Living Car Free - What does "being car free" mean to you?

I am car-free, for a brief amount of time, when I was trying to learn to drive (had a boyfriend that was pressuring me to learn) I had a Chevette that mostly sat, parked. Eventually, I sold it to someone who needed a simple car to go to medieval events, he was very happy to purchase the Chevette. I used the $ to travel to Brasil. That was back in 2003. I never did learn to drive, I failed the road test, never tried again. I'm 35 years old and female.

I either ride my bike or take public transit. My mother and I live together, she has a car but she works afternoon shift, I go to college during the day. I actually HATE going in the car with her, she drives all over the place and I sit there thinking of the time I'm wasting in her car, I could be doing something enjoyable!

Rarely, my boyfriend who lives right downtown, will rent a car for a couple of hours, this I enjoy, we go to Costco/M&Ms meat shop/other stuff so it's practical, I can get big heavy stuff (10 kg of flour) home.

Other than that, I'm 100% car-free. I take public transit, my bike or I walk.

Being car free has less of an impact on environment than most people want to believe. I you are like most Americans, your house generates several times as much Co2 as your car does.

I can afford a car, I have a drivers license, and I have a place to park a car (a rare thing in Tokyo), but I don't need a car. I'm fortunate to live near a subway/JR station, and Tokyo Station is only 15 minutes walk. In between there are pretty much all the shops I need for necessities.

A few years ago things were different. I lived outside the metro area, and my workplace was more than 30 kilometers from my house. I had a car, but I usually rode my bike. I would do my commute in the morning, and then in the afternoon I would add a little to it, so I often rode as many as 100 kilometers a day. I didn't do it to save money or reduce Co2, I did it simply because I enjoyed riding.

I still enjoy riding, and I've just returned from a 30 kilometer shopping trip to Shinjuku and back.

Being car free has less of an impact on environment than most people want to believe. I you are like most Americans, your house generates several times as much Co2 as your car does.

I can afford a car, I have a drivers license, and I have a place to park a car (a rare thing in Tokyo), but I don't need a car. I'm fortunate to live near a subway/JR station, and Tokyo Station is only 15 minutes walk. In between there are pretty much all the shops I need for necessities.

A few years ago things were different. I lived outside the metro area, and my workplace was more than 30 kilometers from my house. I had a car, but I usually rode my bike. I would do my commute in the morning, and then in the afternoon I would add a little to it, so I often rode as many as 100 kilometers a day. I didn't do it to save money or reduce Co2, I did it simply because I enjoyed riding.

I still enjoy riding, and I've just returned from a 30 kilometer shopping trip to Shinjuku and back.

It not just the CO2, it is the massive parking lots, the money spent to subsidize the auto infrastructure, the cost to society caused by accidents ($164billion usd annually) not to mention the loss of lives and quality of life.

Aaron:)

I agree with Aaron. I'm also sure that car free enthusiast would more likely choose to live in smaller than average dwellings than those that argue against being car free.

Smaller dwellings have less environmental impact. The SUV driving wealth seekers that I know dream of living in big homes. Some of them will actually build or buy a much bigger home that what is essential too.

To me, it means that I own a car, but my car doesn't own me. I am free to choose between car, bike or bus, and 90% of the times, I take the bike.

Most people would consider owning a car but not using it often car lite...I find it hard to picture someone owning a car...being car free. To each his own though.

To me car free means not owning a car and only using one in rare cases (renting for a vacation, bike broke down, sick, injured, etc).

so basically biking, walking, and taking public transit 99% of the time.

Come on crailslist.....sell my car already!!!

Cars and their excessive infrastructure fragment and destroy communities and the sense of community.
Being car free means I do not give credence to the "every one needs a car for everything" propoganda
that the advertisers and multinational companies push.

For me it means that I am living more of a simpler life and more importantly, making myself get back to what I loved in the past - cycling.

Check out my review of bike culture periodical Boneshaker, A Bicycling Almanac (http://throughtheringer.com/2009/10/28/boneshaker-a-bicycling-almanac/)

Well being car free to me isnt hard.

I am only 16 and cant drive.

I don't use the bus to college though , I just prefer to bike the 6 miles (its ok in the morning because there is some good bits to just roll downhill)

When I turn 17 , I will learn to drive but even then I will probably only get an electric car like a G-Wiz

Helps the environment. That is another reason I plan to be car free.