Without my car how could I bring my wine and cheese back from France? How could I go to Portsmouth in 5 hours from here? I love riding my bike but it is purely for exercise. Pollution? Grossly exaggerated I think.
So you only cycle for leisure. fair enough. Many of us see cycling as the more efficient way to travel. I don't need a car, and if I had one then it would cost me a fortune, eating up all the money I currently have for fun, and I wouldn't have anywhere to park it at my flat anyway. I don't feel the need to travel hundreds of miles to buy cheese, when the continental market brings it to me every month...
(Not quite Portsmouth, but I could be in Southampton (from York) in a little over 5 hours, on a single train).
Your part of North Wales may not seem very polluted. Near my flat is one of the worst air quality streets in Europe, apparently, which is commonly nose to tail traffic in the day time, a huge proportion of that being individual people sitting in cars, probably travelling a few miles. Not only is the air quality poor, which is hard to see, all the shops on that street have a slightly grubby dusty look.
All that said, I can drive, I can hire a car if I need to, or arrange to travel with someone who has one, and have nothing against using one for a frivolous day out. I just chose not to pay day in day out for something I rarely need.
Tips for car free living. Live in a city, or be a little bit organised and have a good freezer! (I'm sure the OP knows, but both bread and milk, those 'pop out for' items, can be frozen in order to stock up).
