Living Car Free - Have you met any carfree people lately?

I've recently run into a bunch of carfree people.

In Des Moines, I've met a few through the local bicycle co-operative. Mostly younger people who don't need the expense right now.

When I visited Canada last Fall, I ran into a couple who ditched their car in 1986. Interestingly, though they are both avid cyclists and have toured all over the place, they mostly walk to their work, grocery store, etc. For big grocery hauls, they use taxis and rent cars for the occasional weekend. For this couple, going carfree is made a lot easier because they live about a mile from work and the grocery store is conveniently on the way home.

Have you run into anyone carfree or carlight lately?

Just when I look in the mirror.

Almost everyone I met in Haiti was car-free. Those with motor vehicles are mostly gasoline-free too at the moment.

Many organizations are doing a lot to get Haiti back on its feet, and they could really use some donations from folks like you.

I got evacuated out from the Port au Prince airport and am doing fine. Haitians are pulling together, cooperating to make sure folks survive cold nights outdoors and lack of food and water. Would love to see our country learn a little from Haitians: How important friends and family are and cooperating to make do with not-very-much.

in my area i always see car free people. they have bikes due to their economic situation.
at my w ork people are car free for the most part. we don't get paid enough to run a car.

I meet a lot of people and travel a lot as well. About 1 out of every 1000 might be car free. Not to be condescending but most of the car free people I know live in a halfway house or just got out of rehab. They tend to be good people but they are not in a position to have a car. Many of them don’t have a bike either.
Just to be technical, whenever you use a taxi, rent a car or borrow one you are not car free for the day you are using it and your car free day counting should have to start all over. Much like AA when you tell everyone how long it has been since you had a drink. Just my take on it.
But all of that was off topic, so the answer is yes I do meet car free people with most of them having the condition I stated in the first paragraph.

I suspect the majority of those riding a bus or train are car free. In fact, about half the population does not own a car so we can include all those as car free too. However, it's quite rare to find someone car free using a bicycle as their source of transport.

I meet a lot of people and travel a lot as well. About 1 out of every 1000 might be car free. Not to be condescending but most of the car free people I know live in a halfway house or just got out of rehab. They tend to be good people but they are not in a position to have a car. Many of them don’t have a bike either.
Just to be technical, whenever you use a taxi, rent a car or borrow one you are not car free for the day you are using it and your car free day counting should have to start all over. Much like AA when you tell everyone how long it has been since you had a drink. Just my take on it.
But all of that was off topic, so the answer is yes I do meet car free people with most of them having the condition I stated in the first paragraph.
Hate much?

I'll write more about your asinine assumptions when I finish sobering up. :D

Hate much?

I'll write more about your asinine assumptions when I finish sobering up. :D

What part was an assumption? The people I meet that are car free? Or that using a car you don’t own is still using a car? Could it be I deal with more people from halfway houses and rehab places than you do?

I suspect the majority of those riding a bus or train are car free. In fact, about half the population does not own a car so we can include all those as car free too. However, it's quite rare to find someone car free using a bicycle as their source of transport.

Yes quite a few are carfree. And others that I have met on the bus have 1 car in the family... so one travels by bus and I assume the other half takes the car.

On my morning commuter,I do see quite a few bicycle commuters who appear to be carfree But I have never met any of them. They are always zooming in the other direction and the only thing I share with them is a "hello" or " there's mud up by the bridge."...

Yes quite a few are carfree. And others that I have met on the bus have 1 car in the family... so one travels by bus and I assume the other half takes the car.

On my morning commuter,I do see quite a few bicycle commuters who appear to be carfree But I have never met any of them. They are always zooming in the other direction and the only thing I share with them is a "hello" or " there's mud up by the bridge."...


To make sure I am correct on your question you are simply asking if we have met any car free people personally not if we know of any car free people? And by car free you mean they do not own a car or have access to one? I have a good cycling friend that is an actor. He can no longer drive because of Macular degeneration. He tends to ride his bike most places but now and then needs a ride and most often his family or friends will drive him to appointments both business and medical. He might not consider himself car free because he paid for one and he has the use of it but do you?

the only one's i know are relatively car free are at the collective. i believe i see others every day. if you are riding a bicycle, you are my friend. i don't care if you are riding because you have dui's. i don't care if you are an immigrant and it is your only way to get to work. i don't even care if you are a bike ninja or riding on the wrong side of the street. you are a cyclist for whatever reason. i feel some riders are just not educated on proper bicycling etiquette.

I suspect the majority of those riding a bus or train are car free. In fact, about half the population does not own a car so we can include all those as car free too. However, it's quite rare to find someone car free using a bicycle as their source of transport.

Where I live tons of transit-riders own cars. If they live in the burbs many drive to the train station. If they live downtown many leave their cars parked during the week, and take transit to work to avoid the congestion, costs and hassles of parking, but use their cars to grocery shop, socialize, and get out of the city on weekends.

I used to be a Logistics and transportation manager and would receive all kinds of information on traffic and vehicles. Back in 2007 many of the publications indicated that the US had the highest percentage of car ownership of anywhere in the world. China was closing in on cars put had a lower percentage. At the time it was said that 90 percent of the people in the US had cars. The study was done by Nielsen. With that in mind and with living in Southern California my chances of meeting a car free person is at best one in ten. I have done some work with social services at one of our local hospitals hence the reason for an earlier post about who I meet mostly as car free. And even at than it isn’t more than 1 in 10 and mostly less. California is a car culture more than likely second to none. IMHO

I used to be a Logistics and transportation manager and would receive all kinds of information on traffic and vehicles. Back in 2007 many of the publications indicated that the US had the highest percentage of car ownership of anywhere in the world. China was closing in on cars put had a lower percentage. At the time it was said that 90 percent of the people in the US had cars. The study was done by Nielsen. With that in mind and with living in Southern California my chances of meeting a car free person is at best one in ten. I have done some work with social services at one of our local hospitals hence the reason for an earlier post about who I meet mostly as car free. And even at than it isn’t more than 1 in 10 and mostly less. California is a car culture more than likely second to none. IMHO

I think you may have misread the statistic; 92% of households have at least one car (http://www.bts.gov/publications/transportation_statistics_annual_report/2003/html/chapter_02/vehicle_ownership_and_availability.html).

I think you may have misread the statistic; 92% of households have at least one car (http://www.bts.gov/publications/transportation_statistics_annual_report/2003/html/chapter_02/vehicle_ownership_and_availability.html).


Wasn’t going to try and say my chances were .8 in 10. I did find a quote however.
“As the Study reveals, nearly nine in 10 Americans claim to own a car, representing 190.3MM people, making it the world’s largest in terms of car penetration and absolute numbers. Further, the USA has enjoyed an increase of eight percentage points in penetration over the past 5 years – the highest recorded growth globally. Saudi Arabia follows the USA with the second highest car ownership (86%)[According to Global TGI, Nielsen’s worldwide media partner].”
As I said it was a study done in 2007.

I don't know, but I think everyone in my building is car free - there's no free parking anywhere near. The closest carpark costs £15 a day, and the other marginally cheaper ones are further away than the city centre, so there's really no need for anyone to own a car.