Going carless

[GrumpyGregry]

Watch Breaking Bad.

Box set or netflix?

 

[Ern1e]

Got rid of my car and don't miss the beast at all ! like @biking_fox says there are plenty of alternatives to use.

 

[screenman]

Got rid of my car and don't miss the beast at all ! like @biking_fox says there are plenty of alternatives to use.

Yes there are alternatives, but none of them would have got me 22 miles across Lincolnshire as quick as my car did tonight after a swim.

If you have the sort of lifestyle that can go car less then good for you, but in the few years I have left I want to get around a bit quicker thanks.

As for bikes, I am it seems a rarity in that I seldom really enjoy riding a bike, however I do enjoy the benefits it gives health wise.

 

[mustang1]

I stopped living in London a long time ago and since then I've found a car too useful to give up, but I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to not buy the expensive flashy saloon car and instead to buy a usefully sized car like a Berlingo or something plus three bikes (off-road, road and hybrid) and a tent to go in the back of it, and to have taken more holidays. It would have cost less and been much more fun.

I pass this advice on for the benefit of those young enough to not repeat my mistake

That is sage advice, sir.

 

[hennbell]

I don't know how it works in the UK but in Canada never let your drivers licence expire.
If you do your insurance "experience" gets dropped. When you get your licence renewed no big deal but when you go to get insurance they rate you as a new driver and the cost shoot up. They tend to treat you like you have lost your licence for a DUI (Driving Under the Influence), the concept that someone would choose not to drive is somewhat foreign to the insurance company.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I don't know how it works in the UK but in Canada never let your drivers licence expire.
If you do your insurance "experience" gets dropped. When you get your licence renewed no big deal but when you go to get insurance they rate you as a new driver and the cost shoot up. They tend to treat you like you have lost your licence for a DUI (Driving Under the Influence), the concept that someone would choose not to drive is somewhat foreign to the insurance company.

Its similar in the UK, I was car free for over 30 years and when I came back to driving I was treated as a new driver and caned on the insurance, I recently changed cars and they ramped it up again, I found somewhere a lot cheaper but found out they wanted over £80 to cancel the insurance, so as the policy hasn't got long left to run I'm taking the hit but will be moving when it expires.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I don't know how it works in the UK but in Canada never let your drivers licence expire.
If you do your insurance "experience" gets dropped. When you get your licence renewed no big deal but when you go to get insurance they rate you as a new driver and the cost shoot up. They tend to treat you like you have lost your licence for a DUI (Driving Under the Influence), the concept that someone would choose not to drive is somewhat foreign to the insurance company.

yep - all you need to do is not have a car for 12 months as the owner of a policy. The result is that you get charged much more than someone who continued with a policy even if you are a named driver on several other people's cars.

 

[screenman]

There isn't a pool nearer than that?

The nearest is 12 miles away and again no bus route in the evenings, the Wednesday night session is with a Tri club and is always on my way home from a customer out that way.

 

[KneesUp]

There is no getting around the fact that cars are hugely convenient.

This morning I had to get to work, and the OH and our child had to get to the train station. The pubic transport option would have cost £6.80 even thought our child is free, and involved a 5-10 minute walk in the rain for all of us. Diesel in the car will cost no more than £1.50 to drop them off and pick them up, and parking at work is free. Of course I could have come on my bike, but I'd have arrived at work wet through, and it still would have cost my OH £3.40 on the bus (or more to park the car at the station).

Public transport cannot compete on convenience anywhere other than London, where the inconvenience of finding anywhere to park makes public transport a good choice despite the overcrowding and the dirt.

It needs to be cheaper if we are to encourage more people to use it. Like it was up until 1986, when you could travel anywhere in this city for 2p (5p inflation adjusted for now)

 

[hennbell]

As for going carless in the Canadian prairies, it is impossible. Last week we went to the closest Indian restaurant for a take out. 550 km round trip 4.5 hours of driving.
But seriously, the large distances combined with the cold winters make the notion of going totally without a car impossible. About the best that is realistic is a single vehicle home.

 

[KneesUp]

As for going carless in the Canadian prairies, it is impossible. Last week we went to the closest Indian restaurant for a take out. 550 km round trip 4.5 hours of driving.
But seriously, the large distances combined with the cold winters make the notion of going totally without a car impossible. About the best that is realistic is a single vehicle home.

Our usual Indian restaurant will deliver if you spend over £10. I suppose that's not an option?

 

[recumbentpanda]

A few years back I was in a 'breakout group' in a works conference. Our mission was to discuss the organisation's transport policy. We began by telling each other how we got to work. My turn came, and I briefly and neutrally described my train/folding bike commute.

Within seconds I was pinned to the back of my chair by a stream of people vehemently explaining to me how they couldn't possibly do anything like that, and that their cars were absolutely essential to their lifestyles.

I hadn't said a word to imply that what I was doing was 'worthy' or to criticise their choices, but they all sprang onto the defensive as soon as I finished speaking.

Odd reaction . . . . I've noticed it elsewhere since :-)

 

[Ganymede]

A few years back I was in a 'breakout group' in a works conference. Our mission was to discuss the organisation's transport policy. We began by telling each other how we got to work. My turn came, and I briefly and neutrally described my train/folding bike commute.

Within seconds I was pinned to the back of my chair by a stream of people vehemently explaining to me how they couldn't possibly do anything like that, and that their cars were absolutely essential to their lifestyles.

I hadn't said a word to imply that what I was doing was 'worthy' or to criticise their choices, but they all sprang onto the defensive as soon as I finished speaking.

Odd reaction . . . . I've noticed it elsewhere since :-)

When I used to be a vegetarian I learned never EVER to reply to the question "so.... why are you a vegetarian then?". Whatever you said, and however mildly, people would get defensive and start accusing me of lecturing them, even when I barely said a word. I started to respond thusly: "Oh, the usual reasons. So, what about the football/latest political idiocy/next door's new paint job etc".

And I absolutely SWEAR I never lectured anyone about it, and never ever suggested that anyone else present shouldn't eat meat. People are just insecure, that's all.

 

[hennbell]

As for going carless in the Canadian prairies, it is impossible. Last week we went to the closest Indian restaurant for a take out. 550 km round trip 4.5 hours of driving.
But seriously, the large distances combined with the cold winters make the notion of going totally without a car impossible. About the best that is realistic is a single vehicle home.

The problem arises when people extrapolate from extreme examples

This is regionally based issue. Here my reality is that I very well may have to take my child on a 300 km round trip to play in his Lacrosse league, mid week, on a school night. That may be an extreme example where you are, here it is not.