HOusehold with no car-past 30 yrs.

[shootingstar]

Is there anyone here, who is as strange as I? Living in a household that doesn't have a car for past ....30 years?

Yes, I have made conscious life choices to live in urban areas close to public transit. I've lived in 3 different cities during the carless years.

[EDHGirl]

What do you do if you need to go somewhere outside the city? For instance, my mom lives 80 miles away and nowhere near public transit. How would you get there?

I think it's an interesting, and much cheaper way to live, but I could never do it. I just love the freedom of driving too much.

[OakLeaf]

There's always car rental for occasional trips.

Star, I really admire you. At this point in my life I'm too selfish to give up my home in the country. I love having a garden, hunting mushrooms, seeing deer and turkey and snakes in my backyard, being able to go to sleep at night and wake in the morning with only the sun, moon and stars for light.

I know perfectly well that the driving, driving, driving that attaches to my love of the outdoors, is killing it too. I just haven't found the willingness in myself to give it up. Yet.

[jesvetmed]

Today it sounds wonderful to me... just filled up my tank and spent $54.00. I live 40 miles from work (change in work without a change in living ), and have no transportation in between. I have my old Camry which still gets about 33 miles to the gallon despite having 210k miles on it. Don't know how you do it. I'm lucky to only work 3 nights a week on avg (I just work 2x a normal shift), so don't have to get in the car the other days most of the time. Good for you -- this is a great example of what we can strive to be like. Depending on our situations, we may not ever be able to do the exact same, but learning from the ideas can only help. Small changes!

[shootingstar]

[QUOTE=EDHGirl;295918]What do you do if you need to go somewhere outside the city? For instance, my mom lives 80 miles away and nowhere near public transit. How would you get there? QUOTE]

I took/take bus, train. But now...I bike.

I don't drive, but he has his driver's license. he also has a sleep disorder where he cannot drive beyond 200 kms. daily. It's a huge struggle for him to stay awake behind the steering wheel. He is also cyclist.

It doesn't bother me. Riding a bike also made me realize how much I was missing out on my own region.

You have to realize I grew up poor..5 children in a 1-bedroom apt. in Ontario. ..before parents bought an old house for growing family. My father was a restaurant cook. We couldn't afford a car until I was 15 yrs. old. So really, I lived in a household with a car for only 6 yrs. of my 49 yrs. in life.

We rent a car..um..1-3 times annually.

Believe me, I've saved enough money over the years. Actually abit shocking when I make conservative estimate.

[shootingstar]

What do you do if you need to go somewhere outside the city? For instance, my mom lives 80 miles away and nowhere near public transit. How would you get there?

I took/take bus, train. But now...I bike.

I don't drive, but he has his driver's license. he also has a sleep disorder where he cannot drive beyond 200 kms. daily. It's a huge struggle for him to stay awake behind the steering wheel. He is also cyclist.

It doesn't bother me. Riding a bike also made me realize how much I was missing out on my own region.

You have to realize I grew up poor..5 children in a 1-bedroom apt. in Ontario. ..before parents bought an old house for growing family. My father was a restaurant cook. We couldn't afford a car until I was 15 yrs. old. So really, I lived in a household with a car for only 6 yrs. of my 49 yrs. in life.

We rent a car..um..1-3 times annually.

Believe me, I've saved enough money over the years. Actually abit shocking when I make conservative estimate

[DebW]

In some urban areas, you can buy into the Zipcar program. It's like shared cars sited around town with self-serve access.

[Triskeliongirl]

i think if I lived in an urban center I would do the same thing as you. Even now, we recently went from being a 2 car family to a 1 car family, with 1 VERY OLD car at that. Our car is too old to make long trips anymore, has no heat or AC, etc. but I was surprised to learn how inexpensive it is to rent a car. We are taking a trip to New Orleans in April, and rented a full size car for only $20 a day. We bike to work, but then use our car on the weekend to drive out to the country for our club bike rides. I used to work in Woods Hole every summer, and for about 10 years we'd live car free in the summer. Its great when the weather is great, but it is tough when its raining a lot, or if someone is sick or injured.

[shootingstar]

Should add that I've lived in 4 cities, not 3 of all my car-less years. I forgot my childhood city..Waterloo (part of Kitchener-Waterloo). Population at that time was 30,000. Now it's more. We lived close to downtown core.

Growing up without a car for awhile did mean accompanying mother to help her carry groceries or pull the grocery buggy along. It wasn't the best thing for a kid since they want to be "cool" but it does teach a child alot about food and food buying..and realities of getting food to table.

I'm not concerned. ..since there are taxis in most cities. So combined with bike, public transit, taxis (about 3 times annually) and walking , we are just fine.

Most of the food shops we like are within a 8 kms. bike ride. I live downtown. In a previous city, Toronto I lived 1 block away from a subway station in the suburbs and had the choice of 2 bike routes to cycle into downtown Toronto where I worked. 1 way it was only 16 kms.