Anyone gone car free?

[sunnyjim]

Without wanting to put words into Sunnyjim's mouth, what he really meant was "it might" rather than "it will".

Driving gives a different perspective of using the roads and perhaps provides some empathy from what drivers see etc. It certainly doesn't naturally flow that it will make you a better cyclist (or vice versa) as that depends upon your own personal circumstances.

There are a lot of folk who are poor drivers and poor cyclists (not necessarily mutually exclusive). Some of these may benefit from learning the other skill, many won't (either they don't have the ability to or don't want to).

Thank you 400bhp - That's indeed what I should have said.

Judging from the behaviour of some driving instructors, driving lessons only might make the OP a better driver.

 

[Boris Bajic]

What's the proportion of paid work split in your household?

You have to take into consideration the whole with the arguments TC was giving, rather than look at it in isolation.

You're right. That is something to consider.

As are the proportion of capital in the family home, the one who spends more time digging the vegetable plot, the one who did more reading to the children when they were younger and a gazillion other things.

I come out second best to Mrs BB in most of these equations, but we've managed to muddle through.

Ultimately (as with the ideal of not running a motor car) we really have only to consider whether we're setting the sort of example to our children we'd like to set.

We can add everything up and divide it by the square root of maybe, but if it works it works.

Many are the married friends over the years who've expressed their shock that we don't have joint accounts. Having muddled along for 25 years in broad ignorance of each other's finances and politics, we see that many of the couples who spoke with passion of the honesty and openness of their relationships are now spending a good part of the weekend driving their children between their homes in line with their custody arrangements. I'm not sure now why the joint accounts and frequent public declarations of love, honesty and openness ever seemed like a good idea.

 

[sunnyjim]

This may be the case, but it may not. I'm not sure it helps to make a fairly absolute statement like that on a cycling forum.

In my experience, road users with experience handling several forms of road transport are more understanding about the needs, capabilities and limitations of other modes.
<snip>

I'll try being more doubtfull in future. Eekk!, that was another absolute statement. Arrhg! That's another one.

I might stop now..

 

[Boris Bajic]

I'll try being more doubtfull in future. Eekk!, that was another absolute statement. Arrhg! That's another one.

I might stop now..

No problem, Sunny Jim.

I've spoken to my people and they're happy that none of the phrases I quote above are of concern to them.

They asked me also to refer you to the qualification 'like that' which I inserted into my cautionary caveat.

My people appreciate your desire to stay within the confines of the caveat, but stress that they do not want to get too pedantic about this.

They do not clarify how pedantic is too pedantic.

 

[middleagecyclist]

I've wondered if I was being sexist in musing about getting rid of the car. I don't think I was in relation to my marital division of labours at least.

We are both nurses. I'm full time and the wifey is on 2/3 hours (post materntiy leave). She does do more round the house because she is there more by mutual agreement as it helps with our child care. I still do a fair bit of housework and childcare however and anything DIY or car related is my domain alone.

She is not a confident or strong cyclist and would not countenance cycling the six miles to her work place. Shift times means buses are not practical although taxis could well be an option. The car is her choice for this. I cycle to my work place.

I am happy to cycle to and from the supermarket with a trailer or cargo bike but this would mean I need to be available to do the shopping. She often does a big shop while I am working (she seems to enjoy it!). We could do smaller shops, use a taxi or have it delivered. The car is her choice for this although she uses public transport for going into Manchester city centre.

We choose to live near to and walk the Golden Child to school. We both drive her to various clubs and friends, although I take her on the tag-a-long when I can (which she loves). We both agree the car is useful for this. When the wife is working (and so has the car) I use the tag-a-long or public transport to take the Golden Child out.

We do drive to visit in laws about 150 miles away every couple of months. This would be hard to arrange without a car but I would use a car share scheme or hire car rather than keep our own car. We agree the car is good for this.

So, we have gone from each owning a car to choosing to run one only. We could afford two cars and certainly could get by owning none at all. I am very happy we have cut our annual car mileage from 14000 to 9000 miles and use walking, cycling and public transport as local options. For us it's not about sexism but trying to be environmentally aware and financially sensible. I would not be so presuptious as to say what other people should do. What we do suits us that's all.

 

[al78]

Brighton 3 hours by bike. Probably roughly the same by car as everyone piles out of London on the A23. Riding the bike down would be fun.

Up until the point where you realize you have to cross the South Downs .

I've only cycled all the way to Brighton (Hove to be more exact) once and I took the direct brute force route via Saddlescombe.