CJBianco

Hello, everyone.

Here's the situation: The wife gets the car. I get the washer and dryer. Simple, huh?

This means I must buy a car soon. I work from home, so I don't require daily transportation. (This may change. Who knows?) I've also been on a "Recycle -- Save The Planet" kick for a while now. And I really don't want to spend the cash on a second car. So I started looking into the bus pass/bike combo.

I recently found out my wife's parents are going to buy her a new car, and the family car will go to me [along with the washer and dryer]. This means I no longer have to worry about paying for a car. This is good...maybe.

The longer I think about the idea of "no car", the more I like the idea. What a relief it would be to rid my life of gasoline prices, insurance payments, and spontaneous maintenance costs! And the health and environmental benefits of "no car" sound perfect!

I do not want a car...ever again!

So the question is: Is it possible in this day and age to survive with the "no car" philosophy?

(Ideas, suggestions, and comments are always welcome.)

Thanks in advance.

Chris Bianco

recursive

It's very possible. I do it. So do many others.

See also: https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...ysprune=&f=226

TRaffic Jammer

It is.

max-a-mill

two suggestions -

not posting your e-mail & phone# on the intro-nut publicly (you'll prbably get spammed with lots of dumb junk).

try the bike exclusively for a month. if you can do it for a month why not forever? you (and all the other carfree people) will be idolized by us schmucks without big enough cajones to do it.

Plosive

I think it would completely depend on your work/recreation situation. Of course it is possible to "survive" without a car, but at times it will be an inconvenience for you. (just as owning a car is often an inconvenience at times). My suggestion is to start using the bike as your primary means of transportation now. If you find you can get along....GREAT! If you find that you "need" a car you can buy and register one in a couple of hours at the local dealership....it is just not that big a deal. Also, check out the "car free" forum. So, try going without and see how it goes. Then report back with your findings/outcome.

CJBianco

(I agree. The phone and email are a bad habit.)

So it really is possible to live the "no car" philosophy? Sounds good.

And I agree about the one month test. I'll try it.


The next question is: What does it feel like to live with no car? (Liberating? Healthy? Socially limiting?)

Thanks again.


Chris Bianco

CJBianco

Oops! I didn't know there was a Car Free forum. Sorry. =/

Thanks.


Chris

PurpleK

More couples are giving up the second car and making do with one. It is very much possible and for many makes life better. In spite of their convenience for some travel, cars take a toll on finances to own and keep running. A bike/bus lifestyle isn't that difficult once you become accustomed to it...in fact, I prefer it. I'm released from finding parking, stopping for gas, oil changes, and things like "what's that funny noise in the motor?" If you decide you want to take a weekend recreational trip and don't have a car, it's a simple matter to rent one for the time you need it. Much less costly than the price of ownership. An added bonus is that I have a lot more room in my garage for storing all my bikes, not to mention the numerous trips to Europe I've taken on the savings from not owning and maintaining a car. Going to Romania in May.

World Tour

In Ft. Lauderdale it is impossible to live without a car. I examined the bus route to work and back and I'd have to ride about half the distance with my bike. What's the point of that? I don't want to be sweaty when I get to work. The bus comes no where near my home or job.

What about grocery shopping? I shop for a week or two's worth of groceries. I guess you could get a bike trailer/baby trailer for that.

What about getting to work in the rain, or heat in Aug.? Oh you work at home. Ok, you're lucky.

Eggplant Jeff

Yeah the one downside to the "car free" forum is there are a few people who are VERY car-free... I.E. won't even consider renting one. Reality is, renting is an EXTREMELY convenient option for those few times you need a car.

While my truck was down getting the motor replaced, I needed a truck (hauling gravel and cement for my patio project). $70 at Enterprise later I had a quad-cab pickup for the whole weekend. That seriously made me question the wisdom of bothering to replace the motor in my own truck (But I already HAD the motor! ). That means you could theoretically get a car EVERY WEEKEND (friday night to monday morning) for $280 a month or so. That means, assuming you'll only need cars on the weekends (since commuting by bike is extremely doable, it's just the random stuff you sometimes want a car for), that WORST CASE it costs about the same whether you own a car or rent one.

Roody

Sometimes it's more a matter of changing the way you think about transportation. That's why my sig says "think outside the cage." A LOT of people on Bikeforums use bikes instead of cars, in every part of the country and the world. I personally have four reasons to use my bike as my transportation:

1. Saves a lot of money.
2. Gets me my exercise.
3. I'm not messing up the planet as much.
4. It's fun!!

There are solutions to all of the problems you brought up: weather, shopping, combining bike with public transit, carrying cargo on the bike, etc. If you're interested, check out the "Living Carfree" subforum here at BF. (Of course this "Commuting" subforum also covers some of the same topics.) Good Luck!

recursive

Not much. Might as well ride the whole way.

Slow down. Or shower when you get there.

Then ignore it.

Correct.

Rain? Ride. Heat? Ride.

I do not work at home. My workplace is more than 10 miles from my residence and I ride daily in all weather. I change clothes when I get to work, so precipitation isn't a problem, especially if I'm wearing rain gear.

There are probably reasons not to bike, but the ones you mention don't really sound too convincing.

Sawtooth

Hey CJ, if you want, you can edit your original post and take the personal contact information out of it. People on BF can still contact you via PM and more information can be given out then.

CJBianco

Oops! I forgot about editing. Thanks. =)

Chris Bianco

nicomachus

Hey Chris,
The 864 area code tells me you're in upstate SC. If you're in Greenville, talk to the Greenville Spinners -- a local cycling club. They have a yahoo listserv you could join to get in touch with other local cyclists. I found them a very helpful bunch (I'm no longer in G'ville, but they were an active group when I did live there. )

https://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group...guid=191607409

Hope this helps,

Nico

huhenio

Under no cirscumstances dare to buy a car ... breath deeply and relax ... that is right.

For some cirscumstances some other kind of motorized transportation might be required.

Got 5K? - Like to bike? - Like 60 mpg? - get a motorcycle!

The best and the worst of both worlds.

Sometimes a motor comes useful.

thdave

I give you all the encouragement in the world. Bikes are clean and healthy for all. It would be liberating to dump the car and all of the expenses associated with it. Other, more fun things could be had.

Keep this in mind if you move--get yourself in a location that makes it possible.

I know I could get rid of my car if I gave up golf. But I love it too much. Beware that occasionally renting a car isn't too expensive. I've rented for $30/day on trips.

landstander

It's got some good info, but also quite a bit of useless self-congratulation and holier-than-thou "cars are teh gr8 ev1l" type rants. Sad to say, but it was (IMO) much more helpful back when Koffee was taking a fairly hard-line approach to forum moderation.

bbonnn

I don't live completely without a car, but I only drive it about once a week, when I'm traveling to volunteer projects after work and just don't have the time or ability to go 20 miles on bike or bus in time for the project. It's a 10-year-old vehicle. I regret that it's not as environmentally friendly as newer cars, but since I seldom use it, the bad seems well offset by the good. It's an ever-transitioning process.

Not having car payments, and gas payments, is W*O*N*D*E*R*F*U*L. Last week, I bought gas for the first time in 2.5 months.

Actually, not having the ability to zip over to retail stores at the drop of a hat has helped me cut down on the amount of unneeded crap in my house. Buying decisions are based not only on money, but on how much of a pain it will be to cart the stuff back home. Good factor for me, a reformed packrat/bargainclown.

Eggplant Jeff

Don't. I read somewhere that the pollution involved in building a whole vehicle (power plants, metal refining, etc. etc. etc.) is such that it would take an extremely long time (like 50 years) for you to actually reduce net pollution by buying a new car vs. driving an older one (assuming you maintain the older one). Of course, if you're buying a new car ANYWAY then you should consider how much it pollutes vs the other options.

tulip

www.zipcar.com
www.flexcar.com

I use these and occassionaly rent from Aviz/Hertz etc for longer trips. I live where there is relatively good transit and excellent cycling facilities. But sometimes I do require the services of a car. Let us know how it works out.

pinkrobe

I didn't get a car until I was almost 30. My girlfriend [now wife] was doing her master's in a city 300 km North, and I had to make a run up there every other week. So I shelled out $800 and away I went. Before I got the car, I just planned ahead. I made sure that I was cycling distance to work, shops, etc. I also made sure that I could walk to the local supermarket. If I ever HAD to have a car, I would just rent for a day or weekend.

Nowadays, my wife and I have made choices that allow us to easily live with 1 car. We live within cycling distance of our jobs and public transit is very close by. Our house cost more because we live close to downtown, but it was totally worth it to be able to walk/bike to the pub/theatre/cinema/restaurants/etc. We spend a lot of time in the mountains, so we use our car to get there, and also for the weekly grocery run. Other than that, it sits in the garage, depreciating. In the summer, we should be able to use the bikes even more, especially for trips to the local farmer's market [saskatoon berry pie and fresh andouille sausage - 'nuff said].

So, can you and your wife live with one car? Hell yes. Can you live with no cars? Probably.

tokolosh

it's possible, but like going cell-free or tv-free or computer-free (i've done them all), i think you need to be prepared for a lifestyle change and keep an open mind about how well it works for you. you probably will not fit in perfectly with the mainstream, and that does have costs. some people can handle those costs better than others, or aren't as affected by them. it's probably a personal call.

i grew up in a one-license, one-vehicle family and didn't get a car or a license until i was entering my 30s. i drive rarely now and know a couple of other families that are single-vehicle or car-free. my kid seems to be less car-minded than most of his peers. don't kid yourself; it does make you different. it's not all roses either remember, even 'survival' has different definitions for different people, so figure out what it means to you and then go from there to see if it meshes with going car-free wherever you live.

marqueemoon

There's a whole "living car free" subforum. That would be a good place to look around and ask these kind of questions.

chicbicyclist

If you're one of the "Normal"(whats normal these days anyway), average American, living car-free will most likely depend on where you live, and how far your workplace is.

If you live in some suburbs, 40 miles from the regional center(usually a downtown of the biggest city nearby), with buses coming in at 1-2 per hour, or no bus service at all, then you absolutely need a car. No, the lifestyle demands it. Renting a car might be feasible but that gets uneconomical, and using your bike depends on wether or not you want to commute in a bike-hostile environment, or you can bike one way, and park in a designated parking station in one of the bigger public transit stations, and use trains/buses on the second half. But I don't think you can never truly be car-free, unless you're one of the hardcore car-free types.

If however, you live in a bigger city, a bit denser city or area, then it is more convenient, and frankly, easier. You can integrate your bicycle, public transit, walking and renting a car much, much easier. Again, there are exceptions, but usually, the closer you are to a dense area, the better off you'll be in car-free terms.