[Closed] Anyone gone carless?

Funny you should say this now but we are just discussing the subject too. I've recently changed jobs which allows for a 5 mile commute each way to work and the boss hasn't wanted to drive for over 2 years now.
The main stumbling block for me is the laziness within myself to get up earlier and ride alongside the lack of vehicle for holidays.
Knowing that I could save myself £400pm in running costs is a huge incentive but one I'm still to commit to

I have. We have a car in the family but wife uses it almost exclusively. She uses it for her substantial commute in the week. I manage by bike or public transport. It's tough as we live in a market town bang in the middle of nothing so public transport is very poor.

I cope and I don't want my car back. But we would find life near impossible without one car between us.

As above. I think being completely without a car would be very difficult but I've been considering only having one for a while. I rarely use mine except sometimes at the weekends. It has cobwebs on the door mirrors.

One place I'll disagree (mainly because it winds me up beyond belief), is the suggestion that the government hits drivers in the pocket. Drivers get an absolutely tiny vehicle tax levied on them which doesn't even come close to the cost that they cause and then the government place tax on fuel for distance travelled/efficiency. If you don't like that last one then get a car that's economical like it's encouraging you to do.

Fuel is mostly tax, that's not what I want to pay.

I like the idea of bus/train/Brompton should I get a job that involves a commute.

You need to keep one car ...

We are doing.

When I say carless I mean me, not the family. Wife will have it nearly all the time though.

I sold my car a month ago, ordering shopping on line saving me money (buying only what I actually need) gives me no choice of wimping out and driving to work if it's raining.

Going well so far, but can see me needing one soon as will be hard to keep the kids entertained over the winter when we can't just go to the park.

Got rid of mine years ago. Mrs Gordimhor has a car which she uses almost exclusively as her job involves a lot of travelling. I live in the Highlands public transport isn't good but fortunately I have a very understanding boss who doesn't mind me being late for the early shift. Still means a lot of long waiting around for buses after work etc

Didn't have one for nearly 3 years, including the first 2 years of being a parent. We were ok, the only real dramas being a trip to A+E in a taxi, then scrabbling for a lift to a hospital 10 miles away when daughter, mum, dad and grandad all had norovirus 🙁

Have had one for the last 6 months, it is convenient and allows us to do more as a family. The cost is pretty crippling though, especially when you factor in the cost of doing more as a family.

Never looked back really..

I've had cars on and off throughout my life, generally getting shot of them through 'sheer can't be arsedness' really..
Once you get out of the daft habit you realise that life is so much easier without one..
When I met Mrs Yunki she was horrified, and I think she truly believed that it was some kind of mental deficiency or a sign of immaturity..

So she's always maintained one (oh, how I've enjoyed throwing all that wonga down the drain.. thousands and thousands.. maybe tens of thousands) and now for the first time we actually [i]need[/i] a vehicle as we need to make deliveries for her work..

To be honest, I suppose it depends on your geographical circumstances, but for us it's a good compromise.. Family holidays, visiting rellies and trips to the tip would be a bit of a trauma otherwise, But everything else I now do by bike, you just have to adjust your horizons..
I can reach everywhere in the town that we live in, and the nearest city, the beach and the countryside by bike (with kids on board) and we have a good rail link within 5 minutes..

I'm a stay at home dad too so technically I need the car to a much greater extent than a commuter would, but it's actually a bit of a treat to slog across town with half a metric ton of squawking human cargo twice a day.. very good for the leggies 😀

Running errands and doing the school run has never felt so good..

The downside, if you can call it that, is that I'm the only **** doing it round here, so amongst a certain sector of the local community, I'm the wally with the trailer that holds up traffic occasionally.. But I generally get a very positive response (especially in these austere times) with most folk who have an opinion being envious..
My kids will grow out of it soon, and perhaps will start to dislike the uniqueness.. but that's a way off yet and they'll be riding their own bikes soon enough

Yunki, that's impressive! I've not had a car in over ten years. Work shifts, so ride one way, every day and bus the other way. Shop by bike, booze by bike, love bikes, me.

I have held a driving licence since I was 17, but have never owned a car or been insured as a owner.
I got a licence for work purposes.
we do have a family car tho, which the wife runs for work visits, but for the amount of miles it is used, it would be cheaper over the year to use taxi's, rather than paying yearly tax, mot's, petrol and general costs.
on a weekend the car is parked up and we use buses and trains, so we can both have a shandy or 2.
I commute by bike, and have done all my working life.

It's funny the reactions people give me now because rather than explaining that I don't personally have a car but my wife has a car etc I just usually say 'I don't drive'. The looks of horror I get! I immediately become an outcast. When I lived in the city it was perfectly acceptable with people, but living in the countryside and being a none driver is almost the worst thing you can be..... Apart from being a different ethnicity of course.

Nah. I love cars and driving.

I'm lost here, why are people claiming to be carless because you have 1 car?

funny, I read most of the post as people saying they had a car, but did not use it. I am not lost.

I kind of applaud you for ditching your cars but I couldn't do it myself. Cars represent freedom to me, so much so I currently have two and I'm a single bloke.

funny, I read most of the post as people [b]saying they had a car,[/b] but did not use it. I am not lost.

Still confused.

Either you have no cars or a car.

or maybe explaining to the op that you have a car but don't use it, to kind of tell him he will be fine..no?

Having dropped to one car was a change, it's good and bad. We live somewhere with crap public transport. I have to use taxi's a lot for work and they are too expensive to use on a regular basis if nobody else is paying.

Considering what a car gives you it's still a cheap form of transport.

The only thing I struggle with is the weekly food shop, I can't order it online as I like to pick my good myself, I can't fit it in panniers and a pack as there is too much. I would love a cargo bike but can't afford one so it's either multiple trips or make the wife go.

or maybe explaining to the op that you have a car but don't use it, to kind of tell him he will be fine..no?

Or avoiding the wrath of posting "Anyone gone down to 1 car: First world problems" 😀

Down to 1 car, now there's a thread I can relate too.

I kind of applaud you for ditching your cars but I couldn't do it myself. Cars represent freedom to me, so much so I currently have two and I'm a single bloke.

Freedom from what? living in a horrible place you need a car to get out of? imagine the nice place you could live if you didnt spend money on 2 cars....

The only thing I struggle with is the weekly food shop, I can't order it online as I like to pick my good myself, I can't fit it in panniers and a pack as there is too much. I would love a cargo bike but can't afford one so it's either multiple trips or make the wife go.

Nowt wrong with going more often, pretty easy if you already commute by bike.

Aye. It's quite a brief diversion for me to call in at the supermarket on the way home so I usually check with the wife to see if there's anything she needs before setting off. She occasionally takes the mickey and asks for 24 cans of whiskas but it usually works out ok.

The biggest problem at our nearest supermarket is the stupid bike lockers. People leave their own padlocks on there even when they're not in use.

I only use my car for work, bit difficult without it, and to go to my Friends 32 miles away, otherwise I use the Bikes.

I prefer Shopping on the Bike as I can't be bothered parking in our small town and trips to the Bank are so much easier.

My Mates missus sometimes pulls her face when I turn up at there's wet and muddy on the MTB but I prefer riding the Bike these days.

2 Cars here down to 1. You need to be realistic especially if you have Kids. I got rid of one about 2 years ago now. I commute by bike to work. Its tough in the Winter, but they say a little hardship does you good. I walk to/from school with kids when I can. My wife is a Radiographer (part time) so uses the car to get in to work and I car share with friends when she is not using it. It works for us and we are better off in more ways than one for it. Its good for the kids to understand that there are other ways of transportation to get around. The amount of Parents that shuttle their little ones in a car 300 yards to School only to sit in a Coffee Shop across it afterwards is disappointing. But hey, their life.

Freedom from what? living in a horrible place you need a car to get out of? imagine the nice place you could live if you didnt spend money on 2 cars...

Gone down to one car, the wife's Punto. Ironically I only need a car to get my bike to races!
I can commute to work without public transport.

We've just been talking about this, and holidays. Cheaper to hire a car for the whole family once a year.

Going back to the Punto, it was paid for years ago. Cost £100 per year in insurance, not much more in tax, easy and cheap to service. So it would be silly to get rid of it?

Freedom from what? living in a horrible place you need a car to get out of? imagine the nice place you could live if you didnt spend money on 2 cars....

I live in a lovely place already. Having cars gives me the freedom to go wherever I choose in comfort and at my convenience without having to brave public transport. Go and see friends and family maybe. Sometimes it's nice just to get in the car and drive somewhere though, there are some great roads in this country.

Gave up my car a year ago, after having my own car since 17 (23 years). I'm planning never to have one again.
We still have a family car, but we both commute by bike. Not sure I could go completely car free, but being without 'my' car is no problem at all.

I use my car for work, rest of the time it sits on the drive, wouldn't put my bike in it, lucky enough to be able to ride to local trails within 5 minutes, wouldn't sell it because I do enjoy driving it.

I work as a driver, and when I have free time I absolutely love driving my own car. I enjoy nice comfortable cars. I don't understand how one hates driving his own car. Maybe when you actually buy car, buy something you will like and enjoy? And no, I am not brand snob and have an average car before you start it.

But if you don't have real man instincts of hunter explorer then it's time to take up knitting, while sitting in the back seat of your wife's car.

Great idea in theory and I would love to do it.
However, we cannot exist without two cars.
We both need one for work and our location/family circumstances dictate we have them.
Huge admiration for those who can do it.

Yep, when the Haldex died on my 4Motion Golf, I just scrapped it and now just bike everywhere. Wife has a company car, so we're not carless, just one car. Slight pain sometimes if I need to get building materials as I might have to wait a few days till I can borrow it during the day, but other than that it's a lot cheaper only running one car.

Re school run, there are more and more of these in use in Cambridge:

[img] [/img]

[url= http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/avmule/?gclid=CP_Hr7PFk7oCFVSWtAodj3YAXQ ]Weekly shopping problem solved[/url]

But if you don't have real man instincts of hunter explorer then it's time to take up knitting, while sitting in the back seat of your wife's car.

The 60's, 70's and 80's called, they want their patriarchal out of date attitudes, string-back driving gloves and furry dice back.

Yes, thats correct MrSmith. Who wears trousers in your house? Car is for a real man. If you hear a lady complaining and moaning about driving there is simple answer -driving is for men.

We have one car and its done 300 miles since the beginning of June.
Living in London means driving is a chore, I still fail to understand quite why so many drive at every conceivable opportunity.

[quote=popstar ]Yes, thats correct MrSmith. Who wears trousers in your house? Car is for a real man. If you hear a lady complaining and moaning about driving there is simple answer -driving is for men.

Yep and we all know a big car gives you an extra inch 🙂

I'm with pop star on this.. Driving is indeed one of the manliest of pursuits.. Right up there with gardening, pigeon fancying and metal detecting

popstar, you complete and utter sausage........... 🙄

yunki.....you complete and utter hippy sausage........ 😉

Yes, thats correct MrSmith. Who wears trousers in your house? Car is for a real man. If you hear a lady complaining and moaning about driving there is simple answer -driving is for men.

Can I help you with your Neanderthal scribblings?

Yes, that [b]is[/b] correct MrSmith. Who wears [b]the[/b] trousers in your house? [b]The[/b] Car is for a real man. If you hear a lady complaining and moaning about driving there is [b]a[/b] simple answer -driving is for men. Ugh.

I'd love to but.....for the minute it's just nice to be able to sling the bike in the boot before work and then go riding somewhere further a field should I fancy it at the end of the day straight from work.

A PSA from Popstar.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/ceb0f1fbd7/women-dont-drive-from-snooperz

I wouldn't say that big car gives you extra inch, but you need to have a car to explore and hunt. An inactive man without real man hobbies and interests isn't attractive.
So, when woman wipes you on the floor don't run crying around, it all started when you advocated to lose your manliness. Don't be weak, they will get you.
😯

A big manly hairy sausage that impregnates doe-eyed females within a radius of 50m.

Move over Chuck Norris I just found a new man-hero 🙄

I managed well without a car for two years. It pissed my riding buddies off though as I relied on them too much when we went away.
Now I have a 205 gti. It is worth every penny it costs, as it's fun.

2 to 1 is very different to 1 to none

Used to work In central London and 2 cars was a waste of money, sold it. Used motorbike (and public transport) to get to work. Also cycled every now and then

Now work out of town and despite being able to get the train, cycle or motorbike we're back to two cars. It's just more practical, although its the kids that really clinch it. If we didn't have them I could use two wheels, but that's no use if I need to drop the kids off somewhere!

If you live somewhere as bike friendly as Milton Keynes it's very easy. Or was, until they moved my work to Luton 🙁

I'm 31 years old and made it this far without a car. I'm not sure what the fuss is all about with cars when you live in a city with decent public transport.

We went from 2 to 1 when my focus bit the dust partly from not being used enough and old. With a 3yr old and a 14 week old baby no cars is not an option
Also bear in mind things they involve a late finish, I play in a couple of bands and would be shafted without a car

CaptJon - Member - Quote
I'm 31 years old and made it this far without a car. I'm not sure what the fuss is all about with cars when you live in a city with decent public transport.

We're just considering this proposal in our house - our 12 year old Scenic got shunted up the arse last week and we are awaiting confirmation that the destroyed bumper and boot lock mean the car is written off (we're not sure, but it seems likely.) we can't afford to get a new car, and the car is worth next to nothing, so we're unlikely to get enough money to buy a car with it - so being forced into it to a certain extent.

I'm not sure how it will work, the day to day stuff is fine - between walking, bikes etc. we can get around town and school is at the end of the road, I commute by bike. The real issue is going to be visiting family, friends etc. which are all over the country - it's not uncommon for us to go to Southend for the day, for example - from Stafford. Not having a car puts an end to that - we'll see how we can get round it.

Never had more than 1 so don't know what all the fuss is about.

Mrs STR has never driven - although she's had a few lessons and will eventually drive one day. She uses public transport or we go places together.

I could never give up my car - far too restricting. I like to go to places at the drop of a hat/quickly/in shit weather/far away/in comfort/in my own company/with load carrying capacity/etc, etc....

Used public transport recently whilst injured - bloody expensive and restrictive. I like bikes but I'd not choose to ride one everywhere.

In other news, I'm not in any hurry to give up TV's, computers, mobile phones, the Internet, bicycle suspension, or any other great invention that the last century or two has brought us.

Me and the girlfriend manage on 1 car between the two of us and we live somewhere pretty damn car-centric (Perth Australia, I'm lucky enough to be able to walk/cycle to the office and when i'm on site its a taxi to the airport. It pretty much only gets used for the big weekly shop, driving to the trails at weekends and weekends away. I dont think I could go carless here, outside of the city public transport is utterly non existant and inside its a bit average.

I would like a 4wd drive though......

My brother, his wife & two young kids tried going without cars completely a few years ago but failed 🙁 they've never had two cars between them but have had car plus motorbike. I didn't even learn to drive until I had kids but then again I'd always had motorbikes. Looking forward to moving close to a railway station & bus route at end of the month, so will be nice to get back to a state of rarely using the car 🙂

We're down to 1 over here in Oz as I can get to work on the bike or bus, it's only been an issue about 3 times over 2 years when I needed it and my wife needed it as well. It wouldn't be an option in the UK given where I had to go to work though.

Just saw someone down my street drive 200 metres this morning to meet a friend so they could walk to the bus stop together 🙄 Seems as if some people can't contemplate the idea of self propulsion....it is noticable how car centric it is down under - very few roads in the 'burbs have footpaths.

If you get rid of 'your' car but still have one in the family, then you aren't carless are you? Car dependency is pretty deep rooted isn't it?

We have one car and its done 300 miles since the beginning of June.
Living in London means driving is a chore, I still fail to understand quite why so many drive at every conceivable opportunity.

So why have one at all. Surely it's cheaper just to hire one when you need it.

I'd love to lose one of our cars but a very niche set of skills mean I have to travel beyond reasonable biking distance to work.

Hiring cars is much less convenient though. If you can afford to have one for a few miles a year then it's easier. You don't have to remember to book, cycle down to the rental place to get it and drop it off etc.

I sold my car in july and the mrs had her mums Micra whilst they were abroad for a few months. Usually we are a/ have been a two car family but thought we'd try it. A few times it did restrict what we did but generally less than we had imagined. As such we've currently opted to only replace the micra with one car now her mums back. Admirable if it can be achieved.

If you get rid of 'your' car but still have one in the family, then you aren't carless are you? Car dependency is pretty deep rooted isn't it?

My question was about 'me' going carless, not the family. Plus the wife will have it 6 days out of 7. And it's me that drops and picks up the kids everyday so it means no car on school run, daytime swimming etc. So essentially I will be carless.

I went carless about 5 months ago, no problems so far. I do intend to join one of those "car clubs" where you can use a car for a few hours at a time, now the winter is setting in.

There is a small supermarket just a few hundred yards from my home, and my commute is 7.5km mainly along fireroads. I had basically set my life up already not to be reliant of having a car, but it took me a while to get over the final hurdle and actually get rid off it.

Having set my life up to be less reliant on a car, I eventually went the whole hog mainly for financial reasons, I would much rather spend my money on bikes and holidays than throw it at a car.

For me it has been very liberating, I am now richer in both money and perhaps more importantly time.

ps, and in those 5 months I have been able to afford 2 new bikes 😀

The fact I live in London means that for 2.5 years I haven't really needed ro wanted a car so i've been fine. Outside a city though is a different matter I think.

If your commute is set up properly then it's easy to be carless. The big issue is having no access to a car at all, when you want to go places further afield.

So definitely go to 1 car if you want!

I was carless until I got married (at 38, and Mrs StirlingCrispin now has a car to get to work on the outer edges of Glasgow). Even now I tend to lug the kids around by bike but do use it for ferrying them to and from beavers.

Here's my tips:
- Invest in a low-maintenance hack bike with hub gears, roller brakes, dynamo, mudguards.

- Buy a Brompton. The most social bike known to man. Get a lift home, put it in a taxi if it's raining, take it with you on the train or bus.

- Buy a trailer for the food shop and lugging other weird stuff around.

- Buy decent waterproofs and trousers and shoes.

You're saving £400/mo so don't hesitate to rent a car or jump in a taxi.

Single car family, and have been for years now.
Need a car really so the wife can get to work, which is 20 miles away, she uses it too for community visits.
I don't need a car as work is 1 mile away, as is my eldest son's school.
So apart from the wife's work, the car sits on the driveway all week long, then we use it at weekends for getting around (family dotted all over uk and owning and running a car is cheaper than public transport, not to mention more convenient with a 1 year old and 5 year old)
Also handy for getting to places with the bike that would otherwise take ages to get to, means I can be more "efficient" with my biking time vs family time. That said, most of my biking is done from the house to minimise non-riding time.

Don't get me wrong, if I had the money and the space, I'd love to have at least one car purely for thrashing 🙂

Personally I would have a Kona Ute if I had the cash. I travel for work by bike and train, carrying sometimes 5 days' worth of stuff and then running gear, cycling gear, computer etc. A Ute would fit a holdall nicely on that big rack nicely, and it'd still fit on FGW trains.

Personally I would have a Kona Ute if I had the cash. I travel for work by bike and train, carrying sometimes 5 days' worth of stuff and then running gear, cycling gear, computer etc. A Ute would fit a holdall nicely on that big rack nicely, and it'd still fit on FGW trains.

I've also been tempted as I've snapped two rear pannier racks overloading them with groceries. However, the Ute looks a bit cumbersome, I really like the nimbleness of my Pompino (although carrying 25kg bags of cement from B&Q does make it handle like a pig).

Aparently they don't handle too badly.

I'm 36 and have never got around to passing my driving test. As such, I've never applied for jobs that I couldn't get to by bike or public transport and so not driving isn't really an issue for me.

When we first got married (14 years ago) we didn't have a car for a couple of years, but my in-laws were just around the corner so my wife used to borrow her dad's car for Big Shops and day trips.

We also did about 18 months completely car free when the kids were younger; my wife wore the tread of a good few pushchair wheels.

When we didn't have a car, we'd either go on car free holidays or hire a car. Both kids are great on trains and buses, because they're so used to it. My eldest complains if we drive any distance as she much prefers the train.

So this thread is about if its possible for a family to survive with only one car?

Wow, that isn't exactly what i'd class as carless

I'd sooner go bikeless than carless (although that was a totally different story 2 years ago)

Life would be rubbish without a car. I did it for a few years when I was single and it was a total hassle - scrounging lifts from people etc etc.

Wife and I have a car between us. She uses it to ferry our daughter about. I bike 20 miles each way to work, and can optionally get the train if necessary. Costs far too much to run 2 cars. We /could/ afford it, but we'd have to give other stuff up.

Hiring cars is much less convenient though. If you can afford to have one for a few miles a year then it's easier. You don't have to remember to book, cycle down to the rental place to get it and drop it off etc.

Just requires you to plan a little more. In 3 years without a car, only once did I have a problem hiring at short notice. Enterprise also drop you off and pick you up, my house is about 4 miles from their location and it was never an issue.

I'll freely admit that it will limit what you do. This is both a negative and a positive, since for most people there is plenty to do locally that often gets ignored. Having seen both sides, I am tempted to go carless again tbh, as we could do without the expense. It wouldn't work well for a lot of people, but far too many claim it's impossible.

A good example from this weekend, drove into town, spent ages trying to park, spent £2.50 to park a mile from the market, plus say £2 for petrol. When I had a bus pass, effective cost about £1.20, bus stop outside the market, takes about 3 minutes longer to get there. Why don't I still get the bus? No idea!

We have a bus into town, takes 50 mins tho against 15 to drive, and we can park immediately right in town. I really would take the bus if it didn't take so effin long.