I did for years, ironically I only own a car because of mountain biking.
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Has anyone chosen to be car-less?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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Like Emsz and BigDummy, I've never learned to drive. Simply no need to really, living where I do. Buses, Trains, Tube, DLR, Minicabs, Taxis. Everything I need is within a mile or two. Longest commute I've ever had was about 6 miles each way, with cycle or public transport options.
Interestingly, I cover more distance than most of the people I know here who drive. Not surprisingly, I'm also fitter than them (and sexier and more intelligent and fun). It's amusing listening to their attempts at justifying car ownership. None of them really 'need' their cars. Some folk have ditched their cars and just hire one when needed. Saves an absolute fortune over owning a car. Insurance, VED, MOT, servicing, petrol, parking, etc. Some folk spend several grand a year owning a car, yet hardly ever travel outside London. Just stupid.
Would be handy to be able to drive, so's I could hire a car or vayn to have weekends away a bit further afield I spose. But then as BigDummy sez; I'd then find 'reasons' to drive places....
Posted 1 year ago # -
I find myself increasingly finding 'reasons' not to drive to places... including (nay, especially) the supermarket. I go on my way home from work rather than going back out later
Posted 1 year ago # -
I had a car for 3 years. I worked out that it cost me roughly £7 per day to own, including depreciation, maintenance, and fuel, and of course that is regardless of whether it was getting used or not i.e. during the week, when it wasn't used at all, it sucked £35 to just sit there.
I sold it to fund an MSc, and the only regret is not being able to just go ride places whenever I want to. I'd like a vehicle again, but not until I can really afford to run one sensibly.
Posted 1 year ago # -
GiantJaunt - Member
I'm seriously considering getting rid of my car once I've had it MOT'd this month. I live 1 mile from work and do the vast majority of my cycling from home. I can easily get a train into the city for shopping and nights out so I'm thinking the environmental and financial benefits will outweigh having to do without.
I had my licence medically revoked nearly two years ago due to epilepsey, so I didn't have any say in loosing my car & driving. I live less than a mile from work, I can walk there in 20 minutes, plus my Mrs still has a car so we're not completely isolated. We live close to local rail services and being classed as disabled means I am entitled to a concessionary travel pass - at least until the government pull them.My main concern is that I won't be able to organise cycling trips away and visiting friends and family so easily.
Agree that cycling trips have been sorely missed, a good mate has taken us off to Llandegla & Gisburn a couple of times but it feels like an imposition on him.It could either be one of the best things I've ever done or a big regret. Someone said that if I want to get another car in the future I'll have to pay loads for insurance but I don't know about that.
My understanding is that a proof of no claims will stand for two years and then insurance is like starting from zero - maybe consider it for 12 months and then reconsider?Has anyone else tried it and how did things turn out?
Not as bad as I thought when I first realised that ongoing seizures produce an indefinite rolling 12 month licence suspension - earliest I can get my licence back currently is mid March 2012, assuming I remain seizure free until then. I'm at a point where if I can avoid having to return to driving then I might try and carry on car less even if I do get my licence back.Posted 1 year ago # -
Surely the answer is to use whatever transport is the most appropriate for the journey?
So today:
90 miles - Motorbike to work and back
1 mile - Cycle to the cashpoint
4 miles - Car dropping a mate offPosted 1 year ago # -
Surely the answer is to use whatever transport is the most appropriate for the journey?
Yes. I think the problem for 99% of the population it is assumed that a car should be used for 100% of the journey 100% of the time. I can empathise though as outside select areas public transport can be very expensive as well as irregular, even more so if you already have a car and are just trying to reduce your usage of it by doing mixed mode journeys or public transport for some trip a car for others as your need require.
I personally love using the train to go ride new areas, but frequently drive because of the poor pricing structures. Went to go by train last month and it cost me more for the return journey than the outgoing!
Posted 1 year ago # -
A lot of car less people I know rely on other people having cars. There's examples on this thread like borrowing a car for 4 weeks or getting lifts off friends and family. That's not a criticism, just pondering about how many car less people becomes unsustainable. If you're a group of 5 mates and 1 is without a car then it's fairly easy to work around that without anyone feeling used, but what about if only 1 out of 5 has a car?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I dont have a car and never have had. My eyesight is pretty crap which put me off driving in my younger years and after that it became more of a decision not to want to drive. My wife has a car which she uses for work and we all use for trips out from time to time. I'm a sentimentalist I reckon, and I hate what our use of the motor car has done to us and our environment. There's no getting around getting around (as someone who should be more famous than they are once said). Our entire society is geared up to car usage, if you don't have one you aren't welcome. Our streets used to be part of our homes, now it's just somewhere we park. You want to look for the roots of the breakdown of community? Start there.
You can live a happy life without a car, I know cos I have. Just be prepared to wait longer, be more patient, more flexible and come last on the the list of local government priorities.
Posted 1 year ago # -
but what about if only 1 out of 5 has a car?
One of three things:
1) you become very popular
2) you become teetotal
3) you spend a lot of time at Ikea.Btw, it's not quite the same thing saying 'well I don't have a car' then revealing your OH has one and you only live 10 mins walk from work. You don't flippin well need two in that case!
Our streets used to be part of our homes, now it's just somewhere we park. You want to look for the roots of the breakdown of community? Start there
Disagree. In America cars are an even bigger part of life than they are here. Every journey is a car journey more or less. But they still have close communities in small insular places, just the same as anywhere.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Disagree all you like. I'm not talking about the US.
In the majority of towns and cities the outside is where you park. Not talk to your neighbours or let your kids play. Park. That's all.
Posted 1 year ago # -
ebygomm, the 4 week borrowing example was me. To be fair, I did give her some money towards the car, so it wasn't just a blag
And as I said, I reckon it's just me being a bit cautious due to this being our first baby. I wasn't keen on getting the bus to hospital with the wife in labour, though she's subsequently told me that's what her mum did!Perhaps the people you know are a bit selfish? I don't think I've ever asked for a lift to go shopping or anything like that, though people have offered and once or twice I've accepted. Had people drop stuff off at mine a few times, but that's about it. I don't think I've imposed too much, and I never considered it an imposition driving to go biking when I used to do it. If 1 out of 5 has a car then it'd cost you less than a tenner for an extra car every weekend
For biking we always used the company van and another car. Van hire isn't that cheap, but it'd still only be about £25 each for a long weekend.
Posted 1 year ago # -
In the majority of towns and cities the outside is where you park. Not talk to your neighbours or let your kids play. Park. That's all
That's not been my experience in the UK either to be fair. Our street is full of cars but also full of playing kids. Kicking balls into the cars *ggrrrr!*
Posted 1 year ago # -
there is another option.... scooter
iv been car free for about 2 years ride 15 miles 4 times a week and the 5th day i use the moped as its a 12hr shift i have a 2yo and misses the public transport is superb and very close to evrything i need so but when i get up late or to tierd to ride the scooter is very handy
£15 a year tax(for 125 and under)
£120 a year ins
fuel i get 120miles from £5.50(thats a full tank)
parts are cheep as chips and very basic enough for your avreg person to work on
ideal for shoping trips as i use my wrap over panniers when needed.Posted 1 year ago # -
it costs thousands a year to run a car
How do you work that one out? Even after VED,MoT and insurance I bet it didn't cost me a £1000 pound last year. I admit I don't use my car a lot but saying it cost thousands?
Are you kidding fella! Ofcourse it costs thousands to run a car.
Quick run down from last year and I only did 3000 miles.Insurance £525
Tax £245
Service £140-£300.Bang that's £1000 before it's even been driven.
Then there are things that wear out like brakes and Tyres.
Discs and pads £600
Tyres £550So as you can see I spent £2000 before even driving it.
Don't get me started on fuel.Posted 1 year ago # -
No not kidding but what your paying for insurance is my insurance,tax and mot.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I can only guess you have a car that emits less than 120g/km of CO2 and pay £30 for your roadtax.
Posted 1 year ago # -
thank you tinytimbo
someone who is realistic
I simply dont believe the person who claims tax, mot and insurance is less than 500 a year - or is that third party only? leaving a huge uninsured cost
Posted 1 year ago # -
TandemJeremy - Member
I simply dont believe the person who claims tax, mot and insurance is less than 500 a year - or is that third party only? leaving a huge uninsured cost
My insurance was £305 TPF&T (I was quoted £380 comp but with a big excess, wasn't economic), tax is £130 (1.8TD), MOT whatever an MOT costs, £35? The insurance quote's a wee bit inflated because I've no no-claims for cars, only got my car ticket last year.
Course that's a drop in the bucket of car costs.
Posted 1 year ago # -
edit - can't add up
Posted 1 year ago # -
Loving the tags by the way - I was wondering if anyone would notice
Posted 1 year ago # -
I would like to point out in reference to tinytimbo's post that you don't need new tyres, brakes and discs every year.
Posted 1 year ago # -
No TJ thats fully comp protected. See if you did drive you would know the real cost of driving not some figures quoted out of a survey or trawled up from wikibullshit.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Our streets used to be part of our homes, now it's just somewhere we park. You want to look for the roots of the breakdown of community? Start there.
I clearly remember kicking balls into neighbours' cars as a kid, don't think parking has much to do with any supposed "breakdown of community".
Posted 1 year ago # -
No car for nearly 6 years now. My alcohol tolerance has increased proportionally!
Posted 1 year ago # -
1 cheap car to run that spends a lot of its time on the drive. I think we may try mon -fri carless for awhile through the summer. However rural cumbria bus service is rubbish and expensive and it would be awful not to take the little ones into the mountains that can be seen from the house. We currently use about 1 tank of fuel a month may try and stretch tht to 2months over the summer.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I don't need either of my vehicles, a Ducato van and a 605 car, they are both hangovers from my days in business. However, I've got them and occasionally use them. About 500l of fuel with most of it going in the van. The car is 19 years old and I've owned it for 16. So a big saloon in France has cost me:
Insurance: 270e
MOT: 50e/two years = 25e
Road tax: 0e
note that I'm only up to £260 TJ
Depreciation: 4000e/16 = 250e
DIY maintenance 5000e/16 = 312eTotal: 857e/year or about £754/year.
Given local rental costs it would have cost me more to rent for the jouneys that I can't use public transport for. The van covers half of its running costs just in the value of the free wood I pick up with it.
I find it frustrating that so little is done to price these two greedy monsters off the road. It may happen soon though as they are both in categories that will soon be banned in towns under proposed pollution laws. A German friend finally had to get rid of her ageing Golf when it was banned in the major town she lives near.
Edit: whilst my wife and son are quite happy to have to play with valves to use the wahing machine or get a hot shower, and stoke the wood burner they wouldn't put up with a carless existence.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Currently do 35k per annum in my own car split between business and pleasure. I'd guess the running costs over 71k miles in a 54 plate mondeo which already had done 80k when i bought it would be about 20 pence per mile including fuel, depreciation, tax, insurance, servicing etc etc. Take fuel off which i get largely paid for anyway, and i'm guessing about 5 pence per mile. How does that compare to doing 70k on public transport? What's a season ticket on the That Der London tube - several thousand or something?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Got rid of mine about 5 years ago and don't miss it. The battery kept going flat it was used so little. Commuting by bike is much better.
We do still have one old car, but it does very low milage, as does my motorbike.
At the moment I wouldn't want to be totally car free, because I like the convenience of having your own vehicle ready to drive whenever you need it, and the motorbike is so much quicker than public transport.
Anyone belong to a car club? In theory they seem to be a good option, but unlike hire cars they aren't going to have a full clean between each user. Anyone who's used a pool car or van will know how gross the interior of a new vehicle can become in just a couple of monthsPosted 1 year ago # -
If you run a car, I hope you still commute by bike - it makes you happier.
A wealth of literature from researchers studying stress and related effects reveals ‘persistent and significant costs associated with a long commute through heavy traffic’.
By contrast, studies comparing the experiences of commuting by bicycle and car report that cyclists find their mode of transport at least as flexible and convenient as those who use cars, with lower stress and greater feelings of freedom, relaxation and excitement.
Posted 1 year ago # -
miketually I wished I could commute but my type of work evolves me having a 4x4 carrying around alot of equipment and towing trailers and bowsers and I wouldn't fancy trying to tow our chipper behind my bike
Posted 1 year ago # -
I simply dont believe the person who claims tax, mot and insurance is less than 500 a year - or is that third party only? leaving a huge uninsured cost
Why? Some cars are low tax and older drivers may have low insurance. Mine is around £650 for a car that's not cheap to tax and I've been driving for about 14 years which isn't much compared to a lot of folk.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'll repeat:
£7 per day it cost me to own a 53 plate Mondeo estate, including all costs and depreciation i.e. £2,555 a year.
Posted 1 year ago # -
If you run a car, I hope you still commute by bike
I do as much as I can. It is 20 miles and I have yet to do it more than 4 times a week
Posted 1 year ago #
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