Living Car Free - The effect of being Car Free on your love life

It depends on what you are going to do for a date.

Picknick in the park is one thing.
Dinner in a casual restaurant and then a movie is another.
Going to a fancy restaurant and then to the opera is another entirely.

It depends on where you live. My husband and I have done all these sans car in several U.S. locations.

Not all women will choose the guy with a car over the car free guy. I chose my car free husband over the guy with a sports car.

Me, too! (and I'm a het :eek:)

sounds like you need to switch teams.

:roflmao2:

Finding a woman to tolerate the hard life car free living would be a rare find.

Finding a woman to tolerate the hard life car free living would be a rare find.

You're right, concerning most places in America. That's why I simply don't worry about finding a woman at all. Until I can move to a more sensible city, there's no use wasting time looking.

Finding a woman to tolerate the hard life car free living would be a rare find.
That may be the case in California, but here in B.C., it hasn't been an issue for me.

I've met a number of incredible women who have been interested in me and also intrigued by my car-light lifestyle. I've never felt judged because of my choice of transportation, but maybe that's just because I don't care what anyone else thinks of it.

I also don't use the mode of transportation as the deal-breaker in a relationship. A few things are far more important to me and are non-negotiable. When it comes to transportation, there's plenty of room to find a compromise for the right person (provided both parties are willing to compromise.)

Finding a woman to tolerate the hard life car free living would be a rare find.

Donna, I'll let you get this one.

Finding a woman to tolerate the hard life car free living would be a rare find.

Good car-free men seem equally hard to find. But I would call car free living the easy life not the hard life!

Good car-free men seem equally hard to find. But I would call car free living the easy life not the hard life!
Amen, sister! :thumb:

You're right, concerning most places in America. That's why I simply don't worry about finding a woman at all. Until I can move to a more sensible city, there's no use wasting time looking.
Yes, and I need to stop mentally fixing you up with nice girls. You're such a tease about relocation... :p

Finding a woman to tolerate the hard life car free living would be a rare find.
I agree that it would be hard to find a such a woman given your perspective.

sounds like you need to switch teams.
I dunno about that. My aunt's on the other team and she abhors bikes.

I dated a girl that was very much a free spirit, who informed me that she had never dated a guy who had his "stuff" all together.

Enjoy the irony - I got dumped for having a new car and motorcycle that were both paid for. She's probably dating some guy that gets to work at a coffee shop on a fixie.

You don't have to own a car to have your "stuff together", you know. :rolleyes:

Yes, and I need to stop mentally fixing you up with nice girls. You're such a tease about relocation... :p

Actually just yesterday I was pricing various cities in the country. Unfortunately it seems most places on the west coast are rather expensive. :o Chances are I'll be moving to the Northeast eventually, although I can't right now due to a few things.

Australia is basically state 51. There are probably some parts of the country where women don't care about driving -- that's great if you live in Byron Bay or Mullumbimby and specifically want a single mother. If you live in any of the cities, forget it -- although a criminal record might provide you with a way in, given the way Australian women seem to swoon over the "bad boy" types. Evidently Martin Bryant (who shot 35 people in a massacre in 1996) gets tons of fan mail from Australian women, but I digress.

Actually, most Australian guys looking for a woman these days (including those that have cars) are following the approach of the post above mine, and seeking out foreign women. It's interesting to note all the whining in the tabloid "newspapers" over here on the topic of the so-called man shortage. The pattern seems to be that the women treat the men like dirt when they're in their 20's (except for the "bad boys"), then these women hit 30 with a couple of kids, and suddenly realise that the "bad boys" aren't relationship or marriage material. The trouble is by this time, all those men they rejected have travelled and actually met women who are relationship material for the first time in their lives, and have no intention of coming back. And those that are still around have no intention of paying the bills for someone else's kids. Hence one of the most farcical dating situations in the world.

Rant over.

damn. Makes sense. The only reason I can think of that this doesn't happen here in the US is because for some reason (ridiculous IMO) men don't seem to mind "raising" another mans kids. I wouldn't do it personally. I am not taking on anyones souvenir.

You don't have to own a car to have your "stuff together", you know. :rolleyes:

I think it was the car, the motorcycle, the bicycles, the nice house full of nice stuff, the yard with the swing, and the fact that I didn't blink once at picking up the check each time we went out.

You should not be taking offense to that comment.

It depends on what you are going to do for a date.

Picknick in the park is one thing.
Dinner in a casual restaurant and then a movie is another.
Going to a fancy restaurant and then to the opera is another entirely.

This reminds me that I used to date a car free woman who is an opera buff. We'd go to a fancy restaurant then to the opera. What we'd do is go with several people and we'd all chip in to rent a car for the evening. The reason we did the car thing is because the opera was cheaper in Baltimore about 45 miles away. When we'd go to the Kennedy center or Shakespeare theater downtown we'd ride our bikes. So Elkhound is wrong, car free people do everything on his list, it doesn't depend.

This reminds me that I used to date a car free woman who is an opera buff. We'd go to a fancy restaurant then to the opera. What we'd do is go with several people and we'd all chip in to rent a car for the evening. The reason we did the car thing is because the opera was cheaper in Baltimore about 45 miles away. When we'd go to the Kennedy center or Shakespeare theater downtown we'd ride our bikes. So Elkhound is wrong, car free people do everything on his list, it doesn't depend.

Well, riding a bicycle in my tuxedo would be difficult, and asking my date to ride one in an evening gown would be right out. A taxi, a rental car, or--if we wanted to be human-power purists--a pedicab would be the answer.

How about biking to the ballet (http://bikeportland.org/2008/05/27/bike-to-the-ballet/)? :)

What love life?

As soon as I show up on my bike or bust out my bus pass, "Check it out! Unlimited rides!" I find myself saying, "Hey, where you going? Did I say something wrong??"

Being car free isn't what is impairing my love life...

Ya, and how do you get the girl back to your place, bungee her to the rack?

The problem comes when you want to go on a date or bring someone back to your place. And folks, thats why I got a motorcycle :D

I know this is an old thread...

No need for bungee cords unless you want to get creative ;) , just get a folder and make sure you check her trunk ;) ;) ... so the bike doesn't get scratched. and dont forget some blue shorts and blue shirts just in case she in into role play ( here comes the mail... I have a package for you.... ;) ).

"I hope you've got a big trunk, because I'm putting my bike in it"

Az

That's what I like too - a big trunk in back.

My initial thoughts are these guys still getting girls while riding bikes must be tall and handsome, if they don't live in a progressive city.

I'm dreaming about living carfree, but I fear that I will remain single much longer than I would like to due to being carfree. It is more of an obstacle for me because I want to earn a living with a micro farm on a few acres of land, and to be able to afford the land, it will have to be a few miles outside of town. Farming, rural living, dating, and being carfree seems to be a tough combination, but I'm not giving up.

If you are a female, living car free probably helps you because you have opportunity to meet a lot of male cyclists. There are more male cyclists that female cyclists.

I enjoy driving as much as I enjoy bicycling. I could not imagine living car free or bicycle free.

"Aww. He biked halfway across the city just to see me!"

And what happened to giving a girl a ride on your handlebars? I couldn't do it, but maybe it's better suited to north road bars.

And what happened to giving a girl a ride on your handlebars? I couldn't do it, but maybe it's better suited to north road bars.

You can do it. Someone snapped a photo of me giving a girl a ride on my handlebars and this woman in the office saw the photo. Now she's hitting on me. She just told me and the secretary that her new years resolution is to get me for her own. This comment came with a big slice of cake. She says she wants me to help her buy a bike but I don't think she's really serious about biking. Another way to pack a woman is have her sit side saddle on the top tube with your arms around her. That is the more common way in DC but the handle bar method with the woman sitting back ward and her feet braced on the downtube or top tube works too. If its raining the woman can hold the umbrella while you pedal and steer.

Really it can be so easy...
Meet the girl wherever you are meeting here with a tandem bike, offer a nice ride down by the river.
This is good for three reasons.
1. You ride your bike with a pretty girl
2. You will have far more fun then most other dates.
3. If she doesn't have fun, well she wasn't worth your time to begin with, but you still got to ride your bike.
Also all the other girls with their dates will be so jealous as to how cute you look.

Enjoy the irony - I got dumped for having a new car and motorcycle that were both paid for. She's probably dating some guy that gets to work at a coffee shop on a fixie.

Just cause you can pay doesn't mean you have your "stuff" together
Or maybe I just say this cause I get to work at my coffee shop on my fixie.