OP
OP
Living life without a car
- Thread starter Pennine-Paul
- Start date
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My other half and I don't own a car (we do own 8 bikes, though...
) Living in a city definitely helps. We are members of a City Car Club which we use for short-term rentals (a few hours) and then hire a car in the usual way for longer trips. Get shopping delivered, commute by bike and train. No kids helps as well I think.
gavroche
Getting old but not past it
- Location
- North Wales
try as I may, I would definitively not be able to live without my car......................... I'm a driving instructor.!!!!
We do have two cars though as my wife is a home carer and needs her car to visit her patients.
I can see the day though when we will sell her car and just keep the driving school car for everything, when my wife fully retires. ( she works part-time at present).
My wife hates driving anyway so she will not miss it when the time comes.
I love driving so I cant see myself without a car at all,especially when we go to France. Too far on a bike to travel: 320 miles from here to Portmouth and then another 100 miles to our house in Normandy.
We do have two cars though as my wife is a home carer and needs her car to visit her patients.
I can see the day though when we will sell her car and just keep the driving school car for everything, when my wife fully retires. ( she works part-time at present).
My wife hates driving anyway so she will not miss it when the time comes.
I love driving so I cant see myself without a car at all,especially when we go to France. Too far on a bike to travel: 320 miles from here to Portmouth and then another 100 miles to our house in Normandy.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I've never driven and I don't intend to start now.
Plus points? I have saved a lot of money and done my bit for the planet. I've also avoided a lot of stress.
Minus points? If I can't ride or walk to where I am going, I depend on public transport or lifts. Sometimes, there are things I'd like to do which are not practical because I don't drive. Fair enough, I just do something else instead.
I will be getting a lift from Steve H to a forum ride starting in Settle on the 26th June. If I wasn't getting the lift and my fitness was better, I would ride 16 km to Keighley over a 430 m hill and catch the train to Settle, and I'd do the same in reverse on the way home. I've done that before.
Being a non-driver involves a completely different mindset. Instead of it being "I can, do I want to?" you have to live with "Is it possible?"
I can't go where I want, when I want, to do what I want, but then, neither could 90% of the people who have ever lived on this planet. I'm happy to be one of them.
Plus points? I have saved a lot of money and done my bit for the planet. I've also avoided a lot of stress.
Minus points? If I can't ride or walk to where I am going, I depend on public transport or lifts. Sometimes, there are things I'd like to do which are not practical because I don't drive. Fair enough, I just do something else instead.
I will be getting a lift from Steve H to a forum ride starting in Settle on the 26th June. If I wasn't getting the lift and my fitness was better, I would ride 16 km to Keighley over a 430 m hill and catch the train to Settle, and I'd do the same in reverse on the way home. I've done that before.
Being a non-driver involves a completely different mindset. Instead of it being "I can, do I want to?" you have to live with "Is it possible?"
I can't go where I want, when I want, to do what I want, but then, neither could 90% of the people who have ever lived on this planet. I'm happy to be one of them.
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
Hmmm; interesting reading here, and got me thinking again. I am in the fortunate position of having no mortgage, and a modest pension from a previous job. I sometimes feel that in my position, if I was to give up car ownership and its' associated expense, then I could maybe afford to live without working. Or to put it another way, I sometimes feel (well, FELT, as I was recently made redundant) as if I am/was working just to finance a car; which I don't need while not working. I live within walking distance of my local supermarket, so no problem there.
Successive Government policies have been to make the cost of car ownership higher and higher (knowing full well that in most cases it is an expensive necessity), so it would give me much satisfaction to stick 2 fingers up at them and stop myself being extorted by insurance companies, garages, the DVLA, oil companies, and especially the Chancellor. I have already sold my motorbike as a form of protest.
The only thing stopping me is that there is absolutely NO jobs in my line of work locally; so if I do find work it is not going to be anywhere near home. Therefore I would be back to needing a car again, simply for the commute. Public transport is a non starter as HGV driving work tends to be very unpredictable hours; i.e. very early starts, late finishes etc..
I need to sit down and work out the sums
.
Successive Government policies have been to make the cost of car ownership higher and higher (knowing full well that in most cases it is an expensive necessity), so it would give me much satisfaction to stick 2 fingers up at them and stop myself being extorted by insurance companies, garages, the DVLA, oil companies, and especially the Chancellor. I have already sold my motorbike as a form of protest.
The only thing stopping me is that there is absolutely NO jobs in my line of work locally; so if I do find work it is not going to be anywhere near home. Therefore I would be back to needing a car again, simply for the commute. Public transport is a non starter as HGV driving work tends to be very unpredictable hours; i.e. very early starts, late finishes etc..
I need to sit down and work out the sums
.
Smokin Joe
Squire
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
I like cycling, but that doesn't stop me liking driving too so I would not want to live without a car (not that I could as I wouldn't be able to work without it). If a car wasn't an option for any reason I would return to motorcycling.
If it came to a choice between the bike and the car, the bike would go.
If it came to a choice between the bike and the car, the bike would go.
Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ross on Wye
I had to get a lift home in one of the trucks this morning after my Cannondale started shedding spokes from the rear wheel on the journey in last night. I rode half of the trip to work with two spokes missing but didn't fancy trying to get it home.
I managed without a car of my own for a year a while ago, but I always had emergency access to the then - Ms RT's car if I needed it. Now, me and Ms RT have three cars between us, partly because I like cars as much as I like bikes. She needs one for work and I need one for carting my band gear around.
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
I'm not able to give up the car due to a long distance commute and also carrying tools and materials for carpentry and building jobs. Also towing a trailer to carry big and heavy stuff requires a car.
However, I do have a friend who is aiming to give up his family car and I am building a trailer for him to tow behind a Brompton. I am also building a longtail bike both just for the sake and pleasure of it but also to show my friend another option to the car or Brommie and trailer. All his household can and do cycle so another option that might work for him is a couple of Hase KettWiesels which can be joined together to form a tandem, or even a whole train, for heavy trailer towing.
However, I do have a friend who is aiming to give up his family car and I am building a trailer for him to tow behind a Brompton. I am also building a longtail bike both just for the sake and pleasure of it but also to show my friend another option to the car or Brommie and trailer. All his household can and do cycle so another option that might work for him is a couple of Hase KettWiesels which can be joined together to form a tandem, or even a whole train, for heavy trailer towing.
I've always loved cars and would hate to be without one. Unlike a lot of car fans, the high end, high performance stuff doesn't interest me that much. I like the unusual, and cheap and cheerful does what it says on the tin cars like the Renault 4 and VW Beetle.
I have a fair few "classic" bikes now, I sometimes wonder is it just because I can't afford a collection of classic cars.
I have a fair few "classic" bikes now, I sometimes wonder is it just because I can't afford a collection of classic cars.
Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
- Location
- Ross on Wye
This is the sort of thing that does it for me too. Hence my ownership of this:
Character and individuality beat the pants off bling. And that goes for bikes too.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
This is the sort of thing that does it for me too. Hence my ownership of this:
Character and individuality beat the pants off bling. And that goes for bikes too.
I like!
Rohloff_Brompton_Rider
Formerly just_fixed
gave up my beloved landrover county with all the extras. including the finance, the aa website reckons i save £12,000 p.a. but, i was driving up and down the country fixing machines. change of lifestyle, re-training at the moment.
other plus's:- when i get home, my exercise is done. my blood pressure is way down, i have lost a little bit of weight, petrol prices going up doesn't bother me as much (wife still has car, but uses moped as well).
minus's:- seriously, none. well, maybe it's too easy to stop for a pint on the way home now.
been doing it 18 months now. 1st winter was hard as i was learning that scrimping on goretex is silly on long distance commutes like mine.
i reckon we could live easily without a car, especially now the other half uses a moped. trying to convince her tho, is another story.
other plus's:- when i get home, my exercise is done. my blood pressure is way down, i have lost a little bit of weight, petrol prices going up doesn't bother me as much (wife still has car, but uses moped as well).
minus's:- seriously, none. well, maybe it's too easy to stop for a pint on the way home now.
been doing it 18 months now. 1st winter was hard as i was learning that scrimping on goretex is silly on long distance commutes like mine.
i reckon we could live easily without a car, especially now the other half uses a moped. trying to convince her tho, is another story.
Glover Fan
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Almondsbury, Nr Bristol
I'm "kinda" in the same situation. I have a company car, which means I have no associated costs of running a car, my missus lives about 6 miles from work and currently gets the bus if I can't drop her in. However she really wants her own motor. Thing is since I got the job with the company car I have got used to having an extra £300+ a month kicking about. Unfortunately she is unwilling to cycle to work, which tbh I can understand as the only quick way is the A38 from the M5 to Bristol which although heavily populated with cyclists is fairly dangerous and she isn't into cycling anyway.
If they weren't so expensive i'd be tempted with an electric car.
If they weren't so expensive i'd be tempted with an electric car.
32 years old, never felt any desire or need to learn to drive. Actually, there was one point where I had a job that involved a bus and a train to get to work, but then realised there would be nowhere to park! And the moaning I hear from colleagues and friends about how they've had to drop £600 on fixing something to pass their MOT and pay £200 a month in petrol and their insurance this year has doubled and and and ...
I've always lived in cities, and in parts of cities near a high street rather than some suburb where the nearest newsagent is over a mile away. I don't have a family so no need to take sprogs about the place. Anything where being driven is the only option then taxi it is. I'm also lucky that my commute can be done reasonably comfortably by public transport should I get stuck.
I expect one day I'll have to learn to drive. Although maybe I'll just marry someone who can!
I've always lived in cities, and in parts of cities near a high street rather than some suburb where the nearest newsagent is over a mile away. I don't have a family so no need to take sprogs about the place. Anything where being driven is the only option then taxi it is. I'm also lucky that my commute can be done reasonably comfortably by public transport should I get stuck.
I expect one day I'll have to learn to drive. Although maybe I'll just marry someone who can!
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
If I was you, I wouldn't bother. Don't get me wrong; I used to love driving! In recent years though my overall impression of the experience has changed somewhat. Expensive (petrol, insurance, repairs, MOT, VED), stressful (too many idiots out there), and frustrating (3rd world road surfaces, bad signage, far too busy).
In any case, if it hasn't already happened, the car is likely to become a luxury item that only the privileged few can afford. Once the oil runs out there won't be much point in being able to drive anyway
. We have seen the golden age of the motor car; now that time is really coming to an end.....The flip side of the coin however is .... enjoy it while you can
!
