Cyclepup

When I met my DH in '84 we were working in Santa Monica and he owned 3 bikes...no car. Everyone thought I was crazy but I knew...he was the one. Of course it didn't hurt that he was also a triathlete and had something like 5% body fat. Still, the fact that he didn't own a car did not bother me. So yes, I'd have to say there are women out there who are totally capable of digging car-free guys.

ro-monster

For much of my adult life, I was just about the only person I knew who owned a car. If I dated a man, he was probably car-free. But none of them rode bicycles either.

Robert Foster

The answer more than likely is yes. But the number of women would be less if experience has anything to do with it. Just as an observation it seems as if men outnumber women 8 or 9 to 1 in the cycling community. If that number translates to the car free community then the pool of perspective women to be attracted to a car free male is less and the numbers that male would be working against would be greated percentage wise. It would be like the job market. When there are 100 jobs and 1000 people looking for work 900 are going to have to learn to do without. However if one doesn't care if the woman is car free the odds might go up a bit. Still it is unlikely you would get to the 50-50 chance the non car free seem to have. But the answer is still, yes.

cZa

I'm just gonna have to say I'm guessing my fiancée does.

chandltp

Ooohh.. you'd better hope you're guessing right

Just kidding.. my wife doesn't care either way. She was a little apprehensive about me getting rid of my truck at first, but she's made peace with it. I don't think it would have mattered to her either way when we were dating.

RatedZ

You said it; Mommy and Daddy are buying BMWs. Anybody without money isn't going to a "Class A" university, regardless what state it's in. I'm talking about your basic "local" colleges.

rumrunn6

no women size up guys subliminally to see if they would be good providers. the better the car the better the provider. if you're on a bike - you're a no-go. all they want is children and money

RatedZ

My wife didn't (and doesn't...) want any children, and I don't have any money, so you're wrong.

rumrunn6

re: "so you're wrong"

why am I not surprised. maybe that's why my current spouse hates me

Llamero

I was a car-free 23 year old when I married a beautiful 23 year old car user. No offense but all this talk of dating for specific looks and money may explain why some people are still dating. You definitely need to marry someone you're physically attracted to, but that's peanuts compared to meeting someone who not only do you love on a deep emotional level, but who loves you the same in return.

RatedZ

When my wife told me when we met she hadn't an interest in children "now or later," I knew she was the right girl for me. I thought to myself, "Yep, this one's a keeper!"

Foofy

Some women certainly like carfree guys. And vice versa.

Honestly though, for me asking whether or not a girl wants/chooses to be carfree isn't the right question. The sort of person they are, and the nature of our relationship is what matters, not preferences of transport equipment. I have yet to be convinced that not owning/using a car is somehow intrinsically better and more moral than owning/using one.

Being passionate about things and having the drive to work hard are things I look for. Someone who cycles, cares about the planet, and tries to minimize their carbon footprint can certainly fill that category for me. But I need to see passion and hard work being done. Someone who owns no car, works no job, and does nothing to try to improve society and/or the environment they care so much about won't attract me.

One requirement I definitely have is a love art, entertainment, and science. If I can't have good, in depth conversations with a girl about movies, books, and scientific stuff, then I won't be interested in her. I'll simply get bored too quickly.

Snowman219

WTF, NO NO NO! Tell him a bunch of crap about being confident and just to go for it so we all get a good laugh when reality hits...sheesh entertainment ain't cheap ya know!

rumrunn6

re: "peanuts compared to meeting someone who not only do you love on a deep emotional level, but who loves you the same in return"

+1 for LOVE

... too easy to marry for other (really good) reasons

spinninwheels

I realized that at some point, having a serious relationship with a woman with a car would be somewhat of an obstacle. I just felt that our philosophies wouldn't mesh.

Though women may be instinctually wired for a provider, we are not all that different really. So I don't think that you'll be dreaming solo. You just have a different filter in place that may exclude a larger demographics.

I was single for years before I found someone (she actually found me). They are out there. Don't worry.

rumrunn6

I often tell people that I married my current spouse because she had a car. at the time we met she was the only of the 5 girls I was dating that had a dependable car and it was a sign to me that she was accomplished and independent. I didn't want a loser. the other girls were losers and their car situation, I thought, was proof. In actuality, my current spouse's Dad bought her that car and had nothing to do with her personal abilities. during the course of our marriage her Dad has bought her 2 more cars, so it kinda worked out for me! :-)

maybe that's why my current spouse hates me

heywood

Most guys I've known that had a nice car have been up to their eyeballs in debt because they're trying to maintain the image of a lifestyle that they think they have to have. If a woman is using that as a gauge to whether that guy is a good provider then they're in for a rude awakening once they get married and have kids..

heywood

Most guys I've known that had a nice car have been up to their eyeballs in debt because they're trying to maintain the image of a lifestyle that they think they have to have. If a woman is using that as a gauge to whether that guy is a good provider then they're in for a rude awakening once they get married and have kids..

cerewa

I've purposely refused to buy a car, and saved a lot of money this way.

A certain someone knew this, and hoped I would spend that extra money on the family she wanted to have with me.

Not necessarily a selfish thing to want, but she and I definitely didn't see eye to eye when it comes to money.

nice_marmot

Really, really, really depends on where and who you both are. If you both live in a city that's easy to get around, and you both live in fairly accessible neighborhoods, lack of a car isn't going to matter -- she probably won't have one either.

jtgotsjets

To be fair, KU's student demographic is split pretty much down the middle between conservative Johnson County (rich KC suburb) kids in the greek system and the more liberal hippie pot smoking crowd.... Not to, you know, make generalizations or anything. While the kids in frats and sororities all have BMWs and enormous SUVs, I see plenty of people—students and townies (people who stay in Lawrence tend toward the "liberal hippie pot smoking" end of the spectrum)—riding their bikes all over town. I expect many of them also own cars, but its not as though we don't have a nice strong bike community.

BTW, whereabouts do you live in Lawrence?

Zardhex

Haha, good one XD

Great topic for discussion ladies and gents...i feel alot better now after reading everyone's responses, good or bad....i agree that anyone worth having will accept you for your lifestyle and love you for the passion you put into being car-free, and for the passion you show them in return ;-)

rockmom

My husband did not have a car when I met him. It did not prevent me from pursuing him, marrying him, and having children with him. And we never got around to buying a car. Of course, a former car obsessed boyfriend had soured me on cars to begin with.

SunnyFlorida

My ex didn't have a car either when I met him. Not because he was living green but the State of New York kindly asked him not to drive a car for 6-7 months. Do I need to say more?

Our courtiship involved candlelit dinners and running for the bus, the ferry and the train. He hated it. I didn't mind because I grew up in NYC where taking the train was considered normal. He grew up in the burbs of NJ where having a car was considered normal. How we ever got married is beyond me. Nevertheless, we had 15 years of commuter bliss together simply because I insisted on getting a house within walking distance to the train.

Now he lives with his true love, his beloved Honda Accord, and I live with my trike and some good walking shoes. Cool.

Now the big question, do I dig car-free guys? Would I go out with one, which is even a bigger question. If the dude is living car free from choice and not forced too, then yes.

At least that shows me the guy is committed to something.

gerv 

Good on you! Too bad there aren't more like you. I can't see how a Honda Accord could replace you.