Originally Posted by Blue_Bulldog

My intense dislike of driving is a big part of what pushed me to go car free. When I have to drive, I usually get home and have a stiff drink or lay with a hot towel on my face to calm down. Because it's just awful for me. If I can avoid being in a car, I will.

Originally Posted by Blue_Bulldog

Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike

Given your physical and mental reaction to being in a car even when driven by somebody else, let alone yourself, and your desire/claim to be car-free, why do you have to be a passenger or driver of a motor car?

Originally Posted by RPK79

Now there's something you don't hear everyday.

Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike

Given your physical and mental reaction to being in a car even when driven by somebody else, let alone yourself, and your desire/claim to be car-free, why do you have to be a passenger or driver of a motor car?

Originally Posted by Roody

The world was not exactly built for the convenience and comfort of carfree people. There are occasions when they have to drive or ride in cars. These can include going to distant places that aren't served by transit, going with other people who prefer car travel, traveling where you don't feel comfortable using bike or walking (such as fast traffic or high crime risks), and other reasons that affect the individual.

Originally Posted by Blue_Bulldog

Yeah, I mean going car free isn't like becoming vegan. You can still drive sometimes. It'd be hard for 5 of us to go to the bar on my commuter bike. It'd look funny as hell, but won't pan out so well.

Originally Posted by 350htrr

Wwwhat? Vegans aren't allowed to sneak in a steak or two once or twice a year and call themselves vegan? That's just as unfair as not being able to call oneself car free and sneak in a drive or two in a year... What is this world coming to?

Originally Posted by Blue_Bulldog

Yeah, I mean going car free isn't like becoming vegan. You can still drive sometimes. It'd be hard for 5 of us to go to the bar on my commuter bike. It'd look funny as hell, but won't pan out so well.

Originally Posted by MEversbergII

What's the tank under the driver for? Pressurize the beer barrel?

M.

Originally Posted by smellincoffee

In the city, I loathe it. Outside the city, on a country highway headed for a big city, I can be on top of the world. Driving is fun, it's the stopping and other cars that ruin it.

Originally Posted by phoebeisis

…We do love road trips in the suburban-not the driving-but the stopping at rest stops-walking dog- meeting strangers at rest stops-gas stations- yeah love the USA-E-IN road trip aspect-we sleep in it at rest stops.
Yeah-the USA road trip-alive and well.,,,


I don't like or dislike the actual driving-but I love road trips-eating out of ice chest- passing time of day with strangers-their pets-smelling the different smells in different places- different light-humidity-wind -weather-even the dry broiling heat in AZ-…

Yeah-USA road trips

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

+10: “On the Road”(Jack Kerouac), “On the Road Again” (Willie Nelson) “What are we going to do? / Road trip!!" (Animal House), “National Lampoon Vacation,” “From Atlantic to Pacific, Gee the traffic is terrific." (Home for the Holidays), etc.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I dislike car-commuting, don't mind city-driving, and enjoy (within reason) long-distance driving. A usual limit is about 700 miles per day (Boston to Michigan).

I particularly prefer a long drive because I don't fly.

Originally Posted by Blue_Bulldog

I actually really hate driving. For a while I had a legit medical reason not to drive. After I died and was dealing with the damage hypoxia caused, for a while I just couldn't concentrate enough to drive. That went away after a while, but then I found every time I rode in a car, I got violently carsick. That too eventually went away but I found still that I really just hate driving or riding in a car. I don't own a car, but every now and then my roommate lends me his car like if it's a torrential downpour and I have to go somewhere, or if I'm driving to go see my daughter who lives 20 min away. While it's something I am now physically able to do, it's just a very disagreeable sensation to me. I have nothing holding me back, but it's just very not fun. Other drivers take the whole gig way too seriously and will scream for you to go to hell just because you drifted an inch to center, or because you're going 44 mph in a school zone and they're trying to catch McDonald's breakfast. When I ride in a car I still get slightly carsick, but more or less, I am convinced we are about to get in a wreck at all times. I'll go places with my girlfriend and sometimes I have to legit put my hands over my eyes because I'm convinced we're about to go all Red Asphalt.

My intense dislike of driving is a big part of what pushed me to go car free. When I have to drive, I usually get home and have a stiff drink or lay with a hot towel on my face to calm down. Because it's just awful for me. If I can avoid being in a car, I will.

Originally Posted by phoebeisis

WOW!!
Yeah-you have a good reason to avoid driving.
Before your injury-were you indifferent to driving?
Take family road trips as a kid?
Our family road trips-were HORROR stories-vomiting out window-mother screaming-reaching over seat to break up fights-dog barfing-but I have somewhat "fond" memories of them. We -3 kids-always got car sick back then-
so I have lots of empathy for car sick folks-terrible to be stuck in moving car-right on the edge of barfing-pre-barf sweating-dizzy feeling-headache
Yeah if I still got car sick-I would avoid them-MISERABLE!!

Originally Posted by Blue_Bulldog

Before I died, I actually enjoyed driving. I had a Chevy Cobalt that I would actually drive on the Eastern NC back roads on Sundays at really high speeds for fun. But afterwards, it was too much stimuli and I couldnt maintain awake-ness enough to drive. Now that I can, it's still too much for me because other drivers take it way too seriously, there's a lot going on, and it's lame. I still get carsick though, but not as bad.

Our family took road trips sometimes, but I hated them because my family never got along. Still don't.

My girlfriend right now, is having to learn about my quirks with riding in cars. Like I freak out if she takes a phone call or texts, because I hate riding in cars and I trust her to drive me safely and to screw with her phone puts me at risk and it sets me off on anxiety. In fact, any time I'm riding in a car and the driver does anything other than 10 and 2, I have to close my eyes and pray.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

...I particularly prefer a long drive because I don't fly.

Originally Posted by phoebeisis

Boston huh-when I was a little kid-1950's-we would drive thru Boston on the way to my cousins in Fall River-which was a down at its heels mill town back then-- Bottomleys Butterscotch - coffee syrup- Ballantines Beer sign(Providence)-funny triangular Building in Boston or maybe?

Originally Posted by FBinNY

…There's a belief among some active cyclists that it's somehow morally superior, and/or the belief that we live in a bike vs. car world. I view either as a choice, which we make based on personal considerations. I'm an active daily cyclist, but not anti-car in any way. Get around whatever way makes the most sense for you.

Originally Posted by bluegoatwoods

I just finished a terrific snow commute. I don't even need to explain why that's likeable; anyone reading this already knows.

But a few people at work, who should know better…looked at me like they just couldn't believe it. …
I think they actually believed that the ride was going to be just awful, but that I couldn't bring myself to admit it to them.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

At least about 20 years ago or so in Boston Magazine, was a cover featuring a runner or maybe it was a cyclist in spandex, with the headline something like “They Exercise and Work Out, and They Think They're Better Than You." I did not read the article, but that cover stuck in my mind. More recently, here in Boston I've heard occasional talk shows on the radio decrying the behavior of cyclists…

I think that here in 21st Century America we cyclists are still a very small and little-understood minority, and disparaging the majority is not a very fruitful approach to spreading the message.