Living Car Free - Are you car free ? (POLL)

I just wanted to get an idea of how many people here are actually car free.

In relation to this poll, the definition of car free is:

A person who does not own a car.


Another example in reference to how I want this poll to be answered would be:

Suppose you live with someone who owns a car, then you should select YES to the poll ... (YOU are still car free).

If you own a motorcycle, or other gasoline powered vehicle other than a car, you should select: YES.

This is just in relation to cars (and vans, trucks, etc... 4 wheels or more ) .. not other vehicles such as scooters, mopeds, motorcycles, trikes -- etc....

Also, for discussion purposes, I would like to know for how long you have been car free.

This time around, I've been carfree for about 6 years. Since I turned 16, I've been carfree in about half of the 35 years, probably more than half by now.

I've just been car free since August of 2006.

So far I am reaping the rewards of not owning a car. =)

not yet... I'm in the process of simplifying other areas of my life and will probably be ready to sell the car in the spring (when my motivation to ride in the rain is the highest).

Car free for a year and one half right now, but thinking about buying a car next spring for an extended road trip this spring. Extended road trip means a year or two.

No car since I moved to North America in 1997. I rent when I need one. And I have wonderful friends with cars, who give me lifts to shops or bike rides.

Glorious.

Was car-free for almost a year until last Sep. Still try not to drive unless I absolutely have to.

5 years and counting

I seldom drive, but we have a car in the family. I actually told the insurance company to drop me from the policy, when they threatened to raise the premium. But, they came back with the same rate, and kept me on it, for no additional dinero. Funny how that works! The wife drives at times, and my father-in-law stays with us, and doesn't ride.

31 yrs car free. not even drining license.

Car free since September 2003. I haven't driven a car for 2 years now.

5 months.

Car free for 3 years.

car free since May 2006!
It has it's moments of hardships..but is very cool once you get over the inital start up learning phase.

ps-renewed my drivers liscence just in case I ever need to drive.

since fall of '05

April 2005
What a wonderful feeling.

Carfree since October 2003.

Never owned a car or had a license... I'm now 42. :)

I am 34 years old and have never owned a car. I do not have a driver's license either. Actually, I can not afford buying a car. Even if I could, I would not buy one anyway. If I needed a motor vehicle and could afford buying one, I would rather buy a small cc motorcycle than a car.

so.... according to your 'rules' I'm not carfree. I own a car... well... a truck, actually. I haven't driven it since the middle of February, 2006. It's paid for, not insured at the moment, and has 5 year plates on it. (3 more years).... so, it doesn't cost me anything to sit there, and if I do want/need to drive it, it would only take me a matter of a few hours to get some insurance on it.

That said, ever since I parked it, I've used my bike as primary transportation, with the bus as backup. I have over 4,000 miles on my bike since I started riding again at the beginning of June.

I booted the car this past summer. I still drive from time to time to help out friends, but it's rare.

never owned a car. 28 with a 9 month old baby now :)

I'm thinking I may get my license at some point, just to be able to rent for certain vacations.

sold my car in early August of 2006.
the b/f had sold his car about 2 years ago, so i guess we are a car-free household. :)
we rent for long trips and i borrow the folks' car occasionally for time-crunchy stuff or for large (i.e. too big for his extracycle) trips...

i love it.

According to the OP I am technically car-free, since our single family car is in my wife's name and she is the primary driver during the wek. However, I often drive it on weekend family outings and, of course, vacation trips. So I'm more comfortable describing myself as "Car-Lite".

After almost 20 years of car ownership, I've been without one (registered to me) for about a year now! :beer:

One of my non-commuting bike goals has been to transition from the habit of taking the car when possible and only using the bike when not, to always taking the bike when possible and only using the car when not. This means there have been plenty of times when my wife hasn't needed the car and I could have used it, but choosing to bike anyway. So instead of the car being primary and the bike being backup, as most non-cyclists would think of it, in my life now the bike is the primary and the car is the backup. I think it's an important distinction.

Not car free, try to be "car lite" but I haven't even accomplished that.
I just like the forum... I'm a minimilist~neat freak.

well i dont think i will ever be car-free but the vehical i do own is a very efficient 3 cylinder daihatsu hi jet van. it holds like 6 gallons of gas and i fill it up about 2 times a month. I do try to ride as much as possible. i have been commuting to work now for a yr, rain or shine. my only hang up is running errands, i find it hard to spend 1 hr of biking to run a errand that takes 5 min. i dont have a prob riding across town if i am planning on spending the day there.

According to the OP I am technically car-free, since our single family car is in my wife's name and she is the primary driver during the wek. However, I often drive it on weekend family outings and, of course, vacation trips. So I'm more comfortable describing myself as "Car-Lite".

After almost 20 years of car ownership, I've been without one (registered to me) for about a year now! :beer:

One of my non-commuting bike goals has been to transition from the habit of taking the car when possible and only using the bike when not, to always taking the bike when possible and only using the car when not. This means there have been plenty of times when my wife hasn't needed the car and I could have used it, but choosing to bike anyway. So instead of the car being primary and the bike being backup, as most non-cyclists would think of it, in my life now the bike is the primary and the car is the backup. I think it's an important distinction.

Same here pretty much. While the car is in my wife's name, I think the insurance is somehow in mine. Kids are mixed into the decision-making process on weekends. Sometimes it works w/ them in the bike trailer, sometimes it doesn't.

I am a spendthrift, and so is my fiancee... I am in deeeep trouble !!!! hahaha

Selling the car made it even easier for me to support by uncontrollable urge to shop online.....

I've been car free since April 1999. Only been cycling since March 2006 though.

I have been car free since ~1985 but I was living in New York City at the time so that does not really count as that big of a deal. I have been in MD a little over 10 years and only biking in the last 8. It’s harder being car free here but the bike rides are generally a lot more pleasant as it only a half hour or less getting into the country.

so.... according to your 'rules' I'm not carfree. I own a car... well... a truck, actually. I haven't driven it since the middle of February, 2006.

Me too. I have bought a station wagon in April of 2005. It's still got the only tank of gas I put in it when driving it back from where I bought it, and it hasn't been driven since June of 2005. So I guess I'm not car-free by his definition, though I certainly live a car-free lifestyle because I pedal everywhere and on rare occasion, take a bus.

However, if I would buy a motorcycle and ride it everywhere or drive my mate's car any time she wasn't using it, then I would be car-free.

Me too. I have bought a station wagon in April of 2005. It's still got the only tank of gas I put in it when driving it back from where I bought it, and it hasn't been driven since June of 2005. ........

Holy crap batman !

Good luck on getting that thing to start ! HHAHAAA

35yo, never owned a car or had a license.

I voted "yes." I've never had my own car but in high school I drove my parents' cars regularly. For much of my high school time we were a two-car household with four licensed drivers. I usually used the car if it was available but about two thirds of my trips were by bike or by public bus. Now I live with my partner who owns a car, and between us we drive it about twice a month. (I drive more than she does because she likes the convenience of a car but doesn't really like to drive and we usually go together for the car trips.)

I've never owned a car. That would be about 11 years since I got my licence, and about 9 years since I've been on my own without a car.

I've had a licence for 20 years, but have never owned a car - so I'm a car-free lifer by the OP's standard.

I have been totally car free since May of this year. The car sat for almost a year before I got rid of it though. I have a motorcycle but it hasn't been ridden since October of 2004. Having 6 bicycles and a kick scooter keeps me broke enough.

I own a car, so I answered No.

But to the second question. I have not driven any car or even touched my car for any reason in 2 years.

Me too. I have bought a station wagon in April of 2005. It's still got the only tank of gas I put in it when driving it back from where I bought it, and it hasn't been driven since June of 2005. So I guess I'm not car-free by his definition, though I certainly live a car-free lifestyle because I pedal everywhere and on rare occasion, take a bus.

However, if I would buy a motorcycle and ride it everywhere or drive my mate's car any time she wasn't using it, then I would be car-free.
I agree that we need a little work on the definition. In fact I think I'll start a thread. . . .

Out of curiosity, why are so many of you holding onto cars that you don't drive?

Either you're paying taxes and insurance on a car you don't drive, or you don't, and you can't legally drive it anyway. Seems like a waste either way.

Since 2002. Sold the car, now I ride my bike or take the bus. Sometimes I skateboard when it's dry.

Out of curiosity, why are so many of you holding onto cars that you don't drive?

Either you're paying taxes and insurance on a car you don't drive, or you don't, and you can't legally drive it anyway. Seems like a waste either way.


For me, my car is in Texas and I live in Chicago and I dont have insurance on it, so cant legally drive it atm, but, It is kind of a hassle to sell a car, and I dont need the money. I also want to keep it "just in case" i need to move somewhere someday that isnt as easy to be car free (god forbid). And I let my retired father use it, who sometimes needs a car, and cant afford to buy it from me.

Out of curiosity, why are so many of you holding onto cars that you don't drive?

Either you're paying taxes and insurance on a car you don't drive, or you don't, and you can't legally drive it anyway. Seems like a waste either way.

Because I LIKE my truck. Taxes were practically nil, and plates cost me $120 for 5 years, which has already been paid. the plates are good for 3 1/2 years more. No, I haven't driven it, but it's not costing me anything, and if I want to drive it (Probably will next summer) it's a matter of a couple hours to stop by and put insurance on it.

I like another poster are "car lite" In other words I ride everywhere since june this year however my wife still uses the car. My only trips in it now are as a passenger going somewhere where "she says" I can not ride. In other words she wants us to arrive together. It is the best decision I have ever made I just love riding past the gas stations and not even worrying to check what the price is now!!

According to the OP I am technically car-free, since our single family car is in my wife's name and she is the primary driver during the wek. However, I often drive it on weekend family outings and, of course, vacation trips. So I'm more comfortable describing myself as "Car-Lite".

After almost 20 years of car ownership, I've been without one (registered to me) for about a year now! :beer:

One of my non-commuting bike goals has been to transition from the habit of taking the car when possible and only using the bike when not, to always taking the bike when possible and only using the car when not. This means there have been plenty of times when my wife hasn't needed the car and I could have used it, but choosing to bike anyway. So instead of the car being primary and the bike being backup, as most non-cyclists would think of it, in my life now the bike is the primary and the car is the backup. I think it's an important distinction.
I'm pretty much with John. With the distiction of the car and everything about it being in my name, it's not for me. It's for the wife and kids and she is the primary user. I use it, but a bike is my primary vehicle. So I consider myself to be car lite.

We have considered getting a second car, but when we do we always agree, "Why? We've been a one car family for over a year and a half and doing okay."

If we ever do get a second car it will be a 4x4 P/U, to better suit my purposes. But I would still be car lite. I won't give up the bikes for many reasons, but primarily because cycling is so much more fun than driving.:D

Carless since May 2006; sometimes I think of getting a scooter because of time constraints (I work long hours), but then I don't actually do it, because bikes are better: bikes use no fuel, they're quieter, and you get exercise going to the store to buy beer.