Carfree life and your career [Archive]

javna_golina

08-07-07, 11:53 PM

kmcrawford111

08-08-07, 01:12 AM

I can identify. I've been working as an electronic repairman for 5 years, but only recently has energy become important to me. I work in a steel mill that uses a tremendous amount of energy, up to around 130 MW of electricity. Unfortunately I don't have any real answer for you. I will tell you that I have begun to make peace with the entire issue of peak oil, energy crisis, etc.. I seem to have a tendency to want to carry the world's weight on my shoulders and getting down about the world's problems. But now, I'm more about trying to be positive, doing what I can on my own, and constantly trying to do better, and hopefully setting an example all the while. Plus, I've been using my background to make better choices and help reduce energy usage. I constantly have this in mind when I repair, maintain, purchase, etc.. whether I am at home or at work. You can use your skills to help others do the same. I firmly believe that we are going to have to drastically change the way we do things, especially in North America, but it seems clear that even with that electricity is going to be around for awhile still, even if in much reduced capacity. There will be a desire for people who can maintain, install, and repair wind and solar equipment. Plus I believe there will be a lot more repairing being done instead of throwing repairable "broken" equipment away as is done today. I'm also rather certain that if I quit my job, I would be replaced. Many people would love to have my job.

All that being said, if you have not fully started your career, or even if you have, you may want to think about doing something else that may be more self-fulfilling instead. The longer you wait the harder it will be. I am contemplating doing something else myself, although I am nowhere near close to deciding what that might be yet. Like you I can't deny that I enjoy being able to fix things, build things, etc.. the best I can hope for is that collectively we learn to make better choices.

wahoonc

08-08-07, 03:29 AM

So I have been thinking something about how my choice of career (currently on the path to being a registered Electrician) conflicts with my carfree lifestyle, as well as the bigger picture of energy dependence.

I mean I'm basically helping people use energy by wiring their houses, keeping the industrial sites running and consuming by fault finding, etc. Added to that is the fact that soon enough I'll be driving a workvan all over the place (will still cycle to work though). I have been going over this recently...I enjoy electrical work, but this part of it does not sit well with me.

Does anyone else here have a career choice that conflicts with their carfree lifestyle? Is it an issue for you or do you take the approach 'well, I can't decided how other people go about their lives, I'm just providing a service' ?

Couple of suggestions for you, if you really like the electrical work, maybe see if you can get into one of the specialty fields like solar, wind power or something along those lines. They still require someone with electrical experience. And from what I have determined in my part of the US they don't exist. We are exploring the possibility of building a super energy efficient house. One of the items I was considering was wiring it for low voltage and using LED's and CF's for most of my lighting needs. I could not find anyone interested in even quoting something like that. Fortunately I have a inquisitive mind and a strong 12v electrical background from RV repair so other than having to read up on code requirements (and most of it isn't even covered) I will probably end up having to do it myself. It is something that is going to be needed even more in the future.

My current job IS NOT carfree or even car light, which frustrates me to no end. My wife and I have been making plans to get me out of this career and into something that suits me better from that perspective. I currently work as a field project manager for a national roofing contractor. No way to be car free with that job. I unfortunately average around 50k miles a year:eek: and I am not happy about it. I can't even bike to work anymore. I made a decision about 15 years ago to take a job in this field because of the money and some other issues at the time. Sometimes I regret the decision but in other ways it has been okay. But it is time to move on and to enforce my own principles:rolleyes:

Aaron:)

javna_golina

08-08-07, 05:13 AM

There will be a desire for people who can maintain, install, and repair wind and solar equipment. Plus I believe there will be a lot more repairing being done instead of throwing repairable "broken" equipment away as is done today. I'm also rather certain that if I quit my job, I would be replaced. Many people would love to have my job.

All that being said, if you have not fully started your career, or even if you have, you may want to think about doing something else that may be more self-fulfilling instead. The longer you wait the harder it will be. I am contemplating doing something else myself, although I am nowhere near close to deciding what that might be yet. Like you I can't deny that I enjoy being able to fix things, build things, etc.. the best I can hope for is that collectively we learn to make better choices.

I do enjoy electrical work and I don't really want to abandon this. Hmmm...I suppose at the end of the day I am just providing a service, and I think you're right, there will be a bit of boom as prices start to creep up (followed by a bust when we're back to the stone age:D)

One of the items I was considering was wiring it for low voltage and using LED's and CF's for most of my lighting needs. I could not find anyone interested in even quoting something like that.

This is second hand information I recieved from people who know alot more than me at a trade expo...BUT from what I can gather LEDs aren't suitable for ambient type lighting and are VERY expensive. Surely someone can quote your CF!?

The big thing in lighting now is appareantly fluroescent and halogen lights connected to a PIR curtain that turns the lights off when someone leaves the room (as I'm told ALOT of power is wasted by people leaving lights on...).

bpohl

08-08-07, 05:50 AM

Does anyone else here have a career choice that conflicts with their carfree lifestyle? Is it an issue for you or do you take the approach 'well, I can't decided how other people go about their lives, I'm just providing a service' ?

Well, I'm car-lite, but I believe my career conflicts with my lifestyle. I'm an urban planner. I was drawn to this profession because of the fact that I thought careful, thoughtful urban planning could do a lot to save people from being required to drive to every destination, and to a great extent, I still believe that. Planning in many cities has taken the form of smart growth and multimodal transit planning. However, that's completely not the case in Indianapolis, where every high density project is railed against for being "too dense" and the main determinant of support for any land use petition is the provision of adequate parking. It's sad. It's horrible. I hate every second of every meeting where neighborhood people come out in droves to oppose a project because it feels "too urban". It's very much a farmer with a pitchfork mentality, and it depresses me. Even among my fellow planners, it's horrible to sit and listen to concerns about parking and maneuverability area for cars over and over and over...

I actually had my boss stop by my office on one of my petitions once to ask why I would ask for bicycle racks as a commitment for rezoning a property. Now, this site was within 2 miles of the exact center of our city, was bordered by two officially-declared bike routes, and was within 3 blocks of the major north-south MUP, the Monon Trail, in Indianapolis. He said that the administrator of teh department wanted to make sure that we weren't "overstepping our bounds". HELLO?!?! Most cities require bicycle parking in their zoning ordinances for EVERY PROJECT! And we can't ask for them as a rezoning commitment for a site like this?!?

SO, I guess my profession doesn't conflict with my lifestyle, per se; but it sure does conflict with my ideals and goals, at least the way it's done here in Indianer. It's extremely disheartening, so I completely understand where you're coming from...

maddyfish

08-08-07, 06:00 AM

Electricty by itself is not evil. It is not your fault if the power coming through the wires you run comes from a nasty coal-fired plant. The problem is where the power comes from, not that the power comes at all. Don't worry about it. Someday we'll go to clean electricity sources.

wahoonc

08-08-07, 06:10 AM

This is second hand information I recieved from people who know alot more than me at a trade expo...BUT from what I can gather LEDs aren't suitable for ambient type lighting and are VERY expensive. Surely someone can quote your CF!?

The big thing in lighting now is appareantly fluroescent and halogen lights connected to a PIR curtain that turns the lights off when someone leaves the room (as I'm told ALOT of power is wasted by people leaving lights on...).

I was going to use a combination of the two, LED for task lighting and CF for area lighting. My intent is to use a low volatage system to avoid the losses in converting from Xvolts DC to AC. LED and CF are happy being powered by a DC system. I helped a buddy rewire his vintage Airstream travel trailer using LED and CF we were able to cut the 12v DC power consumption for lighting by over 75%. But that is a 25+ year jump in technology. Now instead of having to crank the generator every 3-4 days to top up his batteries he can use a solar panel and stay ahead of the game. Before the solar panel was losing ground due to the high consumption of his lights and water pump. Normally you would add another solar panel, but due to the design of the AS it wasn't possible.

As far as quoting my CF...yes if it is connected to "mains" power at 120volts AC. My tentative house design is based on a 50 amp 240volt system and I think I can get by with less than half that. Most houses now a days use a 200-300amp 240volt main:rolleyes: I don't even know it the power company can fathom a 50 am meter base:D BTW I have had houses in the past with that sized main, you had to chose between using the window air conditioner, dryer or oven;)

Aaron:)

donnamb

08-08-07, 05:57 PM

Javna, I think Aaron is on the right track. Learn to be a good, mainstream electrician and in your spare time also learn how to be an electrician for non-mainstream applications. While you're at it, you can improve your carpentry skills, and perhaps even explore alternative building (tends to be more energy efficient).

I believe we will need more Renaissance Men and Women in the coming decades...

bragi

08-08-07, 09:06 PM

I'm no electrician, but I think the newer LEDs are actually pretty good. A friend put them in his boat, and, though you can tell there's a slight difference in light intensity, it's pretty trivial, and well worth the energy savings. He claims he can now go at least four days on batteries without once turning his motor on (to charge the batteries). Of course, they're pretty expensive, but they pay for themselves over time. Imagine the energy savings if everyone in the country put these things in their houses. Compact fluorescents look like energy hogs by comparison.

And as far as the original post is concerned: don't sweat it too much. You're doing good work at your job, you're providing a service that actually improves people's lives (as opposed to, say, lawyers or real estate speculators), you want to do the right thing by others, and you're thinking about the larger social consequences of your actions. You're way ahead of the game.

dejinshathe

08-09-07, 12:23 AM

As an Insurance Broker, it's expected that as I achieve seniority, I'll be travelling to visit clients on a daily basis. I've made suggestions to my management regarding public transport (which in my mind includes taking cabs) solutions, but they see no other way than driving a car as being both practicable and professional. Fair enough.

It means though, that I'll soon be at the stage of my so-called career where I need to think about either an internal transfer to a related position that won't necessitate travel, staying in my current position (at my current salary); or a whole new industry and career altogether.

Whichever way, what I know I won't be doing is obtaining a driver's licence and buying a car. Some things are just too important.

East Hill

08-09-07, 05:29 AM

mike

08-09-07, 08:15 AM

wahoonc

08-09-07, 08:16 AM

My job is based on using huge amounts of fuel getting things from one place to another. At least the planes are taking passengers...the mail is only a small part of the total load.

I have often wondered when the USPS will return to using trains to move mail. Airplanes don't seem to be very efficient, and the number of carriers seems to be declining. Anyone out there know better than I do about the efficiency of trains versus planes for hauling cargo?

East Hill

Trains are much more efficient in terms of pounds per unit of fuel...however they are slower and that to many is the sticky point. People want it NOW! Poor prior planning on your part does not mean air freight on my part:D Just as an example...in my wife's bridal shop typical lead time is about 8-12 weeks on stock item orders. 3-5 weeks of that is shipping time from China to the US. On a full blown emergency rush cut ($150-$250 upcharge depending on vendor) we can cut that to about 2-3 weeks. They "overnight" the product directly to us. It takes about 3 days. The last one I tracked left the plant in China, went to a train depot, then to a major airport, Anchorage Alaska where it cleared US Customs, then to Indianapolis IN, Memphis TN, Raleigh NC then by truck to the smaller hub 35 miles from us, then to our store. Overnight charges were in the $100 range. Years ago it cost much more to airmail something than to send it regular mail. Now from my understanding some regular mail goes by air anyway on a space available basis. I know that the US mail has contracts with most if not all major US airlines to carry a certain amount of mail on every flight.

Aaron:)

Platy

08-09-07, 08:45 AM

wahoonc

08-09-07, 08:59 AM

I dunno. I like the idea of green transportation and all, but if I handed a big insurance premium check to an insurance salesman and then saw him standing with his briefcase at the bus stop, I would feel a little uneasy.

I wouldn't like giving them the check in the first place:rolleyes::D I realize that insurance is a business, but IMHO it is more a form of legalized gambling...:rolleyes:

Aaron:)

Lamplight

08-09-07, 09:12 AM

I am the warehouse manager for an electrical supply house. While I don't drive for my job, I do my part in supplying material that goes into furthering urban sprawl and just general wastefulness. I don't consider this a career though, just a job that I won't have forever.

mike

08-09-07, 10:54 AM

I wouldn't like giving them the check in the first place:rolleyes::D I realize that insurance is a business, but IMHO it is more a form of legalized gambling...:rolleyes:

Aaron:)

I remember as a teen talking with my friend's father about the insurance business (he was an insurance salesman).

I asked him if it wasn't depressing talking about death and, in essence, working in a business that was gambling on mortality. He asked what did I mean. I said, well, you are essentially gambling on the customers time of death.

His very sharp reply was, "I am not gambling on the customer dying. THE CUSTOMER is betting that he is going to die. I betting that he is going to LIVE! That's how the insurance business works. We are saying that WE think you will be around to pay premiums for a long time. The customer is saying 'nope, I will be dead sooner than you think".

wahoonc

08-09-07, 11:03 AM

I remember as a teen talking with my friend's father about the insurance business (he was an insurance salesman).

I asked him if it wasn't depressing talking about death and, in essence, working in a business that was gambling on mortality. He asked what did I mean. I said, well, you are essentially gambling on the customers time of death.

His very sharp reply was, "I am not gambling on the customer dying. THE CUSTOMER is betting that he is going to die. I betting that he is going to LIVE! That's how the insurance business works. We are saying that WE think you will be around to pay premiums for a long time. The customer is saying 'nope, I will be dead sooner than you think".

I was thinking along the lines of property insurance...but the principle is still the same:p

Aaron:)

East Hill

08-09-07, 02:24 PM

I know that the US mail has contracts with most if not all major US airlines to carry a certain amount of mail on every flight.

Not any more. This is just one of the worrisome factors--the USPS has virtually all its eggs in one basket so to speak. Fedex is the basket. Even the airlines which carry mail do not carry mail on every flight.

East Hill

atman

08-09-07, 03:00 PM

As a reseacher in biofuels, I am letting the company down. By not burning fossil fuels at an accelerated rate, I'm helping to keep the price low, in effect, subsidizing the competition. :-)

Actually I'm the only bike commuter at the company, and sometimes I catch a ride in my coworker's biodiesel-fueled VW. The management was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get to work reliably, but it was easy enough to show that this isn't a problem. My career and my transportation choices are certainly not in conflict....

wahoonc

08-09-07, 04:12 PM

Not any more. This is just one of the worrisome factors--the USPS has virtually all its eggs in one basket so to speak. Fedex is the basket. Even the airlines which carry mail do not carry mail on every flight.

East Hill

Ouch! I didn't realize that had happened...I am sort of in the airline industry...wife is a Sr Flt Attendant with 23 years in, and her uncle hit mandatory retirement as a pilot in 2000. He was a 767 jockey.

Aaron:)

Lamplight

08-09-07, 04:59 PM

The management was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get to work reliably, but it was easy enough to show that this isn't a problem.
It's pretty ridiculous that so many employers apparently think this way, considering I've never seen a car that's as a reliable as a good bicycle. Even a mediocre bicycle is more reliable than any car I've ever owned.

dejinshathe

08-09-07, 11:30 PM

I was thinking along the lines of property insurance...but the principle is still the same:p

Aaron:)

I'm property, not life; and I'm a broker, not an Underwriter or salesman, but essentially, you're correct: insurance is just like bookmaking at a racetrack, but instead of naming your bet and the bookie telling you what the payout amount will be if you win, you name the payout amount you want to be paid and the bookie tells you the price of the bet.

Either way, several things are exactly the same: the bookmaker almost always emerges the winner and there are some bets that no bookie will take (no insurer either).

The main difference is that when you bet on a race, you WANT the horse to win, whereas in insurance, my clients very rarely wish for the event they're betting on to actually occur.

Back on topic though, would anyone mind handing a premium cheque to their Broker and then watching him pick up his briefcase and hop into a cab?

KrisPistofferson

08-09-07, 11:54 PM

I will be honest with you, any construction field is going to present extra hurdles to car-free-whether it's the fact that you will be going to different job sites from week to week or that after your apprenticeship is over, you will be issued a work van and expected to take it to work. Also, I don't know about New Zealand, but you might shoot yourself in the foot by being known as "that oddball," if construction workers are anything like they are here. You might want to save the car-free thing for after you are established and folks know you're a good worker. I know I'll get flamed for not cheerleading car-free but I'm just being honest from loads of personal experience in various construction trades.

I really loved electrical work, but found my color-blindness was a barrier to being very successful. Perhaps with your ability to tell colors apart you will excel at this trade. :)

Seriously, it's the Cadillac of construction jobs, and look into overseas work for some incredible opportunities.

patc

08-10-07, 09:36 AM

Back on topic though, would anyone mind handing a premium cheque to their Broker and then watching him pick up his briefcase and hop into a cab?

I would go out of my way to pick a broker who advertised as environmentally responsible (I do, gets me a lot of business). When I got my business insurance, the broker walked over to my office and the appraiser biked over - this was not planned on my part, but made a good impression (I had made a point of picking someone nearby).

patc

08-10-07, 09:41 AM

Does anyone else here have a career choice that conflicts with their carfree lifestyle? Is it an issue for you or do you take the approach 'well, I can't decided how other people go about their lives, I'm just providing a service' ?

First, I do think it is possible to be car-free yet still use one for work - work is work, your personal life is your life. I define "car" as a personal use motor vehicle.

I'm facing a bit of a challenge there myself. I'm a photographer, and some of the larger wedding jobs are getting hard to do by bike - too many locations, far appart, within the one day. My solution has been to hire an assistant with a car for the occasional job where it would be helpful. Starting in the spring, my fee will also include an amount per location - hopefully the higher price will discourage people from wanting photos as 5 different places in one day.

PS - my new assistant is a cyclist, and borrows a car when he needs it for work. In fact, none of the 4 guys I interviewed owned a car.

ivegotabike

08-10-07, 10:53 AM

I do enjoy electrical work and I don't really want to abandon this. Hmmm...I suppose at the end of the day I am just providing a service, and I think you're right, there will be a bit of boom as prices start to creep up (followed by a bust when we're back to the stone age:D)

This is second hand information I recieved from people who know alot more than me at a trade expo...BUT from what I can gather LEDs aren't suitable for ambient type lighting and are VERY expensive. Surely someone can quote your CF!?

The big thing in lighting now is appareantly fluroescent and halogen lights connected to a PIR curtain that turns the lights off when someone leaves the room (as I'm told ALOT of power is wasted by people leaving lights on...).

that seems like a waste of energy, people energy concious enough to want a system like that should jsut buckle down and turn the lights off themself, saving the energy required to run that system.

bragi

08-10-07, 11:18 AM

My job is based on using huge amounts of fuel getting things from one place to another. At least the planes are taking passengers...the mail is only a small part of the total load.

I have often wondered when the USPS will return to using trains to move mail. Airplanes don't seem to be very efficient, and the number of carriers seems to be declining. Anyone out there know better than I do about the efficiency of trains versus planes for hauling cargo?

East Hill

I did some quick googling, and found this in wikipedia:

UK Public transport
The UK DfT state the following figures for public transport in 2005:

Transport mode Average passengers
per vehicle Fuel efficiency
per passenger
Passenger rail (diesel) 90 182 mpg
Buses (national) 9 98 mpg
Air (long haul) 300 66 mpg
Air (short haul) 100 40 mpg

The first number is average number of passengers per vehicle; the second one is fuel efficiency per passenger. Apparently, trains are way more efficient than planes, even though the average train in Britain is only 33% occupied. In other countries, such as Japan and France, the trains are more heavily occupied, and presumably that much more efficient. However, according to these figures at least, planes are more efficient than most cars, assuming that most cars are occupied by only a single person. (Which is a reasonable assumption, I think, as any glance at a traffic jam on the freeway will confirm.)

I imagine these ratios would apply to freight as well as passengers. Maybe USPS should go back to trains, and give their mail carriers bikes with trailers instead of vans....

gwd

08-10-07, 12:43 PM

that seems like a waste of energy, people energy concious enough to want a system like that should jsut buckle down and turn the lights off themself, saving the energy required to run that system.

Some government buildings have had these motion sensor lights for years. I once had a contract at FEMA where if the people in the office didn't move for a period of time the lights would go off. After lunch, the lights would go off in certain offices and cubicle areas. I wondered if the people were napping or just sitting motionless reading reports. The person wanting the system isn't the same person who forgets to turn the lights off. Streetlights might work this way too, if there is no big moving object then they stay off when a car, bike or ped approaches, they come on. Why not? Computers could distinguish the signature of a ped or car from a tree branch or bird or dog right?

gerv

08-10-07, 09:47 PM

First, I do think it is possible to be car-free yet still use one for work - work is work, your personal life is your life. I define "car" as a personal use motor vehicle.

I'm facing a bit of a challenge there myself. I'm a photographer, and some of the larger wedding jobs are getting hard to do by bike - too many locations, far appart, within the one day. My solution has been to hire an assistant with a car for the occasional job where it would be helpful. Starting in the spring, my fee will also include an amount per location - hopefully the higher price will discourage people from wanting photos as 5 different places in one day.

PS - my new assistant is a cyclist, and borrows a car when he needs it for work. In fact, none of the 4 guys I interviewed owned a car.

Depending on your job, a truck or car might be absolutely necessary. Most work vehicles are used to do a specific job and left on the business premises. If you do have a specific need for a type of vehicle, you can usually rent it. Much cheaper than either leasing or owning the thing if you need it only occasionally.

Still, there are a lot of ways to reduce unnecessary travel at work. I work as a programmer and find cycling to work is ideal. However, 7-8 years ago, there was a lot of pressure to join a "travelling road show" where programmers travel by air all over the US on Monday, then fly home on Friday. I did this for a short while and discovered that: 1) I didn't particularly like airports 2) the quality of my life was suffering 3)most people doing this job for any length of time looked extremely burnt out.

Anyway, to make a long story short, in any type of work, you can usually -- over time -- work to avoid unnecessary and wasteful practices.

ong

08-11-07, 12:04 AM

I am unfortunately pretty stealthy about not having a car... I run a small dotcom business, and I always ride to meet with clients, but I lock up a bit away from the office, and de-sweatify before I go in. For long hauls, I'll ride in clipless shoes and lycra, and switch to regular shoes and pull normal pants over my shorts out in the parking lot. I just have a feeling that many people would feel uncomfortable if their technology vendor doesn't arrive in a car... I hate that, but I'm not willing to risk it.

wahoonc

08-11-07, 08:28 AM

that seems like a waste of energy, people energy concious enough to want a system like that should jsut buckle down and turn the lights off themself, saving the energy required to run that system.

If you have multiple people using an area the automatic lights are the way to go. We use them in our offices in the areas like the copier room or the blue print room. Motion switchs cost about $10-$15. I use photo cell lights at home for outside lighting so they are on when we come home, then I switch them off once we are inside. The ones I currently use are 13 watt CF fixtures so the draw is a lot less than the 75 watt ones they replaced.

Aaron:)

East Hill

08-11-07, 12:28 PM

Maybe USPS should go back to trains, and give their mail carriers bikes with trailers instead of vans....

TROUBLEMAKER :eek: !

I think that would be a great idea...does the UK still have posties who deliver by bicycle?

East Hill

Roody

08-11-07, 10:26 PM

I work in a hospital, and the waste of resources and the overuse of toxic chemicals are my main workplace concerns. There is little motivation to tackle these problems in health care, at least in the US. I think the savings would be enormous. I'm convinced that hospitals waste 20 per cent or more of their operating funds on inefficient processes. That is billions of dollars a month, nationwide.

If I was an urban planner, I would consider finding work at an academic location (university or alternative consulting firm). Interest in high-density planning, green systems and non-automotive transit design is really catching on.

If I was an electrician, like the OP, I would design, build and install home-based and neighborhood-based power generating systems -- solar and wind systems that are "off the grid".

Roody

08-11-07, 10:32 PM

I'm no electrician, but I think the newer LEDs are actually pretty good. A friend put them in his boat, and, though you can tell there's a slight difference in light intensity, it's pretty trivial, and well worth the energy savings. He claims he can now go at least four days on batteries without once turning his motor on (to charge the batteries). Of course, they're pretty expensive, but they pay for themselves over time. Imagine the energy savings if everyone in the country put these things in their houses. Compact fluorescents look like energy hogs by comparison.

I would wait a couple years before investing in LED for home or commercial lighting systems. I think there will be enormous advances in performance in the near future, and possibly cost cuts as well. This technology is on the cusp right now--very interesting.

I use LEDs on my bike. The headlight I just bought is much brighter than the 2 year old model it replaced. And the new one cost less, and uses AAA batteries rather than AA. I expect that the next one I buy, in a couple years, will be as bright as the expensive HID lights, and cost only $30 or so.

Platy

08-11-07, 11:04 PM

...I'm an urban planner. I was drawn to this profession because of the fact that I thought careful, thoughtful urban planning could do a lot to save people from being required to drive to every destination...I guess my profession doesn't conflict with my lifestyle, per se; but it sure does conflict with my ideals and goals, at least the way it's done here in Indianer. It's extremely disheartening...
I think proper groundwork may be the key. Someone needs to quantify in dollars the value of a neighborhood's walkability, bikeability, access to local retail & public transit, and so forth. If there ever comes a time when appraisers add a couple grand to a property's value because it's near a rail station or because the local stores all have bike racks, we're in like Flynn.

Nottubasup

08-27-07, 08:36 PM

Does anyone else here have a career choice that conflicts with their carfree lifestyle? Is it an issue for you or do you take the approach 'well, I can't decided how other people go about their lives, I'm just providing a service' ?

You want to talk about a conflict, I have been car free all my adult life and I work at a gas station. There is also four other people that bike to work there. Strange.

koine2002

08-27-07, 08:50 PM

I am a pastor. Although I live carfree, I'll be switching to car-lite for my ministry. I can't really carry people on my bicycle to pick them up for church, buying a load of groceries for someone (and bringing them along) or picking up people from the airport. I could use public transport for doing the latter, but it's not well accepted by most people, and as a realistic idealist (or idealistic realist), it'll be good to have a car for such things. So I'll be getting a low-cost economical 4 door that I will use specifically for that purpose. I'll keep it to that so I can write off all of the expenses and mileage related to the vehicle. I'll still be using my bike for getting around town and going to my job at Starbucks. This still fits into my minimalist approach to life.

Newspaperguy

08-28-07, 01:00 AM

I make my living as the editor of a small weekly newspaper. I'm required to have a reliable motor vehicle in order to cover some of the stories and photographs. If I'm covering an accident or a fire, especially if it's in one of the outlying areas, I need to get to the scene as quickly as possible. This means traveling by car.

I can go car-light but not car-free. I don't see this as a conflict at all. I'm using my car almost exclusively as a work tool, not a personal pleasure machine. The car sleeps in the office parking lot and I commute to and from work by bike. By now, I'd guess 80 to 90 per cent of my car travel is work-related, not personal.

Roody

08-28-07, 08:02 PM

koine2002 and Newspaperguy,

Most people would consider you both to be carfree, since you use motor vehicles only for your jobs. Car=motor vehicle used for personal transportation. That's one popular definition, anyway. :)

MrCjolsen

09-03-07, 04:26 PM

I look at it this way. You can be car free up to the point when you clock in at work. After that, if your job requires you to drive a car, you're still living a car free lifestyle. Your job is not part of your lifestyle.

Artkansas

09-03-07, 10:09 PM

Does anyone else here have a career choice that conflicts with their carfree lifestyle? Is it an issue for you or do you take the approach 'well, I can't decided how other people go about their lives.

Its an issue for me, and perhaps the one that pushes me the most strongly towards an automobile.

For me the issue is networking. I'm an animator and creative director. I pedal to work and back and it even seems to work when I take the bus in to local clients in downtown Little Rock and pedal back home.

But for Chamber of Commerce meetings, 2nd Friday Art nights across the river, Art association get togethers, teaching animation classes and looking for a place to hold professional meetings, my gut level tells me that it would all be so much easier with a car.

The route in and out of town is rolling hills and narrow streets, so there's no pleasant/all weather way down and back, especially if I need to haul a laptop and other gear to do a presentation or meeting. I'm still doing it car-free but wondering how to expand my career.