I don't have a problem with addiction. I can quit any time I want

[taterguy]

Yeah, right.

[madokie]

1. So far in life

I've quite two serious addictions, one was the smokes and the other was the daily serious ass drinking of the firewater.

[taterguy]

2. How did you avoid the car addiction?

Do you live in Europe?

[madokie]

4. Well now that you mention that

I've pretty much solved that problem too I guess. Back in the day I used to drive maybe, some years, close to a hundred thousands miles while now I'll be good to drive 500 or so for this whole year. Used to be a place that was a hundred miles away was only an hour and a few minutes away where now it may as well be half way across the whole world to me.

[WCGreen]

48. Me too....

Both within a year...

[Obamanaut]

3. $2:56 nt

[taterguy]

6. I hate it when people speak in tongues this early in the morning

[abumbyanyothername]

43. The current price of gas in his/her locale, perhaps? nt

[taterguy]

45. Buy why a colon instead of a decimal point?

That's very troubling.

[MADem]

5. Actually, you can! Move to a dense city, like NY or Boston or London,

where having a car is such a pain in the ass that you're happier using the tube/subway/metro and avoiding the outrageous insurance charges, added taxes, and absolutely obscene parking fees. The money you save will cover your subway and cab costs!

If you live in suburbia or the country, though, and you aren't inclined to move, you need a vehicle. Try to get one that's good on gas next time.

[taterguy]

7. My other vehicle is pretty good on gas

[MADem]

8. There ya go! nt

[taterguy]

10. Don't think it would work too well in Buffalo. Too much snow.

[MADem]

12. You'll just have to carpool then! nt

[taterguy]

14. As if I could find car poolers who shared my musical taste and didn't mind my chain smoking

[MADem]

18. You gotta cut down on the smoking. Don't quit if you don't want to, just cut down.

It's not good for your health.

[taterguy]

21. Smoking's bad for your health? Why didn't anybody warn me?

[MADem]

36. Somerset Maugham smoked like a chimney until the day he died.

He lived to be quite old (91). Sure, maybe he would have made it to a hundred if he didn't....but whatever.

I'm sure you've been "warned," but it doesn't hurt to be reminded. I just think, if you are in fact a "chain" smoker, you'll feel better if you cut down. I'm not giving you the "Stop now/You are evil/Eww you're polluting the air/think of the chiiiiiildren" lines, I'm simply saying that if you smoke constantly, it's got to be a load on your lungs. Also, if you smoke constantly, you likely have a serious nicotine addiction that's probably too hard for you to overcome "cold turkey."

As someone else pointed out, there are savings to be made. If cigarettes are four bucks a pack, hell, that's $28 a week if you stop smoking one pack a day. That adds up.

[ejpoeta]

22. we actually have extra money now that my husband quit smoking.

he was surprised by how much he had left at the end of the week. i hope he never goes back. He's much calmer and doesn't bite his fingers and act anxious so much. we had the best vacation at the lake this year!! even though it rained most of the time. i think the fact that he wasn't smoking or thinking about smoking every minute of the day made a big difference.

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. Buy yourself a new back tire or you'll be walking home.

[taterguy]

17. Back tire is fine, just a different brand from the front tire

I cheated on my regular bike shop and bought one from another place.

[comtec]

27. Pferrrt! depends on the gas ;)

My parents have city bike, they have slick tires, gets better "mileage" per rotation.
Yes tires matter.

I'm in holland and also tire pressure matters a great deal too. I think my station fiets has a leak.. in both tires >.<
Anyway that's quite common here. Despite the unreasonable cost of bikes (50 E for a second hand one is CHEAP!!!!) it's common to leave a "clunker" preferably with visible rust spots, at the train station you are going to arrive at most.

I can wither walk 20 minutes to work, or ride my bike in 8 (6 if conditions are right) minutes - ok I admit im a leisurely biker, but a fast walker). I prefer to bike mostly for the time considerations. if i'm "late" biking helps me get in "on time" being 5 minutes early. "early" is about 20 minutes.

not much choice on the time really, that's when the train arrives.

I am NOT one of these critical mass types. i think they are super assholes, but I have always taken public transport when it makes sense - I N E V E R drive to SF when I lived in the bay area if I could avoid it, for example, and i HATE driving to Amsterdam.

For contrast When I was living in the bay area, i'd easily blow through a tank of gas just wandering aimlessly, listening to audio books and relaxing. It was bad for my waist line, but good for my soul. I drive because I enjoy it.
I find it relaxing, and soothing to my battered soul.
With a nice twisty bit of road I can unwind, by winding, and concentrating, and driving!
To many people a car is just transport, for me it's freedom.
I miss driving like you can't believe.
I don't have a license because it's very expensive and i'll be damned if I can figure the laws out well enough to pass the test.
A test designed to fail drivers.

[abumbyanyothername]

49. But I was bummed out by the repair bill yesterday.

Got a flat and it cost me $15 to repair.

[Mopar151]

9. And if you need to get out of town, you can share a car

I see 'em all the time in northern New England - I think it works kinda like a timeshare condo.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Sf and Seattle, too. My brother uses them. Rent for an hour, etc.

[ThomWV]

16. That would be pure insanity - no one should live in a city.

The energy use to service cities - which of their very nature have no ability to sustain themselves - far outweighs any value they serve.

[ejpoeta]

25. i couldn't live in the city. I had a hard enough time living in town.

though there were benefits to it... sidewalks... walking to the store... but i was younger then. i get very anxious in the city. just driving to the city to go to the museum made me anxious. but i don't have to go many places, so that helps. my husband drives around for his job, fixing cash registers for walmart and other stores as well as atms. luckily he drives a company vehicle and they pay for the gas.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. What about technology?

My friends who live in rural areas had to wait for cell phone coverage and for the internet. I'm not sure I would want to give up technology, but I have wanted to move to the country for a long time now.

[ejpoeta]

53. we haven't had any troubles with cell phone coverage here. we are the last

house that has access to cable/internet, so.... thank god for that. I know my dad couldn't get cable modem and my sister ended up getting the satellite internet because it's that or dial up for her. We have crappy water here, though.... have no idea when town water will come down the road. they stopped up before the intersection (about five or six houses). uggh. our water here is really bad. we have a water softener and an RO unit. It's not that we are picky... this water is so bad it will curdle non dairy creamer in the coffee. how long do you think it took us to figure out that it was the water doing that!! but technology isn't an issue here.

[MADem]

37. Some people like cities. I've lived in very dense cities, and I have

lived in the burbs and the countryside. They all have something to recommend them.

I doubt city dwellers would take your advice, anyway. If they did, they'd come live next to you....

:rofl:

[taterguy]

41. It would be interesting if someone was smart enough to verify / debunk this

I honestly don't know if living in a city is more energy efficient than living in the country.

I just hope we can all agree that suburban living is a soul-killing drain on resources.

[Mopar151]

11. There are degrees of addiction

Driving a dually crewcab truck 10 mi. to fetch coffee



or driving your "Texas Pickup" to church

[taterguy]

13. How are you supposed to carry coffee 10 miles on a bicycle?

[Heidi]

24. Right here.

(I don't think they make an ashtray, though. ;) )

http://www.somafab.com/morningrush.html

[taterguy]

28. Hmmm, wonder how long beer would stay cold in those

And I wonder how many of those cups would fit on my handlebars.

[Heidi]

29. Ha!

I think you should maybe beta test that mug with a beer, or 10. :rofl:

Mornin', taterguy! :hi:

[taterguy]

30. Back from test. It didn't go well

One of these days I've got to learn not to trust everything I read on the Internet.

Sigh. (Burp)

[Heidi]

31. The up side is

you have nice blue eyes and your facial hair appears to be well maintained. :rofl:

[taterguy]

34. Hard to care about looks when you've got a bunch of ER bills that no honest man can pay

It was your idea.

Wanna help me out?

[Heidi]

35. I can offer this:

:*

Pass it on and advise 'em to take the bills out in trade, huh? (Worth a try, anyway.) :rofl:

[taterguy]

40. Actually that pic is from the last time I tried to respond to a collection agency with kisses

The debt collectors in my town have no sense of humor.

[Heidi]

42. Cretins.

Rise above them.

[taterguy]

52. The cretins keep hopping

Ain't no way I could rise above them.

Even though I am tired of their abuse.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. Steven Hawking

was addicted to a wheel chair, . Addicted. Not in need of using the chair, he was addicted. Like a junkie. Addicted.
He would have loved to be addicted to bikes.



Imagine other people. Then type.

[armyowalgreens]

23. The addiction to oil is a transcending concept. It does not literally exist.

I am not addicted to oil. Give me another mode of transportation that does not require fossil fuel and I will take it in a heart beat; assuming it is efficient and comfortable enough.


It's funny to say we are addicted to oil. But, in reality, it is merely a joke and nothing more.

[taterguy]

26. Give me something as satisfying as a cigarette and I'll stop smoking

What's the difference?

:shrug:

[Curtland1015]

32. They don't sell menthol cars?

:shrug:

[Mopar151]

38. Sure...

Oh, wait, thought you said methanol......

[armyowalgreens]

54. You are addicted to nicotine.

your bodies takes in nicotine through nicotine receptors.

That's the difference.

Humans needs transportation. You don't need cigarettes. Your body tricks you into believing you do.

[taterguy]

55. Here's my non-scientific concept of addiction

The criterion is:

Are you using something, or is the thing in question using you?

It's clear that in our society cars are controlling us, instead of us controlling them.

We make all sorts of otherwise irrational decisions about domestic and foreign policy, just to insure that we can keep getting our fix of automotive transportation.

Yes, humans need transportation. But is a car the best option?

For most of the world the answer to that question is "Sometimes."

For America the answer is "Almost always."

And that's why it's an addiction.

[Union Yes]

39. I can't give up coffee no matter how hard I try.

[Heidi]

44. I'm sorry. I can only enable your addition, which I share.

Meet our coffe maker. Her name is Giussipina. Let us enable you. :rofl:

[Union Yes]

46. Your wicked! and I'm drooling.

:rofl:

[taterguy]

47. Not the first or last time that Heidi has inspired drooling

[Heidi]

50. Oh, shush!

Let's not tarnish GD with torrid, Lounge-esque delusions. :pfffffft:

[taterguy]

51. What is this Lounge that you speak of?