Six Years
 

A post by pedex reminded me that this week marks six years since I dumped the car. It was in the first week of June 2000. I've rented cars a few times and driven friends cars a few times since then so I haven't been a car free saint. At June 2000 I had been experimenting with transportational cycling since the early 1990s. As I experimented, my car use diminished until it almost vanished.

In June 2000 I weighed 216. Today I weigh 180. My doctor thinks the weight loss is a good thing. The funny thing is that in 2000 I used to take these long 50 - 70 mile rides on weekends and was probably a faster and more sporty rider. I still enjoy recreational bike trips but they have a different quality now. I don't take them as often and long rides usually involve some other goal than just biking around in a circuit.

Confession: I used to tell myself the same lies that the car apologists try to post on this forum; traffic is too dangerous, biking is too slow, I won't be able to meet members of the opposite sex, the boss won't like it, clients won't like it, bikes don't work in snow, and probably others too stupid to remember. These fallacies are floating around our culture, I didn't have a TV so I can't blame TV for directly implanting these falsehoods in my mind.


I used to sit in traffic for 45 minutes or more to go to the rec center to work out. Now I don't go to the rec center but feel healthier. I feel stupid when I remember how I used to live. Last month I saw an old housemate from my car owning days. He went nuts. "You look great! I mean it. Whatevery you're doing keep it up. You look like you did in college, a lot better than when we shared a house." But he gave me the old deer in headlights stare when I tried to tell him about living downtown and biking everywhere. He couldn't make the connection. He now lives in a suburban neighborhood without side walks and drives everywhere. He's very disciplined about working out yet finds it difficult to keep the extra weight off just like I used to.

Great post, gwd, thanks for taking the time.

My thoughts and esperiences are similar to your own, except that I was carfree before I started riding. I initially started riding for transportation, and later added the recreational and fitness components.

Like you, the "Must-Have-Car" lies and myths are so obvious that I have trouble understanding where in our culture they come from, and why most people blindly believe them.

Agreed.

The countless hours of television programming has convinced America that you need an expensive engine to enjoy life. In fact, owning a motorcar and not renting is the only solution according to the commercials. A carfree lifestyle is not even an alternative.

One of my pet peeves is how so many people I know that arent car free look at me and treat me. They act as if Ive done something miraculous, and it isnt. Ive also watched quite a few formerly vivacious and healthy young women that work for my clients slowly turn into typical americans--> overweight, lethargic, sickly, and just not in very good shape due to lack of exercise. They always look at me and make comments about how good a shape im in for being 40 years old, yet they turn around and make all the usual excuses you hear all the time about why they could never do it. Im sure most of it is our general upbringing and culture, but I cant believe how few people actually try it. I dont think Ive ever run across anyone that has gone car free then returned to being a car owner cause they didnt like being car free. I think once the initial step is taken, and youve done it long enough to learn how to deal with basic things like shopping and errands that the rest is actually quite easy.

That's fantastic, great going! I hope ... & expect that in 6 years time I can make a similar post. :) I still get a mixed reaction from people but I'm proud & happy about my decision. I still have to defend my decision to a certain few who just can't grasp or accept the notion of not owning an automobile.

Dude, only driving a car a few times in the last six years DOES make you a car-free saint!