living without a car

[pll]

Ah... Melalvai raises a good point: winter riding. It can be done, save for days when there was a lot of snow or ice on the road. I used a fleece band around my ears and put a cover on my helmet.

Most importantly: good gloves. Below freezing, I use Pearl Izumi lobsters but wonder about the "Icebike Mitts." I also take my bike into my office (or a storage room nearby), since I cannot remove the lock with the gloves and my hands get cold very fast.

[tjf9]

I've considered going from 2 cars to 1, but DH isn't too excited. He has to drive for work, so car-free isn't an option for us. He likes driving my car for work (better gas mileage, and more fun to drive) but driving the mini-van on the weekends when we have to ferry the kids around or if we're going camping and such.

Maybe someday...

[madscot13]

i've always been car free but hey I am 22. My bike gets me everywhere I need to go faster than public transportation and with a there and bike ride at $5.00 that can add up. I also realized that everything I may need to go to on a daily basis is within a 3 mile radius and weekly about 5 miles. It is quicker to bike than to bus or drive due to multiple stops and parking and traffic. My parents live 20 miles away and I can bike to see them when the weather isn't too bad and they are really kind in letting me borrow the car or chauferring me when necessary but maybe that does not make me carfree then? They offered me a car for graduation but I think me and the Trek 520 will try roughing it out for at least a few more months on our own.

[Torrilin]

Well, we're happy to carpool with car-owning friends who offer us a ride . It's just not needed on much more than a monthly basis.

We don't have kids, and if we did, carfree might not be realistic. I wasn't really capable of handling utility/commuter type riding as an 8 year old, even tho my parents taught me how. Once I hit 13 or 14, I was a lot more capable. And well, most of the trailers I've seen assume your kids will be able to ride on their own by around age 6. Not very realistic for things like mom and the kids going grocery shopping. And if you've got more than 1-2 kids, well... you're outta luck.

Really, we went carfree because it's more fun. If you're thinking of making the shift, that's probably the best reason to do it. That way you'll stick with it. I really enjoy certain kinds of driving, and I love tinkering with cars. But most cars are money sinks, and the driving I like best isn't the kind of driving I'd do the most of (even if we lived out in suburbia). Our car insurance rates would be high, despite not driving much. And well, bikes are fun, and riding a bike in stop and go city traffic isn't maddening for me. Neither is walking. Driving a car in that *is*.

I haven't dealt with a real winter yet with no car. It'll be interesting, and I'm sure I'll fall back on public transit a lot at first. That's ok tho. The point is to keep it fun, not make it into another big source of stress.

[Beane]

I haven't dealt with a real winter yet with no car. It'll be interesting,

you're in madison, right? "interesting" is not the word for it. when the snot freezes in my nose after about 30 seconds, I tend to use four letter words.

Actually what is really bad about winter is riding on roads that are snow or slush covered. I almost got run over by a bus on state street! ...OK, "almost" may be an exaggeration, but still, it was scary.

[Torrilin]

you're in madison, right? "interesting" is not the word for it. when the snot freezes in my nose after about 30 seconds, I tend to use four letter words.

Actually what is really bad about winter is riding on roads that are snow or slush covered. I almost got run over by a bus on state street! ...OK, "almost" may be an exaggeration, but still, it was scary.

I knit. A ski mask may be on the "to knit" list... Wool socks, lobster claw mittens, and plain hats for them as need 'em are for sure.

I'm really more worried about traffic on Mills and Dayton. Too many spots where it's not safe for drivers to pass, and they do anyway. State St is a once a month sort of deal... those are near daily.

[Melalvai]

winter riding. It can be done, save for days when there was a lot of snow or ice on the road.

Actually it was winter riding that nearly burnt, or rather froze, me out on cycling. Then I took the Road I course and have been completely obsessed!

About borrowing friends' cars, if I am ever car free I will take the approach my friend does: never ask, and only accept a ride if my alternate plan was to rent a car. He's going to try being car free and when visiting his wife's family, he'll rent a car. He says it is works out to about the same cost as owning a car (license, reg, insurance).

[nicole309]

I have been car free since moving to Washington last November and I have not missed my car one bit. All the extra money is really nice.
I must say that I am lucky. I work within a mile of my home and there are plenty of places to shop close by. Our transit system is wonderful.
I can get to the Seattle airport by bus for under $5.00. Every other weekend I put my bike on the bus to Port Angeles and then take the ferry over to Victoria.

[Geonz]

I sold my car to my brother May 30... I am "between cars" but I have a feeling it's going to be like being a recovering alcoholic.

Before I sold it, though, I had gotten to the point where I didn't think of the car for getting places. If the weather was bad I would think "what should I wear?" not "should I take the car?" Three days in the winter I took the car to work (right after our 15-inch windy blizzard) but I could have taken the bus or a taxi. I would definitely pretend to be car-free before I actually did it! And even now, I stuck the car-selling money into the bank and I think to myself, "I could go out and get a reasonable used car today if I needed it."

A car-free acquaintance said he has "named operator" insurance for driving other people's cars and rentals; I asked my insurance guy about it and he didn't seem to think it was necessary. I'm thinking that if I rent cars enough for odd trips to my siblings 740 miles away that the extra insurance from that would add up but until I see how that is, I'm not worrying about it.

I am single with carred friends for getting to those organized rides that aren't close enough. Right after I sold the car I bought a good bike rack :-)

I have to say I haven't saved a lot of money yet because I didn't put a lot of money into the car. I *think* GEICO put that $200 in my account... and come October I won't have to send $78 to teh state if I don't have a car still. I am thinking that actually it's the summer I'll miss it more 'cause I go more places out of state then.

[uk elephant]

BF and I manage just fine without a car. I commute to work by a combination of train and bike, BF rides his bike. To do our shopping we strap on big backpacks and take the train in to town. The three or four week-ends a year when we get away to see his family we rent a car. Works out a lot cheaper than owning a car for the whole year. I suppose we are lucky that we live in a place with pretty good public transport and mild winters for cycling year round. All you need is some good raingear.

[Ebet]

I sold my car a few months ago so we just have one car now which I rarely use. I use my bicycle for local trips and sometimes to commute to work (with train). On the other days I commute by motorcycle, which gets good fuel efficiency.

[eofelis]

We are not car free, but are car-lite.

We deliberately moved to a neighborhood that is close to many things that we could walk or bike to.

I have a 1991 Subaru and it hasn't been expensive or a problem to keep running, so I'm loathe to get rid of it entirely. Insurance is $250/yr and it hasn't needed many repairs. Currently I try to run it once a week so it doesn't die of neglect. It is still reliable enough for long road trips too, and not bad on gas.

My SO sort of inherited a 1994 Toyota 4wd truck. We do like to use it for camping trips, but only drive it about once a week otherwise. Tomorrow we are going to go spend a few days in the San Juan mtns looking at old mines and driving on the 4wd roads.

Sometimes I think of getting a newer Subaru (one that's only 10 yrs old) and my SO thinks of getting a different Toyota truck (he'd like an extra cab, the one he has is a regular cab and is not very comfortable), but then we think that we really don't drive enough to spend money on changing the cars.

[mimitabby]

I have been car free since moving to Washington last November and I have not missed my car one bit. All the extra money is really nice.
I must say that I am lucky. I work within a mile of my home and there are plenty of places to shop close by. Our transit system is wonderful.
I can get to the Seattle airport by bus for under $5.00. Every other weekend I put my bike on the bus to Port Angeles and then take the ferry over to Victoria.

that's awesome Nicole!!!