Car-free living

[yello]

But most of the time the car is a very expensive ornament sat on the drive depreciating money

Ditto.

When living in central London, I didn't need a car. In fact, it would have been more of a pain than a convenience.

Now I'm living rurally, it's a completely different story. Yes, most of the time the car is an ornament, not to mention a significant part of our annual outgoings, but it is sadly needed (yes, I know we've had the 'need' conversation on here!) I am hoping to be car free next year sometime but that really depends on us being able to move to a sufficiently equipped town. I really don't like being dependant on a car.

 

[Drago]

Although my insurers reckon my old skil has risen in value by nearly 30% between renewals. Thats my kind of depreciation!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Although my insurers reckon my old skil has risen in value by nearly 30% between renewals. Thats my kind of depreciation!

Yeah but 30% of one of her majesty's pounds isn't really all that much.

 

[Pale Rider]

On the 25th September we had our house broken into with the sole purpose of getting the car keys and having the car away.

Ouch.

Out of interest, this is often referred to as a 'two and two' burglary or a 'Hanoi' burglary.

No idea where the first name comes from.

The second is from one of the first police operations to target this type of crime, which happened to be called Operation Hanoi.

 

[Chief Broom]

Driving along Golspie high street my elderly nissan micra ground to a halt....garage said its beyond economic repair...boo, so its good bye wheels. I get my shopping delivered but cycle in between to pick up fresh veg/bread and the like. Living in the highlands theres not many shops/services so that can be problematic. I will get another car one day, probably a berlingo but having discovered theres lots to explore local i'll be cycling more than driving. Now that the vile NC500 has ruined travelling for many who live here, staying local and cycling on the mainly single track roads makes a lot of sense.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I rarely use my car also. Up until 2 and a half years ago, it was used stupidly. But that reflected in my obesity. My car journeys are described as essential only. I would give it up tomorrow. I've yet to convince my wife successfully...

 

[matticus]

The council really should put cycle parks at stops on the number 41 route to enlarge its catchment. At least that runs 6am-8pm ish still.

I've never used - or really had access to - a bus-stop with cycle-parking; but when I see them, my first thought is security. My gut says they're terrible places to leave a bike, worse than a train station.
Of course I have no data to support this! But is there an issue? And do people actually use these facilities?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I was car free for over 30 years, brought my first car in 2012, at the time I was car free I was happy with it, how ever since I got the car I've realized how restrictive not having a car is. But things have moved on, my Good Lady has mobility issues and can't use the car, so the car only gets used when I'm out on my own, the rest of the time we use the bus, so its taking us twice as long to get to places, typically a trip that takes half an hour in the car will take an hour on the bus, and I can't take her to a lot of places we were visiting in the car before she lost her mobility.

 

[cyberknight]

I did briefly. Was doing so little mileage with the Smart that in autumn 2019 I gave it awsy to my niece as an 18th Birthday present. Shes disabled and had just passed her test with an automatic licence, so its perfect for her.

Having enjoyed 4 or 5 months car free life with very little impediment, my Stepmum passed away. While she didn't lesv3e it to me in her will her stated wishes to my Dad were that her car was to go to me as I didn't have a car and I would find it useful!!! So I went from nothing to 2 and a quarter tons of boron steel overnight.

I use it very little indeed, and family politics is such I don't want to seem ungrateful by selling it too soon.

didnt mrs drago have a car too so you were not technically car less?

 

[HMS_Dave]

I was car free for over 30 years, brought my first car in 2012, at the time I was car free I was happy with it, how ever since I got the car I've realized how restrictive not having a car is. but things have moved on, my Good Lady has mobility issues and can't use the car, so the car only gets used when I'm out on my own, the rest of the time we use the bus, so its taking us twice as long to get to places, typically a trip that takes half an hour in the car will take an hour on the bus, and I can't take her to a lot of places we were visiting in the car before she lost her mobility.

With the bus here its 2 hours and 3 buses to the nearest hospital, which we do have to go to. In the car its 20 mins. It's hard to ignore that. Some might say get a taxi, well, at 30 quid there and back, that's quite the cost. I have little issue with using the bus, but other family members take more convincing.

 

[Oldhippy]

I've never used - or really had access to - a bus-stop with cycle-parking; but when I see them, my first thought is security. My gut says they're terrible places to leave a bike, worse than a train station.
Of course I have no data to support this! But is there an issue? And do people actually use these facilities?

As with much of the crap infrastructure in the UK things like cycle parking is probably designed by people who cannot conceive that others would choose a cycle as a regular form of transport.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

With the bus here its 2 hours and 3 buses to the nearest hospital, which we do have to go to. In the car its 20 mins. It's hard to ignore that. Some might say get a taxi, well, at 30 quid there and back, that's quite the cost. I have little issue with using the bus, but other family members take more convincing.

For our local hospital its two buses and about an hour, in the car its less than twenty minutes, the only advantage to the bus is missing the parking circus, if you arrive at the wrong time you end up doing laps of the car park waiting for someone to leave.

 

[Drago]

didnt mrs drago have a car too so you were not technically car less?

I was carless. Period, as the Americans say.

Mrs D has her own car, but seeing as shes at work all week I never get the opportunity to drive it. Indeed, shes had this current car since September and other than shuffling it about on the driveway i have yet to get behind the wheel.

Mrs D is a wheelchair user, so if you know of another realistic way of her getting about then feel free to advise. What she needs to do to remain mobile is not impacted by my own mobility choices, or vice versa.

 

[AlanW]

Ouch.

Out of interest, this is often referred to as a 'two and two' burglary or a 'Hanoi' burglary.

No idea where the first name comes from.

The second is from one of the first police operations to target this type of crime, which happened to be called Operation Hanoi.

Both my wife were fast asleep upstairs when they broke in and had the car keys. They ignored the three mobile phones, a laptop and my wifes purse with £100 in notes poking out the top of it all sat on the kitchen table. The sole aim was to take the car and the Police said that they would have been watching for a while and that they would have already been round the back of the house on a number of occasions to check out the type of locks, and the lack of house alarm and dogs.

Looking at next doors CCTV footage, two masked men walked down the driveway, climbed over the locked side gate, snapped the lock on the back door, searched the cupboards in the utility room, then the cupboards in the garage, then all the cupboards in the kitchen then walked into the hall and found the keys in a Faraday pouch on the book shelf under the stairs and out.......all that in just four minutes

The first I knew was when I got up around 3 am to go for a wee and peeked out of the bedroom curtains as you do and the car was gone!

 

[mjr]

I've never used - or really had access to - a bus-stop with cycle-parking; but when I see them, my first thought is security. My gut says they're terrible places to leave a bike, worse than a train station.
Of course I have no data to support this! But is there an issue? And do people actually use these facilities?

Whether there's a security issue with bus stop cycle parks is similar to train stations: it depends. The most secure parking is at a stop served by frequent buses, in full view of the street and the buses (no, I know people rarely intervene but it does deter most thieves), and ideally shared with a shop or similar high-footfall place. Also, if it's in a village centre rather than a town, it's usually safer. If all of that is good, your bike is much more likely to be there when you return than if you rode it into town and parked it outside a cinema or swimming pool, where a thief can generally be confident that few people will return between showtimes or session starts.

People use some of them. I know two near me that are: one a lot and one a bit. I also know a couple of bus stops without cycle parking where I often see bikes chained to nearby telegraph poles, which isn't great.

As with much of the crap infrastructure in the UK things like cycle parking is probably designed by people who cannot conceive that others would choose a cycle as a regular form of transport.

As I've written before, Norfolk's Parking Standards actively discourage people designing cycle parking and basically say to install Sheffield Extra stands with proper spacing. The worst crap tends to be from big companies like Tesco whose parking is too low and short for stable storage of adult bikes and Govia Thameslink Railway whose standard Croydon-style covered parking was judged too ugly for their listed station buildings, although we have just had a local NHS GP try to install narrow substandard shoot which I described in https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/shoot-planning-applications.281019/ and should update with the latest news.