lyeinyoureye
05-02-09, 04:49 PM
And again, I have to point out, that even if you're frugal with cars, it's still more expensive than being car-free.As a whole that's probably true, but an efficient older car can cost less given what I've seen others spend on transportation. For instance in your case, even w/o your new bike at less than $50/month, a frugal driver could clock ~20k miles in a year, so it's not always true.
Since last posting in this thread, my car's price per mile has dropped to $1.96. My bikes have also dropped to $1.17 and $1.10.
This is more of a particularity of where I am staying. As you may know, regular services are held on Friday afternoon, which makes attendance impossible for anyone who is on a "regular" schedule. Accommodations are sometimes made, as an example, the university I attend makes a nondenominational service room available to the Muslim Student Association (MSA) on Friday afternoons. But, that still doesn't fit my class schedule. So far, this isn't a car free issue, this is a scheduling issue.
However, there are also regular evening (Magrib and/or Isha, currently at 8:00 and 9:30 respectively) prayers that I often attend. The trouble there is that the last bus for the town I stay in leaves at 6:30 and it only has three bike spaces, which rapidly fill. So, I try to make the 5:20 bus.
Yesterday I rode my motorcycle, which I do about once or twice a week;so, I was able to attend. The other reason for using the motorcycle is that I had a morning class. To make an 8:00am class I have to be at the bus stop at 6:15am, which means I have to be out the door just a little before 6:00am (that's right, to go 20 miles, the door to door is about two hours; however, I can read or sleep during that time, which I can't do if I spend the same time riding). So, on Tuesdays I have been using my motorcycle which allows me to leave at 7:15, an hour and fifteen minutes may not sound like much, but it is worth the gallon of gas (round trip) and associated expenses (which pretty much equal the cost of the gas used) on Tuesdays.
I think that is the essence of being car-lite, thinking about the alternatives before any use of personal motor transportation and considering the necessity and value of the personal motor transportation use. For me it is my Tuesdays (this semester, not life long; I went the last three years without any car or motorcycle; but, I was in a position to call a cab whenever I needed one), occasional socializing, and visiting family in Yreka, CA (Yreka is not on a regular transit route, the Amtrak Train/Bus takes almost a day to go the 270mi and is rather expensive. To go straight leaves me getting off in Dunsmuir, CA at 5am where someone has to drive the 80mi to get me) . Other than that, the bus/bike works pretty well.
Note: I realize that bus/bike offends the purists; after all, it is still petrol based transit. I do not know how to use the elevation plotters to show you the elevation gain; but, the ride form Chico, CA to Paradise, CA is a ride I am not willing to do on a regular basis. With bus/bike I am willing to ride the couple of miles to a bus stop and then use the bike for trips in Chico. The reality is that without it, I would not. While I am in the City of Paradise I am also able to use the bicycle for tips (yes, I can carry a pizza on a bicycle). It is the connecting leg, between the cities, that I insist on using the bus for (I am considering adding an electric assist motor to the bike for that leg; but that is another discussion, it still offends the purists, and it is a bit of a budget buster).
Again, I am not trying to sound whinny. Yes, I would rather live closer and be more car-free; but, simply, I can not afford to. I have run the numbers, I am taking all rolling and fixed costs into consideration, and no, I am not spending $800/month to feed a motor vehicle addiction (all totaled, motor vehicle costs are about $50 - 60/month, that includes insurance $16, parking $2.50, registration $5, total rolling expenses 150-200 mi @ .16 - .20/mile).
I'm pretty sure no one on this forum is judging you. We all do what we think is best. You seem to be doing very well, given your circumstances. I'm totally car-free, and only rarely use a motor vehicle of any kind, but that's because I hardly ever have to go more than 15 miles from home. On longer trips, if time is an issue, I don't hesitate to ride the bus or call a cab or rent a car.
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