Car-free living

[matticus]

I certainly don't.

Give it a try - who knows what wonderful thoughts you may have!

 

[All uphill]

I just realised I'm coming up to two years without access to a car.

My plan was to use hire cars and taxis to fill gaps left that couldn't be substituted with walking, cycling and train. I budgeted £1000 a year to cover those costs - still less than depreciation, fuel, VED, insurance and repairs.

So far I have had two lifts to hospital with a neighbour, and two days car hire, in the two years. I've made frequent use of the train.

I should say that we live within a mile of our town's centre and mainline train station. I must also say that Ms AU has bought a small car for her new job, but I don't use it.

It's been a huge relief to be free of all the stress involved in owning and driving a car.

I recognise that many of us live in locations and have personal situations built around the premise of having a car. My request is that, if you are fed up with a life built around cars, that you start to imagine how you could live without one, and what changes would be needed.

 

[CXRAndy]

I just realised I'm coming up to two years without access to a car.

My plan was to use hire cars and taxis to fill gaps left that couldn't be substituted with walking, cycling and train. I budgeted £1000 a year to cover those costs - still less than depreciation, fuel, VED, insurance and repairs.

So far I have had two lifts to hospital with a neighbour, and two days car hire, in the two years. I've made frequent use of the train.

I should say that we live within a mile of our town's centre and mainline train station. I must also say that Ms AU has bought a small car for her new job, but I don't use it.

It's been a huge relief to be free of all the stress involved in owning and driving a car.

I recognise that many of us live in locations and have personal situations built around the premise of having a car. My request is that, if you are fed up with a life built around cars, that you start to imagine how you could live without one, and what changes would be needed.

Admirable decision.

 

[All uphill]

Admirable decision.

Thanks.

I didn't do it for admiration, which is a good job as most of the reaction I've had from neighbours is pity.

 

[Oldhippy]

Isn't it strange that it is still thought of in this way. Ridiculously some of those will probably drive to the gym once a week to sit on a static bike or go on a treadmill.

 

[Gwylan]

Went half way, the inevitable compromise, in 2016.
One small car and regular bikes.
Then, for me it needed to be a good reason or both of us traveling to take the car.
I got used to taking the bike on the train.
As COVID broke out we got ebikes. Sort of never looked back.
I'm long retired, can do stuff from home or make appointments to suit me.
Secure parking for the bikes remains a challenge. Also conflicts with the small print in the insurance.
Considered a small trailer, but that remains a step too far.
Also this last 10 days of wind and rain has rather reduced my enthusiasm for cycling.

 

[CXRAndy]

Thanks.

I didn't do it for admiration, which is a good job as most of the reaction I've had from neighbours is pity.

I wasn't being sly with it. If you can do it, great. There are some days when not wanting to deal with vehicles would be nice.

Unfortunately, its a requirement for us, we decided we want to live in the countryside(major upside), so we need our vehicles. plus I do like mechanical things, so fixing them is part of ownership

 

[CXRAndy]

Isn't it strange that it is still thought of in this way. Ridiculously some of those will probably drive to the gym once a week to sit on a static bike or go on a treadmill.

Lots of reasons, home too small to accommodate gym equipment, roads where people live too busy to safely navigate. Social link up at fitness centres.

Fortunately we have space to create our own gym, for indoor activities, cycling, rowing, running, weights etc. With UK winters being poor for outdoor activities, its far easier to get in the garage/shed, boot up the indoor cycling and ride on Zwift (other platforms available) for an hour or more. Saves on outdoor cycling kit. Not bought any new kit in 7 years.

Its a waste when folk join a gym and don't go- which many many people do- See New Year resolution ideas

 

[Oldhippy]

I agree with you on some points however I think riding a cycle as daily transport differs in ways whereby fitness is a good consequence of cycling about and, in my opinion only, I've never seen the point in cycling 'kit' unless someone is in to road bikes. I use comfortable things but feel the 'specialist' kit idea for going to the shops or a potter out for the day puts many off from actually considering cycling.

 

[CXRAndy]

I use comfortable things but feel the 'specialist' kit idea for going to the shops or a potter out for the day puts many off from actually considering cycling.

That's what we as a family do for local riding on e-bikes. We have around a 15 mile radius for us to cycle to pubs/restaurants in the summer months

 

[mjr]

I didn't do it for admiration, which is a good job as most of the reaction I've had from neighbours is pity.

Yeah, it used to confuse the hell out of our neighbours in our old village that we'd choose to walk over or bike around the hill instead of driving everywhere like most of them did. They'd often stop and offer a lift and seemed pretty confused when I declined, partly because I need the exercise, medically, and partly because riding in a car when dressed for winter outdoors is pretty uncomfortable and if I took the big coat off and then put it back on it wouldn't be significantly quicker than just walking the half mile or so between the villages.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Carless is generally a pretty good experience, so long as you have the London main-line stations to hand. One thing that would move rail use up another notch would be an equivalent to the Elizabeth Line in Paris. If the Eurostar had St Pancras-style interchanges in Paris for Spain, Italy, Switzerland, all similar to the connections for Munich, Poland and Scandinavia in Brussels, carlessness would increase. More rail baggage capacity can help too. I once bussed it from Victoria in London to Geneva with seven large holdall bags. Excess baggage cost me £15:00 and it all went super smoothly. More baggage than I would have taken in a car and far less stress and strain.

It's the infrastructure that counts: ample trolleys, trolleys that can travel on escalators or use plentiful lifts, interchange lines on adjacent platforms, easy baggage stacking on the trains, tickets that cover every train, tram, bus and trolley you wil use for a single price and with the timetable printed on the back of the ticket or in the ap. When it works it works well: when it doesn't work, complain, complain, complain.😎

 

[Alex321]

Carless is generally a pretty good experience, so long as you have the London main-line stations to hand. One thing that would move rail use up another notch would be an equivalent to the Elizabeth Line in Paris. If the Eurostar had St Pancras-style interchanges in Paris for Spain, Italy, Switzerland, all similar to the connections for Munich, Poland and Scandinavia in Brussels, carlessness would increase. More rail baggage capacity can help too. I once bussed it from Victoria in London to Geneva with seven large holdall bags. Excess baggage cost me £15:00 and it all went super smoothly. More baggage than I would have taken in a car and far less stress and strain.

I don't believe that would make a measurable difference to overall carlessness in either UK or France.

The numbers of people making that journey often enough to matter are insignificant. And the numbers who drive it now but would use the train are an insignificant proportion even of those. The people who don't use the train because of those limitations will usually fly.

What is needed is 5-10 times as many stations in the UK as we currently have, and much more frequent trains from most of them to all nearby (I.e. Within about 25 miles) destinations. Plus a lot more bus services, with frequent buses.

 

[CXRAndy]

What is needed is 5-10 times as many stations in the UK as we currently have,

We have an abandoned railway track near us. In its day it was a branch line from nearby town serving a cluster of villages- never will it be re established

 

[NorthernSky]

i would love to see an increase in the amount of cycle lanes and cycle infrastructure. we have a 'greenway' near us ( i think it could be partly an old railway line). it's 7 miles long and for pedestrians/cyclist only. it's a massive hit with folk using it for exercise, walking, commuting etc
would love to see more of these crop up. it won't get people out of their cars but might reduce some journeys in the areas e.g. lets go for a walk on the greenway today rather than get in the car.

this just cropped up after i had posted too