What would it take for you to go carless?

[taterguy]

What changes would have to take place in your life before you would consider getting rid of your car?

Or would you never consider it?

Just curious

[Left Is Write]

1. I'd have to move.

[LeftyMom]

2. Living in an area where I could

I had no car or clue how to drive one until I was 24, and I'd rather not have to deal with the expense of one now (although to be perfectly honest having had it I'd be loath to give up the convenience.) Unfortunately I live in an area that's very poorly laid out for foot and cycle traffic and served by one infrequent bus that doesn't really leave the neighborhood and won't be moving anytime soon, so I'm stuck with my car if I intend to go anyplace.

[Divameow77]

3. I couldn't imagine not having a car

trying to do the most simple of tasks would seem almost impossible with 2 children to drag along. How do you carry home groceries for 3 people on the bus?

[electron_blue]

13. in a backpack

Or you call a taxi.

[Divameow77]

38. A backpack would mean a lot more trips to the store

and a taxi for grocery shopping just seems silly to me.
I have many friends that bike just about everywhere, all year long in Minnesota even, and I have the respect in the world for them, I just know I couldn't do it.

[electron_blue]

59. Me neither. A taxi isn't that silly, really when you do the numbers

It typically comes out much cheaper to take a taxi grocery shopping and for errands around town compared to the cost of owning and maintaining (and insuring) a car. Several people who do just that, have pointed it out to me over the years.

[RebelOne]

4. Only when there is public transportation in my area.

No bus service where I live.

[Midlodemocrat]

5. Have to move. No public transporation here and riding a bike

to the grocery store isn't particularly doable. I'd probably get killed by someone driving their SUV.

[taterguy]

10. SUVs won't intentionally hit you

The asshole drivers are too concerned about scratching their precious tough guy babies

[Ohio Joe]

6. Good mass transit

When I lived in MA, I did not have a car for 5 years and did not miss it. Here in Ohio, I simply need one, everything is to far away.

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. Mom's Taxi would have to take an alternate form

[NewWaveChick1981]

8. Good public transportation such as a subway that wouldn't take me

two hours to get someplace that I could drive to in 20 minutes. :) I used the bus system all the time in Chapel Hill when I lived there because it was really good. However, the bus system here is lame.

[toadzilla]

9. I would love to get rid of my car.

Unfortunately there is no reasonable way to get anywhere without one where I live.
I do plan on moving into the city soon and changing that. Baltimore has incredibly shitty public transportation.

[RedStateShame]

11. A small electrical glitch in my car that costs too damned much to fix...

Oh, wait, that is what happened, and I rely on public transit and my pals. OK, and my girlfriend's car. Still, I get more time to read and work on Sudoku and/or crossword puzzles on my way to and from work. And, if one of my driving friends says something about gas prices going down, I make it a point to say, "Yeah, you're welcome." Yeah, I'm an ass.

[MrCoffee]

12. We're *this close* to going carless...

We live in Seattle, which has an outstanding bus system, and we can walk to 3 groceries, a farmer's market, the post office, the library, the park, and about a dozen restaurants. Seattle also has Flexcars, which we would join.

The only reason we still have the car is because MrsCoffee is due in a month, and we want to hang on to it for just a little while longer. Toting 2 carseats to a Flexcar in the Pacific Northwest winter doesn't really appeal to her, for some reason. Women.

[LSK]

14. a move to somewhere warm

A new job, new home, kissing visiting my family and friends goodbye.

Basically A NEW LIFE.

[LSK]

15. taterguy, are you carless and how did you do it?

[taterguy]

18. I was for 10 years

I did it by living within 2 miles of my job. I used a bike. It wasn't too much of a struggle to sling groceries in a back pack and duffel bag. I preferred using a bike to go out at night so I wouldn't have to worry about DUIs. I rented a car or used AMTRAK when I wanted to visit someone out of town.

When I really needed a car for something like dog food I'd barter: help someone move furniture or something in exchange for a ride to the store.

[LSK]

19. was this in a warm climate?

[taterguy]

25. It's North Carolina

There's snow on the ground a few days a year and I don't have enough experience cycling on snow so I'd just walk.

Otherwise a jacket, gloves and ear muffs are sufficient, especially since the exercise from cycling warms you up

[electron_blue]

27. Where in NC? I'm thinking of moving there and am looking for someplace

like that.

[taterguy]

33. The Triad

As far as I know you won't get more than a few days of snow any place East of the Yadkin River in NC. Whether or not you'll be able to find a job and nearby decent place to live just depends on what sort of work you do and what your definition of decent is. NC isn't considered bike friendly and I only know one other person in my town that doesn't have a car. However, if you're defiant enough you can get away with it.

[LSK]

32. North Carolina is not Chicago

Would you bike when its 10 degrees out?

[taterguy]

35. I'd probably bike in 10 degree weather

I guess you haven't seen that pic of me sledding nekkid

[jakefrep]

16. For one, moving somewhere that has decent public transport

and is pedestrian/cyclist friendly.

Secondly, a good passenger rail system - since I do like to travel.

[MissMillie]

17. I'd need to work closer to home

or live closer to work.

Not an easy obstacle to overcome. Jobs near where I live pay 2/3 of what I make here. Rents near where I work are twice what I pay where I am.

I live pay check to paycheck.

[Heidi]

20. What it _took_

was moving to a country with a decent public transportation system.

[MrCoffee]

21. oh rub it in why don't you?

:hi:

[Heidi]

23. Hi, MrC!

You can sit next to me on the Post Auto or ferry any day! :pals:

[LSK]

22. that was almost going to be my answer: move to europe

[Heidi]

26. When I first started using public transportation,

I realized what an elitist I was. Now, I really enjoy it most of the time. :thumbsup:

[bridgit]

24. a system as utilitarian as MUNI...

http://www.sfmuni.com/cms/mms/home/home50.htm

[philosophie_en_rose]

28. Affordable, accessible, and safe public transportation.

Seattle has a tolerable system, but I don't live in the city anymore and taking the bus home takes three times as long as just driving there.

[Dora]

29. For us, a change of career.

Mr. D is a drummer. He hauls drums to and fro.

Must. Have. Vehicle.

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. A new job... my car is my office.

:hi:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

31. Already there.

Decent, but not great public transportation system here, combined with rising gas, parking, and insurance prices did the trick. I'd still prefer to have a car, but it's not worth it for a luxury right now. Got too many other things to pay for.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

34. I haven't had a car in over 4 years

All it took was moving to NYC.

And, on edit, I'd like to add that I don't really miss it that much. About once every other month or so, I'll have a yen to take a road trip somewhere, but that's about it.

[gfindu]

36. always need a car

to do some driving and enjoy the outdoors

[taterguy]

37. You don't need a car to enjoy the outdoors

This pic was taken riding my bike half an hour from my house

[gfindu]

40. True

but it helps you get to those places sometimes

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

44. Does it come with a roof rack and a trailer?

[taterguy]

49. Actually

You can rent boats where that pic was taken. The roof rack is whatever I carry on my head. I've always been able to carry almost anything I needed without a trailer

[belladonna]

39. I'd love to get rid of my car

Unfortunately, I don't live in a place where it's even a consideration. Everything is spread far and wide and public transportation, while better than in years past, is a total joke.

[youthere]

41. Reliable public transport or

at living in closer proximity to supplies (for lack of a better word). I live in rural Iowa down a very long and dusty gravel road. "Town" is four miles away and consists of a bank, a post office, and a gas station. The nearest real town is 24 miles away.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

42. I'm driving the Freepmobile until...

I move into an area with public transportation and a store within 10 miles.

[deadparrot]

43. As I go to college in a rural area,

a car is pretty much necessary.

If I lived in Europe or someplace like it, very compact with a good public transit system, I could do it. Otherwise, the places I need to get to are too spread out.

[idgiehkt]

45. probably going to happen

seeing as how I'm in a showdown with the NCDMV that I am probably going to lose. But that will only be temporary. As long as I have pets that may need an emergency trip to the vet, I'll always have to have a car.

[izzybeans]

46. A big move, short of a transportation revolution.

I could deal with no car if there was actually a means of transporting myself, my son, and my wife to work, school, the market, etc.

There will have to be a transportation revolution in about 90% of this country in order for our dependency on automobiles to change. Me? I'd much rather here the noise of a light rail system by my house than that of vehicular traffic.

Where I live pedestrian traffic is limited to pretty much myself and a few others. Sidewalks are in disrepair and the former vestiges of the rail system from the first half of the 1900s only periodically surfaces when the city tears up the concrete along the streets that used to run trolleys and the pockets of the old rail lines become visible. Every five years they uncover the answers to their problems and pave over them with asphalt.

But hey I can by me a Hummer 2 so that I can play GI Joe, just like the rest of em'.

[wildhorses]

47. a good five-gaited hoss...preferrably a buckskin

care to contribute to the cause :bounce:

[SeattleGirl]

48. I need my car for my job, though I do work from home which

does help in that I don't have to commute every day. However, I need to meet with clients and others, so need a car.

Years ago, when I was in college, I also worked on the campus. I lived a mile away, so walked there every day. I also lived directly up the hill from downtown Seattle, so would either walk there if I needed to go downtown, or hop a bus. When I went to visit my family in Oregon, I took the train. Did this for four years. I didn't mind at all, but as I said, I do need a car now for my job.

[Deep13]

50. A slower society.

And a closer one.

[Reverend_Smitty]

51. If I lived in a city with good public transportation

Somewhere like NY or Boston. I'm single so I wouldn't have to worry about carting around kids and groceries...personally I hate driving and I hate traffic even more so I would give up my car in a heartbeat but since I live in the burbs, it's not really possible

[Ariana Celeste]

52. My SO and I are carless

We walk to nearly all places we need to go. I do grocery shopping every day, or every other day- and prefer it that way. Sometimes it can be a pain in the ass because there is no mass transit in my town. But, we have a good neighbor who we can catch a ride with once in awhile if we have to.

And can you believe it, we have been called lazy (Lazy!!) for not getting licenses and driving everywhere we need to go!

[taterguy]

53. LAZY!!!!!

I called you that but didn't mean it. I always kept a valid drivers license when I was carless for rare and special occasions, like when a friend with two cars needed a ride to her mechanic

[NC_Nurse]

54. Moving

You need a car in NC.

[bigwillq]

55. I would need to get a new job.

I drive a lot for work. And in CT, it's hard to take mass transit to get to all the places I would need to go for my work.

[vickitulsa]

56. You don't need to get rid of the car to eliminate the problems

associated with our car-crazy culture. Most of the problems, anyway, can be eliminated if people simply use other means of transportation, including their feet (or "pat and mike," as my mom used to say) whenever they can and resort to driving their car only when absolutely necessary.

It's insane that most Americans seem to be willing to change profligate habits ONLY when it becomes so painful to them financially that they get serious about it.

I've lived with no car, only a bicycle, and at times with only a motorcycle. I rode both bicycle and motorcycle in all kinds of weather -- ya just get appropriate warm gear to wear, and ya gotta go slow enough to limit the wind chill!

I still have a car, but I only put about 100 miles on it per month. 1998 Lumina with only 50,000 actual miles, and most of them were put on it when Mom had it or when I lived in the country.

Isn't it interesting that most people who are managing without a personal vehicle of their own seem to be very happy that way? So many reasons it's good for ya ... the health benefits alone from walking or riding a bicycle are just amazing!

There will always be some members of our population who need personal motorized transport -- the disabled, rural folks, a lot of categories but actually NOT a lot of people compared to how many COULD find a way to keep the car parked most of the time.

I know of one group of people who couldn't go carless -- the homeless ones who are LIVING in their cars. :cry:

We have at least one of those here at DU, and I worry about her every day....

But I'm 57 and disabled, can walk only very short distances (like 100 feet) at one time, yet I can still ride a bicycle and love to do my shopping errands on the bike still. You're right -- a backback or other suitable means of carrying loads or packages works fine. It's just amazing how many ways there are to avoid using the car in the driveway, saving it for essentials.

And these days I use so little gasoline that during the most recent $3.00/gal spike in prices at the pump, I was able to refill only ONCE the whole time before it dropped again to a more reasonable rate! It's downright gratifying to watch others in their two-tank SUVs and monster trucks making faces as they watch the digital numbers on the readout changing so fast they're a blur, knowing I really don't have to worry about that -- at least for now!

I try not to criticize others and simply to be an inspiration, but I'm not sure enough people are noticing.... :)

[KamaAina]

57. Been there, done that.

Of course, that means that 98% of the mainland (geographically) and the Neighbor Islands (for the most part) are off-limits to me. Get a clue, planners: quite a few of us have disabilities and don't drive; many others are "car-poor", that is, they could afford a decent, carless life if it weren't for the need of that money-sucking auto.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

58. If I lived in NYC

or somewhere like that with good public transport it wouldn't bother me not to have a car, probably prefer not to. Mr 'pede's daughter lives in Manhattan and pays god knows what to park a car she seldom uses.

[ganeshji]

60. Been carless before

I only hated it one time. While I was walking down the street some guy threw a cup of hot coffee at my head. That was really the only time that walking sucked for me.