Not the OP but we have not owned a car since 2000 and don’t want to own any. We can live without one (public transit, walk, bike, Uber or even renting a car when it’s really needed… last time must have been 11 years ago). Why? It’s something my spouse and I decided to get rid of when we became aware of climate crisis we were heading into. Likewise, we also stopped using planes completely, I mean, not just for personal travels but also for business (we have not traveled by plane since 2001) and learned to consume less.
I’d go that route too, but I literally live have a world away from my family. So I had to fly to visit them. In 2003. In 2016. And in 2024. I’m fine with three two-way flights in 25 years.
There is no viable alternative in my case. I’m Canadian. I live in China. There is no way to go from the one to the other without flight. So I keep it to rare visits instead of making it an annual thing like some of my fellow expats do.
There is no way to go from the one to the other without flight
People have traveled the world for centuries before the Wright brothers devised the first plane. Boat and road are slower and less convenient but it’s still doable and have been done (think the old silk road). What I will agree with is that it’s often not… realistically feasible to do in our days and age but it’s still doable ;)
(not original commenter) It’s not really needed in or near European cities in a lot of cases.
I have one because I had a job I needed to drive to at one point, but now, I can cycle most places, or get things delivered. Not paying for a car can pay for a lot of taxis for the other cases.
Was thinking of getting one of those tiny electric 2 seat cars with sub 100 mile ranges to cover most of the remaining cases.
Ditto. My partner and I are well into our 40s, mortgage paid off, etc. Childfree. Living in a one-story attached house in a sort of suburbs, 20 minutes to city center by bike or bus. So, not a city apartment, and could have a decent car if we wanted to.
I never even bothered with getting a license, do not want to be responsible for a tonne+ murder machine.
We rent a car twice a year to visit relatives in the countryside, often one or two times more if there’s a family event or other need. I take a taxi sometimes to go to the vet. Otherwise it’s cycling (very bicycle-friendly city) or public transportation (also well arranged), and train & public transportation for other national travel. Transporting furniture is sometimes a hassle, but how often does one need to do that? Way more carefree and cheaper than owning a car.
Chiming into the chorus here: haven’t owned a car since 2001. There’s no need. I live in what amounts to a “fifteen minute city” and for those rare things that aren’t within a fifteen minute walk of my home, I have great public transit to use instead. In almost 25 years of living here I think the total number of times I’ve had to use a taxi or hired van or the like to do something that wouldn’t be easily done with public transit have cost me less than 1% the purchase price of an automobile.
So I’ve saved the price of a car, the price of fuel/charging, the price of insurance, the price of maintenance. My lifestyle as a result is much better than it would be if I continued using cars.
(I’ve also calculated that if I took a taxi too and from work daily it would take me five years before the costs of that added up to the price of purchasing—just buying—a car.)
I’m gonna jump in here with my own two cents as well!
I am most certainly ecologically conscious so that is part of it. Although it’s probably also an excuse and something to make myself feel better about it.
The main reason is that I feel like I would be a danger to others lol. I used to ride motorbikes (plural because I crashed all 3 of them), absolutely sucked at it and wrecked my knees in the process. And I just feel like it’s one of these areas in life where everyone else seems to just automatically know how to do it correctly but no one is sharing the secret. I mean, I was bad, I even wiped out once or twice just slowing down for an intersection and hitting the brakes too quickly or something (to this day I’m still not 100% sure what I did wrong).
Even with bicycles. It didn’t take long to learn to balance and pedal and whatever but beyond that I was awful and crashed for stupid, preventable reasons. Also tried skateboarding at one point and seemed to have a knack for hitting every small stone in the road that would lock my wheel up and send me flying.
I worry that I’m behind the wheel of a car, I’m gonna daydream or something, or do something stupid and wrong that I don’t even realise because apparently it’s obvious to everyone else except me. And then injure someone other than myself this time. At least if I fuck up on a motorbike, it’s going to likely just be me facing the consequences and I won’t take out a family with me.
I’ve also started priding myself with walking though. I’m part of a select few that could walk from here to the next town over if I felt like it, and I like being part of a select few. It also keeps me slightly in shape. The “fast metabolism” that I coasted on for years has definitely slowed down and I’m definitely getting a little bit of a belly now. And if I drove everywhere instead of walking, I’d probably be in much worse shape right now.
Not diagnosed but at this point I’m about 99% sure I’m high masking either ADHD or autism or both. I don’t like self diagnosing personally (ever since coming across a warning against it when I did psych 101 and 102) but starting to feel like I need to for my own sake, just so that I can find the resources I need to live successfully.
Tried going through the public healthcare system for a diagnosis and was left with the impression that unless I have visible tics and ‘act’ like something is wrong, I’m not going to be getting any help there.
It’s a nightmare. I was incredibly lucky my doctor made it work for me and got me diagnosed. Work then had no choice but to send me for a full assessment. Changed my life. Is there any other route you can go down eg work education local charity etc?
I haven’t actually looked into if there are any charities dealing with diagnosis. That might be a possibility. I’ve never been in any job that would bother though. South Africa has this thing about being ‘tough’ and too cool for school all the time. If I had to bring it up to a boss, I’d probably be laughed at and called “gay” or something. Or be told something like “we’re all a little autistic, deal with it”. I’m 100% making assumptions because I’ve never tried it but I think I’ve got this place pretty well figured out by now.
I think my only option is private, which means that it’s just another thing that needs saving up for. On a growing list of things I need money for.
Glad to hear that you’re finally getting answers. I really get the impression that you’re on a mission to live your best life right now and I love that. I’m not completely giving up myself. I’ll still lurk in neurodivergent spaces and pick up tips and learn things. Just without any medication I guess (unless you count self medicating with pot).
Yep saving for it is a nightmare. Lurking is a really good idea you’ll pick up loads from peoples lived experiences and we’ll all 100% help you however we can 😊
I’ve definitely picked up that people in these spaces are mainly accepting and understanding. And sympathetic to people who feel their only option is self diagnosis. So the final barrier is me wondering if I really belong as usual lol. But I’m learning to get over myself and allow myself to find my people. Thank you for always being so kind.
Interesting, how come you don’t want a car? Not judging just curious
Lot’s of reasons, the list is quite long, you don’t really have to read that all x) :
*- cars maintenance is annoying
*- parking is annoying
*- on street parking and big parking lots are ugly and make places worse to live in
*-cars are extremely dangerous
*-cars are too loud
*-cars are bad for the environment
*-cars are an inefficient way to get around in most cases
*-there is too much car infrastructure
*-car infrastructure is really expensive, a lot of that tax money would be of better use elsewhere
*-I’d rather support public transport and the implementation of good bicycle and walking infrastructure
*-walking and riding a bike is healthy and can be really pleasant
*-I can read stuff while using public transport (like lemmy posts)
*-driving a car in big cities is scary and stressful
*-trains are cool
*-screw the car industry and their lobbying
*- in the few cases I do want to use a car, I can easily rent one
These are just the reasons from the top of my head, there are probably more.
Not the OP but we have not owned a car since 2000 and don’t want to own any. We can live without one (public transit, walk, bike, Uber or even renting a car when it’s really needed… last time must have been 11 years ago). Why? It’s something my spouse and I decided to get rid of when we became aware of climate crisis we were heading into. Likewise, we also stopped using planes completely, I mean, not just for personal travels but also for business (we have not traveled by plane since 2001) and learned to consume less.
I’d go that route too, but I literally live have a world away from my family. So I had to fly to visit them. In 2003. In 2016. And in 2024. I’m fine with three two-way flights in 25 years.
That’s perfectly fine, imho. Anyone should decide for themselves. We’ve decided we would do no exception, but that’s just our choice ;)
There is no viable alternative in my case. I’m Canadian. I live in China. There is no way to go from the one to the other without flight. So I keep it to rare visits instead of making it an annual thing like some of my fellow expats do.
People have traveled the world for centuries before the Wright brothers devised the first plane. Boat and road are slower and less convenient but it’s still doable and have been done (think the old silk road). What I will agree with is that it’s often not… realistically feasible to do in our days and age but it’s still doable ;)
Hence the use of the word “viable” right at the start to set the stage.
(not original commenter) It’s not really needed in or near European cities in a lot of cases.
I have one because I had a job I needed to drive to at one point, but now, I can cycle most places, or get things delivered. Not paying for a car can pay for a lot of taxis for the other cases.
Was thinking of getting one of those tiny electric 2 seat cars with sub 100 mile ranges to cover most of the remaining cases.
Yep I work shifts and public transport near me is totally unreliable.
Ditto. My partner and I are well into our 40s, mortgage paid off, etc. Childfree. Living in a one-story attached house in a sort of suburbs, 20 minutes to city center by bike or bus. So, not a city apartment, and could have a decent car if we wanted to.
I never even bothered with getting a license, do not want to be responsible for a tonne+ murder machine.
We rent a car twice a year to visit relatives in the countryside, often one or two times more if there’s a family event or other need. I take a taxi sometimes to go to the vet. Otherwise it’s cycling (very bicycle-friendly city) or public transportation (also well arranged), and train & public transportation for other national travel. Transporting furniture is sometimes a hassle, but how often does one need to do that? Way more carefree and cheaper than owning a car.
Chiming into the chorus here: haven’t owned a car since 2001. There’s no need. I live in what amounts to a “fifteen minute city” and for those rare things that aren’t within a fifteen minute walk of my home, I have great public transit to use instead. In almost 25 years of living here I think the total number of times I’ve had to use a taxi or hired van or the like to do something that wouldn’t be easily done with public transit have cost me less than 1% the purchase price of an automobile.
So I’ve saved the price of a car, the price of fuel/charging, the price of insurance, the price of maintenance. My lifestyle as a result is much better than it would be if I continued using cars.
(I’ve also calculated that if I took a taxi too and from work daily it would take me five years before the costs of that added up to the price of purchasing—just buying—a car.)
I’m gonna jump in here with my own two cents as well!
I am most certainly ecologically conscious so that is part of it. Although it’s probably also an excuse and something to make myself feel better about it.
The main reason is that I feel like I would be a danger to others lol. I used to ride motorbikes (plural because I crashed all 3 of them), absolutely sucked at it and wrecked my knees in the process. And I just feel like it’s one of these areas in life where everyone else seems to just automatically know how to do it correctly but no one is sharing the secret. I mean, I was bad, I even wiped out once or twice just slowing down for an intersection and hitting the brakes too quickly or something (to this day I’m still not 100% sure what I did wrong).
Even with bicycles. It didn’t take long to learn to balance and pedal and whatever but beyond that I was awful and crashed for stupid, preventable reasons. Also tried skateboarding at one point and seemed to have a knack for hitting every small stone in the road that would lock my wheel up and send me flying.
I worry that I’m behind the wheel of a car, I’m gonna daydream or something, or do something stupid and wrong that I don’t even realise because apparently it’s obvious to everyone else except me. And then injure someone other than myself this time. At least if I fuck up on a motorbike, it’s going to likely just be me facing the consequences and I won’t take out a family with me.
I’ve also started priding myself with walking though. I’m part of a select few that could walk from here to the next town over if I felt like it, and I like being part of a select few. It also keeps me slightly in shape. The “fast metabolism” that I coasted on for years has definitely slowed down and I’m definitely getting a little bit of a belly now. And if I drove everywhere instead of walking, I’d probably be in much worse shape right now.
Are you neurodiverse? Just wondering cos sometimes us neuros are bad drivers
Not diagnosed but at this point I’m about 99% sure I’m high masking either ADHD or autism or both. I don’t like self diagnosing personally (ever since coming across a warning against it when I did psych 101 and 102) but starting to feel like I need to for my own sake, just so that I can find the resources I need to live successfully.
Tried going through the public healthcare system for a diagnosis and was left with the impression that unless I have visible tics and ‘act’ like something is wrong, I’m not going to be getting any help there.
It’s a nightmare. I was incredibly lucky my doctor made it work for me and got me diagnosed. Work then had no choice but to send me for a full assessment. Changed my life. Is there any other route you can go down eg work education local charity etc?
I haven’t actually looked into if there are any charities dealing with diagnosis. That might be a possibility. I’ve never been in any job that would bother though. South Africa has this thing about being ‘tough’ and too cool for school all the time. If I had to bring it up to a boss, I’d probably be laughed at and called “gay” or something. Or be told something like “we’re all a little autistic, deal with it”. I’m 100% making assumptions because I’ve never tried it but I think I’ve got this place pretty well figured out by now.
I think my only option is private, which means that it’s just another thing that needs saving up for. On a growing list of things I need money for.
Glad to hear that you’re finally getting answers. I really get the impression that you’re on a mission to live your best life right now and I love that. I’m not completely giving up myself. I’ll still lurk in neurodivergent spaces and pick up tips and learn things. Just without any medication I guess (unless you count self medicating with pot).
Yep saving for it is a nightmare. Lurking is a really good idea you’ll pick up loads from peoples lived experiences and we’ll all 100% help you however we can 😊
I’ve definitely picked up that people in these spaces are mainly accepting and understanding. And sympathetic to people who feel their only option is self diagnosis. So the final barrier is me wondering if I really belong as usual lol. But I’m learning to get over myself and allow myself to find my people. Thank you for always being so kind.
That’s a really nice thing to say music. And you’re welcome 🥰
Every motorist is a danger to others. It’s not a question of if you hurt someone, it’s how many and how badly. It’s incredibly selfish.