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I drive to work now- 35 miles each way.
Im dying to go car free, but I have a family and this would mean 2hrs or so less with my daughter each day and my wife would have less time to herself as I would not be there as much.
I have lived car free before, for over two years, but I feel as though that I have "grown up" and I cant do it anymore. I know one solution is getting a job closer to home and that is a goal, but two or so years away.
Any help?
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Take your bike to work one day a week. Fridays.
By the way, is public transport an option?
I drive to work now- 35 miles each way.
Im dying to go car free, but I have a family and this would mean 2hrs or so less with my daughter each day and my wife would have less time to herself as I would not be there as much.
I have lived car free before, for over two years, but I feel as though that I have "grown up" and I cant do it anymore. I know one solution is getting a job closer to home and that is a goal, but two or so years away.
Any help?
Drive part way and bike the rest.
Don't beat yourself up about it, just do what you can. Sometimes you need a car and need to drive, it's the world we live in.
First, make sure your wife knows you'd prefer to not have to drive a lot. If she doesn't respect that, there's basically no hope for any lifestyle change now or in the future.
Then go car-lite....drive where you need to, and bike where you can.
I say do the commute as normal, except on days you feel like it...and then do all the short trips like the video store, etc on bike.
The key to a car-free lifestyle is to get out of the spandex warrior mentality, and to learn the fine art of plainclothes riding....you CAN be very fast and rather perspiration free in regular clothes if you do it right.
I wear champion jersey knit t-shirts to wick perspiration, and wear blue jeans....works great. i also avoid hauling butt when not needed. I just go at a comfortable pace (usually somewhere int he middle of the cassette, 46t chainring (mountain bike), and hold a nice 70rpm spin.
I'd say just learn the car-lite thing and do it for a long while until you can move close enough to work to bike it daily.
Definitely go car-lite, if at all possible. There have been several solutions already offered: drive to work with bike in trunk, ride home, ride to work next day, drive home. Or drive halfway, park in a "park-and-ride" and take the bus or ride your bike the rest of the way. Or ride the bus to work, or ride the bus partway and bike the rest if your bus system has bike racks...
I realize that this'll all also mean less time with your family, so if you can't do this, then just keep the long commute for now. Just because you have to drive to work doesn't mean you have to drive to the grocery store, does it? Or do you also live 35 miles away from groceries, too? If you have any errands to run within 10 miles of home, you can do them on a bike. That's still using the car less than you normally would.
BecNal's suggestion is good.
Be patient, time with your kids is very important.
But keep looking, you may find a chance to work closer to home. The people in the 50+ forum will attest, you have lots of years ahead of you for cycling. Two years will whip by like a flash.
Find someone to carpool with. Find 3 other people to carpool with.
"First, make sure your wife knows you'd prefer to not have to drive a lot."
She would have a major problem, it's called jealousy.
I like the idea of a few days a week, sometimes I get it in my head it's all or nothing.
My plan does include a bus ride, an express route from Durham to Raleigh NC. It's 6 miles to the bus, three miles from the bus.
Thanks-
Find someone to carpool with. Find 3 other people to carpool with.
Find 6 other people and get your company to buy you a van for commuting.
do what you can listed above. Only 9 percent of Americans don't own a car.
do what you can listed above. Only 9 percent of Americans don't own a car.
Somehow I think that number is way low... Source?
Any chance you can bike 5 ride a bus/train 25-30 and bike the rest?
So bike one way and drive the other. That's only 1 hour less with your daughter every day.
Get faster. Just kidding! I think everyone here has a good solution: be part time car-lite.
Somehow I think that number is way low... Source?
Bureau of Transportation Statistics collects that kind of data. 9% of U. S. households own zero cars.
Link (http://www.bts.gov/publications/pocket_guide_to_transportation/2007/html/figure_04_06.html)
Bureau of Transportation Statistics collects that kind of data. 9% of U. S. households own zero cars.
Link (http://www.bts.gov/publications/pocket_guide_to_transportation/2007/html/figure_04_06.html)
Thanks. That makes a lot more sense, since pretty much every American under 16 does not own a car, though his household probably does. :)
To the OP, I would recommending thing of becoming car-lite or car free a process rather than an all or nothing proposition. Reduce your car usage where you can, for example by biking to nearby errands, trip-linking when driving, using carpool, vanpool, or transit for your commute, or by cycling for part of your commute. When the time comes to make a major life decision, like moving or changing jobs, make sure you consider your dedication to reduced automobile usage as factor in the decision.
If your household owns more than one car, consider reducing the number of cars that you own. This will reduce the fixed costs of owning a car, like registration, insurance, and depreciation, and will help to solidify your committment to reducing your driving.
You didn't mention how your wife feels about a car-free or car-lite lifestyle. Is she supportive, indifferent, or unsympathetic? Having a partner who shares your desire to reduce your reliance on the automobile will certainly make things easier.
SteveP sounds like you could use a folder with the express bus. If it's non-stop it should not cost much time plus you can multi-task while you ride. Also the riding one way is nice.
Don't get too hung up on it, do what you can and remember to keep an eye out for a closer job or house as the case may be.
This might not be a popular idea, but considering parameters, I think it suits. If you were to use an electric assist kit, you could shorten your bike commute. I think it is important to mention that the type of kit I recommend is something like the bionx kit. The battery is removable, so you can charge it at work. If you order it over the internet, directly from the factory, you can say you would like to build the wheel yourself. Lie to them and tell them that for example, you are building a 20" wheel, while really you are using a 26". This means that the assist limiter (to keep you within the "Safe" speed NC sets for electric bikes) will be set to a higher speed. In my area, that would increase the max assisted speed from 32kmh to 41.6. I don't own one of these units, but I have tested one and found it very ride-able, not making the bike feel like a tank (although the test bike was) but more of a titanium sprinter. I talked to an older recumbent rider with a Bionx kit, that said he had used a cord from his camcorder to patch into the onboard computer, and remove the limiting. He had achieved an assisted speed of 75kmh on the flat:eek: , and he was no spring chicken. Before everyone starts thinking I work for bionx, I don't, I just think there are some situations where electric assist has the potential to increase the distance one can reasonably commute.
Sorry for the long post, but one more thing. One study showed that the electricity an electric assist uses produces less carbon dioxide than the energy to grow and transport your extra calories.
SteveP sell your car and buy a motorcycle. Depending on your route you could get a motor scooter that gets 100 mpg or if you need to travel on interstate highways get a 250-650cc motorcycle. The Buell Blast is a 500cc bike that gets 50-70 mpg. They vibrate a lot though. Used ones are available for around $2500.00.
I had a 250cc motor scooter that got 63 mpg and had a top speed of 79 mph.
I bought a new sub compact car last July and it only has 1650 miles on it. I'm considering selling it and getting another motorcycle. If I do it my insurance costs will drop several hundred dollars and I'll put ten thousand dollars in the bank. It's tempting.
If you switch to a motorcycle you will be helping the environment. You will use less fuel than a car and you will not take up much space when you park it. You will be able to spend the same amount of time with your family (maybe more since motorcycles are more nimble than cars).
Seriously think about it as something you can do to save money until you can implement your ideal solution.:)
If you can't get a job closer to home, is it possible to get a house closer to your job? If this is impractical, just follow the above posters' advice, and either use public transportation or suck it up and drive. If you you decide you have to drive, though, at least get a fuel-efficient car.
As far as how my wife would feel, she would be jealous if I went care (Freudian slip) free.
As far as moving to a better place, this brings up another issue. I'm not meaning to bring up personal things for the world to discuss, but we are having a debate about what our next living arrangement should be. She is on the side of moving further out in to the country, getting more land, living as sustainable as possible on that land. Even though I would love to do that, I think it would be more responsible to move closer to town into a higher density area which would drastically reduce our gas and oil consumption, but would increase our reliance on businesses and the general unsustainable delivery of foods and services.
What is more responsible, living low impact on a lot of land or moving into the city and relying more on public transportation and walking/ biking?
The key to a car-free lifestyle is to get out of the spandex warrior mentality, and to learn the fine art of plainclothes riding....you CAN be very fast and rather perspiration free in regular clothes if you do it right.
I wear champion jersey knit t-shirts to wick perspiration, and wear blue jeans....works great. i also avoid hauling butt when not needed. I just go at a comfortable pace (usually somewhere int he middle of the cassette, 46t chainring (mountain bike), and hold a nice 70rpm spin.
Huh?
First off, in relation to the OP, I would love to see you do his 35 mile each way commute on your mtn bike in jeans and make any kind of decent time without sweating your ***** off. Now granted some people just plain sweat more than others.
I am not car free, but I do bike to work when I can. I am similar, with a 32 mile very hilly commute. And I do it "Spandex warrior" style.
Sure if I run down to the grocery store that is a mile away I won't "Kit up". But cycling specific clothes do have a purpose and work well in those cases.
-D
I drive to work now- 35 miles each way.
I know one solution is getting a job closer to home and that is a goal, but two or so years away.
Any help?
As usual, another "problem" created by an initial housing decision. Out of curiosity, why would it take two years to find a different job?
Why not move your residence in the meantime? I mean... your 35mile commute is costing you 5+ hours of family time a week vs a 10 mile commute.
What is more responsible, living low impact on a lot of land or moving into the city and relying more on public transportation and walking/ biking?
It all comes down to how you want to spend your life energy. Exurban living has too high an overhead in money and time to suit me. I'm a fan of easy living. Over the years, I've liked it most when I had very short commutes and low housing expenses. The best situation I was ever in was when I lived in a rented apartment right across the street from my workplace. Free time galore, money piling up in the bank, a pool & hot tub I never had to clean, and quite a few stores & restaurants within easy walking distance.
I am moving to a new position where I work and need to get experience at that job before I move. Basically I am being promoted to what I really want to do without any experience. My school knows that and they know what I would like to do, so they are helping me do it.
I don't want to move because I would like to work at either at Carolina or Duke and I am at a great location for that.
What is more responsible, living low impact on a lot of land or moving into the city and relying more on public transportation and walking/ biking?
Opinions on this probably vary quite a lot, and the answer probably depends a lot on the specifics of each alternative. But, I would tend to think that living close in to the city will tend to have a lower environmental impact overall. In the city, jobs and shopping are likely to be a lot closer to your home, making walking, cycling, and transit viable transportation options for more of your trips. You'll probably live in a smaller home, which took less materials to build, and which takes less energy to light and heat. All the infrastructure, like sewers, roads, powerlines, etc. are much more compact and more heavily utilized.
If you want to reduce your evironmental impact even further, I recommend buying food from a local farmer's market or CSA when possible. The food travels a lot less far, is often organic, and I find it to be fresher and tastier than what I can get from the supermarket. It does require a bit more creativity and flexibility though when you have to buy fruits and vegetables in season, rather that getting all your favorites flown in year round.
Another thing that you can do is to eat less meat, especially beef. It requires a lot more energy to grow a pound of beef than a pound of grain, and the industrialized meat production industry has large negative impacts on air quality, water quality, and public health.
I think what's going on here is more in your head than anything else. You sound wracked with guilt. No one knows your situation and no one can give you any directly applicable advice, just ideas, but I think you know that.
The best anyone can say is: if this then that. If you have an express bus route then you can buy a folder. If you can get a job closer to home then you can bike. You know these things already and you don't need anyone to tell you. You said you needed "ethical" help and your implied question was basically "should I not see my daughter nearly as much and should my wife have far less time to herself so I can lose the car?" That's a pretty asinine question to ask a bunch of strangers, so why ask it?
That bigger question was kind of couched in, "what else can I do then?" Well, I'm sure all the options pointed out have crossed your mind. I don't think you need someone to tell you you can take the bus if a bus exists where you're going. I think you're just kind of projecting your guilt. Hoping against hope that maybe something magical might be able to save you.
And now you ask which is more responsible, living in the country or living in the city? That's not a question with an answer, you could argue either one till the end of time. No one can tell you. No one knows your wife and kid, no one knows what your job is, what your expertise is, what other prospects you might have, what your financial situation is, how that might effect the job and housing, etc. No one knows what family dynamic exists, no one knows you. These aren't really ethical questions you're asking, for the most part. You're not asking "is it wrong to", "is it right to", well, you sort of are, but the questions are so personal they can't be answered. Maybe this really is about what's right and wrong. Maybe you see questions re: sustainability, low-impact living, etc., as pretty binary, and you're afraid you're doing it wrong. In that case my opinion is you're looking at it the wrong way. There's always a context in which we live and laregly you can only decide what's wrong or what's right depending on your context. I suspect you're having a bit of a war with yourself, over who knows what, and you're projecting this as an ethical question re: living low-impact because you're having a hard time dealing with it and you'd much rather not have it be up to you. It'd be much easier if it were a question a bunch of strangers could weigh in on.
I don't think it is. I may be completely wrong, completely off-base about all of this, and I don't mean to offend at all, but I'll bet you're avoiding what it is you're actually trying to deal with. Maybe you hate your commute, or your job, or maybe you're kind of stuck where you are for a while and you can barely stand it and you don't know what to do. Maybe you're kind of miserable right now to the point where you dream about ditching the car, or job, or whatever just to get some peace of mind, but you know it's wrong to put that on your family so you're kind of fishing for some way to to do it, to feel better, and not feel guilty about it. No one can do that for you and I think you know that.
Again, I might be completely off-base and just making as ass of myself, but still, you're not asking ethical questions. The answers you could get are far too dependent on the context you're in to simply fall into the larger publics' philosophy of what's right and what's wrong.
Overall you're right, I do feel really guilty about my commute.
What I hoped for was people who are parents' perspective on sacrificing time with family to benefit the earth, vs. sacrificing the earth to benefit family time. Not unreasonable or asinine to ask.
Secondly, the city vs. sustainable country living question, I was just curious as to what others thought. I assumed that maybe someone has thought through this before and had an informed perspective.
Secondly, the city vs. sustainable country living question, I was just curious as to what others thought. I assumed that maybe someone has thought through this before and had an informed perspective.
I've considered the city vs. country living problem. In fact, it's a hot issue for me right now. My significant other wants to live in the country but I'm already dug in pretty good at my condo in the city.
I don't think there's any way around the fact that country living makes you totally car & truck dependent. Whatever you manage to achieve in the way of sustainability and self reliance has to be balanced against that.
On the other hand, I know a few folks who have homesteaded for many years in the country. One pattern I've seen is to start out with pretty much raw land and a well, then build up everything else themselves. In 20, 30 years tops they have a homestead that suits them with gardens, pastures, cows, barns, hobby shops, the whole deal. But they are absolutely car dependent and they're always working. Not the life for a lazy guy like me.
What I hoped for was people who are parents' perspective on sacrificing time with family to benefit the earth, vs. sacrificing the earth to benefit family time. Not unreasonable or asinine to ask.
Rule of thumb: Work where you live / Live where you work. To do anything else is to enact a toll on yourself, your family, and the environment. If you were willing to live within a reasonable commuting distance from work then you might just find that car-lite enhances family time.
Two anecdotes:
Nearly every morning, along a wooded MUP trail, I pass a father pulling a trailer taking his son to daycare. As I pass them I overhear them chattering about the birds and such around them. Compare the quality of that interaction with the typical chauffeuring of junior in the back of some luxury SUV. Dad has traffic reports on in the front while Junior watches cartoons on the DVD player in the back.
A while back, in these very forums, A father related what a joy grocery shopping by bike was with the family. He pulled the trailer while his kids "hovered around the mother ship" acting out some Star Wars escapade. It made what is normally a dull chore for most families into a fun outing.
As far as how my wife would feel, she would be jealous if I went care (Freudian slip) free.
As far as moving to a better place, this brings up another issue. I'm not meaning to bring up personal things for the world to discuss, but we are having a debate about what our next living arrangement should be. She is on the side of moving further out in to the country, getting more land, living as sustainable as possible on that land. Even though I would love to do that, I think it would be more responsible to move closer to town into a higher density area which would drastically reduce our gas and oil consumption, but would increase our reliance on businesses and the general unsustainable delivery of foods and services.
What is more responsible, living low impact on a lot of land or moving into the city and relying more on public transportation and walking/ biking?
If you intend to become a subsistence farmer, by all means go out and live on the land. Otherwise, just resign yourself to the simple fact that living the bucolic life your wife dreams about (and I don't blame her for wanting to do it) is going to have a much bigger impact on the biosphere than living closer in and going without a car. If you live in the country, being a modern American, you'll most likely still be reliant on businesses to fulfill your basic needs, and you'll not only deal with longer commutes, you'll have larger utility bills, you'll spend more time in the car just to amuse yourself and your family, you'll spend less time with your kids because you'll be out mowing grass and fixing things on your time off, and you'll possibly be dealing with a septic system.
stevep,
I am a bit ahead of you in the parenting game (both of mine are in college) I made several decisions when mine were very young, some good and some not so good. But I would lean towards spending time with the family and the children. I used to ride mine to school, and I took them camping once a month regardless. Both are in their 20's and still can remember various details of those trips and times together. When they were in the 5th and 6th grade I took a job that put me on the road and away from them. The money was much better but that will never make up for the time I lost with them. I also would look at not moving out to the sticks unless you can find a job near by. If you move far enough out you will have to drive most places for even the most mundane things. My favorite place to live would be a smaller house in an older established neighborhood that hasn't gone ape**** with covenants. I lived in one where I could bike to work, have a garden and work on my toys with minimal interference from neighbors and authorities.
Another issue is going to be compromising with your spouse. Whatever you do "If mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy". Only you will know about that and what will and won't work. My ex was never happy regardless of the situation, that is why she is an ex. My wife now wants both of us to be happy and is fairly flexible (we both are).
Aaron:)
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