View Full Version : Q&A "I can't be car-free because..."
Hi kids. I have an anti-car rant on my web site which, honestly, needs some tweaking. I want to include a list of reasons why people "can't" be car-free, and provide simple answers. Any suggestions to add to this list?
I need it to get to work.
Cycling/transit takes too long.
I need to do groceries/shopping
I live several blocks from the store
The bus stop is several blocks away
I don't have time
Its too inconvenient
I don't want to look like a freak
I don't want to lose my freedom.
ctxcrossx
10-29-05, 09:39 AM
10. The weather gets too cold/hot/rainy/etc.
Any decent shopping (other than groceries) is a 16 to 20 mile round trip on roads that some people feel uncomfortable driving and several cyclists have been killed on.
thelung
10-29-05, 10:05 AM
The majority of those arguments are just excuses, if someone is lazy, they will always find another excuse not to be car free.
1. I need it to get to work. - Your bike will get you there too, plus you get exercise.
2. Cycling/transit takes too long. - It very rarely takes as long as you think. Give it a try once and see for yourself. It may take longer but it is also much more enjoyable.
3. I need to do groceries/shopping - A rear rack can hold quite a bit of groceries, so can messenger bags.
4. I live several blocks from the store -You will be there in no time, its great for your body and the environment.
5. The bus stop is several blocks away Leave a little earlier or ride a bike to the bus stop.
6. I don't have time- We can always make time for things that are important to us. How much TV do you watch every night?
7. Its too inconvenient- It is not as inconvenient as getting gas, paying car insurance, tune-ups, hunting for parking spaces, waiting in traffic jams, etc.
8. I don't want to look like a freak- If the person who says this is from the US: You live in the fattest country in the world. If being active makes someone look like a freak, then maybe it is not a bad thing.
9. I don't want to lose my freedom.- You are much more free when you provide your own transportation power than when you are completely dependent on gasoline.
10. The weather gets too cold/hot/rainy/etc.- Too cold or rainy- The quality of current winter gear and rain shells will ensure you stay warm, dry, and comfortable. They can be fairly expensive but nothing compared to the hidden costs of a car. Too Hot- Cycling shorts and jerseys are designed to keep you cool and dry in hot weather and they work really well. Stay hydrated and carry a change of clothes for when you get to work or whatever your destination is. If your office has a shower facility, you can just shower when you get to work instead of when you wake up.
Any decent shopping (other than groceries) is a 16 to 20 mile round trip on roads that some people feel uncomfortable driving and several cyclists have been killed on.
Wear high-vis clothing, have bright lights, and take the full lane. 8-10 miles each way is not bad, especially if you have a nice bike. It will require some effort, but so does almost everything that is worth doing. Also, you can try taking the public transport part of the way, and just stick your bike on the bus, if that is available in your area.
thelung
10-29-05, 10:19 AM
Arguments I see for a person who lives in a city or town to not be car free:
having young children
having to care for elderly
being handicapped
having a job that requires transport of large objects.
Even in these situations, there is no reason for someone to drive all the time if efficient public transit is available.
shut up lung driving is cool
BenyBen
10-29-05, 10:57 AM
Those are some of the reasons I heard.
-I'm not in good enough shape to do it.
-I don't have a shower at work.
-I don't have a bike
-I just got this car
-Getting to work isn't supposed to be fun (yup, I heard that one)
-It's dangerous out there.
-My bike has a flat and I never have the time to bring it to the shop.
-What if I get a flat or mechanical failure on the way. I wouldn't know what to do.
thelung
10-29-05, 11:23 AM
shut up lung driving is cool
Dont ban this guy, hes car free in virginia beach and just being weird.
I am without a car right now, but the most likely reason I will get another one at some point is that I like doing outdoor stuff that really isn't practical on the bike. If I want to go snowboarding, it's probably going to take a car to get there. Same goes for a lot of great hikes in my area.
humancongereel
10-29-05, 01:51 PM
hitch hike. fun, and you meet interesting people, and it's sort of like car pooling, so you don't need to feel bad about getting in a dirty damn car.
thelung
10-29-05, 03:33 PM
I am without a car right now, but the most likely reason I will get another one at some point is that I like doing outdoor stuff that really isn't practical on the bike. If I want to go snowboarding, it's probably going to take a car to get there. Same goes for a lot of great hikes in my area.
That is a good point. It can be hard to get out to nice natural places. Around here its pretty easy to catch a bus leaving from one of the ski or snowboard shops to the different mountains if you can fit it into your schedule. If not, you can always rent a car for a few days each month. Still it is not a perfect solution by any means.
wfin2004
10-29-05, 03:45 PM
50 miles one way to work, and that is the interstate. It would be about 75 miles on state roads. That is NOT an excuse, it is the reason I drive my 4 cylinder car. I would like anyone here to honestly say they would enjoy a 150 round trip bike ride to work each day................................I am waiting........... ....
Wear high-vis clothing, have bright lights, and take the full lane.
That's a GREAT idea for a 50mph road with no shoulder. I don't know where you are from, but how you survived to adulthood is a mystery to me.
thelung
10-29-05, 04:18 PM
50 miles one way to work, and that is the interstate. It would be about 75 miles on state roads. That is NOT an excuse, it is the reason I drive my 4 cylinder car. I would like anyone here to honestly say they would enjoy a 150 round trip bike ride to work each day................................I am waiting........... ....
I would never suggest biking that far, but I would also never get a job that far from my home without relocating. You can still use public transit if it is available, or just use a bike for all your local activities and continue driving (or carpooling!) to work. I don't think any of us are claiming that carfree living can be fit into all current lifestyles. It could be quite a lifestyle changing descision depending on how you currently live.
That's a GREAT idea for a 50mph road with no shoulder. I don't know where you are from, but how you survived to adulthood is a mystery to me.
When you present yourself as a vehicle, the vast majority of drivers will treat you like one, even if they may grumble about you slowing them down for 5 seconds.
I cannot get anywhere in Virginia Beach without riding on Virginia Beach Boulevard, and other highspeed roads. It is 45mph but traffic regularly does 50+, and there is no shoulder, just a curb. I make myself visible, take the right lane and signal my turns. I have had very few close calls and have never been hit. Tehz is carfree here too and has also ridden countless times on this road without being hit.
That's a GREAT idea for a 50mph road with no shoulder. I don't know where you are from, but how you survived to adulthood is a mystery to me.
Your sarcasm is totally unwarranted. Thousands, no millions, of people in this real world ride bikes in these circumstances and ENJOY it. But they aren't conservative whiners. :)
CommuterRun
10-29-05, 04:36 PM
Arguments I see for a person who lives in a city or town to not be car free:
having young children
having a job that requires transport of large objects.
Even in these situations, there is no reason for someone to drive all the time if efficient public transit is available.
Good, bad or indifferent, this and living in a rural area is exactly why it's just not practical for me to be completely car-free, as much as I would like to be. If I were single with no kids it would be a different story, but I figure one car for a family of four and riding to work most of the time is really doing fairly well.
Wear high-vis clothing, have bright lights, and take the full lane. 8-10 miles each way is not bad, especially if you have a nice bike. It will require some effort, but so does almost everything that is worth doing. Also, you can try taking the public transport part of the way, and just stick your bike on the bus, if that is available in your area.That's a GREAT idea for a 50mph road with no shoulder. I don't know where you are from, but how you survived to adulthood is a mystery to me.
This is exactly how I ride except for the bus. Bright Primal Wear jerseys, lights, lane position on rural highways with 45-60 MPH speed limits. Two highways on any of my routes have BLs. The closest BL is three miles away, the other five. Neither are on my most ridden route which is to work and back, unless I go the long way or the real looong way. None of these other highways have any kind of paved shoulder.
The bright jersey, lights and lane position thing works, even on roads with speed limits up to 60 and I don't have to take the lane all the time. Only at major intersections and on blind curves.
See my post covering how awesome last Friday's commute home was over in "Commuting" under "How was the Commute Today?" :D
Rural roads are cake. This road is NOT rural. It's cars going by constantly, a major connector. you could easily have a half dozen cars backed up behind you, not just one. I'm not that much of a wuss. I ride around town and don't have any problem, but anyone that lives in this area (even the most dedicated cyclists) won't touch it. It's been suggested to NOT ride this road on a local biking list, and the only other way to get to shopping is highway.
If that were my only problem I'd just deal with it, but I'm going to need to pick up samples from 40 miles away that are time and temperature sensitive. Plus I'll probaby have to go to a lab 30 miles away for training, possibly a few courses as well. I could be a @sshole about it, but at this point I feel that having something with a motor will help me finish grad school quicker. Add to that fatigue and long hours.
MAD Rider
10-29-05, 06:07 PM
Something that Bicycle Colorado put up in regards to the same kind of complaints and responses to go along with them
http://bicyclecolo.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=250
budster
10-29-05, 07:15 PM
Rural roads are cake. This road is NOT rural. It's cars going by constantly, a major connector. you could easily have a half dozen cars backed up behind you, not just one. I'm not that much of a wuss. I ride around town and don't have any problem, but anyone that lives in this area (even the most dedicated cyclists) won't touch it. It's been suggested to NOT ride this road on a local biking list, and the only other way to get to shopping is highway.
If that were my only problem I'd just deal with it, but I'm going to need to pick up samples from 40 miles away that are time and temperature sensitive. Plus I'll probaby have to go to a lab 30 miles away for training, possibly a few courses as well. I could be a @sshole about it, but at this point I feel that having something with a motor will help me finish grad school quicker. Add to that fatigue and long hours.
Are you talking about 15-501? 54? 86? Regardless, I don't blame you one bit.
In fact, I don't blame anyone one bit. Anyone who does anything to reduce car use is making a positive contribution. Guilt-tripping folks for not doing it perfectly seems counter productive.
Another reason for not being totally car free:
"My wife/husband/partner/lover needs/wants us to own a car".
R
Are you talking about 15-501? 54? 86? Regardless, I don't blame you one bit.
I'm talking about taking Franklin to Erwin to Mt. Moriah. Then sometimes crossing 15-501 at the light to go to Petsmart or Kohl's. Erwin is the road I'm talking about; it was discussed on Tarwheels-chat a few months ago. Everyone seems to drive down it like it's a highway, and the share the road signs are there because several people have been killed if I remember correctly. If someone else wants to get turned into a veggie trying to prove they can use the road that's fine, but I've had enough of doctors for a while. I tried 54 once before and won't do that again. Almost got hit at the 40 crossing closest to Chapel Hill.
I love biking, but I will not put myself in what I consider a high risk situation. Maybe other people value their lives less and are okay with bigger risks. That's their decision. My first motorized vehicle is either gonna be a motorcycle or uber small car (focus hatchback size) so I think the frat boys pimpin' their big SUVs daddy bought them might be a better target ;).
Where are you? Chapel Hill or Durham?
RoperIN
10-29-05, 08:49 PM
Excellent forum.
I do almost everything by bicycle. I have one car. I use it for one thing only: My children visit their mother (my former spouse) who lives in another city. She refuses to provide transportation, so every other weekend, I take them to visit her. :fight:
When they're old enough to make the trip by bicycle (or drive on their own), we'll sell the car.
I'm just not up to pulling the Burley for three hours each way when the weather's this cold...
That is a good point. It can be hard to get out to nice natural places. Around here its pretty easy to catch a bus leaving from one of the ski or snowboard shops to the different mountains if you can fit it into your schedule. If not, you can always rent a car for a few days each month. Still it is not a perfect solution by any means.
Yeah, its just that renting a car a few days each month is probably more expensive than minimally insuring a beater car I can pay cash for.
Yeah, its just that renting a car a few days each month is probably more expensive than minimally insuring a beater car I can pay cash for.
+1
Chris L
10-29-05, 10:06 PM
50 miles one way to work, and that is the interstate. It would be about 75 miles on state roads. That is NOT an excuse, it is the reason I drive my 4 cylinder car. I would like anyone here to honestly say they would enjoy a 150 round trip bike ride to work each day................................I am waiting........... ....
I can't say I'd enjoy a car commute of that distance any more than I'd enjoy the ride.
I think we've all ignored the most common reason for "I can't be car free", and indeed it's usually the real reason when most of the above examples are given:
"I just don't want to".
thelung
10-29-05, 11:33 PM
+1
None of us live in an ideal dreamland where being car free is always easy. Either you are willing to try and make it work, or you're not. It's that simple. If youre not willing to make changes so it works, you need to admit it. Don't pretend that you have it any harder than the rest of us do because no one is forcing you to drive except yourself.
I'm not saying I have it harder. I'm just tired of the car free or die attitude here. Why not encourage people to be car lite? Is it better to use the bike 1/2 the time, or not own a bike? I've made a personal decision to get a vehicle, but still use the bike as much as is reasonable and safe. Biking an 80 mile roundtrip or even 60 on a regular basis does not sound reasonable to me. And if I get a motorcycle I can use it to commute once I move out into the sticks (yes, that's a dream of mine). Only I know my situation, and I don't care what you think of me. I just wish you were easier on others that still want to keep a vehicle for some reason. Bud gets it, but I don't think anyone else does.
I'm also not going to spend more money to use a vehicle I don't own that to own one (taxi and rental car fees). No need to be a poseur about it.
budster
10-30-05, 01:12 AM
I'm talking about taking Franklin to Erwin to Mt. Moriah. Then sometimes crossing 15-501 at the light to go to Petsmart or Kohl's. Erwin is the road I'm talking about; it was discussed on Tarwheels-chat a few months ago. Everyone seems to drive down it like it's a highway, and the share the road signs are there because several people have been killed if I remember correctly. If someone else wants to get turned into a veggie trying to prove they can use the road that's fine, but I've had enough of doctors for a while. I tried 54 once before and won't do that again. Almost got hit at the 40 crossing closest to Chapel Hill.
I love biking, but I will not put myself in what I consider a high risk situation. Maybe other people value their lives less and are okay with bigger risks. That's their decision. My first motorized vehicle is either gonna be a motorcycle or uber small car (focus hatchback size) so I think the frat boys pimpin' their big SUVs daddy bought them might be a better target ;).
Where are you? Chapel Hill or Durham?
Formerly Chapel Hill. Currently Statesville. :(
Actually, it's not that bad, and surprisingly bike-friendly. I grew up here, so it's comfy. If not for non-driving elderly mom, I could live completely car-free in town.
I'm looking for a job right now, preferably in the Triangle -- but NY/NJ is looking more likely. Which is cool, too.
I have family in Durham (Bahama, actually, if you know where that is) and friends in Chapel Hill.
I lived in Chapel Hill from '85-'93 and again this summer. The roads are considerably more dangerous now. I rode a couple of my favorite old rides this summer. Old 86 up to Dairyland, et cet. Used to be practically empty. Honk, honk, honk now. Ditto Mt Carmel down to Jordan Lake. Buzzed repeatedly, even with all my best VC tricks. Sad. I did find the increased congestion in downtown CH/Carrboro has made commuter biking there even better than before.
Do you ride mostly recreationally?
Erwin would be a fine bike commuter road -- if they'd widen it. Chapel Hill and Durham both seem to be trumpeting their pursuit of bike lanes/bike paths, which could be OK, if they would build a comprehensive network. Coordinating with each other would be good, too. One gets the distinct impression that they're just giving lip service (but we shall see).
As things stand, there are just enough well-publicized bike trails and lanes for motorists to believe bikes don't belong in regular traffic, but not nearly enough to facilitate a safe car-free lifestyle. I do think for someone with housing in CH/Carrboro near a job that doesn't require much travel, car-free could work.
Stay safe....
Mtn Mike
10-30-05, 01:41 AM
"I''m too out of shape" or "I'm too fat"
"It's too dangerous"
those are my two favorites
I was completely car free for 6 years ... but then I lived in the same part of town as the place where I worked (my commute was 6.7 kms one way), and I could do all my grocery shopping and attend to all my business right in the area where I lived. The transit system was also pretty good - I could get where I wanted to go in no time at all either by bicycle, by walking, or by bus. So, under those circumstances, having a car was a pointless waste of money.
I have since moved, and am living where I am now for financial reasons. During this past winter, I got a fairly well-paying job just over 30 kms one way from where I live. It would have been virtually impossible for me to do that 65 km round trip in temperatures well below freezing, on very icy and snow covered, busy roads during the months of February, March, and April. So I drove. During the warmer months, I cycled anywhere from 1-3 times a week, but did not do more than that because that sort of distance didn't fit with my training plan. I needed rest days, and shorter days. So I drove on those days.
And NO I could not have moved closer to where I got my job ... there's no housing out there .... they build chemical plants out in the middle of absolutely nowhere for a reason! And as for finding another job in the city where I live ... maybe, but I would not have been paid anywhere near what I was out there.
I am currently attending University within the town where I live (which is why I moved here). I wanted to commute by transit or bicycle, but checked those options. By transit, I would cover the 6 kms to the school in roughly 45 minutes to an hour, one way. The transit system is NOT good here. As a student, that 1.5 hours (minimum) is very valuable time which I could use for sleeping or studying or working. So I checked on the bicycle option ... and they don't have secure storage for bicycles. This town is known for its bicycle theft, and I would really rather not leave my bicycle casually locked to a rack everyone has access to. I find it quite disturbing actually that universities don't provide better security for their bicycle-riding students but that is an other issue all together. So I drive to school.
In addition to that, my job has me at work completely on the other side of town from 4-midnight on Friday nights. You'd better believe I drive! There's no way I'm leaving work at midnight on a Friday night in this town and cycling the 10-15 kms home ... especially considering the fact that I have to be back at work at 8 am Saturday morning.
So ... before you get too anti-car ... there are circumstances where people do need to drive.
1. I need it to get to work. -- yes, as a matter of fact I do
2. Cycling/transit takes too long. -- yes, as a matter of fact, it does
3. I need to do groceries/shopping. -- this has never been an issue and still isn't. Getting groceries without a car is easy.
4. I live several blocks from the store. -- again, not a problem. A person can WALK several blocks.
5. The bus stop is several blocks away. -- again, not a problem. A person can WALK several blocks.
6. I don't have time. -- Even commuting can be part of training. If I weren't commuting, I'd be riding in some other way.
7. Its too inconvenient. -- Well, yes, right now it is, but hopefully at some point that will change
8. I don't want to look like a freak. -- I've never heard that one!
9. I don't want to lose my freedom. -- you're freer on a bicycle than in a car
10. The weather gets too cold/hot/rainy/etc. -- generally that excuse is nonsense, BUT when the road is covered in ice and snow, and the temperature is well below freezing, and especially if the commute is long and part of it might be in the dark, weather can be a valid excuse not to ride based on safety.
Toasted
10-30-05, 02:18 AM
50 miles one way to work, and that is the interstate. It would be about 75 miles on state roads. That is NOT an excuse, it is the reason I drive my 4 cylinder car. I would like anyone here to honestly say they would enjoy a 150 round trip bike ride to work each day................................I am waiting........... ....
HERE! And that is the god's honest truth. Just another chance to be on my bike more and eat LOTS of good food.
CommuterRun
10-30-05, 03:34 AM
I think living car free is unrealistic for most people. In some areas, say, Manhattan for instance, it would be relatively easy because of the mass transit system and because owning a car and driving it would be a real burden, but there are a lot more areas that have little to no mass transit and bicycling, as much as I love to do it, is really not always a viable option.
I think living car free is a lifestyle choice that requires commitment and sacrifice, much like making the Marine Corps a career.
I think living car free is unrealistic for most people.
I suggest you qualify the statement by saying "most americans" rather than "most people."
Most people are car-free.
In regards to Toasted (person who said s/he would commute 150 miles a day)-- do you do anything at the other end of your commute or do you just turn back and go the other way?
Bekologist
10-30-05, 06:35 AM
Fat, lazy, and self absorbtion in personal convienence without a whit of interest in fitness or self improvement keeps a lot of Americans in their cars.
I own a car but live 50 weeks out of the year without driving it. That makes me car lite. My car is a vehicle for mountain escapades, and I may have a bike/BOB ski camping setup rigged for next spring so I don't have to drive a hundred miles one way every time I want to go spring skiing for long weekends.
I recently broke my hip and having a car has been very helpful, I feel extremely guilty just driving around town doing an errand.
I'm still waiting to take that first bike ride after two and a half months now.
I think handicaps, kids, injuries, change of jobs, or other realities can put a serious crimp on ones' car free intents.
CommuterRun
10-30-05, 06:53 AM
I suggest you qualify the statement by saying "most americans" rather than "most people."
Most people are car-free.
Absolutely right, of course. But then you could also say most people don't live in houses with central heat and air, indoor plumbing and a yard to mow every summer weekend.
Personally, I'd rather have a nanny goat than a lawnmower, but the wife balked at that idea. ;)
Fat, lazy, and self absorbtion in personal convienence without a whit of interest in fitness or self improvement keeps a lot of Americans in their cars.
Sadly, I think this is also true.
chipcom
10-30-05, 06:58 AM
Are you talking about 15-501? 54? 86? Regardless, I don't blame you one bit.
In fact, I don't blame anyone one bit. Anyone who does anything to reduce car use is making a positive contribution. Guilt-tripping folks for not doing it perfectly seems counter productive.
Bingo! In our widely disbursed, mobile society (in the US anyway) going totally cage free is a major change that our current public infrastructure can't support. Things don't change overnight, change starts with baby steps. IMHO it is much more positive and effective to encourage people, not arrogantly treat them as some lazy form of subhuman life because they are not totally car free.
Personally, I still have my little pickem-up truck because I choose to. Anyone that has a problem with that should re-examine their choice of political systems and country of residence, maybe consider Cuba or North Korea, I hear they are very Utopian.
To address the feller with the 100 mile round-trip commute - mine is 90 miles round trip. While I do make the entire trip by bike a couple of times a week in the summer, for the vast majority of the rest of the year I drive 30 to a Park-n-Ride and ride the rest on my bike. When I go to our corporate headquarters, which is 40 miles away, I ride 15 to a bus stop and take the bus from there. My point is that you don't have to feel obligated to make the entire commute by bike, but I think you'll find you enjoy doing X percent of it from time to time, and as budster says, every little bit helps both your health and our overall dependence on oil and cages. :)
Thanks for all the replies, folks. This thread seems to have taken a life of its own, now, but it gave me several good ideas.
I don't plan to try to convince anyone to change, nor do I plan to have every possible answer posted. I do want to rebut the more common excuses, though.
Do you ride mostly recreationally?
Erwin would be a fine bike commuter road -- if they'd widen it.
Mostly recreational in the summer. Now that classes have started it's mostly just around town.
I agree about Erwin.
Agent B
10-30-05, 08:41 AM
Gee, its a good thing none of you live in South Africa, you would have either been:
1. Hit by a car, person is either drunk, speeding or does not have a license.
2. Robbed, have your bike and all belonings stolen, and possibly beaten.
3. Crashing due to pot holes in the road.
I have a friend from work who lives about 3 miles from work and have been beaten and robbed countless times, he eventually gave up riding and now gets a lift.
On average about 25-30 traffic lights get knocked over in Durban in get this, a weekend!!!!!!
Another friend that I got into riding has only ridden his bike 3 times and twice he was nearly knocked over.
I used to cycles to work but things are not as good as they used to be. Last week someone tried to rob me in my car.
HA now beat that.
So I checked on the bicycle option ... and they don't have secure storage for bicycles. This town is known for its bicycle theft, and I would really rather not leave my bicycle casually locked to a rack everyone has access to. I find it quite disturbing actually that universities don't provide better security for their bicycle-riding students but that is an other issue all together. So I drive to school..
Machka, your record is very impressive, and I'm not directing this at you, but I wouldn't want others to be deterred by the comment about the lack of secure bike parking at school. You could get a used bike for $200 and lock it outside at school (and at home, if you don't have room inside because you keep your "good" bike(s) inside) and have it stolen once a year and still come out about even financially. Gas in Canada costs about 8c/km for a small car, so a 6km (12 km return trip) commute to school is about a dollar a day in gas, and there are other incidental car costs that increase with mileage driven, like wiper fluid or car washes and so on, so if someone left their car at home and rode 12 km 150 days/year they'd pretty much pay for the bike, and get some light exercise on their utility bike between serious training runs on their expensive bike.
R
Bekologist
10-30-05, 09:16 AM
everyone that bikes in a city of any size should have a beater/shopping/errands bike for town use. Biking isn't about looking good, but a lot of people combine really bad fashion sense while riding bikes WAY too expensive for everyday use.
Maybe people see biking as too expensive and/or loss of theft of nice bike significant enough to drive a car?
You don't have to live in South Africa to get hit by a drunk driver or have your bike jacked-
Although, I used to date a girl from Durban and she said the violence and anarchy in everyday life there was appalling.
Agent B
10-30-05, 10:42 AM
It is a known fact that the crime in South Africa is really bad.
That's a GREAT idea for a 50mph road with no shoulder. I don't know where you are from, but how you survived to adulthood is a mystery to me.
I used to have a daily 25km one way commute through the mountains on a very windy, heavily trafficed road but had only one incident. The caveat is that in general there was a narrow shoulder, and only in parts did it revert to nothing.
Though I myself have also toured on high speed roads without shoulder, and while I survived fine, I have to admit it is not something I would necessarily desire to accomplish every day.
My own suggestions for excuses:
¤ I must transport a really large musical instrument (i.e., bass, cello, drums) or other highly sensitive equipment.
Though I did ride my bike with a hardshell guitar case slung over my shoulder and a rather expensive classical guitar inside. Doable. Not sure about something like a bass! Guess it then boils down to whether the instrument or car free is more important. I say sensitive equipment because obviously just about anything else of size could be thrown in a large trailor.
¤ I have a large living thing I need to routinely transport with speed.
This is one suggested here on these forums. Something to do with the Vet and hounds.
¤ I need to smuggle vast quanities of narcotics somewhere.
Okay, this is a rare one I suppose...
I'm not saying I have it harder. I'm just tired of the car free or die attitude here. Why not encourage people to be car lite? Is it better to use the bike 1/2 the time, or not own a bike? I've made a personal decision to get a vehicle, but still use the bike as much as is reasonable and safe. Biking an 80 mile roundtrip or even 60 on a regular basis does not sound reasonable to me. And if I get a motorcycle I can use it to commute once I move out into the sticks (yes, that's a dream of mine). Only I know my situation, and I don't care what you think of me. I just wish you were easier on others that still want to keep a vehicle for some reason. Bud gets it, but I don't think anyone else does.
As motor vehicle free, I think the vehement outlook of some of my companions is because car free is a fundamentally different outlook on life than, say, this car lite. It is like the difference between a Vegan and a vegetarian. I will be the first to say though that self righteousness does no one good, and any form of self reliance should be encouraged.
But what makes it a fundamentally different outlook? Some of the concerns of the car lite crowd simply do not exist or are minimized with a car free lifestyle. For instance, I simply do not think a car free person would even desire to live 70km from work. And if an outdoor activity takes too much vehicular travel, or requires it, the car free individual probably does not engage in it. (I for instance tend to bike and backpack, both which do not require great amounts large, technical gear).
Part of car free is ultimately about concession. So you live in a dirty city instead of out in the boondocks where there are goblins and talking squirrels, 25km from anything. The Western world has apotheosised Individuality to the point where we have become, in fact, Hedonists.
Now it doesn't take something like car free to basically live a lifestyle of give and take. But one must understand, at the least, that for many of my more outspoken car free companions, their lifestyle is not just an abstract idea but a passion, a strong emotion. Some people, when they experience these powerful emotions, suspect (maybe rightly so) that those who have not done the same work to achieve this state have in fact never encountered this emotion.
Basically, car free CAN, though need not, be an idealism. In essence you ask about the psychology of any fundamentalist.
On the flip side, the more reasonable types perhaps encourage car free living because it IS essentially simple. I rarely think about it myself, even in the times when my lack of a vehicle put me at a so called disadvantage. I simply don't view my situations as disadvantageous, even when a motor vehicle would make ardous journeys simple. It is like how the travelling merchant in the 1600's did not bemoan their travel times an undue amount. Sure, maybe they dreamed about travelling halfway around the world in 12 hours, but more or less accepted things as they were. Only those things we are attached to give us suffering.
Now, I ramble.
Bekologist
10-30-05, 12:02 PM
life is give and take. You will never escape the dependance of automobiles in america unless you live in the woods, grown all your own food, and never set foot on pavement.
sorry, but a personal choice to not own an automobile does NOT mean you have unshackled yourself from petrovehicle culture.
It's not black and white. Living is consession of practicality versus idealism.
how bad is a person who uses a bicycle for everything except emergencies? a family that buys a junker for drives to the hospital because of a complicated pregnancy?
what about a person that doesn't have a car, but uses rent a cars, mooches rides or uses a flexcar?
car free, or just grayer shades of pale?
Machka, your record is very impressive, and I'm not directing this at you, but I wouldn't want others to be deterred by the comment about the lack of secure bike parking at school. You could get a used bike for $200 and lock it outside at school (and at home, if you don't have room inside because you keep your "good" bike(s) inside) and have it stolen once a year and still come out about even financially. Gas in Canada costs about 8c/km for a small car, so a 6km (12 km return trip) commute to school is about a dollar a day in gas, and there are other incidental car costs that increase with mileage driven, like wiper fluid or car washes and so on, so if someone left their car at home and rode 12 km 150 days/year they'd pretty much pay for the bike, and get some light exercise on their utility bike between serious training runs on their expensive bike.
R
The thing is, it probably wouldn't be stolen just once a year, but several times a year.
A little story ...
A group of people in the city decided that they would try to promote fitness, and so they bought or had donated a collection of 20 or 25 beater bicycles. They fixed them up so that they were operational, then painted them a hideous lime green or day-glo orange or something.
The idea was that they would leave the bicycles at various places around the city ... then if someone came along and had to get to the other side of town faster than taking the bus or walking, that person could hop on the bicycle, ride to the other side of town, and then leave the bicycle on the street corner there. And maybe a couple days later, someone else would come along and decide to use it to get to another part of town, and so on. Interesting idea.
Problem was about 6 months later, there were no more of these bicycles on the streets ... they figure they had all been stolen, and probably painted a less obvious color.
I was quite surprised!! After all ... who steals beater bikes which anyone could pick up in the thrift shop for $10???? Or from the local dump for free???
And the stories from people with new bicycles is that they get that new bicycle stolen, they buy one to replace it ... and three days later it is stolen.
But one guy I worked with for a little while solved the problem of the stolen bicycles. He had one or more of his stolen ... and then got fed up with it, and bought himself a unicycle!! :D He says he can take that thing everywhere with him ... right into the classes at school, into shops, into the place we worked ... he doesn't have to leave it locked out somewhere where it could be stolen!
budster
10-30-05, 01:40 PM
Beautiful posts, Satyr. You explain the attraction of the purist car-free lifestyle not only clearly, but also eloquently.
Have you always lived in Sweden, and, if not, would you agree that some societies are structured much more suitably for car-free living than others?
I want to live car-free, but right now, apparently I want other things more than I want that. I try to move in that direction a little more all the time. Bekologist is right that the typical American lifestyle currently doesn't lend itself to car-free living very well, but I believe that can be changed. That, too, is faith.
So I checked on the bicycle option ... and they don't have secure storage for bicycles. This town is known for its bicycle theft, and I would really rather not leave my bicycle casually locked to a rack everyone has access to.
I think you should reconsider the bicycle option: I park my bike every day in a crummy street full of thieves, druggies and whatnot. My bike never gets stolen, because it's worth less than $100 new, it's butt-ugly (I uglified it myself) and so thieves just don't seem to bother stealing the thing. Even if it was stolen, well, you can buy many $100 bikes on a yearly car budget...
I can't say I'd enjoy a car commute of that distance any more than I'd enjoy the ride.
I think we've all ignored the most common reason for "I can't be car free", and indeed it's usually the real reason when most of the above examples are given:
"I just don't want to".
Exactly. "I feel like a slave with a job I hate, a house I can't afford, and credit card debt up the wazoo. The only thing that comes close to making me feel free is the big car that I can get in and forget about everything else for a minute. The car is my drug of choice, it's my religion, it's my best friend. I would rather die than give it up."
I think you should reconsider the bicycle option: I park my bike every day in a crummy street full of thieves, druggies and whatnot. My bike never gets stolen, because it's worth less than $100 new, it's butt-ugly (I uglified it myself) and so thieves just don't seem to bother stealing the thing. Even if it was stolen, well, you can buy many $100 bikes on a yearly car budget...
Ummmm ... well ... my yearly car budget happens to be about $40/month = ~$500 a year. That would only buy me five $100 bikes.
Also ... would YOU ride when the temperature drops to -20 and the roads are thick with snow and ice? That's what it is like here from November to March ... which is the bulk of the school year.
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