I already had my car when I moved to this city and now I feel attached to it, so I don’t want to get rid of it.
If I didn’t already have it I wouldn’t buy a new one now though.
It is pretty useful at times though, even if I do most things with my bike, my car has a big cargo area so I can easily transport a fridge, dishwasher, etc.
And people actually use that as an insult. “You’re not an adult until you own a car”. Which is a sad way of seeing millions of people that have been living without a car for their whole life.
And the freedom feeling depends mostly if you live in a region that is offering you ways not to be car dependent. Where I live, we have a very decent network of bike paths in the city but also going into the countryside and traversing the province. I live on the island of an archipelago and can pull my inflatable kayak with my bike trailer, explore the islands around, access nature nearby. I can also go camping and hiking and into the wilderness 200 km away by using this cycling network. I often go visit my parents and family 140-170 km away by cycling there. I could have start to drive and bought a car 25 years ago but I moved somewhere I wouldn’t need one, and my bike represents freedom. I’m free from having to pay big oil to fill a tank to go anywhere. I’m free from monthly parking fees. I’m free from paying the plates and the insurance.
Over the years, what I learned about cars don’t make me see them as freedom. I see them as a way to keep people perpetually paying for gas, sending billions to big oil. I see them as an endless sea and stream of pollution. They pollute the air and the sound. They are bad for mental and physical health. They take an ungodly amount of space. They kill about a million people every year. On the planet, every 30 seconds someone is killed in a car related “accident”. Every year, two billion animals (yes, billions) are killed by cars.
Going to see my nephew for his birthday in the suburbs where my sister lives is comical. Twelve people invited to go park their cars around a house that only has space for the cars of the occupants. You have to find parking everywhere you go for this thing, then whine that there’s no parking anywhere. Going to a funereal is also depressing, but even more so because you can see the traffic and congestion created by someone that died.
Cars are a horrible for humanity. They’re like a drug that everyone tells you to try. You’ll see. They’re so useful. Of course you can’t go back.
I can see your point but almost no people are going to prefer going shopping on a bike (or kayak).
Its nice that you live like that. Sounds very cool, but cars are there for a reason… :) People need to actually get their stuff done quickly and conveniently.
Sure, all the downsides you mentioned are there, but lets not be blind to the enormous upsides that you can literally go anywhere without effort or being exposed to the weather.
Why are you trying to convince me that cars are awesome and for adults that needs to get stuff done?
You think I go shopping using a kayak? There are literally the biggest retail stores of my country a few street corners away from where I live. There is a grocery store on the other side of the street.
And you know, people without cars have nothing to do all day. They don’t work and don’t do anything important. Only people with cars are busy people getting stuff done. It’s impossible to get stuff done otherwise.
Not to mention that peole without cars will never feel like real adults.
I’m not an adult and I don’t get stuff done because I don’t have a car? I can’t go shopping? WTF?
Keep your “freedom”. I don’t want it. There’s already enough cars in the streets. You don’t want me driving. Stop trying to convince people that don’t want to drive. You have nothing to gain. Everyone already loves cars. I know that.
I’m glad that you love your car. You’re not the only one. Now can some people actually want to live without one or are you going to force yours into my living room to tell me how useful it is, and how it makes you feel mature and important?
I just moved back to a city with decent enough transit and dumped my car and god I’m so much happier. I hate driving and car ownership with a fiery passion.
Yeah. I moved into a city and region with enough transit for my needs but my family still lives in a place where there hasn’t been a coach or trains in 30 years. There were before but not anymore. And going to other regions or cities without a car is also becoming more and more difficult, if not impossible.
Unfortunately my province and country only care about cars. I really don’t want to drive but I fear that I won’t have any other choice at some point in the future because my other options are actively deteriorating.
A car. Gas/petrol for a car. A parking spot for a car. Car insurance. A driver’s license. Winter tires for cars. Anything car related.
It’s so ridiculous to pay for a mobile living room that needs to be parked everywhere people go with it.
I already had my car when I moved to this city and now I feel attached to it, so I don’t want to get rid of it. If I didn’t already have it I wouldn’t buy a new one now though.
It is pretty useful at times though, even if I do most things with my bike, my car has a big cargo area so I can easily transport a fridge, dishwasher, etc.
For me the car meant i felt like a grown up with tons of freedom. I can go anywhere, see anything.
I used to feel like you until i got one. But now, no way im ever living without one again. Its a life upgrade you cant go back from.
So I guess never by a car so you can live without one.
And people actually use that as an insult. “You’re not an adult until you own a car”. Which is a sad way of seeing millions of people that have been living without a car for their whole life.
And the freedom feeling depends mostly if you live in a region that is offering you ways not to be car dependent. Where I live, we have a very decent network of bike paths in the city but also going into the countryside and traversing the province. I live on the island of an archipelago and can pull my inflatable kayak with my bike trailer, explore the islands around, access nature nearby. I can also go camping and hiking and into the wilderness 200 km away by using this cycling network. I often go visit my parents and family 140-170 km away by cycling there. I could have start to drive and bought a car 25 years ago but I moved somewhere I wouldn’t need one, and my bike represents freedom. I’m free from having to pay big oil to fill a tank to go anywhere. I’m free from monthly parking fees. I’m free from paying the plates and the insurance.
Over the years, what I learned about cars don’t make me see them as freedom. I see them as a way to keep people perpetually paying for gas, sending billions to big oil. I see them as an endless sea and stream of pollution. They pollute the air and the sound. They are bad for mental and physical health. They take an ungodly amount of space. They kill about a million people every year. On the planet, every 30 seconds someone is killed in a car related “accident”. Every year, two billion animals (yes, billions) are killed by cars.
Going to see my nephew for his birthday in the suburbs where my sister lives is comical. Twelve people invited to go park their cars around a house that only has space for the cars of the occupants. You have to find parking everywhere you go for this thing, then whine that there’s no parking anywhere. Going to a funereal is also depressing, but even more so because you can see the traffic and congestion created by someone that died.
Cars are a horrible for humanity. They’re like a drug that everyone tells you to try. You’ll see. They’re so useful. Of course you can’t go back.
I can see your point but almost no people are going to prefer going shopping on a bike (or kayak).
Its nice that you live like that. Sounds very cool, but cars are there for a reason… :) People need to actually get their stuff done quickly and conveniently.
Sure, all the downsides you mentioned are there, but lets not be blind to the enormous upsides that you can literally go anywhere without effort or being exposed to the weather.
Why are you trying to convince me that cars are awesome and for adults that needs to get stuff done?
You think I go shopping using a kayak? There are literally the biggest retail stores of my country a few street corners away from where I live. There is a grocery store on the other side of the street.
And you know, people without cars have nothing to do all day. They don’t work and don’t do anything important. Only people with cars are busy people getting stuff done. It’s impossible to get stuff done otherwise.
Not to mention that peole without cars will never feel like real adults.
I’m not an adult and I don’t get stuff done because I don’t have a car? I can’t go shopping? WTF?
Keep your “freedom”. I don’t want it. There’s already enough cars in the streets. You don’t want me driving. Stop trying to convince people that don’t want to drive. You have nothing to gain. Everyone already loves cars. I know that.
I’m glad that you love your car. You’re not the only one. Now can some people actually want to live without one or are you going to force yours into my living room to tell me how useful it is, and how it makes you feel mature and important?
Lol. :)
Ok mate, have a good day…
I just moved back to a city with decent enough transit and dumped my car and god I’m so much happier. I hate driving and car ownership with a fiery passion.
Sadly, many cities are designed around cars where owning one has become more or less a necessity.
Yeah. I moved into a city and region with enough transit for my needs but my family still lives in a place where there hasn’t been a coach or trains in 30 years. There were before but not anymore. And going to other regions or cities without a car is also becoming more and more difficult, if not impossible.
Unfortunately my province and country only care about cars. I really don’t want to drive but I fear that I won’t have any other choice at some point in the future because my other options are actively deteriorating.