McBTC

...especially when the real reasons have nothing to do with cycling.

wolfchild

I think there are actually only 3 main reasons why people are car-free:


1) Ideological reasons which have to do personal beliefs and ethics.
2) Economic reasons which have to do with money.
3) Bad lifestyle choices such as a DUI.


I know that there are few exceptions besides the 3 main reasons but those exceptions are few and far in between. When I was car-free I did it strictly for an "experience" just to see what it feels like to live without a car and not as a permanent lifestyle choice...I am all about experimenting and experiencing different things so that I know what I am talking about if somebody ever asks.
.

Walter S

If the benefit of a car is not as compelling as its drawbacks that can be a complex mix of reasons that vary by individual.

Me, I love bicycling and find driving stressful and unpleasant. Driving for utility purposes would have its pluses sometimes. But I also like the sense of reward in doing it all under my own power and I'm drawn by a beautiful self sustaining feedback loop including diet and exercise and recreation and work etc. I'm a believer in global warming and want a clean environment. I like to save money and live simply.

Which are my "real" reasons? Do I have "ulterior motives"?

McBTC

Of course... someone can feel just as you do and for the same reasons but are not living life without a car because they do not believe humanity's CO2 causes global warming and because they want to earn enough money to actually have money to save and live simply.

350htrr

Just because people don't believe humans are causing climate change doesn't mean it isn't happening...

And as for going along with making more money and having life just move along without rocking the boat is not a good enough reason to not try and change things... It certainly can be easier...

cooker

I think it has been stated quite openly that the cycling that occurs as part of living car-light or car-free is not about sport or love of cycling, nor does it need to be. If someone posted on an auto forum about how they used cars for utilitarian purposes, would you rant about their ulterior motives because they weren't talking about motor sports or a love of driving? Give me a break. Besides, it seems like you are the one who is desperate to talk about the supposed concealed ideology behind living car-free - you keep bringing it up over and over ad nauseum. Why don't you start a thread in P&R about it?

cooker

There's a fourth reason, as evidenced in Manhattan, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, etc, which is that in some situations, owning a car isn't particularly necessary or useful, and is more of a hassle.

Jim from Boston

So too in Boston. Add this as a seemingly mainstream reason from the Fifty-Plus Forum, “Where to retire??.”:

Quote:

Originally Posted by B.Carfree

We old folks on this forum are mostly looking at retirement or have already done so. As we pass into another phase of our lives, it's importan tto consider what lies ahead. IMO, if you retire to a place that requires you to drive to get "normal" things like groceries, medical care and entertainment, then you aren't being very observant and will rue your choice. As we age physically, and it happens quickly, our driving skill and ability to survive car crashes drops tremendously.

I would strongly encourage anyone looking to relocate for retirement to make darn sure that the location is workable for someone who no longer drives...

Sure, it's going to cost a bit more to live in a walkable/bikeable locale. You're also likely to have to ride through the city to get to those glorious rural roads for your cycling adventures.Believe me, it's worth it…

That also means you may have to consider places with higher local taxes, since public amenities like light rail are often supported by a local tax base. Pay the bill and smile, taxes are the price of admission to civilized society and the E-ticket rides are the best.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Well said; describes Boston to a T.

350htrr

+1, And it's MADE, on PURPOSE to be a hassle, by local governments to use a car... To keep people from using their cars in those specific places... It didn't/doesn't "just happen" that way... People MADE it HAPPEN. Agianst other peoples insistence that the car is "better for society" as actually, it's their job/or lively hood to promote cars as the main and only viable form of transport... and that other forms of transport would be an actual "STEP BACKWARDS"... F' that way of thinking,

Roody

Thanks, but not something I need or want. How do you get the groceries home on that thing******************************************************************************************??

Roody

Actually I was carfree before I started cycling. One of the great joys of LCF for me was that it brought me to bicycling, which I do enjoy a great deal. Plus I get a big monthly check from the CFSCF (carfree secret conspiracy fund)!

McBTC

It says a lot when you see people who cannot celebrate their chosen lifestyle without dissing the lifestyle of others. For example, you'll never see a car-driving participant on the BikeForums who denigrate the sport of bikes or other's love of cycling.

JoeyBike

Reminds me. I need to update my account with them. Thanks!

JoeyBike

This thread brought back an old memory somewhat related to the car-free "we are better than you" school of thought.

I used to have an awful commute to get out of the city grid every evening. I often cycled with a coworker (who owns a car but avoids it for commuting) for the first half of it. We both rode "bike messenger style" in the grid. Every evening we would pass (splitting lanes etc.) 100 to 500 grid-locked cars in the first three miles. I actually ran a video camera and counted them sometimes.

When we finally emerged from The Grid - often non-stop - and hit our first quiet street it was traditional for my bud to roll up next to me and say "How in the Hell do they do that EVERY DAY??"

So yes, I must admit.....that made me feel superior to "them".

cooker

What are you talking about? There are many insults thrown the way of car-free or car-light people here.

McBTC

That's ludicrous... it's only the ulterior motives of those who use the bike forums to espouse their political agendas that are called out and rightfully exposed as the insane narratives of self-proclaimed prophets of doom who could care less about the sport of bikes and view a love of cycling as a gratuitous extravagance.

cooker

You need to clean your vinyl - you're skipping.

I-Like-To-Bike

What IS your definition of "mainstream"?

McBTC

... and, what is, around here? We all could be hanging there too but, as the people in Jerome say, we're not because we're not all there...

McBTC

My guess is that a LCF lifestyle with grace and comfort is an easier life in a modern culture probably is far easier than living under less fortunate circumstances, car or no car.

wolfchild

According to this forum... if 1% of the population is car-free then that's enough to define it as "mainstream".

Walter S

"According to the forum"? Who's that?

Mainstream: the ideas, attitudes, or activities that are regarded as normal or conventional; the dominant trend in opinion, fashion, or the arts.

Carfree normal? Conventional? NOT

loky1179

I think the idea of not wanting to own or rely on a car is becoming pretty well accepted, even if the reality of accomplishing that is still difficult for most people.

Of course, the idea is not well accepted EVERYWHERE - particularly, for reasons I cannot fathom, on this very sub-forum.

StarBiker

How can your skills diminish to the point where you can't drive, but you can bike, and or walk?
I have watched people no longer be able to drive, and they ain't biking, or walking.

StarBiker

to funny. Lots of comments in this thread that make no sense.