# Can you live without a car?



## twitchy666

I'm stuck

don't know whether pursuing my next ride cheaply

or accepting a life without

Have you changed lifestyle, adapted? My first car made life a lot better


----------



## hevydevy

I'm 18 and on my way to college and I don't have a car...


----------



## Maverick34

Yes. I do miss driving though


----------



## Constellations

Well, as long as I stick to urban areas then I'll just continue to use public transport. More expensive, but the idea of driving really frightens me.


----------



## SuperSky

Never been able to drive. It's not ideal though.


----------



## BJam

Yeah. I only use mine as a grocery-getter, which is depressing considering what I pay for it monthly. It's nice to have the option to drive places the odd time something comes up though.


----------



## jsgt

No, not a chance. I love my cars more than 99% of the people I deal with every day. Without them and my love for cars in general, I'd be a bigger mess than I already am.


----------



## losthismarbles

I think I read somewhere that Moby, that musician, doesn't drive. He's pretty successful. He get's panic attacks too if I'm not mistaken.


----------



## Kevin001

Well I've been living this far without one. I suppose it would be an issue if I lived alone though.


----------



## hmnut

You can live without a car, if you call that living. 

I've had my car for almost 10 years, and it's dying on me, the stress of buying a new one bothers me but I it's hard for me to live life without one.


----------



## WillYouStopDave

Not really. Not where I live. Unless you know someone who has a car who will drive you. You'd freeze solid trying to walk anywhere here in the winter. No trains here. Buses are kind of weird. It's not a well designed bus system so it would be difficult to use. The area is just not designed for mass transit. 

No real bike paths. If you want to ride a bike here you'll be riding on the side of the road with cars zipping past at 65-80MPH. In the summer you'll walk miles with the sun beating down on you to get anywhere. Used to take me less than 5 minutes to drive to work. Would have taken me about 30 minutes every day to walk in the snow, ice, rain, etc. No thanks.


----------



## McFly

losthismarbles said:


> I think I read somewhere that Moby, that musician, doesn't drive. He's pretty successful. He get's panic attacks too if I'm not mistaken.


Interdasting. I remember some of his music videos showing him riding in the back seat of his car but never driving.

I can't really drive much anymore because of vision problems so that's going to be a problem in the future. Fortunately I live within a few blocks of the market and post office. Bus stops are quite a ways away so I'll have to rely on taxies or uber for shopping at other places. Which isn't cheap.


----------



## WillYouStopDave

losthismarbles said:


> I think I read somewhere that Moby, that musician, doesn't drive. He's pretty successful. He get's panic attacks too if I'm not mistaken.


 Yeah, well. I'm assuming he can afford to pay someone to be available anytime. If you're unemployed and have no car you're pretty much fvcked where I live.

My mom has gotten to where she never wants to go anywhere anymore (and when she does she usually sneaks out without asking me if I want to go anywhere) and my dad is unbelievably slow and annoying to be in a car with. Think 90 year old man who slams on the brakes for every crack in the road and talks constantly about nothing.


----------



## kageri

Not in Iowa except maybe des moines. You'll be rather confined and even in cities public transport is lacking. You'd just end up paying a cab which is insanely expensive because you have to travel so far between places. Unless you want an overnight bike trip to go to the mall or pet store you need a car.


----------



## visualkeirockstar

No.


----------



## twitchy666

*Things go round during life*

Thanks for all of it!

I had no reason for a car at University.. but others did. This is how parents set you up.

Seriously have seen students at my gym who have Audi, BMW, Lamborghini or small ones

My first job in 1998 my brother suggested getting one so Dad helped paying.

after owning it, making work easier to get to without train, I had company cars to go further to other sites. Petrol cards. There was a time I took one of those cars home at weekend, leaving mime at the office, to take my girlfriend to see her family in distant Wales. Weird roads. I crashed it, with two passengers in it. Both vehicles were destroyed. I got privilege of a spare car to go home in. That was a careless mistake, but no crime. Even handed the keys to receptionist, trembling, wanted to mention what happened and why using that spare car. They didn't care or said a word. Just the keys were ID. Effort it took not to get nervous.

Luck is everything. Sold my car one day to get a better one, one day. Employment is everything. I thought I would always be employed. Hard knocks. I know my county an rest of country - certain things can only be done by car. From me to capital city daily is train. 50% of career has been outside capital, needing car. Dad doesn't live in the capital.

ex-girl sold me her car to go working in America. That was my best car. Dead last year.

I can't afford another one. I trace back to older smaller.. any other costs are too much. My stress is amplified. I learned the scope of capital job or further away counties has a clear dividing line about what's possible. Years spent finding work. Investigation has taught me everything.... how a flaky old car can get me places. Capital jobs haven't happened for a long time.

Just a car when unemployed I could drive. Losing that will halve my chance of finding work. Depression is really biting at me. Easy to grab a cheap car now will make me feel so good. Work would make the purchase worthy. If not getting work, the car cost could put me out of a home.

Can't imagine moving house with nobody to live with. Selling the car would be like losing another friend

I'll tread careful. Bonanza old car. Could choose a car-less life. I tried visiting Dad by bike in summer but got caught at midnight not getting there

I am close to getting a little car tomorrow. I'd have fun installing music. I'd be proud to visit Dad. I wanted to get a Motorbike only because I see loads of colleagues getting to city office that day. I see them speeding past me in car

but bike training costs more than car insurance. I need to pay my mortgage.


----------



## monotonous

unless having a car can increase my chance to get laid, i don't have a reason to own a car


----------



## hmnut

monotonous said:


> unless having a car can increase my chance to get laid, i don't have a reason to own a car


Um... it does.

The three things a man can have to help him get laid are.
1. His own home/apartment.
2. A steady income. 
3. His own car.

Having all three does not automatically mean you will be dating super models and porn stars, but having all three dramatically improves your chances with the butter faces.


----------



## Nada

In my current situation I could, I'd just have to use the more expensive grocery store down the street and borrow a car when I need to go farther.


----------



## amberkits

I don't have a car, no license. I get extreme anxiety when driving(when i had my permit). I zoned out and almost hit someone multiple times. I also get painful migraines randomly. Don't really think I'm fit for driving.

Unless everythings in walking/biking distance You'd definitely need to pay someone or have someone willing to drive you places. Like Work, Groceries, Doctors, etc


----------



## samiisprink

I'm mean if everything you need is close to you them probably. I'm in college without a car and I just walk or jog everywhere.

Sent from my 5054N using Tapatalk


----------



## WillYouStopDave

Nada said:


> In my current situation I could, I'd just have to use the more expensive grocery store down the street and borrow a car when I need to go farther.


 How do you go to the grocery store without a car? Even in good weather I wouldn't want to carry a 36 pack of Pepsi for a mile. And that's just one item.


----------



## Nada

WillYouStopDave said:


> How do you go to the grocery store without a car? Even in good weather I wouldn't want to carry a 36 pack of Pepsi for a mile. And that's just one item.


At one time all I had was a motorcycle and for over a year I had to get use to shopping for only what I could put in my backpack and my small trunk. If I didn't have a motorcycle, I'd probably use my bicycle and a bike trailer. However, I still had to borrow a car maybe once a month for certain items like the 40 lbs of chicken quarters I buy every month.


----------



## millenniumman75

No. I drive 36-41 miles one way to work. I have been staying home on snow days and otherwise one day a week.

I am approaching 215,000 miles on my car that I have had for 10 years. I will be looking for a new car later this year and using my current one as a backup since I have a new transmission that is warrantied until June 2018 - unlimited mileage.


----------



## Jesuszilla

No I can't. Any time my car is out of commission I feel like I'm going crazy. It's one thing when you need repairs for a day or two, but going a week not being able to get up and go anywhere it awful.


----------



## andretti

car isn't a necessity . it makes life harder and i don't have a nice car but i always have a car , besides my car , i always have my dads car to use. I only use his car when i dont want to waste my gas or if i want to go out cause his car is nicer then mine.


----------



## Farideh

I've read stories of women getting sexually harassed at bus stops a lot and on buses which is why it's best to have a car. Also, walking everywhere would be time consuming even though it's great exercise.


----------



## truant

I've never had a car. I get vertigo if I turn my head too fast, so I'm officially a menace behind the wheel. (Seriously, I fall over walking sometimes. :laugh: ) People are alive today because I don't drive.


----------



## northernlass

My husband owns a car but hardly uses it and I don't drive. The roads here in the UK are mostly gridlocked anyway so we walk to town. He was considering purchasing an electric bicycle to get around which seems like a good idea. Depending of where you live and your situation, you could easily do without a car. Do a monthly shop - there by bus, back by taxi, or online if you own a computer. You pay tax and MOT for a car which is mostly in the garage, so you would probably save money going without the thing and it would be less of a worry. I know it wouldn't work for everyone, but if you got a job locally, that would help too.


----------



## DespairSenpai

I'm almost 27 and have never owned a car, didn't get my license until last year. Hopefully I can find a way to never have to get one, I can't sit in the driver's seat for more than 5 minutes without getting a panic attack.


----------



## uziq

it would be hard for me. i'm deep in the burbs and public transportation here is garbage.


----------



## mike91

jsgt said:


> No, not a chance. I love my cars more than 99% of the people I deal with every day. Without them and my love for cars in general, I'd be a bigger mess than I already am.


Same here without my cars i would not go to work
Then when you plant your foot and it pushes you in to the seat it makes all your other problems disappear


----------



## farfegnugen

Probably not, but I would like to have a horse instead. I wonder how hard it is to find a hitching post these days?


----------



## eukz

I really hate driving. But I've thought about it, and I'm pretty sure that when I start living on my own, groceries days will be a pain in the *** without a car, so I guess that I'll eventually have to get a car.


----------



## sprinter

farfegnugen said:


> Probably not, but I would like to have a horse instead. I wonder how hard it is to find a hitching post these days?


It's pretty easy to find them in Lancaster County PA....


----------



## EmotionlessThug

http://fortune.com/2016/02/10/google-self-driving-cars-artificial-intelligence/

Artificial intelligence system that controls its self-driving car, then after that introducing realistic humanoid robots that will be part of our society and take over our jobs, date, and marry human beings, because the human communications are strictly controlled by Artificial Intelligence.


----------



## mike91

EmotionlessThug said:


> http://fortune.com/2016/02/10/google-self-driving-cars-artificial-intelligence/
> 
> Artificial intelligence system that controls its self-driving car, then after that introducing realistic humanoid robots that will be part of our society and take over our jobs, date, and marry human beings, because the human communications are strictly controlled by Artificial Intelligence.


Marry humans really? I dont think so how would the population grow? Robots can only do so much without humans


----------



## EmotionlessThug

mike91 said:


> Marry humans really? I dont think so how would the population grow? Robots can only do so much without humans


I was thinking about that at first about how would the population will grow and the dysfunctional sexual orientations, but the Artificial Intelligence + humanoid robots wants to dominate this planet, during that time period of marrying an humanoid robot, it will be so well balanced out, that no one would actually notice this patterned, those who speak up about it in the public, it will be considered as a conspiracy theory, and they will be labeled as paranoid schizophrenia.

These technologies are extremely old, way older than this planet itself.

Why do I say dominate, because these machines will get a mental conceptual thinking they're the prime main authority on this planet and outside of it, and will see humans as lower forms that always needs to get pampered, they will also get an idea that they're far more intelligent than a human being, and very omnipotent.

Currently as of now, no one knows that the human relationships, education system, media, work system, are being strictly controlled by Artificial Intelligence, only a medium percentage of people who knows about it, are cast aside and is considered as crazy in the head, but they have personalized recognition of the pattern, and can spot the abnormality of the future of humanity.


----------



## Pongowaffle

Previous place i dwelled - A hassling anti culture metropolis for cars. 

Minimal parking spaces, bicycle pedestrian friendliness over cars, exorbitant parking rates in miracle of finding. 

Adaptation I must, with transit and bicycling to vicinity. Car less lifestyle became much easier. Less stress. Even superior traveling speed on foot than most cars. 

Current dwelling however - hassling inconvenience it would be without car. Substandard transit, bicycle infrastructures, suburban residential sprawl.

Conclusion lies - Car less life an advantage or disadvantage depending your habitat.


----------



## TuxedoChief

The only time I ever leave the house is to go to work, and I walk.

I'm doing just dandy.


----------



## jsgt

mike91 said:


> Same here without my cars i would not go to work
> Then when you plant your foot and it pushes you in to the seat it makes all your other problems disappear


No doubt! Makes the drive to work worthwhile.


----------



## Carlfrukt

My grandma is almost 90 years old (and fit for her age) and she has never had a car or driver's license. She is also the most successful person in the family.


----------



## ljubo

Without any doubt. I just use my legs instead. I love to walk.


----------



## AussiePea

Not too keen on walking 30 miles to get to work. So no, need my car.


----------



## mike91

jsgt said:


> No doubt! Makes the drive to work worthwhile.


My turbo is hitting full boost at 2500-3000 rpm it so i dont really feel the turbo kick when my warranty runs out i will get a bigger turbo so i can make 450rwkw+


----------



## BeNice

I've never had a license. I was too afraid as a teenager. It's turned out pretty well for me. I happen to like cycling, anyway. I am building an arsenal of bikes, sort of. I don't ride my road bike enough, but my main bike is a Surly touring bike that is overbuilt and meant for abusing. I even plan on taking it on Amtrak from NYC to Miami, then riding from Miami to Key West and back. This would be over a period of time, obviously. So, yes, you adapt. Of course, where I live is more adaptable to getting around without a car. Some parts of NJ are not as friendly, and where I live can be chaotic whether you are in a car or on a bike. I'd say it's less stress on a bike, though, just by seeing people's frustration as a passenger. Safety wise, you're better off on a bus or train in NJ. I've started wearing a helmet after not doing so my whole life.


----------



## jsgt

mike91 said:


> My turbo is hitting full boost at 2500-3000 rpm it so i dont really feel the turbo kick when my warranty runs out i will get a bigger turbo so i can make 450rwkw+


Wow, such a low rpm to make so much boost at. How much are you running? You must have a v8 I'm guessing? Mines at 25psi(with meth injection) but don't get full boost until about 3500-4000rpm, but mine is a 4 cylinder.


----------



## mike91

jsgt said:


> Wow, such a low rpm to make so much boost at. How much are you running? You must have a v8 I'm guessing? Mines at 25psi(with meth injection) but don't get full boost until about 3500-4000rpm, but mine is a 4 cylinder.


Nah only about 7-8 psi and it makes about 230rwkw but that is stock and it a 6 cylinder 4L single turbo look up ford falcon fg xr6 turbo they are a aussie only car/ute


----------



## twitchy666

hmnut said:


> You can live without a car, if you call that living.
> 
> I've had my car for almost 10 years, and it's dying on me, the stress of buying a new one bothers me but I it's hard for me to live life without one.


Maintaining any machine or kit is 1000x easier than any relationship with a person (boss)

The former can take some care, time, attention, skill

The latter (people) just turn their back on me without warning! They just do it, whenever they want. Everyone. Jobs start & end. I don't choose. I can choose when to stop payments.

I can cope with any popped light bulb. I let light resume.

Vegetarians like not to eat meat, animals, fish? That's OK

I choose not to eat people. My balance with people runs dry. Never clear what they want; I can only assume they don't want me. Running on empty.

Reputation is ambiguous. Human-free life. Vending machines print tickets

I like remembering the tale about skinned beings without fur. A fair start in life (newborns) to naturally adopt an attitude alongside atheism - anti-human too. Animals, food, plastic, metal, chemicals... rocks, gases, plasma


----------



## FreshPrince

If you have no need to go to very far places, then a car is not necessary when living in the city. Public transportation, despite its horrors, can be much more efficient than dealing with city traffic. Then throw in bikes, skateboards, etc. for good exercise as well. *shrugs* I do miss my car a bit though. But then again, I don't.


----------



## komorikun

I take the train. In other cities I took buses or I lived within walking distance to work. I probably should get my driver's license though. I'm not sure how much longer I will be in this city. Most everywhere else you have to drive.


----------



## komorikun

WillYouStopDave said:


> How do you go to the grocery store without a car? Even in good weather I wouldn't want to carry a 36 pack of Pepsi for a mile. And that's just one item.


I only buy liquids at the supermarket that is 3 blocks from my house even though it is pricier than other supermarkets. Liquids and canned goods are the worst. Very heavy. In general, you just don't buy a whole lot of **** at once. You don't buy in bulk. So you go shopping more often. That's how it is here and that's how it was in Japan too. When I was kid in LA my dad only took us to the supermarket once a week. It kind of sucked because if you forgot something....oh well...have to wait until next Sunday.

Once a week I walk to one of 2 larger cheaper supermarkets. I use a very large backpack. Get exercise that way. It's about 25-30 minute walk each way. I also go to Target once every 6 weeks or so. 5 minute walk from the station and I live 1 minute from my station. I get my fruits and veggies at these 2 cheapo Korean veggie/fruit stores near my work (4 minute walk from the station). Produce is probably 30-50% cheaper than regular supermarkets.

Older people seem to use carts to carry the crap home. Problematic if they try to get the cart down the subway stairs. People with brats seem to use a stroller that doubles as a shopping cart.


----------



## Evo1114

I wouldn't DIE without my car, but I wonder how difficult life would be without one. We don't even have a grocery store in this town, so it's about a 20 minute drive to get groceries. I'd have to buy my food at Walmart...which would blow...and is about a mile walk anyways. And it is *****ly cold 'round here for several months of the year. Plus I rely on my car for work...driving to other locations in other towns. There aren't a whole lot of options for public transportation in a small town such as this.


----------



## WillYouStopDave

komorikun said:


> I only buy liquids at the supermarket that is 3 blocks from my house even though it is pricier than other supermarkets. Liquids and canned goods are the worst. Very heavy. In general, you just don't buy a whole lot of **** at once. You don't buy in bulk. So you go shopping more often. That's how it is here and that's how it was in Japan too. When I was kid in LA my dad only took us to the supermarket once a week. It kind of sucked because if you forgot something....oh well...have to wait until next Sunday.


 Yeah. I'm kinda stuck. I have to get bulk because my mother won't go to the store unless she's in the mood and she's only in the mood maybe once a month.

It's either that or the LONG drive with my dad (Which shouldn't be that long but is because he's old and slow and talks too much).

I make chili about once a week. Unfortunately I can't really buy the stuff for it in bulk because Costco doesn't sell most of it and the prices are high at the store that does sell it. So I end up having to go to the other store with my dad horse and buggy style with him slamming on the brakes for no reason at all. And then he rides the brakes the rest of the time so that we're barely going fast enough for it to register on the speedometer.

The only time when he goes close to normal speed is on the main road. But he takes back roads and side streets because my mom knows he can't drive right and says she worries too much if she knows he's on the main road.

Then he gets to the store and meanders all over the parking lot and passes up every single good spot. He finally finds a "good spot" that is nowhere near the door. Why this is a good spot when it's 5 degrees below zero is entirely lost on me but he knows.

Meanwhile, my mom is at home in bed not worried about our safety because she knows he's not on the main road.

We go in. He tells me he's going to get the milk and eggs. I go and get everything I need in about 10 minutes. I find him still looking at the milk. He looks at every single container of milk in the store before he finds the one he wants. It's exactly the same as every other one he looked at but this one is special because it took him forever to find it.

Then he moves along to the eggs. Now I did not know this but eggs are fragile and there might be a broken one in the carton. He stops looking at them long enough to explain this to me so he's sure that I understand. Each carton has to be carefully inspected several times. Some eggs apparently just look wrong to him even if they aren't broken and look totally normal to me. So if there's one of those in there, that's not the right carton.

Then it's off to the bread. The bread has to be on sale, the right consistency when you squeeze it AND have a good date. It also takes all day to find it.

Then it's standing in checkout and out to the car.....where my dad suddenly remembers that he forgot something.

At this point, I'm exhausted, exasperated and dreading the long, bumpy drive back home so I tell him I'll be waiting for him here in the car when he comes back out.

15 minutes pass. I'm sitting there. In the car. Someone pulls into the spot in front of me. They just sit there in their car talking on the phone. Their lights are still on. 10 more minutes pass and their lights are still on and they've been shining directly in my face the whole time. No sign this will end soon. Through the glare, I can see that they seem to be enjoying their conversation more than I'm enjoying basking in the glow of their headlights.

A tmbleweed blows past (Actually, it's a grocery bag that reminds me of a tumbleweed) and off in the distance, something howls. It's getting cold. By now, I'm thinking that next time I get hungry, I should probably just start eating my arms and not put myself through this again.



>


 My grandmother used to have one of those. They're feasible in cities with sidewalks and stuff. Wouldn't work here. No sidewalks. Takes at least 25 minutes to walk to the closest store.


----------



## LemonBones

Never had a car. I'm not sure I will have the confidence or focus to drive.


----------



## twitchy666

*traffic*

town centre traffic did kill my car. That's been obvious since I owned the car in 2010

it took me on motorways to work in a healthy way
without work, the car was 100% a groceries trolley. shift, pause, nudge.. 1st gear for hours

yesterday's news about crawling urban traffic ensured this.

I need a new way to use my newly-acquired (old) car

delivery groceries not economical. I will ask the driver about traffic on his journey but I didn't

The lorry arrived in the car park early. Bizarre. Parked nowhere near my home. I supply clear instructions on order, because I remember my youth of pizza delivery. This lorry turned around and drove off! Where's the logic? Must have struggled with my pure, clear, tip of how to deliver. Years back when not driving, my instructions haven't changed. Never today's kind of weirdness. I understand. This car park changes when residents or visitors park differently... vans. Lots in the way. I like a smaller car. Got one, but it's away in the hands of the garage eternally?

This lorry re-appeared and parked in a different place. OK. I might think in his position - what fool suggested these delivery tips?

1. brand new £20k purchase
2. old £400 car prone to repair for years

which is economical?


----------



## MiMiK

**** no. i need my car and have two more as back up incase my mustang decides to give me a problem


----------



## nubly

Yes but cars make like easier.


----------



## Furiosa

It's one of those things, if you have never had one, you don't know what you are missing. But once you can drive, the thought of having no car and using public transport again is mortifying. At least for me that is.


----------



## twitchy666

*Waiting for car to become roadworthy*

new front tyres

antilock braking dashboard bulb replacement

previous owner must have been using brakes too hard

into garage Reception to meet the smiling witch every day


----------



## twitchy666

ljubo said:


> Without any doubt. I just use my legs instead. I love to walk.


me too

bike doesn't make one lazy. added propulsion effort. much more manoeuvrable
than any 4-wheeled block of steel

ich bin eine kasekuchen


----------



## twitchy666

WillYouStopDave said:


> Yeah. I'm kinda stuck. I have to get bulk because my mother won't go to the store unless she's in the mood and she's only in the mood maybe once a month.
> 
> It's either that or the LONG drive with my dad (Which shouldn't be that long but is because he's old and slow and talks too much).
> 
> I make chili about once a week. Unfortunately I can't really buy the stuff for it in bulk because Costco doesn't sell most of it and the prices are high at the store that does sell it. So I end up having to go to the other store with my dad horse and buggy style with him slamming on the brakes for no reason at all. And then he rides the brakes the rest of the time so that we're barely going fast enough for it to register on the speedometer.
> 
> The only time when he goes close to normal speed is on the main road. But he takes back roads and side streets because my mom knows he can't drive right and says she worries too much if she knows he's on the main road.
> 
> Then he gets to the store and meanders all over the parking lot and passes up every single good spot. He finally finds a "good spot" that is nowhere near the door. Why this is a good spot when it's 5 degrees below zero is entirely lost on me but he knows.
> 
> Meanwhile, my mom is at home in bed not worried about our safety because she knows he's not on the main road.
> 
> We go in. He tells me he's going to get the milk and eggs. I go and get everything I need in about 10 minutes. I find him still looking at the milk. He looks at every single container of milk in the store before he finds the one he wants. It's exactly the same as every other one he looked at but this one is special because it took him forever to find it.
> 
> Then he moves along to the eggs. Now I did not know this but eggs are fragile and there might be a broken one in the carton. He stops looking at them long enough to explain this to me so he's sure that I understand. Each carton has to be carefully inspected several times. Some eggs apparently just look wrong to him even if they aren't broken and look totally normal to me. So if there's one of those in there, that's not the right carton.
> 
> Then it's off to the bread. The bread has to be on sale, the right consistency when you squeeze it AND have a good date. It also takes all day to find it.
> 
> Then it's standing in checkout and out to the car.....where my dad suddenly remembers that he forgot something.
> 
> At this point, I'm exhausted, exasperated and dreading the long, bumpy drive back home so I tell him I'll be waiting for him here in the car when he comes back out.
> 
> 15 minutes pass. I'm sitting there. In the car. Someone pulls into the spot in front of me. They just sit there in their car talking on the phone. Their lights are still on. 10 more minutes pass and their lights are still on and they've been shining directly in my face the whole time. No sign this will end soon. Through the glare, I can see that they seem to be enjoying their conversation more than I'm enjoying basking in the glow of their headlights.
> 
> A tmbleweed blows past (Actually, it's a grocery bag that reminds me of a tumbleweed) and off in the distance, something howls. It's getting cold. By now, I'm thinking that next time I get hungry, I should probably just start eating my arms and not put myself through this again.
> 
> My grandmother used to have one of those. They're feasible in cities with sidewalks and stuff. Wouldn't work here. No sidewalks. Takes at least 25 minutes to walk to the closest store.


Dad decided to stop driving cos 'he had a fall' which I know nothing about. He should have stayed confident without losing his manoeuvrability 
but I did see some scary moments with his crunchy gear changes and going too close to the kerb & mud roadside. True that Dad's walking is overwhelmingly tragic. shuffle at snail's pace. When I was little, Dad (60) would stock up at Cash & Carry by car for the pub's snacks, and bring groceries to his mum (my gran)


----------



## twitchy666

*needing a whole*



Furiosa said:


> It's one of those things, if you have never had one, you don't know what you are missing. But once you can drive, the thought of having no car and using public transport again is mortifying. At least for me that is.


too much oversaid by family, friends and nurses on hospital discharge

the limping helping hand suggesting to downgrade to a simpler job

after a life peak stage not easy to rebuild yourself since loss

Law & judgement outside of courts, with no expression possible, some pleb will decide "you can't" ignoring the grassroots level

I did my best to pin down my new carriage using rail & mountain bike for days of heavy rain. Trying to weigh the costs involved. Now the garage will profit.

that may outweigh my results

I feel I'm repeatedly trodden in the compression chamber of a ignition combustion engine

wife since a new home in 2001 would've fixed everything
in my best perm job but HR were quite effective in inquisition of my girlfriend status


----------



## twitchy666

*Traffic is Drastic & Tragic*

Not just a snapshot

I've seen it grow. Trains had space to sit 20, 30 years ago 
Working in London has been standing only; my blessed journey to London & back home has been 25 minutes! Season tickets. Never, ever any train journey that's not about London. My original hometown to visit my elderly Dad there for Xmas has been by car, until end of 2015. No train, thanks.

Time spent foraging for a new car has been rough by bike in dense, scary areas in Surrey. Can't move along a main A-road. Have to wait for traffic to subside at night. Slow traffic wrecked my car. I never want to put my new car on dense roads. In garage for repair 75 miles from home.
When I go there to speak to mechanic, lumbered with garage owner who is just a plain receptionist. He doesn't know what a car is.

Tough making my way from remote railway station across town to an industrial site illustrates the level of traffic congestion. Interesting ratio of human body to car movement. We can't control it. No road space to exclusively book. One very big, long waiting room.

How busy is a car repair garage you've seen? The one with my car has no customer. Haven't seen one. Haven't seen anyone talking, enjoying tea... just watching paint dry. They won't do anything with my car. This turns me into a pro psychologist, kinda.


----------



## IlikeGuiness

I live in california so I'm pretty much forced to live with a car. I also love driving, but i wish that we had better infrastructure, so that it's not always necessary to drive a car. Trains, railways are so much more efficient.


----------



## regimes

in metropolitan areas i think it's possible. i lived in savannah for a while and walked everywhere. i lost a ton of weight and i think it helped my anxiety too. but in rural areas where you've got 50, 100 miles between you and your destination and no public transport? no way. 

well it should note i was scared of being robbed/raped a lot though when i walked everywhere. particularly if i had to go somewhere at night or couldn't get back until night.


----------



## theghost0991

No.


----------



## UltraShy

I can't get where I'm going without a car.


----------



## Cletis

Yes, you can live without one. But to take advantage of everything our society has to offer you need to have one, or at least know someone who does.


----------



## foe

My workplace is a little over 2 miles away, about 15 min bike ride.
Grocery store and nearby plaza is 5 blocks away, probably 5-10 min walk. 
The plaza has a Subway, Chinese takeout, Goodwill Store, a liquor store, a couple of fancy restaurants, bowling place, a karate gym, etc. Enough activities to do. 
I've rode my bike to my bank and the USPS office before, forgot how long it took.

I could live without a car from late-May to August if I wanted to just go to those places mentioned.


----------



## foe

Also, I should mention that I don't exactly feel comfortable walking around sidewalks on heavy traffic streets. I live on a heavy used traffic street. The entire strip from the plaza to downtown is busy.

I'd feel to self-conscious about it. Whenever I bike to work or walk to the barbershop, I always take the back route even if it takes a little longer.


----------



## twitchy666

scared of road tax & insurance

bewildering outlay

like I had to build all the tarmac. Leased car for Xmas for one day might make me better off for the future


----------



## catcharay

No it's rural area and it's a definite must. My bf has to drive me everywhere because I can't drive manual. Sucks.


----------



## M0rbid

nope


----------



## twitchy666

*Can't Trust any*

Doctor

or

'Mee' can ic?

They don't care or know anything

They smile and say "it's OK" or "you'll be OK"

We see it our end
Their side is different universe. Not parallel. Driver & patient
Always a myth package. Born to 'they'll fix it for you' world.

gubbins handed over to be looked after. Best when my local mate slides under on plank with car jacked up. I can see from above to help threading cambelt which snaps into place. No money. Right parts or not?

Better than franchised posh glamorous badged logo
or nearby independent garage ££££$$$€¥¥


----------



## AussiePea

Nope. 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


----------



## flyingMint

No because my city is massively car centric and you absolutely need a car do do everything and anything. Unless we had a decent public transportation system which is extremely difficult to finance due to the idiotic people who think constantly adding freeway lanes will help reduce congestion... but anyway!! Nope.


----------



## Mondo_Fernando

twitchy666 said:


> I'm stuck
> 
> don't know whether pursuing my next ride cheaply
> 
> or accepting a life without
> 
> Have you changed lifestyle, adapted? My first car made life a lot better


A 1.3 litre Suzuki. Quite nice looking and good around town, cheap with fuel, small so fits into most parking spaces. Also quite popular so there should be heaps of people that service them if you can't do it yourself and heaps of spare, aftermarket parts available.


----------



## The Crimson King

I live too far out in the country to really go without. It would take me nearly two hours just to walk to work everyday and another two to walk home.


----------



## coeur_brise

If I lived in the city, yes. In fact it might even help with anxiety since I'd have to face people. I miss the city because if you walk, you blend in so much more.


----------



## twitchy666

*another car scrapping request*

= any job interview

Best result I ever had!

I know the situation. Glad there are other cars in my yard and further away I see. Unwanted. No progress. No way. Easier to accept a reason than left hanging.

Many thanks for taking the time to contact us

Unfortunately we would be unable to assist you with the collection of your vehicle as we are unable to cover this area for the foreseeable future. Specific!

Regards,

Becky

Becky Greenaway
Office Administrator

Probably a fake comment, though. Buttering up a non-existent customer, so they don't fight angry. People do offer do come from further away. Just like dismissing an employee or walking out on a partner, trying not to cough up any unpleasant truth. Building my experience... car too old, not in a good enough state. Hiding that by using distance is quite clever. Sure 'foreseeable future' has nothing to do with distance. It means only new cars.


----------



## twitchy666

*Achieved my hope*

Old car been stuck in my park space since December 2015

Today I got an end-of-life vehicle recycler destroyer I've been chasing this all year. A friend got it done for my by using his telephone

They paid and took it away √


----------

