I know there are lots of people who are carless for various reasons. I also know that many people in the city are carless because it just makes sense.
For me, I've been dreaming of a small, fuel efficient car but even the current ones on the market are kind of disappointing to me. I figure if I wait a few years, a lot more options will show up.
I recently got something in the mail though that shows a light rail plan right near my house. I'm very excited about it although I'm sure it'll be a few years before it comes to fruition. Just the plan though made me excited about the thought of being carless while living in the suburbs. Of course we wouldn't totally be carless because we'd have 1 car between my husband and myself.
Of course since my husband and I are both kind of wanderers, I'm doubting we will still be here by the time the light rail is built and functional.
So, I was wondering, who else has dreams of being carless? I can't be the only one, can I?
my DH and I only have the 1 car. He gets around mostly by bike, and one of my mini-goals is to be able to ride my bike to work again. I did it last year, but then gained a whole bunch of weight back and couldn't do it anymore. When I was riding my bike to work, I would even stop at the store on my way home and do grocery shopping via bike. The car would go the whole week without being used and we'd just take it out on weekends for long drives to visit family & friends.
They've been expanding light rail here, but, I'm not seeing much hope of it very close to my area. I've been trying to figure out the bus system lately and would love to be able to use it. In this part of the country everyone is pretty reliant on autos. I don't really see that changing too soon.
I would love to move into one of the walking neighborhoods that have started developing here in a couple of years once the youngest is out of school.
I cannot even imagine my life without a car. People who live in large cities live their lives using public transportation and their feet. How do they shop for a family? It would have to be a meal or a day at a time...
I would love to not have a car. I'm not sure how practical that would be right now, but I have hope for the future. As it is, DH and I only have the one car. We live close enough to his work that he can walk.
We also live in an area that has several zip cars, so that may be an option for us in the future. We both want to start biking more too, but I have to have a car for my current job (I run errands for work a lot.)
DW and I share 1 car. It goes with her to work (I work from home), so during the day, all errands I need to run are on foot or on my bicycle. And I do...go to the grocery store, go to the library, pick up prescriptions, whatever.
It does take some manipulation (for example, my shoulder is out right now, so our groceries were too heavy for me to carry home - had DW stop on her way home to pick me up at the grocery after walking there, which meant no additional gas since it was on her route home...that does take coordination), and it can be inconvenient at times (when the shoulder injury happened, I ended up having to wait for DW to get home with the car before being able to go to urgent care), but I mostly enjoy the extra walking/riding exercise, and I enjoy even more the lack of car payment/insurance for a second car.
I walked to the grocery store quite a bit last year and am starting to again this year. Luckily, I got a pulled behind cart to carry the stuff home. I messed up once and bought too many items in jars. I won't make that mistake again.
Last edited by Operator265; 06-11-2009 at 12:20 PM.
I cannot even imagine my life without a car. People who live in large cities live their lives using public transportation and their feet. How do they shop for a family? It would have to be a meal or a day at a time...
You can either carry whatever you have or you can get a cart. Also some people have bikes that have storage to hold stuff.
I don't buy a lot when I go grocery shopping, a couple bags although going to Costco is a bit different. I know someone who lives in the city and rented a zipcar for a trip to Ikea.
I also recently bought a trike which has storage and can hold some stuff but if I was to do more shopping, I'd need to get some side panniers.
My sister just got this GREAT cart...can't find a link but it folds into a very small, light totebag for your walk to the store, then becomes a crazy large cart for hauling your groceries back. Amazing!
When I walk to the store, I shop with a handbasket, instead of a cart. That way, if it starts getting too heavy, I'm aware of it and can start considering the weight I'll be walking with. Every time I get a cart, I buy more than I can comfortably carry home.
I used to be carless for about three years, a couple of months before deciding to get pregnant I bought a car because my office was in another neighborhood plus I needed to be on the run some days, making it by public transportation was not an option. Now my office is a couple of blocks from where I live (is closed for now) but I keep the car because of my son doctos's appointments. My husband doesn't even drive, he always travels by public transportation.
When I used to walk everywhere I was in better shape, I'm trying to use less and less the car. On weekends we have being walking to the beach instead of taking the car.
Shopping for a family without car? My local supermarket is just a couple of blocks away and I have one of those little carts that you can put your groceries in and push it, the supermarket cart is even ready with some hooks so you can hang the little cart there while you shop. Sure I used to make more trips, but I was in better shape and condition.
I remember meeting a lady in Rock Springs, WY, who was from San Fransisco and she was just learning how to drive at the age of 28. I couldn't believe it. She said she had been using public trans her whole life. I can't think of any cities, even Casper or Cheyenne, in WY that you could get by in w/o a car.
So, I was wondering, who else has dreams of being carless? I can't be the only one, can I?
Me! I do!
Can't do it yet, but boy do I dream about it.
I think most likely I'd have a little fuel efficient car, so I could visit my parents and siblings easily (who live about 45-60 miles from me, in different directions, or course). But I'd love to do all my daily living on foot, bicycle or public transportation.
I went with my sister the other day to a sporting good store because she was buying a double stroller. They had a bright red bicycle with wooden basket and I was drooling over it. I don't even think it would actually be what I'd need, but it was so cute and quaint.
I should also say that I actually didn't start driving until I was 23. I didn't feel I needed one until I got out of college and it worked out pretty well. Although I think I gained 30 lbs as soon as I got the car.
My husband came here 14 years ago from Ireland, he was 21 back then he doesn't drive. I came here 5 years ago, back in my country you are driving before 16 because there's no other way...I spent 3 of those 5 without a car and working in different places. I think we are pretty good about not using the car, it's a 2006 and no even 12K miles in two years (bought it in 07').
Carless? In the suburbs? On purpose?
) but I keep the car because of my son doctos's appointments. My husband doesn't even drive, he always travels by public transportation.
