15 replies to this topic

[Tom Servo]

This Feb will mark my seconds year of not driving a car. It hasn't been the easiest thing in the world but it hasn't been that bad either. In fact, I hope I can live the rest of my life without ever driving a car again.

[artistry]

I think it's been almost two years that I have not driven. I took my car to a mechanic to get an inspection and a sticker. The car was driving fine. I believe that I got the sticker. But the next week, the car would cut off when I slowed down at a red light or a stop sign. I had paid over $500 for the repairs, I supposedly needed and the sticker. A friend looked at it, found some loose parts and tried to fix what he thought was wrong. He said they had not done anything to repair the car, but how do I prove that. He put another $300 of parts in the car. He could not fix the car. I let it sit for a year, as I was disgusted. My groceries are delivered and I madeo other arrangements for whatever I needed. Finally I decided to stop the insurance on the car, and sent the license plates back. So I have not driven for about two years. Sort of getting used to it. You can make it Tom.

[marale60]

Congrats to both of you for ending the driving addiction! For some people, it really is only about where they live and whether it is possible to do all you need to do by walking or public transport. For example, my brother in law lives 18 miles out of town on a ranch in Colorado; there is not a chance in the world he could do without a car. I live in an urban area where parking is a pain, cars move slower than foot traffic some times, and everything I need is close by. For me it isn't any trouble. As our society becomes more urbanized one benefit will be less cars needed or on the road as urban dwellers realize it just isn't worth it.

[artistry]

Thanks marale, it takes a bit of adjusting, but if gets easier. If more people could do it, the atmosphere would certainly benefit form less exhaust fumes. People would realize that it reduces their stress level, as well. Take it easy

[Eiza]

Good for you! I wish I lived in a city where that was possible. Unfortunately, my city has a public transportation system that is terribly expensive and woefully lacking. I actually checked into it once. The amount of money I would spend on a bus pass is more than I spend on gas each month. Also, I could never get to any of the places that I needed to go. What do you do about shopping for groceries and larger items? If it were just me I could manage it, but not shopping for a family. I know in some cities car sharing companies like ZipCar (the only one I know of) makes things like that possible, but what if you don't have those resources available? Then what would you do?

[Tom Servo]

You definitely have to live in a city/town that is conducive to it. I realize that it is implausible in most of America, given all the sprawl we have. Eiza, I only shop for myself. I can carry two large bags of groceries just fine and that lasts me 1 to 2 weeks. If I ever need to make any other kind of large purchase, I do it online.

[zararina]

I am actually fond of commuting and think I am not fit to drive (just my thought) . I have short span attention or easily to get distracted and so I think driving is not a good idea for me but I also like to at least try it and will study driving maybe in the future. And one disadvantage I could see having an own car to drive is the traffic situation here. I will definitely get bored and will lose a lot of time battling with traffic on major highways here.

[Tom Servo]

zararina, on 10 October 2011 - 09:45 PM, said:

I am actually fond of commuting and think I am not fit to drive (just my thought) . I have short span attention or easily to get distracted and so I think driving is not a good idea for me but I also like to at least try it and will study driving maybe in the future. And one disadvantage I could see having an own car to drive is the traffic situation here. I will definitely get bored and will lose a lot of time battling with traffic on major highways here.

I also feel like I am "not fit" to drive. Haha. Over the years I've spent thousands on violations, repairs, maintenance, etc... Good riddance.

[kat74]

That is encouraging, people have gotten hooked on driving its like a second air to them. A car is the first present a parent gives to their teenage kid, meaning before the kids hit the age of 70 years, he will have polluted the environment for over 50 years. I wish people can turn to bikes instead of cars for presents.

[marale60]

All I know is that when you don't have a car you make do and adjust your lifestyle and travel habits. When you get that car you slip right into that familiar groove of driving too much and depending on it. I think in the future the governments of the world will haver to make car ownership prohibitively expensive and financially unattractive to get people out of their cars. They already do that in Denmark with a huge auto tax and in London you have to pay every day to drive your car in the city center.

[NeilPearson]

I wish I could get away with not driving.  Where I live, everything is so spread out, I am easily in the car an hour and half every day.  And the public transportation is horrible... it's really not an option

[kaveg]

Wow! Congrats to you for not driving for 2 years.  When I was a young adult that's all i wanted to do was drive.  Now I cannot wait for my son to get his license so that I don't have to.  The gas prices and all the maintenance costs are so expensive and I get tired of dealing with people who are not courteous when they drive and feel that they are priority on the roads. I moved to an apartment where the grocery store is directly behind my complex and there are restaurants, haircut places and other stores that significantly cut down on my driving.  I have saved a lot on fuel and miles on my car by doing this.  Not to mention the peace of mind of just walking.

[criticalthinking]

Right on! That's part of the reason I moved to Chicago. You don't really need a car. When I lived in SoCal and ended up without a car, I spent at least 2 months running logistics on expenses and the shortcomings of public transportation in the area. Turned out there was no real way to do without a car. At least here it is a definite possibility!

[Green Thumb]

I�ve been commuting since I learned to travel on my own. Even if I have a driver�s license I don�t have a vehicle to drive *laughs*. Now that I got too much involved in saving the environment, my thoughts are I�ll acquire my dream bike when there�s this ultimate fuel that need not affect the environment and it should be affordable of course. For now, walking suits me and commuting that�s really made traveling amusing and inspiring (having to deal with different people with different habits and behavior towards another people and the environment). I can say commuting is also a good learning experience.

[Karim Jessa]

I gave up driving almost three years ago. I'm happy that I don'y drive anymore, but I do wish I had a car when I have to do my grocery shopping.

The reason for giving up my car was that I simply could not afford it anymore. But once the decision had been made, I began to see other benefits of not driving. The first benefit, aside from saving the money, was the fact that I would not suffer the frustrations of driving anymore.

When I speak of frustrations, I include matters like road rage, searching for parking, being stuck in traffic, driving in poor weather, etc. Now I can sit in the public transit and let the bus driver worry about the traffic. Most of all, I now get lots of thinking time while travelling by public transit.

But, as I said to begin with, when it comes to doing the shopping for groceries, that's when I miss the car the most. This is especially so when I have to carry my grocery bags in the rain. However, on the whole I'm happier, and healthier, without my car.

Speaking of health, it's unbelievable how much walking I do now that I don't drive. And the often running to catch the bus adds to the physical exercise that I never got while driving my own car.

[Germs]

Congratulations on that, personally i don't think i could last that long without driving, i only use it when necessary but still.