mean it takes 2 hours to get to work, then 2 hours to get to school, then 2 hours to get to my girlfriend's house, then 3 hours to get back home!" Next time you move, you can choose a better location. Next time you get a job, you can choose a better location. You can move closer to your friends. Am I telling you to do this? No - that's your decision. But it IS a decision you can make, if not right this moment, then sometime.... To act like you are utterly dependent on the automobile is dishonest. Maybe you depend on the car to live a certain way, but you likely don't have to live in that particular way (and may find your overall appreciation for life changes for the better if you change up how you live - as I found when I embraced cycling).
Just like my fiance - she lives 30 miles from the city, but works in the city. She has a car and drives. But she has gone car-lite (commuting by bike and train most days), and plans to make a move to the city and then go car-free. It's a goal for her, and she will ultimately structure her life so that she can attain that goal.
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On April 27 2011 14:22 TOloseGT wrote:
I commute to school, and between a 40 minute car ride and a 2 hour journey using public transportation, I'll take the car everytime.
Same here. It's either a 30 minute car ride of a 2 hour public transport journey involving multiple buses that will only get me about 1 mile away from my school. Then it's that 1 mile walk to the school. Terribly inefficient. Cycling would be about 1.5 hours if I wanted to disregard safety and go onto a highway, which I'm pretty sure is illegal for cyclists.
My business also revolves around my car, so giving it up isn't an option.
On April 27 2011 15:12 nA.Inky wrote:
Next time you move, you can choose a better location. Next time you get a job, you can choose a better location. You can move closer to your friends. Am I telling you to do this? No - that's your decision. But it IS a decision you can make, if not right this moment, then sometime.... To act like you are utterly dependent on the automobile is dishonest. Maybe you depend on the car to live a certain way, but you likely don't have to live in that particular way (and may find your overall appreciation for life changes for the better if you change up how you live - as I found when I embraced cycling).
This part of your discussion just really stood out to me. In an ideal world, that works. In this world, it does not. You cannot simply choose what location you want to go into and buy/rent a place there. Cost of said place has to seriously be considered. Around here, living anywhere near the city, which coincidentally has the best public transport system, is terribly expensive. House prices would jump from $300k-$400k to $700k+. Rent would double, if not triple, from $1k to $2k-$3k.
Friends also move. They don't stay put in one place, and again, you have to factor in cost. I would love to move into the county where some of my close friends live, but the problem is that houses in that area are way to expensive. Saying you CAN make those decisions is bullshit.
One thing I think you're also ignoring is the fact that highways are the main method of going from point A to point B in today's society. Cycling on those highways is fucking stupid*. A 3 thousand lb car going 55 MPH at the minimum is going to wreck you if it hits you. If you want, you can plan your cycling to use back roads that aren't busy, but that generally makes your trip way too long. I've tried it with going to school. A 30 minute trip on the high way (about 1.5 on a bike) would take about 1 hour using back roads (about 3 hours on a bike). That's just inefficient.
*If you do this, then I seriously worry for you. I've seen the after math of cyclists going on highways or roads that have a speed limit greater than 30. It's not pretty and more often than not results in death or some sort of paralysis.
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Just throwing this out there because many of the newer generation of TL (read: SC2ers) who've probably never read Inky's blogs before... this guy is what I'd call a modern-age hippie. Read his older (2008) blogs, and their comments. You're not going to convince this guy otherwise of your opinion no matter how right/factual you feel you are. So uhh don't bother with it.
+ Show Spoiler + I'm not telling you what his weirdest entry/comment is, you'll have to find it for yourself
I use my car all the time, and I find it very liberating thank you.
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On April 27 2011 15:12 nA.Inky wrote:
Whether you bike or not, I guarantee it is possible for everyone on Earth to be car free. How do I know? Easy - that's how it was for most of human history, and how it is for many people to this day.
it's possible for everyone to live without electricity and internet too you know. you could have written a letter with ink harvested from an octopus and written from the feather of a majestic eagle then biked over to nazgul's house and told him to post for you. on the way you could've enjoyed all the scenery at a leisurely pace uninhibited by the perversions of technological advancement but you didn't.
+ Show Spoiler +also get off my road
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On April 27 2011 14:45 Velr wrote:
Going to Work by car: 2 x 20 Minutes.
Going to Work by Public Transport: 2 x 40 Minutes.
Going to Work by Bike: 2 x 60 Minutes.
Shopping during my breaks and taking it home?
Car: Yes.
Public Transport: Some.
Bike: A little.
Going out to drink somewhere:
~10-30 Minutes by Car. Not allowed to drive drunk (Taxi solves)
~20-Not possible by Bike. Not allowed to drive drunk (and you cant sleep in it).
Public Transport.. Not really possible. (Tells you when you have to go home).
Having ONLY a Bike is fine and dandy when you live in a city... As soon as you move even a little away from a City it begins to really hurt you if your bound to Public Transport and a Bike....
It's almost the opposite here. It is much quicker (and much more convenient) to catch the train into Melbourne than it is to drive.
Also, this is a huge factor for me:
Can I sleep on the train? Yes
Can I sleep in the car? Not unless I want to wrap myself around a tree.
The thing I love about public transport is you just don't have to stress about traffic or finding a parking spot. It's always there, it's cheaper, it's better for the environment and it's much quicker.
That said I respect that some people need cars because of distance and the type of job they have. I also respect that some people love to drive. There are still far too many people on the roads that don't need to be.
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Zurich15328 Posts
On April 27 2011 13:02 nA.Inky wrote:
Ayeh - there are many trips that I would wager that I could beat you - easily - on my bicycle while you are in your car, for the simple reason that you could easily lose your speed advantage just by looking for parking.
Good for you. You must accept though that many others don't have the luxury of close distances.
I drive more than 600 miles a week. Even though public transportation is excellent in Germany, I would lose hours on every trip compared to the automobile. I don't have much free time as it is, I am not going to waste that on waiting for delayed trains.
And the flexibility and comfort (in that I can take half my household with me on the road) is unmatched.
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glad you're feeling healthy inky
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On April 27 2011 16:08 vek wrote:Show nested quote +On April 27 2011 14:45 Velr wrote:
Going to Work by car: 2 x 20 Minutes.
Going to Work by Public Transport: 2 x 40 Minutes.
Going to Work by Bike: 2 x 60 Minutes.
Shopping during my breaks and taking it home?
Car: Yes.
Public Transport: Some.
Bike: A little.
Going out to drink somewhere:
~10-30 Minutes by Car. Not allowed to drive drunk (Taxi solves)
~20-Not possible by Bike. Not allowed to drive drunk (and you cant sleep in it).
Public Transport.. Not really possible. (Tells you when you have to go home).
Having ONLY a Bike is fine and dandy when you live in a city... As soon as you move even a little away from a City it begins to really hurt you if your bound to Public Transport and a Bike....
It's almost the opposite here. It is much quicker (and much more convenient) to catch the train into Melbourne than it is to drive. Also, this is a huge factor for me: Can I sleep on the train? Yes Can I sleep in the car? Not unless I want to wrap myself around a tree. The thing I love about public transport is you just don't have to stress about traffic or finding a parking spot. It's always there, it's cheaper, it's better for the environment and it's much quicker. That said I respect that some people need cars because of distance and the type of job they have. I also respect that some people love to drive. There are still far too many people on the roads that don't need to be.
Sure, in general Public Transport is awesome in Switzerland.
But i live in a Village with no train station... So EVERY trip with public transport is at least:
Bus (once an hour until like 9 pm -.-) --> Train Station --> probably "bigger Trainstation" --> On Road to destination.
It's by no means "far" and you could do all of this by Bike/Public Transport (hell, even by feet :p), but it's WAY more convenient/faster by Car .
I will move to the nearest City (well, big village  ) in a few months... I probably won't use my car much from then on because the public transport there is awesome and it's an importan train knot... So there won't be much need to drive to work/party/whatever .
Btw: I actually enjoy driving and don't feel stressed while doing it, i don't like public transport and just use them if they are CLEARLY superior (in others words: Faster).
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I was car free until I was 27. Then I had a daughter. The city I lived in then didn't really support public transportation or cycling but today I live in a university city and the whole city is planned for students without cars. This means I could probably get by without the car but then I would not be able to visit my parents, my friends who live outside the city b/c of the limited public transportation outside the city.
A car is sooo expensive though, it's crazy.
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My city has a bike scheme where there are stations all around the city centre and you can pick one up at one depot and drop it off at another. It costs me €10 for the year and its the handiest thing ever. My journey into college takes 10min and I don't need to worry about my bike getting stolen or where in my tiny apartment to keep it.
Public transport here is great as well, there are regular buses and trams that cost about €2 for a return trip and you can go practically anywhere in the city. There are plenty of cycle lanes and bus corridors so most of the time a bus will be faster than a car, even with it stopping at every stop.
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Most people would not be able to go 100% car free because they're not in such a situation where that would work due to current living arrangements and job. And it would be insane to rearrange either of those to go car free, esp in this economic climate. Most people don't have that luxury. certainly though, a lot of people could make some changes to wean off the dependence on autos. Unless you're in nyc or something similar, pigeon holing yourself into not having a car at all is kinda whacky, even just to have it on hand for emergencies. Use the bike for 95% of things and keep the car for other situations
The getting around faster in a bike thing is definitely true in some instances depending where you are. My father does this all the time. But this really only works because were in a city area. Someone in rural america, a bike as the main method of transportation is just a pain in the ass.
i was thinking of getting one just for health reasons, because it's a stupid easy way to keep yourself in shape and it's much more fun than running ughhhhhhh. Plus I'm close enough to work that I can do bike there and shoot home real quick if I need my car to go to an appt.
hello inky~~
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I'm not against cars, but I am against government subsidies and preferential treatment of car companies resulting in overproduction, reduction in the working life of cars and suppression of alternative fuels.
Everyone's still pissed off about the bank bailouts, but then they go out and buy a GM.
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Norway28665 Posts
I think cars are potentially useful, but a good 90% of people with cars drive around a good 90% too frequently. I don't have one, nor a drivers license, and I'm not sure whether I'll ever get one. possibly when/if I have kids - definitely not before that though.
but it's pretty easy to live where I live without a car - almost nobody living near the city centre in a european city truly needs one. to my knowledge, american cities are vastly different though, so mad props to you for taking this step. ;p
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Inky makes excellent points in this blog. I am 35 years old and have 2 young children. I have always preferred living in cities and working close to home was a requirement because I never cared for long commutes. I live in Milwaukee, WI and I bicycle year round.
Last year I decided that I was going to bicycle commute instead of using the car. While I have not been totally car free, I have only used 4 tanks of gas in the last year. I put my kids in the trailer behind the bicycle and we can get just about anywhere.
This is possible only because of choices that I have made about where I live. IMO, I have more free time and convenience because of it.
Suburban living and interstates exist due to the desire for people to live in isolation. If there was a greater trend towards city living and higher population densities, you would find more areas that are cost and time efficient for the pedestrian or bicyclist. I would argue this would in turn give you more and better quality social interaction, less crime and higher overall quality of life.
When you have always lived a certain way it is difficult to see the other side. It is well worth considering bicycling over a car and the changes it would require in your life.
You would have the benefit of living closer to other people and therefore better social health.
You would have the benefit of less commute time and traffic and parking woes, therefore, less stress and better mental health.
You would have the benefit of more exercise on a regular basis, therefore better physical health.
You would have the benefit of less maintenance, initial purchase, insurance cost with respect to a car therefore better financial health.
You would have done something to change your life, therefore expanding your horizons and making you a more well rounded person.
You would be contributing to sustainability with respect to natural resources and being respectful of the world around us so that future generations can enjoy the planet as much as you have.
These concepts are not about being a hippy. They are of manner and respect. If your only argument is I have always done it this way or it is not convenient for me.. Ask yourself one question "Why?" then maybe you will consider an alternative.
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infinity21
Canada6683 Posts
I guess you won't truly understand but I actually enjoy driving o_O
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Glad you're happy with your switch, Inky.
I too love riding my bicycle but unlike you guys in New Mexico, a person would be very hard-pressed to ride a bike year round in my country:
![[image loading]](http://motortestmagazine.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/snowstorm.jpg)
Living in the Canadian prairies means sprawled out, newer cities all built around the automobile. Public transport is terrible, bike paths and bike lanes are limited or non-existent, and everything you do will be a fair distance away from your front door.
Plus you get the ignorance of a population growing up in those kinds of conditions. Bikes aren't particularly common nor welcome on the road.
I once got hit by one of these:
![[image loading]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2294/2106095345_226ea58b05.jpg)
Dude swore at me and drove off. Meh.
I love visiting older or larger cities as it seems the urban areas are so much more conducive to foot-traffic and cars actually become more of an inconvenience than a necessity. If I lived somewhere like, say Vancouver or Hong Kong (lulz, both Asian cities), I think I would still own a car but only use it for out-of-town trips. The thought of doing that makes me happy.
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I like to bicycle for leisure, not for going to work and other places. Also it is nice that you are so "eco" friendly with your bike when you get warm temperatures all year round. I like my car and I intend to keep on driving for the rest of my life. I don't mind paying for gas, gotta enjoy it before it is all used up.
I really do hate bicyclists who abuse the rules of the road by being a cyclist or a pedestrian whenever they want to. I also hate the fact they tie up traffic, cause accidents and also push people walking on paths off the path so they can cruise through.
I think bikes should need to be licensed to drive on the roads and banned off walk ways. Maybe even ticket them more frequentley if at all for breaking traffic laws.
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On April 27 2011 23:57 Flaccid wrote:Glad you're happy with your switch, Inky. I too love riding my bicycle but unlike you guys in New Mexico, a person would be very hard-pressed to ride a bike year round in my country: Living in the Canadian prairies means sprawled out, newer cities all built around the automobile. Public transport is terrible, bike paths and bike lanes are limited or non-existent, and everything you do will be a fair distance away from your front door. Plus you get the ignorance of a population growing up in those kinds of conditions. Bikes aren't particularly common nor welcome on the road. I once got hit by one of these: Dude swore at me and drove off. Meh. I love visiting older or larger cities as it seems the urban areas are so much more conducive to foot-traffic and cars actually become more of an inconvenience than a necessity. If I lived somewhere like, say Vancouver or Hong Kong (lulz, both Asian cities), I think I would still own a car but only use it for out-of-town trips. The thought of doing that makes me happy.
You're just not dedicated enough
![[image loading]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CQGgyAWtflg/0.jpg)
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I find riding a bicycle to be incredibly wasteful and short-sighted. Big Bicycle has you all convinced that you need two wheels, handlebars and brakes to get around. Well excuuuuuse me. The bicycle industry wants me to think that my unicycle isn’t good enough, and that I need all their “luxuries.” Sorry, corporate fat cats, but I wasn’t born yesterday and I’m not going to suborn your greedy exploitation of the American working class. I won’t simply say, “okay…” and fork over my hard earned American dollars to the Bicycle Industrial Complex, who’d have us believe that it’s alright to use double the rubber tires of a unicycle, or that I need a giant, smelted metal frame whose production pumped tons of bilious gas into the atmosphere. I mean, it’s only the environment, right? Who needs it? As long as we get to cruise around on two wheels like celebrities, munching on cliff bars and supplementing our nalgene water bottle collection.
Well, not this patriot. My father and grandfather didn’t die face down in the shit so that some yuppies could come and pave the world in bicycle paths. That’s how it starts, you know. First they want their own paths, then their own drinking fountains, bathrooms and schools. That’s right, these free-wheeling bigots would take us back to Plessy v. Ferguson. Well, that’s not MY America. I’m taking back the streets. I traded in my beloved unicycle, Martin, for a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, and I’ve spent the last few days modifying it to be well below emissions standards. I leave it idling 24/7, hoping to pump out enough toxic smog to smoke these eco-terrorists off our streets. I’m going to miss Martin, but in this new future, we all have to make sacrifices if we have any hope of defeating the bicycle menace that threatens to consume us all.
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On April 27 2011 13:02 nA.Inky wrote:
Ayeh - there are many trips that I would wager that I could beat you - easily - on my bicycle while you are in your car, for the simple reason that you could easily lose your speed advantage just by looking for parking. Why mention this at all? Well, you mention visiting a friend "5 minutes away." Those are precisely the kinds of trips where a bicycle excels.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
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Good for you, sadly, not everyone has the luxury to chose that, 30km one way to work in the north of sweden. And the bus schedule sucks unless you work shift at the papermill (bus arrives 2 hours before normal workdays start), or you're going to school (bus arrives 2 hours after normal workdays start).
On April 27 2011 23:36 Eeryck wrote:Suburban living and interstates exist due to the desire for people to live in isolation. If there was a greater trend towards city living and higher population densities, you would find more areas that are cost and time efficient for the pedestrian or bicyclist. I would argue this would in turn give you more and better quality social interaction, less crime and higher overall quality of life.
You forgot that it would end world hunger! =)
Any new living that is built is going to be built with todays standards, wich means it will be relatively luxurius and therefore relatively expensive until something newer is built. And getting a building permit isn't just said and done, you need to buy up the land, make sure nobody who already lives closeby has any complaints (A new building would block the view to the tree we call "city park"!).
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My family recently spent about two months without a car, and it was an... interesting experience. Basic necessities could easily be found within walking distance, however most luxuries simply were too far away to access without a car. Particularly unpleasant were the few days I spent somewhat ill, as I had no way to actually get to my doctor, should my condition worsen.
I think a lot of us could use our cars a lot less than we currently do, but I can't imagine that most of us could simply cease using our car entirely.
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How are you supposed to visit or take your girl out?
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I really dislike living in the suburbs. I'm 18 and I didn't get my driving license so it's really inconvenient for me having to walk/take the bus everywhere. The bus system here it so inadequate, a bus comes every 30 minutes, and that only applies to the main streets. No buses for small streets, because there's not enough traffic. A trip that would take 15 minutes by car turns into a 30 minutes for me, sometimes 1.5 hours if I have to switch buses (whoever handles the scheduling for buses in this city is terrible, buses don't get to the same intersection within 10 minutes or some reasonable time). Toronto is practically designed to fit the car.
I really miss living in Hong Kong. A car is a true hindrance, financially and time-wise. You'll pay up your ass to pay for a parking spot and there's no space for you anyways, good luck finding a spot. But the density there is so high that everything you need is a 5 minute walk max. Public transport is everywhere and runs all the time.
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Hope life's treating you well Ink <3
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infinity21
Canada6683 Posts
On April 28 2011 05:54 EsX_Raptor wrote:
How are you supposed to visit or take your girl out?
Give her a ride in the trailer attached to your bike, obviously.
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this is nice and all and i agree of course, but the problem is every ford/honda/car brand XYZ ad is going to reach many times more people than would read a blog like this. to me the real problem is that people don't drive cars because it's good for them; they drive cars because selling cars is a profitable business and they are bombarded by advertising and social pressure to drive. it's alarming that people in such a powerful country aren't able to decide for themselves that their economy should focus on producing decent public transportation instead of trying to market a dangerous, wasteful product such as cars.
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I have been car free since 2009. I will never look back. I now get to work 1 less day per week with the money saved. I actually have time to live life now. It's great. I am also a minimalist and I like living the simple life. Selling the car really helped. I think I read somewhere that it costs something like $8,000 per year to own an average car. This includes gas, insurance, repairs, and I believe depreciation. My work is a 30 mile round trip 4 days a week. It takes about 1 hour each way. And it's 2 birds with 1 stone. I no longer own a gym membership. Biking a minimum of 120 miles per week is plenty of exercise If I can do this surely it should not be a problem for people that live within 5 miles of work, which most people do in the city. Plus you can always do the bike/public transit if you live far away.
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On April 28 2011 01:14 JackMcCoy wrote:
I find riding a bicycle to be incredibly wasteful and short-sighted. Big Bicycle has you all convinced that you need two wheels, handlebars and brakes to get around. Well excuuuuuse me. The bicycle industry wants me to think that my unicycle isn’t good enough, and that I need all their “luxuries.” Sorry, corporate fat cats, but I wasn’t born yesterday and I’m not going to suborn your greedy exploitation of the American working class. I won’t simply say, “okay…” and fork over my hard earned American dollars to the Bicycle Industrial Complex, who’d have us believe that it’s alright to use double the rubber tires of a unicycle, or that I need a giant, smelted metal frame whose production pumped tons of bilious gas into the atmosphere. I mean, it’s only the environment, right? Who needs it? As long as we get to cruise around on two wheels like celebrities, munching on cliff bars and supplementing our nalgene water bottle collection.
Well, not this patriot. My father and grandfather didn’t die face down in the shit so that some yuppies could come and pave the world in bicycle paths. That’s how it starts, you know. First they want their own paths, then their own drinking fountains, bathrooms and schools. That’s right, these free-wheeling bigots would take us back to Plessy v. Ferguson. Well, that’s not MY America. I’m taking back the streets. I traded in my beloved unicycle, Martin, for a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, and I’ve spent the last few days modifying it to be well below emissions standards. I leave it idling 24/7, hoping to pump out enough toxic smog to smoke these eco-terrorists off our streets. I’m going to miss Martin, but in this new future, we all have to make sacrifices if we have any hope of defeating the bicycle menace that threatens to consume us all.
5/5
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This is going to sound really stupid but I still would like some advice.
I drive to work(3.5miles) purely because I do not want to be sweaty and dirty when I arrive since as management I have to be looking immaculate. But my freshly-ironed shirts cannot exactly be transported in a backpack or something of that nature, do you have any advice?
Bear in mind I live in Fresno where I will be working five 12-14 hour days a week during the summer where temperatures reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit, so I find it difficult to ride my bike and remain clean.
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Does your company have a cleaning service like "purple tie" or something. If so leave some freshly ironed clothes at the office. Im in Cali also. Your not going to be sweating much on a 3.5 mile trip if you have a decent bike (road bike, fixed gear etc, something other than a 10 year old huffy). You can always freshen up in the bathroom before work, ie bird bath. Maybe your work even has showers?
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The need for a car is subjective based on your location. it is crazy to bother owning a car in some parts of the world, and crazy not to in other parts.
Live and work in New York, Paris, or another large centralised city with good (I assume?) public transport? Crazy to own a car, just walk, bike, or take public transport.
however, living where I do in Perth, it is a massively decentralized community with a tiny city centre and huge tracts of suburban living. Very few people live in the city centre, it is primarily a business district only, and so while taking public transport into the city is fine, it can take a LOT longer than a car even with traffic if you live a good way out of the city, and if you aren't going into the city, the public transport isn't great, and a car is a near necessity.
It is hugely silly to label cars as ALWAYS being unnecessary, just as it is hugely silly to label them as always being necessary. It is, like most things, dependent upon your personal circumstnaces.
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EPT
