The psychology of driving

[Amanda P]

I'm always saying that driving is free. It's only filling the tank that's expensive. The driving and paying parts seem to be separated enough that we can conveniently deny the one while enjoying the other.

If cars had a slot on the dashboard into which we had to stuff real, folding money before they'd start, we'd think twice about jumping in the car to go to the corner shop. Even if it's raining.

(Is this relevant? Felt like saying it anyway. Ignore at will).

 

[marzjennings]

But if people do prefer their own individual form of transport and admittedly the freedom that affords, it would just be so much better for their own health and for the environment if people just gave up their inbuilt attachment to cars.

Not going to happen. This wish by most to be able to go anywhere at anytime fuels the requirement for an individual means of transportation and the limitation of how far our physical capabilities can take us means some sort of powered vehicle.
Best bet for the near term is the development of cheap electric cars with a decent range.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

All this road tax bawlocks and rushing into pinch points isn't confined to people with expensive cars though.

 

[screenman]

The car is going down rapidly whilst parked so it may as well be used is a lot of peoples theory.

I do not go with the making them look important line, total rubbish.

 

[400bhp]

My main interest in the study was how well entrenched using and owning cars is in modern society. As the bullet points at the start point out, despite the rising cost of petrol compared to dwindling incomes, people still take their cars for short distance journeys or non essential journeys. In your typical suburban family there are normally at least 2-3 cars parked outside. I just think it reflects the individualistic society where we just avoid being around other people at every opportunity. Teenagers want to have their own cars and not have to share a car with their parents as soon as possible. This may be an irreversible thing and as cycling can be an even more individual mode of transport than driving it maybe a bit of a hypocritical point to make as a commuter cyclist on a cycling forum. But if people do prefer their own individual form of transport and admittedly the freedom that affords, it would just be so much better for their own health and for the environment if people just gave up their inbuilt attachment to cars.

I'm not actually sure any of that is true these days. I half watched a program a couple of months ago that was picking up on some Dept of Transport study. Car ownership seems to be falling, in particular in the younger generation. One factor that is causing this (of several factors, not least cost of course) is that it doesn't appear to be that fashionable in the young to have cars these days-perhaps because of the social media making physically moving around less important, but perhaps because the binary view of car ownership (own a car = well off, don't own one = poor) is not really seen as a status symbol these days. Status symbols may have moved on to more techy/fashion stuff.

I dunno - it's been a while since I was classified as "young"

 

[Kookas]

I'm a college student, and I must say I have no interest in ever getting a car. I wouldn't mind a motorbike (not a scooter), but a car would be so boring I wouldn't get one unless I had to.

 

[campbellab]

What makes a knobber, normaly I find that most peoples perception is that if somebody is financially better off then they must be knobber. I hasten to add that is not my idea.

most have a nice car on finance pissing money up the wall!

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

most have a nice car on finance ****ing money up the wall!

How true,I could easily pop out and get myself a 50 grand beemer on finance at a guess.

 

[screenman]

I have had nice cars in the past, lots of them in fact as I was a dealer for many years, cannot say they ever made me feel posh though.

Mus say I agree with the finance bit, never buy on the never never, but for many it is just part of a monthly budget.

Kookas, you might change your mind when you are able to own one. The easiest way to stop a craving is to say you do not like something.

 

[Kookas]

I have had nice cars in the past, lots of them in fact as I was a dealer for many years, cannot say they ever made me feel posh though.

Mus say I agree with the finance bit, never buy on the never never, but for many it is just part of a monthly budget.

Kookas, you might change your mind when you are able to own one. The easiest way to stop a craving is to say you do not like something.

Cars just don't have the appeal to me that a motorbike has. I see cars backed up in traffic every day. Motorbikes, not so much. The only appeal is being able to go outside whilst pretending you're still at home.

 

[Hip Priest]

Cars are really handy, ultimately. That's why people own them, not because they want to show off.

 

[screenman]

Kookas, I have owned cars, motorbikes and bikes for over 40 years. Believe me there is more to a car than that, now I am not sure what you are but over the women at least prefer you to have a car, even if you have a motorbike as well. You will not see cars backed up where I live so maybe you want to look further.

 

[Kookas]

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Kookas, I have owned cars, motorbikes and bikes for over 40 years. Believe me there is more to a car than that, now I am not sure what you are but over the women at least prefer you to have a car, even if you have a motorbike as well. You will not see cars backed up where I live so maybe you want to look further.

Not sure what you mean by women preferring I have a car, personally I'd prefer a motorbike. And where I live, you DO see cars backed up. Every single day save for Sunday, from 8 till 10. I'm not likely to move anytime soon, either.

Besides, a motorbike looks like it'd be more fun just comparing it to a car travelling at the same speed. I don't have kids or masses of crap to transport, so I think I'd probably do just fine on a motorbike.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Cars are really handy, ultimately. That's why people own them, not because they want to show off.

I was car free for over 30 years, at the end of last summer I brought an old Ford KA, the two things I've most noticed about car ownership is the hole its making in my wallet and how convenient it is. I mostly use it when I'm out with the Mrs, for getting family members about and doing trips I can't do on the bike. It makes getting about very easy and opens up places we would not normally get too. After the last few months I can understand why the car is so entrenched in our society and why it would be difficult to drag people away from their cars and onto other forms of travelling.

 

[Hip Priest]

I was car free for over 30 years, the end of last summer I brought an old Ford KA, the two things I've most noticed about car ownership is the hole its making in my wallet and how convenient it is. I mostly use it when I'm out with the Mrs, for getting family members about and doing trips I can't do on the bike. It makes getting about very easy and opens up places we would not normally get too. After the last few months I can understand why the car is so entrenched in our society and why it would difficult to drag people away from their cars and onto other forms of travelling.

I'm exactly the same. I don't use the car very often, but it's handy having it there. Taking a family of four 30 miles up the A1 to visit the in-laws is a doddle with a car, but would be a massive time-consuming hassle without.

Unfortunately, the 'hole in wallet' scenario is a major downside!