One less car on the road.

Shadowduck

After a few months of working up to it, I've taken the horns by the bull and sold my car! I still have access to my darling wife's car for occasional use but for the most part I'm now on pedals and public transport. Yay me!

I can't wait for the next time someone asks me what I drive. So, how many other people here are carless?

MrGrumpy

today i am carless or is that careless :oops: chucked diesel in my petrol car :shock: Annoyed in that i was only taking the car in today to dump of towel,overalls etc at work

baudman

Well done bud. Same as me. I had driven my car twice in about 14 months, and that was just to give it a run.

That was over 2 years ago. We still have a car, but I have no need for mine and weeks can go by without me driving. My partner will drive it sparingly too. (She's cycling to work one day in three at the moment).

JustRidecp

I'm carless but my gf and me both live and work smack bang in the middle of Edinburgh so a car would be totally useless for us. We just hire if we want to get away for the weekend. Works out cheaper than keeping a car permanently and hire cars are the only true all terrain vehicles.

BentMikey

Good for you mate! I still use my car a little, though the missus uses it much more than I do.

RossC

news item today that 40% of Londoners dont have access to a car - the highest non-driving proportion of residents for any area in the GB

I have full driving licencee for car and motorbike and dont have either (never owned a car, my light motocycle got written off last year by a red light runner). I hire a car when necessary

Shadowduck

Thangyew, thangyew.

I can see living without a car would probably be a relatively easy choice if you live in a big city such as London - I don't, thankfully, but it's still possible even in the wilds of Lancashire. I would probably have hung on to the car a little while longer but the tax was running out at the end of the month and I couldn't face giving the gubmint another 200 quid or so to have it sat on my drive going rusty most of the time.

I suspect I might question my decision come January as I slog through the freezing rain, but I'm pretty sure it makes sense.

adifiddler

The last time i drove was 10+ years ago.

Hairy Jock

I sold my car 14 years ago and my wife has never had a car. Like JustRide, if we want to go off to the Highlands for a w/e (or more often a week) in a cottage we just hire one. It is far cheaper then owning one, there is no hassle with insurance, servicing, etc, and it is always a new car.

Stig-OT-Dump

Sold mine this evening (my tax was running out at the end of the month too).

Now mrs stig is calling me "the greengrocer" for selling someone a lemon

8)

fossyant

Wow - aren't you lot good.

I've gone from feeding £300 per month into mine getting to work, to maybe £30 per month - I've moved jobs and commuting almost every day. The car is hardly getting used now, other than at weekends. Will still keep it though, as our other car isn't big enough when we go away, and I'm not brave enough to go to just one yet......... give it a year or so and I may see things differently. A new car isn't planned at all - a new bike is, in a year to 18 months... just dropping hints etc so it doesn't come as a shock - how to explain a fourth bike........

mazcp

Well done, Shadowduck, nice one...I'm gonna do what you did...gonna sell my car, deffo!

alfablue

Well done mate!

I plan to get rid of my gas guzzler when I finish paying for it :oops:

In my city (and many others) there is a City Car Club.

You pay a monthly fee of £12.50 and £3.60 per hour usage (or no monthly fee and £4.50 per hour), which includes fuel for up to 150 miles per booking. This will be ideal for me for the 2 or 3 times a month that I have to work on a site beyond cycle commute distance, or the occasional social use. Whats more, the nearest car available is parked in a dedicated bay in the next street (and I can't even guarantee to find a space for my own car in my own street). You can book any time (even short notice) on the web or phone. For my business travel, my expenses reimbursement would cover the costs plus some to spare.

They have clubs in 12 different UK towns/cities...might be worth considering for anyone else thinking of quitting car ownership.

DavidTQ

Ditched my car earlier this year, despite living in a town with very limited public transport, and having 4 young kids.

The amount of money it saves really is amazing, we are far better off than I thought we would be when I was doing my calculations before selling the car, guess I never realised how much I spent on bits and pieces car wash, parking, wiper blades etc etc.

Still have the winter to look forward to but Ive made it through this summer with the rain and never once backed down so just going to be buying some longer warmer clothes.

When it comes to holiday\ trip time we can rent a car cheaply enough.