Ditch the car

WHM3871

I'm so glad I ditched the car a year ago, sick of paying tax, insurance, fuel & repairs. I ride my bike everywhere now, it's cheaper, I'm a lot fitter, got more money in my pocket & no more traffic jams.

ndru

well done, however I must say i don't get your signature. Please tell me you don't belong to this little group of cyclists that give all people on bikes a bad name.

WHM3871

No I obey the rules but I do think we should have better cycle lanes instead of painted white lines on pavements + our own set of lights like other countries have.

MichaelR

Well done on getting rid of the car! I'm working up to that myself. I just don't like driving any more, but and I have three young kids who all need car seats, so the whole family can't fit in the car! So we'll have to either buy a bigger car (which I don't want and can't afford) or look at the alternatives. The kids prefer the bus anyway!

WHM3871

Yes it can be awkward when you've got children to live without a car, I've got a daughter myself, what I do now is hire one when I need it.

MichaelR

I think that's what we'll try. Even if we hire a people carrier whenever we need it, that's still cheaper than keeping one on the road. I live only three miles from my work and my wife doesn't drive anyway, so we're seriously considering it for in the New Year.

nwallace

Plenty of Cars Ditched, Beached, Abandoned today.

ndru

I've been seeing a lot of "FOR SALE" signs on cars. Hopefully people are not selling them to upgrade. Oh, and for some reason there isn't too much demand since these cars have had these notes for ages.

Berk Bonebonce

I am a keen environmentalist and have never driven, and I hate the whole business of driving. However, I would like something in return. A free local bus pass for everyone not holding a Driving Licence would be a good idea.

lzkp5q

Like the bus pass idea a lot. Ditched the car in May (well, due to failing eyesight the DVLA made me ditch it) and having thought the world would turn upside down, have got used to no car-dome well, though as people say, kids, football, swimming, disco etc is a bit of a pain......as is this snow but you get used to it.
What I would like is consideration from other road users and the world would be a smiley place

staringatthesea

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

I am a keen environmentalist and have never driven, and I hate the whole business of driving. However, I would like something in return. A free local bus pass for everyone not holding a Driving Licence would be a good idea.

Wouldn't it make more sense to give free bus passes to everyone who does hold a driving licence?

fnegroni

Although I ditched my car over a year ago, we still do find it convenient to run one in the family (belongs to my wife).

We run an old but perfectly functional car; we use the trains whenever possible and economical. We walk/cycle to most places within a few miles radius when we can.

I am not anti-car per se, more anti-car when the alternatives are perfectly viable.

I find it irritating that businesses still expect employees to turn up in suits without realising that if they cycle into work, they might need a change of clothes. The stigma associated to it in some environments begs belief.

I was so pleased when I saw a policeman on a bike on a cold November evening to enforce a residential road block.

Sleepycol

Got rid of my car nearly five years ago. Bought myself a back up bike with the money saved. I can safely say I will never get another car. Way too much hassle.

Berk Bonebonce

Classic anti-car social thinking essay: http://rts.gn.apc.org/socid.htm

rjeffroy

well done, however I must say i don't get your signature. Please tell me you don't belong to this little group of cyclists that give all people on bikes a bad name.

A bit harsh on Dawes Giro riders.

Ergates

I am a keen environmentalist and have never driven, and I hate the whole business of driving. However, I would like something in return. A free local bus pass for everyone not holding a Driving Licence would be a good idea

A good idea for you maybe, but why should other taxpayers subsidise your travel? If you don't own a car, you don't have any of the associated costs which would more than cover the cost of a bus pass.

Berk Bonebonce

Ergates wrote:

I am a keen environmentalist and have never driven, and I hate the whole business of driving. However, I would like something in return. A free local bus pass for everyone not holding a Driving Licence would be a good idea

A good idea for you maybe, but why should other taxpayers subsidise your travel? If you don't own a car, you don't have any of the associated costs which would more than cover the cost of a bus pass.

As a cyclist, I might not pay Road Tax, but the money I do give to the Government, like VAT and Income Tax, goes towards the 'subsidisation' of someone's travel. Through the taxes we pay, we all pay for bus passes, new train lines, new roads, etc. We are all 'subsidising' someone elses travel, and the Government can spend our money in different ways.

People who use public transport instead of private contribute less in the way of CO2 emmisions, and I think that alone is worth a free bus pass for local journeys.

Make local travel free and there would be greater uptake of public transport, assuming people will be able to handle the loss of status that comes with not having a car.

Tonymufc

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

I am a keen environmentalist and have never driven, and I hate the whole business of driving. However, I would like something in return. A free local bus pass for everyone not holding a Driving Licence would be a good idea.

So you want rewarding for not being a driver. Get real mate. I suppose you would like the bus you take to be powered by carrot juice.

Ergates

[Grrr, evil internet ate my original reply which was much more witty and erudite...]

Making local transport free for all would be an entirely different matter. I was questioning by you thought you deserved free transport because you chose not to learn to drive.

I don't smoke, I've never been even slightly overweight and I take regular exercise - does that mean the government should send me free fruit baskets as a reward for being less of a burden on the NHS?

I don't have any children - what shoud I get for that? (after all, I'm still paying for the schools).

We all pay taxes into a big pool that pays for everything - whether you use it or not (or even like it or not). If we were able to start choosing which bits of tax we did and didn't have to pay the whole system would collapse.

Also - you wouldn't have to make public transport free to get people to use it more. Just cheap, convenient and reliable. For most people a car isn't a status symbol, it's just a means of getting from A to B.

thiscocks

Ergates wrote:

[Grrr, evil internet ate my original reply which was much more witty and erudite...]

Making local transport free for all would be an entirely different matter. I was questioning by you thought you deserved free transport because you chose not to learn to drive.

I don't smoke, I've never been even slightly overweight and I take regular exercise - does that mean the government should send me free fruit baskets as a reward for being less of a burden on the NHS?

I don't have any children - what shoud I get for that? (after all, I'm still paying for the schools).

We all pay taxes into a big pool that pays for everything - whether you use it or not (or even like it or not). If we were able to start choosing which bits of tax we did and didn't have to pay the whole system would collapse.

Also - you wouldn't have to make public transport free to get people to use it more. Just cheap, convenient and reliable. For most people a car isn't a status symbol, it's just a means of getting from A to B.

good points. Id like to add some people also drive because (shock horror) they enjoy driving.

Tonymufc

thiscocks wrote:

Ergates wrote:

[Grrr, evil internet ate my original reply which was much more witty and erudite...]

Making local transport free for all would be an entirely different matter. I was questioning by you thought you deserved free transport because you chose not to learn to drive.

I don't smoke, I've never been even slightly overweight and I take regular exercise - does that mean the government should send me free fruit baskets as a reward for being less of a burden on the NHS?

I don't have any children - what shoud I get for that? (after all, I'm still paying for the schools).

We all pay taxes into a big pool that pays for everything - whether you use it or not (or even like it or not). If we were able to start choosing which bits of tax we did and didn't have to pay the whole system would collapse.

Also - you wouldn't have to make public transport free to get people to use it more. Just cheap, convenient and reliable. For most people a car isn't a status symbol, it's just a means of getting from A to B.

good points. Id like to add some people also drive because (shock horror) they enjoy driving.

Talk about controversial.