Those of you that don't have cars....

[classic33]

I've several trees and bushes that grow quite fast. A garden shredder and a wood stove have helped reduce amount and size, but if I cycled everything to the tip, I'd rarely cycle anywhere else and it's not a nice ride among the HGVs, so that's a bit dull. There should be more garden waste collections but "everyone" has a car so the politicians see little need to expand them.

Also, that's only one example of the car-assumed services here

May be time to challenge that assumption then. We are, as cyclist road traffic.
Same sort of trip, as regards HGV's though.

Local council is totally anti-cycling.

 

[Kumquat]

Which train line are you talking about then some with knowledge of that specific line could give more accurate information?

Southwest trains, cross-country would be the most likely, with potentially also great western railway or southern.

 

[Kumquat]

The talk of the brompton folder has made me consider a folding push scooter to and from the station
CycleChat what have you got me into!?

(I'm sure my old scooter is still in my parent's garage...hmmm...)

 

[Kumquat]

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/town-7-xl-adult-scooter-suspended-chrome-id_8298992.html

Oh dear.
I really want one.... I can't become one of "those" people though, can I?

 

[ManiaMuse]

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/town-7-xl-adult-scooter-suspended-chrome-id_8298992.html

Oh dear.
I really want one.... I can't become one of "those" people though, can I?

My boss is one of "those" people.

Her daughter rides it to pre-school then my boss rides it from the school to the tram stop and takes the tram the rest of the way.

She isn't particularly fit and I don't think she does any other exercise but she says its quicker and saves her time.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

We were car free for over 30 years, we brought up our Lads without a car. We walked, used buses and used trains. For day trips and holidays we hired cars. Now the lads have left home and we are retired but I have an elderly car, a Hyundai Getz, I could get rid of it, and will have to eventually, but it makes life easier.

 

[Hip Priest]

I find it handy having a car, but the missus tends to use it more than me. I commute occasionally by car but the nose-to-tail traffic tends to send me back to the bike.

 

[Flying Dodo]

I've been car free for nearly 5 years. With the result I have more money to spend on more important things.

With a bit of forward planning, it's perfectly easy to not need a car. My commute is about 6 miles which generally takes me less time than it would if I was driving. It's about 3 miles to a train station for trains into London if needed. I bulk buy heavy/bulky items when they're on special offer such as cat food, toilet rolls, washing powder etc, which then gets delivered by the supermarkets. Our village has a co-op for day to day essentials, and then I do a big shop every 2 weeks or so to one of the supermarkets 2-3 miles away on the cargo bike which can take 6 large panniers. I can hitch a trailer onto the cargo bike if I want to carry anything larger, and it's electric.

Why would I need a car?

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I know plenty of "functioning adults" without a car
The idea of being a "failure" if you don't is nonsense
After an MOT was due and cash was tight, I left my car at the back car park at work "for a bit" and SORN'd it. It's been there 3 years. I really should get around to selling it.

A friend lost her driving licence due to medical issues. She is a carpenter and carries bulky tools. I'm putting a triple chainset and a Q/R rear wheel on her 7-speed commuter so that it can hitch up a loaded BobYak style trailer up hills

 

[united4ever]

Bought my first car at 39. With small kids my wife especially was keen for taking them to some places where they have activities and clubs and socialising. We could manage without it and the expense is annoying. Would like to car share/pool ideally but communities don't seem to have the mindset for this in the UK. If our street had one or two cars which were pool cars that you could book for an hour or two here and there it would be great....but everyone seems to want their own car sat on their own drive. When self driving cars become reality things may change but probably talking 20 years plus before that is mainstream.

 

[subaqua]

Which train line are you talking about then some with knowledge of that specific line could give more accurate information?

its simple. if you are heading into London on ANY commuter service on a service scheduled to arrive between 07.30 and 09.45 then it is folding bike time. heading OUT of london no problem .

the reverse applies between 16.30 and 19.00 .

Intercity trains on all of the main providers require you to book space on guards van. in the summer this can be hit and miss.


heading into Birmingham /manchetser /Leeds/Liverpool the same timeings apply on the commuter services.

 

[hopless500]

I'd not want to be without a car where I live. My direct commute is 15 miles each way. We always take the back roads as the direct route through is dangerous to cycle when people are driving to work, which makes it 19 miles each way. The nearest main(ish) roads are 3 miles away in opposite directions (considerably further in the others), the nearest local shop which is useless is over 3 miles away. The nearest bus stop is over 3 miles away, and the service is sparse. The nearest train station is 9 miles away.

 

[ColinJ]

I am 60 and have never even had a single driving lesson, let alone driven a car. It is definitely possible to have a car-free life.

The thing is, you have to accept that there are things that you can't do without a motor vehicle. For example, last week I helped my sister take several car loads of heavy rubbish to the local tip. (Old bathroom and kitchen tiles, old carpets and so on.) The council would probably have picked up a lot of that stuff if paid and booked to do it, but without a vehicle it would be impossible to do it on the spur of the moment. (Before someone suggests it - the council does not allow pedal-powered vehicles into the waste disposal centre!)

I once went out shopping on Christmas Eve. I ended up queueing an hour for a bus in snow and sleet. I was carrying bulky gifts including a large whiteboard and a TV set (the old-fashioned big, heavy kind). It was impossible to get a taxi because they were all too busy. No fun!

When I am organising my forum rides, I start them locally, or from places not too far away that I can cycle to/from. If further afield, I have to rely on lifts from kind drivers, or catch trains with my bike.

If you learn to drive then you have the option to own a car, or just to hire a vehicle from time to time when you need one. If I were younger, that is probably what I would do - pass my test, but not bother buying a car. I would probably only drive about once a month or so, a maximum of about 100 miles each way so ownership would not make a lot of sense. I would still walk to my local shops and walk/cycle/catch a train to visit friends down the valley. I have a railcard and can get a return ticket for only £1.60. There are 3 trains an hour during the day and at least 1 an hour in the evening.

I certainly would not want to live way out in the sticks where @hopless500 does without a car. My late mum grew up in a small Scottish village at a time when few people had cars and said that they felt very isolated. They had a few trains and buses a day but otherwise were cut off.

 

[biking_fox]

Very much as above. Me and the OtherHalf have lived happily car free all our lives. But there are things to consider:

Where you live - how close are the shops /work/ public transport? You can regularly commute anything upto 10-15mi each way without too much difficulty (yes I know a lot of people do more, but for a comfortable varied life <1hour travel is good). Having to change transport modes more than once is very slow!

Spontaneity - with a car you can just go, if you're PT or bike, you will need to have thought about travel beforehand. Or at least know the local connections very well.
Weather - suitable clothing is your friend.
Money - this is tricky to calculate! petrol costs for a trip are much cheaper than almost anything but a bike - however cars cost more than petrol! But if you do own a car it is more efficient to use it, rather than paying for it to sit on a driveway! Trains and taxis are very expensive up front, because you don't notice all the hidden costs of the car ownership. Train travel for two adults is almost certainly more expensive than driving - depending on how many trips you make.
Hobbies - cars are great for hobbies, getting to obscure locations carrying heavy kit etc. if you don't have suitable friends for lifts, or don't have such hobbies then it might not matter to you. The only reason I'm considering buying a car (for at least 5 years worth of considering) is that once a month or so I'd want it for my non-cycling hobby....
Friends - if you do have local friends who give you lifts don't take them for granted, buy them drinks and pay petrol!
Online - vast amounts of shopping can now be done online!
Many things are set-up with the default assumption of car. You have to learn to think slightly differently about how to approach such issues, it doesn't mean they're not achievable, but at times its another problem that you don't need.

I would thoroughly recommend getting a driving license - it's a useful piece of ID, gives you some form of appreciation of other road users, and allows hire cars for really hard to reach locations.

If none of the above seem too onerous Give yourself at least 6months to a year car-free, to work through the problems. You can always buy a car later.

 

[ColinJ]

Train travel for two adults is almost certainly more expensive than driving - depending on how many trips you make.

I now have a Senior railcard but for couples who do a lot of rail journeys together, the Two Together railcard would be a worthwhile investment. It costs £30/year and it gives one third off the price of tickets.