i think i now hate driving
 

so i had to drive the other day. my best freind likes to hop trains, he called me the other morning stranded in a town nearby. He was sleeping on a roof because he had missed the outgoing train back the the town we live in. It is a 4 hour bike ride. so i went to go pick him up, by suv a 40 min ride, in order to do this i barrowed my moms suv. suv's suck gas but atleast we got to go to Steak and shake.

You're a good pal. Your friend needs a life.

I know what you are saying. I had managed about 4 months without driving, then I caught a bus up to Portland, and drove back. I could read and ignore the vehicle on the bus ride, but the drive back was about 1.5 hours and I almost went crazy. Last year I was able to drive 6 hours without issue, now it's just torture. Driving for an hour is like skipping coffee for a week, sure I can do it, but it makes me unpleasant to be around.

I drive once a month or two. Every time, I enjoy it and wonder why I totally stopped. But, by the time I'm done, My jaw is tense and I've got a headache. Driving adds so much stress to me.

I hate driving. I can't stand the sound of the engine reving as I slowly accelerate to 25mph. It feels like driving a tank. And I hate stoping for signs, and filling the tank, and getting stuck in traffic, and seeing other people drive their huge cars...

Every time I drive I get all pissed off at other cars for no good reason.

I wish I could ride my bike...

Make him walk next time. He'll learn his lesson. ;)

Koffee

You mean stop signs? Does this mean you don't stop for them on your bike?

he would do it for me i sure. as far as him getting a life your right ill tell him he should stay home and watch tv.

the thing is he would have walked if i didnt say im coming to get you.

:lol:

If he wanted to live the hobo life, stabbin' folks with his hobo knife ... sorry Simpsons reference there.... he should have been prepared to sleep the night on the roof and hop the train home in the morning.

I may indeed be looking at renting a car once a month for the 4 winter months, I dunno, it may be kind of enjoyable to drive a car once in a while.

Car-driving isn't so bad for me. But I absolutely HATE HATE HATE being a car passenger!

One of the problems with commuter trains is the lack of evening or weekend service. I hop on trains all the time but with my bicycle in case the above situation happens. A four hour bike right at night isn't too bad and can actually be refreshing so long as he has lights. Tell him the following.

1. Purchase a folding bicycle from Dahon, Bike Friday or Brompton and buy lights, extra inner tube etc. If he misses the last train, at least he'll have transportation to get back to the station. A four hour ride might be too expensive by cab but he can cut it down in half by riding the bike.

2. Get a bus schedule. More often than not, there maybe a nearby bus that runs late service and he can ride to that station and cut his return time in half or more!

3. If he can afford it, buy a GPS and now he's never lost! In fact, the GPS will be helpful in getting to the bus station or taxie stand at night.

i just went to colorado for my brother's wedding. fun was had, but my partner and i drove 1100 miles! i do not miss this thing called driving. not one bit. glad i have the muscle memory to still do it, though, when needed.

Mmm, Steak and Shake. I worked at one of those in St. Louis. The best chilli cheese fries. We called it "dope fiend's delight." It's what all the Methadone boys ate.

Does where you live have anything to do with it? I got lost one night in Muskegon. One way roads everywhere, but not alternating like you would expect so you could figure out where you're going. In the end, I had to run about 20 feet up the wrong way on a one-way street in order to get back where I knew I was going. Maybe it would have been better in daylight ...

I haven't driven in 9 months. Hope to go much longer. I infrequently even ride in cars. Maybe once a week tops. But when I do I am struck by how tense and angry drivers can get for no apparent reason. I think my time away from automobiles has increased my sensitivity to the behavior drivers exhibit.

Cagers is a derogatory term used in the forums for drivers. I never fully grasped the appropriateness until now because I have observed some of the nicest people I know displaying all the signs of a snarling beast trapped in a cage.

I really feel sorry for them. Here is something that is clearly making them angry and frustrated yet they can't seem to give it up.

I'm getting to hate it already, too. It's a waste of money, but more than that, it's just plain aggravating. I had almost no gas, and was going to bike to the recycle place to turn in my pop cans, but piddled around too long and had to drive (I was returning the cans for gas money, along with something small to go back to Wal-Mart). I had to borrow $1 from hubby's change just to make it to the place, so that dollar's already gone - it took me too long to get a gas pump from ppl sneaking in every time I aimed for one.

By the time I did the cans and the return, got more gas and came home, I ended up with an hour and a half wasted (and angry at all the other drivers, cos I left at 4 and that's when everyone apparently gets off work around here), and only a gallon of gas in the tank to show for it. Now it's been pouring outside ever since, which means I may have to drive my paper routes tonight (I can't let them get wet), and I dunno if one gallon will do it.

Sorry for the rant. I know I should be grateful that I have the car to fall back on, but I still hate driving. When I can bike, I enjoy my job thoroughly; when I have to drive it, I'm constantly worrying about the idling car wasting gas (and money) and polluting the air for two hours. Plus I have to get in and out of the thing for almost every house - at LEAST 100 times (no exaggeration; probably closer to 110 or 120).

Zee,

Just saw your signature line and signed up for a local freecycle myself! I have some great things to offer and can't wait to join such a great community.

Thanks.
Chris

With gas prices the way they are drivers are especially mean - try getting gas around seven in the morning and between 4 and 7 in the afternoon. It really brings out the worst in people.

no he got stuck in grand rapids. you been to muskegon? i didnt think anyone ever came to muskegon. those way roads have saved my @ss when i yell at some guy for almost hitting,and he started to chase me. he gave up after i went the wrong way down a one way. i think he wanted to kill me!!!!

You're welcome :)

I wanted to share it, cos it's just such a great thing. It deffinitely helps build a community feeling, helps you to meet new people, plus you can have the nice feeling of knowing that you didn't just throw away something usable, it's being used (and no longer gathering dust in your closet/attic/garage).

I found a set of perfectly good molded Fisher Price chairs for small children on my route this past Monday - someone with money to burn was throwing them away! So I bungeed them to my rear basket and brought them home. One good wash, and they were fine. I offered them on Freecycle and someone accepted almost right away - she'll be by Sunday to pick them up. So I managed to save something that somebody ELSE was going to toss into a landfill, too ;)

Just to give you another example - I posted about 36 hours ago on behalf of our neighbors, who just brought home their new (first) baby Tuesday and don't have enough (good, working) baby stuff. Already, I've been offered a baby bathtub by one person, two new bottles of baby bath wash from another, and a working windup baby swing from a third. Our friends will be ecstatic :D

I don't hate to drive. But driving recently after having been biking a lot made it seem like a big waste of resources. It finally dawned on me getting back into biking after maybe a fourteen year lapse that miles I would do around town in a car is better done by bike. I can't wait to kit my bike out sufficiently to further reduce reliance on a car.