I hate car's!!!

[johnnyb47]

Hi.
This is a rant, not from a cyclist point of view but more from a car owner point of view.
Yesterday i was kindly relieved of £200 by the local garage for work on my car. To add to the misery the mechanic has advised me of more impending work needs doing for around the same sum. I can't complain to much about the car as it is getting on a bit now, and lives a hard life through the rough roads which i travel along
I needed to run the fuel tank low for it to be removed yesterday so today a trip to the supermarket for food and a full tank of diesel was in order. Whilst there, i thought i would also throw it through the excellent jet wash they have as the car was absolutely plastered in cow muck and salt.
A simple journey though just sent my blood pressure through the roof.
Roadworks everywhere, massive queues at the pumps followed by a chap with OCD spending 30 minutes cleaning his car neurotically whilst everybody in the queue where losing the will to live.
In the end i gave up and drove off home to face to roadworks again as well as some amusing road rage i saw between two motorists.
I can't believe that not so long ago i actually enjoyed getting out and about in the car. Traffic was lighter with less convoluted road systems. They were relatively cheap and easy to repair them yourself without needing a science degree.
You could even stop and have a natter with the fuel attendant as they filled your car up (remember those days :=)
If i didn't depend on my car for work, and living were i do, i would of dumped it year's back for the bike..
The bike is cheap to run, easy to park and doesn't get bogged down by annoying traffic congestion.
I can't imagine what it would be like in the big cities but it must be infinitely worse.
You can see why so many people are ditching the car in favour for cycling. Car's sales are dropping while cycling is increasing. Even with the event of so called clean electric/hibrid car's, the problems of parking/congestion and expensive repairs will be worse than ever. i still think many more people will turn there backs on the old iron chariots in favour for the trusty bicycle in the future years to come

 

[biggs682]

Must admit I don't enjoy the ownership and drive experience like I use to , mainly down to the expense and busy roads

 

[Brandane]

Agreed @johnnyb47 . I would consider abandoning car ownership too, but for one major obstacle, that being the weather in the west of Scotland. At least the car keeps me dry and makes reasonable progress into the wind. As "climate change" takes hold, it just seems to get wetter, and windier. And the summer isn't a lot different.

 

[johnnyb47]

Well i think the car can stay dirty for today and will go out for a bike ride and somewhat chill out (looking at the strained faces of motorist burning there fuel and money away lol)

 

[JtB]

I’d love to ditch the car, but thanks to shortsighted town planners and appalling public transport we are a car dependent society.

 

[I like Skol]

So you went to the supermarket, the petrol station and the car wash on the same day as everyone else and you're surprised/complaining about it being too busy and the length of the queue's...

 

[Pale Rider]

I’d love to ditch the car, but thanks to shortsighted town planners and appalling public transport we are a car dependent society.

This is often said, but I don't think it stands up.

Despite the efforts of the Luftwaffe, the layout of our towns and cities is pretty much as they were built.

The industrial revolution caused a massive migration to the towns, which means much of the house building was done by the Victorians from about 1850.

My house being typical, a terrace built in 1890 something.

That was when the layout was planned.

What should the planners 130 years ago have foreseen that makes them short sighted?

 

[johnnyb47]

So you went to the supermarket, the petrol station and the car wash on the same day as everyone else and you're surprised/complaining about it being too busy and the length of the queue's...

Evidently so i did. You are correct sir.

 

[alicat]

What should the planners 130 years ago have foreseen that makes them short sighted?

Beeching
Norman Tebbit saying 'On your bike
More specialised employment meaning a longer commute
Out of town retail parks

That enough?

 

[All uphill]

Like you I stopped finding any joy in car ownership and driving a few years ago. I consciously avoid using the car whenever possible, which I find is pretty much always!

Train, walking and cycling do it all for me. The car is used for work by Ms AU, for now. Can't wait to be car free!

 

[Pale Rider]

Beeching
Norman Tebbit saying 'On your bike
More specialised employment meaning a longer commute
Out of town retail parks

That enough?

Tebbitt, Beeching, and changes in employment are hardly the fault of town planners, short sighted or otherwise.

Out of town retailing is a largely recent development.

The planners that allowed those parks were faced with a demand partly due to the fixed layout of existing retail buildings.

That demand was from the retailers, who in turn thought - correctly - there would be lots of customers in cars who would like to visit.

The planners could have tried to turn down those applications, but they are tasked with balancing the needs of commerce/employment with amenity in all its forms.

'Entitled' has become an insult in recent times, but car owners are as entitled as any other sector to have their wishes considered.

Worth remembering some of the parks were originally 'big box' only - you were not allowed to retail small items.

Thus the planners tried to concentrate the retail of stuff for which you need a car or a van in a place which had good vehicle access.

Anyone is free to disagree with the consent given to retail parks, but the town planners who gave that consent cannot fairly be described as short sighted.

 

[gbb]

Car repairs are a bitter pill to swallow but in fairness, it's a pill you just have to swallow or try to DIY. My SIL is a garage mechanic who undertook proper, relatively costly training , has to regularly buy very expensive tools and has years of experience...it all has to be, and should be paid for by the customer. The independent garage he works for has just shelled out over £30k for a new diagnostic machine, add on the regular and costly updates...it all has to be paid for.

As a mechanic, he is paid ok, but just ok, not really good money. Business overheads etc etc etc all ramp up the costs for any garage.

Complex cars ?... a cost we have to bear for ever better fuel efficiency and emissions, not sure what state we would be in if cars pumped out the garbage they did 40 years ago.

I do agree with the pleasure lost in driving, perhaps its partly age related but the volume of traffic does make a frustrating journey sometimes.

 

[Globalti]

Driving isn't fun any more, there are too many muppets racing around in hotted-up German sports saloons and breaking the rules that make driving a safe and cooperative way of moving around. On almost every commute I witness driving that makes me fume.

 

[sleuthey]

The bike is cheap to run, easy to park and doesn't get bogged down by annoying traffic congestion.

Would you be ok to be bogged down in

cow muck and salt

on the bike?

If so get rid of the car.

 

[Faratid]

You hate car's what?
As for cars, well.............