Originally Posted by bhtooefr
I'm poor, and have a 50 mile one way commute to my job. I stayed at my job because of college (I was going to a college close to my job... will be picking up my associate's degree next week, however
) and the fact that I like what I do.
If I could go completely car-free, I could move to near my work. However, as I said, I'd have to go COMPLETELY car-free, to get rid of insurance and all of that. And, once I would go car-free, there's no turning back - once you've had no car insurance for more than 30 days, you might as well be a triple-DUI driver starting back up, with how the insurance companies **** you.
And, getting a job close to where I'm living now? Great. Except everything within safe biking distance (that is, avoiding roads that are high traffic, high speed, AND redneck infested) is... pumping gas, bagging groceries, or flipping burgers.
Actually you can greatly reduce your insurance cost, keep your insurance active, and still be car free. This was told to me, by an insurance broker, and they would know. In my case, the car I had could not be driven any longer, and I could not afford to replace it at the time. Would work just as well, with an old junker bought for $50, it does not need to be operational and does not need to have licence plates. You can tell the insurance people your going to repair it, but that it can't be driven at the moment, you don't need collision or liability insurance, just comprehensive, and set the deductible as high as they will let you. The insurance, will probably cost you $50 a year, if you decide you want to drive again in a couple of years, buy an operational vehicle, and update your insurance, scrap the old one. You can always leave the old one in your parking space, with a canvas cover over it, so nobody knows it's actually just rusty junk.
If you decide you like being car free, then just cancel the insurance, and scrap the car. I think in the next 10 years or so, insurance companies will add some car free policy products, like coverage only in a borrowed or rented car, or a policy where they charge you $25/yr to keep your policy on the books, but with no actual coverage. Some smart insurance executive, will come up with this one, if your reading this, and your an insurance executive, PM me, and I'll tell you where to send the check