Originally Posted by attercoppe
I still own a car, so technically I'm not car-free. However, I never drive it (it currently has expired plates, not to mention low tires and a weak battery), and am seriously considering selling it. I would really like to avoid the expense of registering and licensing the car, auto insurance, and the occasional tank of gas - all to have it around "just in case". What's stopping me from ditching it is the question of what to do if I "need" a car now and then. (For instance, at some point I need to travel about 30 miles south, to the county seat, to visit the DMV for my new driver's license or state ID.) I live in a relatively isolated small town, no public transit, no car rental. My best idea so far is to find somebody whose car I could borrow or even rent - but I still wouldn't have auto insurance, so I couldn't legally drive a borrowed car. Let's have some other ideas for those of us who are in a similar situation.
I agree that it would be difficult to live in a small town without a car. I did it for a short time and I didn't like it much, mainly becaus I worked in the city 25 miles away.
But you haven't used your car in quite some time, so I figure you are doing pretty good without it. Maybe you've licked the technical problems, and the only thing left to think about is emergency plans.
But it doesn't sound like the car would be very useful in an emergency, since "it currently has expired plates, not to mention low tires and a weak battery." In an emergency, you would have to cycle to the auto parts store and buy a battery, then ride home and try to fill the tires with your little floor pump. Even then, you'd be driving illegally, with no way to get legal except by driving 30 miles "to visit the DMV for my new driver's license or state ID."
It sounds like your emergency plan needs a little work. Maybe when you come up with a better plan (or plans), it will be easier to think about whether you should dump the car.