View Full Version : How long since you last rode in an automobile?
oneredstar
03-21-07, 11:03 AM
I am just curious as to how long it has been since you have last been in an automobile, wether it is a car, bus, motorbike...? I am car free, but find that in winter I take a bus about once a month and my sister picks me up once a month to go hang out with her kids. I am thinking about trying to cut out any automated form of transport.
Well, for me that would be yesterday. My significant other owns a house that's for sale five counties away and I usually go with her to help clean the pool, do yardwork, etc.
Something I've noticed in the last year or so is that turns and bumps in cars make me a bit queasy in the stomach. That never happened to me before. There's something about a riding a car that's not quite like riding on a bike.
ranger39000
03-21-07, 12:07 PM
yesterday, but I'm gonna beat that with "today"
I used to go everywhere on my bike. Car trips and bus trips were very rare. Ever since I hurt my knee in December, I haven't been riding my bike much.
Most of the time I walk, but sometimes the pain is too bad even for that. I've been riding the bus fairly often. I often ride home in a co-worker's car because my shift ends at 11:30 PM, after the buses have stopped running for the night.
I have long ridden an interurban bus to visit my family, about 200 miles away. This is a trip I make every month.
months, and to be honest im not sure how many, last summer sometime
HardyWeinberg
03-21-07, 02:46 PM
Sunday, maybe. Maybe more recently. Tomorrow for sure.
About three weeks ago. Took my mother to lunch for her birthday. She drove us.
Prior to that, Veteran's Day when a ride partner wanted to ride a metric century starting from 35 miles away. It's a whole 'nother story, but my bike dislikes riding in cars even more than I do.
Last bus ride was mid-July.
4 days ago. Had to go out of town.
oneredstar
03-21-07, 08:42 PM
I am actually surprised by the responses, I was expecting a lot of "I have not been in an auto for years". This starts me thinking, now that the weather is warming up, I wonder if I can go the next 6 months without using an auto. It is a challange I think I am up for, anyone else interested in seeing if they can do it too, some kinda support group may be needed. :D
15 minutes ago I was *in* an automobile. And I'm getting ready to hop *in* another.
I emphasize *in* because, well, I build cars from the ground up ;)
As far as riding in one, that would be last night. After the anesthetics wore of there is no way I could have ridden my bike from the doctors office.
I am actually surprised by the responses, I was expecting a lot of "I have not been in an auto for years". This starts me thinking, now that the weather is warming up, I wonder if I can go the next 6 months without using an auto. It is a challange I think I am up for, anyone else interested in seeing if they can do it too, some kinda support group may be needed. :D
Completely avoiding cars, in North America at least, is not nearly as easy as you imagine. I'm car free myself, and have been for a couple of years, but no one among my family, friends and significant other has followed my example. In many social situations, the people I love wish to go somewhere, and they wish to get there by car, because that's what they're used to, and they want me to go, too. I often meet them at the destination, and arrive via bike, but there are also occasions when it's simply rude, impractical, or impossible to refuse to ride in a car. I can often go many months without actually driving a car, but I don't think I've ever gone more than a week or so without riding in one. Usually, I ride in a car or bus a couple of times every week, to be honest. Unless I move to Portland or a third world country, I can't see a way around it...
Wogsterca
03-21-07, 09:45 PM
I am just curious as to how long it has been since you have last been in an automobile, wether it is a car, bus, motorbike...? I am car free, but find that in winter I take a bus about once a month and my sister picks me up once a month to go hang out with her kids. I am thinking about trying to cut out any automated form of transport.
Actually, today, I am car lite rather then car free, partly due to work, I need to go through a notorious part of town, and I leave for work in about 9 minutes, so I take the car, for now. The only option is to change jobs......
I used to go everywhere on my bike. Car trips and bus trips were very rare. Ever since I hurt my knee in December, I haven't been riding my bike much.
Most of the time I walk, but sometimes the pain is too bad even for that.
Sorry to hear this. Iinjury really makes going car-free difficult.
A little OT, but I find walking more damaging to my knees than cycling. As long as I don't hammer the pedals... and lately I've moved to Power Grips and there's less need to hammer.
oneredstar
03-22-07, 06:22 AM
Completely avoiding cars, in North America at least, is not nearly as easy as you imagine.
I live in North America, so I think avoiding cars is not that hard. I have know a lot of people who are car free and have probably not been in a automobile for over a year. Is it easy? No. Are you out of the social norm? Possibly. It all depends on the situation you want to create for yourself. If anyone is interested in attempting a completely auto free summer, let me know. And I will keep you all posted as to how it is going for me.
In many social situations, the people I love wish to go somewhere, and they wish to get there by car, because that's what they're used to, and they want me to go, too.
Carfree living requires a bundle of special skills, one of which is being able to get along socially with car dependent friends, family and coworkers.
road-ratz
03-22-07, 12:17 PM
Car lite since my son turned 16 and wanted the car more than I did. "Personally" car-free since he got married and took the car with him. When I go out with my wife we go in her car. She doesn't share my love for cycling. I draw the line at driving myself alone anywhere. That might happen a few times a year and I always lose a bit of self esteem when it does.
folder fanatic
03-22-07, 01:23 PM
About a month or so ago (I kind of lost track). It was in my sister's car. She now needs 300 dollars to put new tires on a car that I rarely use or have any use for (my bikes take care of me).
lyeinyoureye
03-22-07, 01:29 PM
Three days iirc?
I live in North America, so I think avoiding cars is not that hard. I have know a lot of people who are car free and have probably not been in a automobile for over a year. Is it easy? No. Are you out of the social norm? Possibly. It all depends on the situation you want to create for yourself. If anyone is interested in attempting a completely auto free summer, let me know. And I will keep you all posted as to how it is going for me.
I sincerely wish you well in this. :)
Sir Lunch-a-lot
03-23-07, 09:41 PM
Unless I move to Portland or a third world country, I can't see a way around it...
Might I ask which Portland you are referring to? Because in the States alone, there are something like 19 cities which go by the name Portland, (more around the rest of the world).
I am actually surprised by the responses, I was expecting a lot of "I have not been in an auto for years". This starts me thinking, now that the weather is warming up, I wonder if I can go the next 6 months without using an auto. It is a challange I think I am up for, anyone else interested in seeing if they can do it too, some kinda support group may be needed. :D
I have not been in an auto for about two and half weeks. I could and have gone for months without riding in one, but it's just something that happens rather than challenge to work on.
dauphin
03-23-07, 10:41 PM
today was my first time in a week. I've been commuting for the past month.
531phile
03-24-07, 01:58 AM
3 weeks ago
Might I ask which Portland you are referring to? Because in the States alone, there are something like 19 cities which go by the name Portland, (more around the rest of the world).
Portland, Oregon, of course. You know, the town famous for its strong bicycle culture?
Sir Lunch-a-lot
03-24-07, 06:43 PM
Portland, Oregon, of course. You know, the town famous for its strong bicycle culture?
Hmm... I didn't know that. Sounds cool though.
kirkaptain
03-25-07, 02:00 AM
Hmm... I didn't know that. Sounds cool though.
http://www.bikeportland.org/ should give you some insight.
I have not been in a car in 3 months.
kirkaptain
03-25-07, 02:21 AM
The way I see deciding to cut out a given kind of transport is like deciding to not eat say, things that are yellow, just because they're yellow.
I never eat yellow snow.
oneredstar
03-25-07, 05:21 AM
The way I see deciding to cut out a given kind of transport is like deciding to not eat say, things that are yellow, just because they're yellow.
Not sure that I really get this. I don't eat animals, because they are animals. For me it is all about trying to promote a positive change, or at least as what I see as positive. I am a vegetarian, but if I ate meet once a week when my Mom comes over, am I still vegetarian?
I am really just thinking about what it means to be car free, and why I want to be that way. My reasons are seemingly different than most here.
I have had a bit of interest from a few in the forums, and I think next week I will start a new thread for those who do want to try to cut out the automobile, a place to talk about what are obsticals are and stuff like that. I think I called it a challenge in one of my posts, and by this I meant a personal challenge, not one cyclist versus another for who can do it the longest. :D
7 days ago. Had to go out of town that day. However, we are out of food now... I need to get my trailer working :(
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