Younger people

[my.ark.4]

I'm just curious about this, maybe its because I live in the burbs, but I'm wondering if there are any other young people (read: high school) who are carefree/ plan to be. Most of the people I know are in the process of getting their drivers license. Then theres me who never takes the bus, even in a blizard (I'm 5 minutes north of Toronto) and come my birthday in May, has no intention of going for his license. Besides smilling and shrugging, what do say to all those friends who think your'e crazy.

Reading that over, I guess what I really want to know is

Are there any others on here like me

and

What do/did you do in the face of almost everyone you know going car crazy.

[Slow Train]

You are not alone. I think there are several younger posters here who are car-free. I didn't get a drivers license until I was 21. Of course - the idea of living a car-free live wasn't even on my mind then (nor would it be for many years). I simply lived in a small town where I could walk/ride bike anywhere I wanted to go.

If I were you I would just continue shrugging off your friends (hopefully good-natured) ribbing. In a few years you & your friends are going to be struggling with education costs, housing costs, living on your own expenses - just imagine how much better off you will be vis-a-vis your friends withour car costs.

P.S. - I would suggest getting the DL though. In this car centric world not having the ability to drive when the situation demands it is a handicap.

[my.ark.4]

Meh, maybe I will eventually, but I'm in no hurry, prety much everywhere I want to go is either in biking range or public transit range, or both in case one of them dosent work.

[thelung]

tehz (posts mostly in singlespeed/fixed gear) is a friend of mine and never got his license, nor did one of my housemates who is 19. I got a car at 16 but then gave it to my sister and my license is now expired (I'm 20 now.)

If anyone asks why we are car free we usually point out the environmental and economic benefits and also that it is a lot more fun and a lot healthier than driving a car. I dont miss my car at all, I dont even like riding in friends cars.

[SteveFox]

im 17 and i dont have my license, and i cant see me gettin it for at least 5 years, maybe more. id like to stay car free forever, and i will try. i cant see the future though. who knows.

steve

[Katrogen]

I'm 17 without a liscense. Parents are pushing it to have me run errands that require more then what my handlebars can carry and appointments that are very important. Plus when the weather is terrible I can easily get from Point A to Point B. I'm very delicate when it comes to cold weather. Cars make me sick and scared when driving them but I still go whenever needed. A car is a good idea too for after-dark errands, especially with the short days right now. I will never own a car while I'm financially dependent with the parents. Heck, I'm not even moving out until I'm 26 or so. Don't want to grow up. :)

[dolomite592]

I grew up in a remote location far from school so I wasn't able to live carfree. When I turned 18 and went to college, I stored the car and invested in my road bike. Now I average about 50-75 miles/week of bike-commuting. Still, there's this general stigma surrounding what I hold as crucial to who I am as a person. I've overcome this by taking the utmost pride in what I do. It's not like car-commuting in which everyone does it; here in Albuquerque, I'm only familiar with 50 or so full-time bike commuters.

So don't despair (though I know it's easy). Do what you think is best but make sure you are fully capable of assessing how much of a step this is; here in the U.S., it's difficult to live without a car, but worth it on a lot of levels. Good luck!

----
Reza Fakhrai

[Sir Lunch-a-lot]

I'm 17 without a liscense. Parents are pushing it to have me run errands that require more then what my handlebars can carry and appointments that are very important. Plus when the weather is terrible I can easily get from Point A to Point B. I'm very delicate when it comes to cold weather. Cars make me sick and scared when driving them but I still go whenever needed. A car is a good idea too for after-dark errands, especially with the short days right now. I will never own a car while I'm financially dependent with the parents. Heck, I'm not even moving out until I'm 26 or so. Don't want to grow up. :)

I know that feeling of not wanting to grow up. Why don't you fly away with me to... Neverland!!! (Nah, just kidding). I'm 17 myself, and only have my learners. My Mom tells me that Carfree can not be done. Her statement would be correct if she said "can not be done easily", since I live out in a small town, 30 km from anywhere of major importance. But... I'm going to try and get my licence (even though I don't really want to), and when I accomplish that, I don't intend to use it often. Maybe often for a while getting more practice driving so that I am a competant driver (and not one of those crazy cagers that we have to all watch out for).

So, anyway, @ my.ark.4, you're not alone. There are many of us scattered around the globe in high school who don't wish to be drivers.

Maybe someday, I'll move to Venice (yeah, right!) and then there won't be any way I could have a car!

[Satyr]

P.S. - I would suggest getting the DL though. In this car centric world not having the ability to drive when the situation demands it is a handicap.

In response to the OP, I have been car-free my entire life.

Also never have owned a license. The world is not really as car-centric as it seems, to be honest. I've met a few non-bike enthusiasts that lived in New York who also never learned to drive. (A special case, I realize).

Many of my friends here don't own cars, since they are not as big in Europe, though most can drive. The great public transit though in places like Germany and Sweden though leave the option open.

I can't recall a single instance where I was personally handicapped by not legally being able to drive. Most, if any, handicaps came from simply never owning a vehicle to begin with. On longer road trips sometimes I feel bad for not being able to help out, but usually I am with multiple others who can drive, so again a non-issue (besides, since I really do not like long car trips this is no real impetus to learn).

Not that I am advocating ignorance of driving. Guess all I am saying is the world does not blow up if you do not know how to drive. The thought otherwise is pretty much the result of clever marketing. It's just like you are not friendless if you own no mobile phone.

Thoreau used to say he would rather walk someone that was within 20 miles than take the train, since to take the train he would need a day's wages. Clearly this might have been pertinent in 1850, but the same spirit can be realized even in this day. All you *really* need to do in the world is drink water and eat food. (Unfortunately in many parts of the world this is not even a garuantee).

The simpler you keep your expectations, the more life will amaze you. The less things you take for granted the more you will appreciate them.

[Satyr]

I know that feeling of not wanting to grow up. Why don't you fly away with me to... Neverland!!! (Nah, just kidding). I'm 17 myself, and only have my learners. My Mom tells me that Carfree can not be done. Her statement would be correct if she said "can not be done easily", since I live out in a small town, 30 km from anywhere of major importance. But... I'm going to try and get my licence (even though I don't really want to), and when I accomplish that, I don't intend to use it often. Maybe often for a while getting more practice driving so that I am a competant driver (and not one of those crazy cagers that we have to all watch out for).

So, anyway, @ my.ark.4, you're not alone. There are many of us scattered around the globe in high school who don't wish to be drivers.

Maybe someday, I'll move to Venice (yeah, right!) and then there won't be any way I could have a car!

I want to encourage you to keep this sort of thinking. I takes a certain insight into life to realize, "Hey, I don't HAVE to be this or that way."

Society and culture will try to mold you certain ways, but the power of the individual to step out of these bounds is one of the greatest gifts of the intellect and of freedom.

This extends to all walks of life, from how you transport yourself, to gender identity, to how you obtain joy from life. Very, very few things are intrinsic to being a human. We just often mistake social constructs for natural constructs.

[Katrogen]

The simpler you keep your expectations, the more life will amaze you. The less things you take for granted the more you will appreciate them
I have to bold that. You don't even know. :) Thats a wisdom quote right there.


know that feeling of not wanting to grow up. Why don't you fly away with me to... Neverland!!! (Nah, just kidding). I'm 17 myself, and only have my learners. My Mom tells me that Carfree can not be done. Her statement would be correct if she said "can not be done easily", since I live out in a small town, 30 km from anywhere of major importance. But... I'm going to try and get my licence (even though I don't really want to), and when I accomplish that, I don't intend to use it often. Maybe often for a while getting more practice driving so that I am a competant driver (and not one of those crazy cagers that we have to all watch out for).

So, anyway, @ my.ark.4, you're not alone. There are many of us scattered around the globe in high school who don't wish to be drivers.

Maybe someday, I'll move to Venice (yeah, right!) and then there won't be any way I could have a car!


Yes, Neverland sounds nice. For now I am getting away with redoing my junior year to stay home longer. :) Its a good idea to get the liscense. I won't use it but I feel obligated to becaues my dad has had the most difficult time getting me one. Paperwork, appointments, government worker holidays ect. He says its the most difficult thing he's ever done. Its been 1000 times easier getting me in the cycling stuff. Hmmm. Tells you something.

I'm personally going to move up into the Idaho mountains. Theres miles of bike trails in the resort town I love. It will be perfect. :) I'll get some old Jeep or Land Cruiser for the colder weather.

[Caspar_s]

I was going to suggest getting the drivers licence even if you don't plan on it. The longer you have had your licence the cheaper insurance is - maybe renting would be easier as well.

I guess in North America it would be a good idea because the infrastructure is just not geared up to anything but a car. The last town I lived in had a train out for $80 and was in the middle of nowhere and at the time I didn't think of riding 50-100km.

Also plans change.

[Roody]

im 17 and i dont have my license, and i cant see me gettin it for at least 5 years, maybe more. id like to stay car free forever, and i will try. i cant see the future though. who knows.

steve
Hey this kid is riding around the world!!!!!

Check out his website, linked in his sig. I haven't had time to read it yet, but I will. Thsi is so exciting!

[SteveFox]

haha, thanks for the advertising roody. while im on my trip im pretty sure i wont be driving. i dont like cars anyways, they just dont tickle my fancy...anyways, heres my sig again for those interested.

steve

[my.ark.4]

I've been thinking about doing something like that for a while, after school I think I might fly to Europe, get a bike, and bum around for a while, all you really need is food and a tent and sleeping bag. Good luck with the trip hope it turns out well.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of a budget are you working with?

[tredford01]

I'm 18, have a drivers licence and access to a car, and I drive. But only when I have to, for example if I have to buy something that won't fit on my bike, or if I go skiing (my ski boots don't fit in my panniers). All the rest of the time I cycle. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland which is a comact and fairly cycle friendly city, and the place I work has a large secure indoor bike park, which makes things easier. When I drive, I use a small Nissan Micra, which is quite fuel efficient, though cycling is still more enjoyable.

[DaemonLee]

I refuse to actually get a truck, I bike everywhere or take Public Transpo if it won't fit in my bag. My father is disgruntled that I won't get a DL, but I need a ID card soon, so I have to get a copy of my birth cert and get a WA ID card.

[joejack951]

I'm car-lite but some advice for those of you who think you might need to drive to transport things larger than will fit on your bike: check out the Burley Flatbed. It's really changed what I view as doable on a bike. For instance, today although we had a high of 27 F, I biked 14 miles (one way) to my parents with a change of clothes and shoes and about 40 lbs. of tools to work on my sister's car (ironic, huh?). No way I could fit all that stuff on my bike but the Flatbed carries it with ease. Aside from feeling like your brakes are stuck on, all that weight doesn't affect handling (at least not nearly as much as having it in panniers). I also use it to carry groceries and packages to ship from work.

Two more things. Cold weather: get good gloves, shoes, and a jacket, and a balaclava. Darkness: good lights. Snow: studded tires. There's an answer for most common transportation problems as long as you have the will to go along with it.

[jamesdenver]

can i give one tidbit of advice (i'm 30). pretend you HAVE a car, and HAVE to pay for it. then take your "car" expenses $200 - $400 a month and put it in an IRA, ETF fund, or other stock fund (some agressive, some safe)

buy the time you're my age you'll have a lot of money to KEEP investing, and by continuing to live simply and car free, you'll have many more opportunities to do things like travel thru europe, take unpaid internships with companies you like, and live your life more as YOU see fit, not by what bills are on the table needing to be paid.

i believe that being car free is the SMARTEST and EASIEST financial desicion one can make, and i wish i had done it earlier in my 20s.

[Ready to Ruck]

I had a car from 16 to 18. MY college was 15 miles away and my job, 20. Everything was so spaced out in this place I lived for two and a half yrs. Cars WERE necesary. What isnt needed is that style of suburban development.
I since have moved into the city and lived carfree easily wha twith busses and bikes. I then moved ot another city and it being smaller, is easier to navigate. I'm even less car dependent here. I biked in 25degree weather today and I survived. who needs cars?

[UCSDbikeAnarchy]

I had a car for my last two years of high school, but it was totaly nessecasry, considering, my school was 20 miles from home, there was no option for transit, and my parents wouldn't want to pick me up. I have greatly enjoyed living without a car for the last three years. I have spent a ton of money on bikes and related parts, but it pails in compariosn to what I'd spend on gas-maitence and parking on a car. Right now its super easy to live car free in the Netherlands, but I do have vague urges to get a car once I get back to the states, but only use it for weekend camping trips/transport to some MTB trail heads. Not sure what I'm gonna do yet.

I really comend you to looking in your future and not seeing the need for a car. That being said, Getting a license wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't know what it costs up in Canada, but if its not too much and you have the time go for it. I ended up being the DD for of-campus parties every once and a while, and after that people would be willing to give me rides to other parties. That of course was only for parties that were too far to get to in the dark, fighting traffic while slightly buzed.

A license would also be useful for taking driving duties on a road trip, etc.

I don't see not having a license as a political statement, but not using it certianly is.

[sykerocker]

can i give one tidbit of advice (i'm 30). pretend you HAVE a car, and HAVE to pay for it. then take your "car" expenses $200 - $400 a month and put it in an IRA, ETF fund, or other stock fund (some agressive, some safe)

buy the time you're my age you'll have a lot of money to KEEP investing, and by continuing to live simply and car free, you'll have many more opportunities to do things like travel thru europe, take unpaid internships with companies you like, and live your life more as YOU see fit, not by what bills are on the table needing to be paid.

i believe that being car free is the SMARTEST and EASIEST financial desicion one can make, and i wish i had done it earlier in my 20s.

Folks, this is probably the best advice I've seen on this thread. Stick yourself with a car payment, just don't put it on a car! Save it in any way that you can't touch it easily. You'll be amazed what you're worth in about ten years.

To that I'll add a second piece of advice: Even if you have no intention of driving a car on a regular basis (or possibly ever), get the driver's license, anyway. There's a couple of reasons for this. First is that you may need to drive somewhere, someday, to carry something way too troublesome for a bicycle, bus, or whatever equivalent transportation you need. Or you absolutely HAVE to be somewhere faster then a car alternative can possibly get you. Secondly, as much as I hate to say it, it fits you in - and there are going to be times when life is a heck of a lot easier when you do "fit in" for a few moments. In today's security manic society, that driver's license is the best, most accepted form of identification in the country. One that the cop expects to see.

Yeah, I know, why bother trying to fit in? Isn't this whole thread about following your own path, with your own transportation? Trust me, there are times when being able to "fit in" for a few moments can make life a lot easier, and save you some unnecessary hassles. You can cuss the *******s under your breath as you walk away free and clear.

Syke
Deranged Few M/C

[Sir Lunch-a-lot]

I think one thing that will impede our car free efforts as "youngsters" are things such as...

when we graduate, traveling to distant schools. (Granted, if you pack really light, you could do it like a tour or something. But that solution isn't for everyone, especially if you want to go between home and school regularly. I suppose if you train well, you could do a trip like that in a few days. Book a hotel room or two in advance, and you're good to go. Then again, there is always the bus...).

If we choose to live out in small towns a good distance from our jobs...

But then, perhaps these things are to be viewed as "Challenges" that are to be overcome.

[jamesdenver]

thank you syke. actually most college towns rate well for ped/bike friendliness. it's usually easier to get around large campuses by bike, and usually services such as grocery stores, cleaners, movie rental, liquor stores, surround most larger colleges.

also most colleges have ride share boards for people traveling home, and you can always rent a car (check into age limits and under 25 fees tho)

[Katrogen]

Thats awesome Steve. I love reading websites like yours, all the bike adventures. I'll definantly keep up to date on that May date.

[cerewa]

When i was an undergraduate student I had to take an airplane (3 or so, actually) to get across the continent to my school. Definitely meant I didn't need a car.

When I wanted to visit someone 600 miles away, I'd hop on a greyhound bus. Didn't have much use for a car in that situation either.

I urge all of you to avoid buying a car solely because you think you'll really need a car 8 days a year, because buses and rental vehicles will do just fine for that.

By the way, if you need a moving truck or pickup, U-Haul definitely rents to people who are under 25.

back to the topic of post#1- I'm 23... never owned a car but I've had a license since i was 16 and 6 months. I used to drive my parents' cars and now I drive my girlfriend's car occasionally, but I've also almost always used a bike for day-to-day travel. I'm almost car free. :)