What do you want in the place of cars?

[classic33]

It would do, but literally no-one has ever said that. Issues are usually around road safety and the modern fears of kidnap and rape exacerbated by global instant news and the gutter press.

Forty-five years ago the Yorkshire Ripper going round the area. There were still fewer using cars than there are today.

 

[icowden]

Forty-five years ago the Yorkshire Ripper going round the area. There were still fewer using cars than there are today.

Yes, because unless you read about it in the papers you weren't aware, and if you did, it was something happening in Yorkshire / Manchester and it was a one off thing. You weren't getting constant rolling news of every rape and kidnap being committed. There was no way of tracking your kids anyway and no way for them to get anywhere except for walking and the bike.

 

[classic33]

Yes, because unless you read about it in the papers you weren't aware, and if you did, it was something happening in Yorkshire / Manchester and it was a one off thing. You weren't getting constant rolling news of every rape and kidnap being committed. There was no way of tracking your kids anyway and no way for them to get anywhere except for walking and the bike.

Information overload is to blame for car use today!!

As for tracking, calls at agreed times from known locations(work, payphones).
Taxi's/private hire shared, buses didn't exist back then?

 

[Andy in Germany]

But even carrying your textbooks you don’t need every one every day. Not all subjects are taught every day.

No, but if my daughter has maths homework, English homework, and say, history, then that's three textbooks she has to bring back from school, plus exercise books and/or folders; and German schools are big on homework from the first year. If a classmate from the same street is ill, then she will have to bring their homework too.

That said, the expectation is still that kids will walk to school, which is why 'school backpacks' are in a whole sub-group of their own and occasionally come with wheels. Secondary schools are further away but are accessible by public transport and usually some passable cycleways.

Also, people with a disability are entitled to transport to and from school.

 

[Andy in Germany]

It would do, but literally no-one has ever said that. Issues are usually around road safety and the modern fears of kidnap and rape exacerbated by global instant news and the gutter press.

Funny how our kids all walk to school with no problems.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I'm in the same boat (car) as others, much preferring the convenience of owning a car over any of the other methods. I can't see that changing until I'm unable to drive any more. I remember living in Reading and getting my first car, and making crazy decisions late on a Friday night to head to Croyde Bay for a dawn surfing session. I'm still going to want that option, though in the near future it's more likely to be a call that my mum is sick rather than the need to go surfing. My wife thinks I'm crazy that I will want a car when we move back to the UK. She's all good with buses, trains, uber and rental cars. She really misses those things as the only option to move around Houston is by personal car, and thinks it'll be a waste of cash to have a car just sitting there half the time. Hopefully it'll something electric with a bit of poke, long range, that I can keep in the garage ready to go whenever.

I genuinely don't understand this: I'm so glad I don't have a car when I hear colleagues talking about all the hassle of insurance, petrol, and maintenance. I see neighbours changing from summer to winter tyres (and back again.

People with lower incomes talk about the stress of wondering if their 15 year old Honda will pass the annual test, and if they can afford repairs if it doesn't; the same people then got pulled over a week later because despite test a light stopped working and now they have a fine...

I remember someone working out that a car costs about two months wages each year for most people.

It all seems a lot of unnecessary awkwardness to be able to choose to go surfing a couple of hundred kilometres away, especially as I know I'm adding to the noise and pollution of every town I go through to get there.

 

[Drago]

It's an expensive and inconvenient means of buying some convenience!

 

[All uphill]

I'm loving not having a car.

It's hugely liberating.

Just to add a different experience of public transport let me tell you about getting to the local airport - about 35 miles away.

In the old days I'd drive allowing 75 minutes plus 25 for transfer bus from remote car park. Cost of car, fuel, depreciation, probably £20 for the return journey. Airport parking £50 for a long weekend.
Total cost for round trip £70. Total time 200 minutes.

Now local bus (every 15 minutes) to airport bus pick up, £1.
I allowed 30 minutes.
Bus to airport ( every hour)70 minutes £14.
Total cost for round trip £30.
Total time 200 minutes.

A big bonus was that I met an old friend on the bus.

So to answer the thread title I want to walk, cycle, train and bus, with a very occasional car hire.

 

[mjr]

So to answer the thread title I want to walk, cycle, train and bus, with a very occasional car hire.

Living without owning a car would be much easier if car hire companies weren't so awful to deal with. I look enviously at the cities with their car clubs that you book a car with website or app, then just ride to it, open the car with smart card or app, put the folding bike in the boot and drive off.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm loving not having a car.

It's hugely liberating.

Just to add a different experience of public transport let me tell you about getting to the local airport - about 35 miles away.

In the old days I'd drive allowing 75 minutes plus 25 for transfer bus from remote car park. Cost of car, fuel, depreciation, probably £20 for the return journey. Airport parking £50 for a long weekend.
Total cost for round trip £70. Total time 200 minutes.

Now local bus (every 15 minutes) to airport bus pick up, £1.
I allowed 30 minutes.
Bus to airport ( every hour)70 minutes £14.
Total cost for round trip £30.
Total time 200 minutes.

A big bonus was that I met an old friend on the bus.

So to answer the thread title I want to walk, cycle, train and bus, with a very occasional car hire.

Buses wonderful Buses, If I'm on the bus I'm traveling with my Good Lady in her wheelchair, bus to town this morning was rammed, bus out of town was running 18 minutes late, buses run at ten minute intervals, terminated the service at Jubilee crescent instead of Whitemoor Park, stopped the bus at the bottom of Cheveral avenue and all passengers going beyond Jubilee crescent were transferred to the bus behind, we were only going as far as Jubilee crescent. Late buses are common as are buses missing.

 

[All uphill]

Living without owning a car would be much easier if car hire companies weren't so awful to deal with. I look enviously at the cities with their car clubs that you book a car with website or app, then just ride to it, open the car with smart card or app, put the folding bike in the boot and drive off.

A year or so ago I visited a couple of car hire companies asking what deal they would offer someone who was ready to commit to car hire four times a year giving a week's notice each time.

The disdain, discourtesy and incomprehension of the staff members was something to behold.

I emailed a courteous report to each company but had no reply.

It seemed that I was expected to follow their process.

Funnily enough I've only once hired a car in the intervening year.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Living without owning a car would be much easier if car hire companies weren't so awful to deal with. I look enviously at the cities with their car clubs that you book a car with website or app, then just ride to it, open the car with smart card or app, put the folding bike in the boot and drive off.

I was part of one of those for a while but then realised I wasn't using them.

 

[chris667]

The disdain, discourtesy and incomprehension of the staff members was something to behold.

I think the thing you have to remember is they have a business model that's often based on having a fleet of leased vehicles from one of a couple of huge companies. They might look like little companies but they just aren't set up for offering discounts. And besides, they only have the cars they know they'll rent out. The car rental place I use almost always needs booking well in advance.

In spite of that, I also love not owning a car. I had to visit my dad down south the other week, and I regretted not owning a car as he's in a tiny village so I was stuck there - nice to see him, but I went a bit stir crazy. And the train was awful! Standing for three hours. I can hire a car five times a year for 180-250 per week - that's still significantly cheaper than owning one, and you can hand it back at the end of your hire with period and it's no longer your problem. No MOT, no servicing bills, you don't even have to clean it! Seems like a no-brainer to me. I could even get my bike in the back!

 

[Drago]

No MOT, no servicing bills, you don't even have to clean it! Seems like a no-brainer to me. I could even get my bike in the back!

That's what leaves me scratching my head about PCP. You have to pay to repair, service and MOT a car that belongs to someone else. Whoever came up with that wheeze was doubtless shocked when people actually fell for it.

 

[Jameshow]

My daughter got the train to Leeds then waited for the Manchester train for her university open day. Train cancelled, missed her talk and tour, came back home, day ruined....!

You wonder why people don't take public transport!!