DISQUS

TreeHugger.com: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

  • Brian · 3 years ago

    Michael, I understand how you're interested in reducing cars on the road. The truth of the matter is that public transportation isn't for everyone. In many cases there are gaping holes in coverage, and in the amount of buses and trains. It's nowhere close enough to what the average person needs. Try taking a large flat screen TV you just bought in a store with you on a bus.



    I have to be honest and say that while I support strong environmental policy, there's no way I'm giving up my car. Give me a hydrogen car and I'm a happy guy, but I'll go where I want, when I want, while taking the route I want. That's the freedom of choice. While driving alone isn't statistically the most environmentally friendly thing, I don't live remotely close to my colleagues, many quite simply can't afford to. Your system is great if people who work together, also live together in very close proximity, and never leave the general area.



    Take a look at the nightmare going on in Seattle and the rest of the Puget Sound when it comes to mass transit. Hundreds of millions of dollars for a simple light rail track. The monorail extension failed because it was far too expensive (billions of dollars). Light rail is YEARS behind schedule, even after cutting back several lines. When it comes to your dream of the future and mass transit you have to face the realities of funding. Taxes pay for the construction, then they decide to keep raising taxes each years because maintenance will suddenly need to be done and they'll have gone over budget. We've all seen it time and time again. I simply don't trust mass transit to do it's job. Then when that's all said and done, I hope people don't get too upset when the union workers decide to go on strike, shutting everything down.



    I'll quit my dependence on oil, but I'll never give up the freedom to go where I choose in my own car.

  • xremyx · 3 years ago

    Our family has done some things in the past year or so that are different from the regular way of doing things. We moved into the city in which we both work. Now we're less than 5 miles from work rather than 35. New bicycles allow us to ride to work or friend's houses around town instead of taking the car.



    Last year we joined a CSA and get good food from within 3 miles of our apartment. I also take public transportation when going on trips where possible. I've sent some letters to senators, told people about Terrapass and Better World Club and also have compact fluorescent light bulbs in our apartment. We also unplug things and don't buy stuff we don't need.

  • Lil' Hugger · 3 years ago

    I commute to work by bicycle. It's about 9 miles one way and if I'm going at a good clip, it only takes 30 minutes.

    It's funny, it takes me the same amount of commuting time to take my bike v.s. driving.

    -about 30 min. door to door biking

    -about 30 min. door to door taking car + walking from where car is parked to work.



    I only end up driving when I've gotten up late, as biking does take a little more prep time in the morning (checking tires, packing bag with "work clothes" etc...)

  • Jim Robb · 3 years ago

    I have stepped up my efforts to commute by bike (recumbent actually.) My commute is 22 miles roundtrip. Our local Bus company hase a ridesharing program. They recently gave away 150 ipods to people who pledged to commute 2 days a week by bike, carpool or by bus this summer. The bus company's website www.ridefinders.com tells the story.

    I commute to work by bike on occasion anyway, so this will be further incentive.

    I also have a blog: http://pedaledconomics.blogspot.com to help with healthy food, transportation and health issues.

    We all have a choice on how we get to work. The easiest choice of riding in a car may end up being the most "expensive" of all in terms of personal, economic and environmental health. I can't decide for you.

  • Don B · 3 years ago

    I live within a Mile of grocery shopping, Target, restaurants, copy center, and medium bike distance from the hardware store. I have tried in vain to find ridesharing to work - I live only 9 miles from work, and can't find anyone within even a 5-mile radius to share with. In some ways I live TOO CLOSE to things to be able to cut back on anything, so I try not to worry if I have to drive a quick trip to the store for something I can't carry on my bike. If I could take a bus to work, I would. I would ride a bike the 9 miles to work if it were not on treacherous back roads. Some people do ride these roads, and they take their lives in their hands. Not worth the risk...

  • Roberto · 3 years ago

    I live 16 miles from school, and 9 miles from work. I attend school 4 days a week and work the other 3. Before, I used to drive to school. Weekly, I was driving about 182 miles just to get where i needed to go.



    Recently, I've been taking the the bus to school; I just drive to the park and ride lot (1 mile from home), and the bus takes me directly to school. Mileage savings: 120 per week, 480 per month. Fuel savings: about 22 gallons per month.



    Grocery stores and shopping are all within 3 miles from home.

  • Colin · 3 years ago

    I gave up my car about a year ago and I've never been happier. I cycle just about everywhere but am subscribed to a car sharing service which I use less than once a month when I need to get to some remote area not serviced by public transport.



    I understand not everyone can do this, but everyone can reduce the number of car trips they make. It's way too tempting when that big hunk of metal is waiting for you outside the door.



    As for bringing home large flat screen TVs or other oversized purchases (I understand there are other reasons to have a car but this, on its own, isn't one), most shops deliver for a small charge or you can take a taxi if its not the size of a refrigerator. It still comes out cheaper than owning a car unless you buy several TVs per week :)

  • joe · 3 years ago

    I find the best way to convince people of the benefits of being car-free (and making car-free choices when deciding where to live and work) is to use money as a motivator.



    Here in Toronto, the Canadian Automobile Association reports that the average car costs $9,000 per year to own, maintain, and use. For a 2-car family that's $18,000 per year.



    Think long-term with those numbers.... over 10 years, a 2-car family pisses away $180,000 on car-related expenses. Over a 30 year career, that works out to $540,000.



    I'm sure most people would prefer to put that money towards better stuff - like a nice vacation every year, or retiring early!

  • dru · 3 years ago

    The office I currently work at is 17 miles from where I live. The city in which I reside has ample entertainment, and grocery stores within walking distance, plenty of parks and great public transportation that connects it to the major city of which it is a suburb. The city in which I work has a very poor public transportation system, no real connection to the main arteries serving the rest of the area and seems to be full of people who would drive down their 50' driveway to get their mail instead of walking. My office is currently planning on moving even further into the suburbs to appease most of my coworkers. Right now my simple solution is find a new job which will become a full time pursuit in a couple of weeks. I have already located similar firms near my house that I can bike to and look forward to putting my new fuel efficient car in the garage for most of it's life. I will miss carpooling with my girlfriend but it will be a small price to pay to be able to give up my car almost completely. Now we just have to find a closer job for her so she can bike too.

  • lucasp · 3 years ago

    we live in the middle of our job locations... i'm 30 miles away from my work and my partner is 17 miles away from his work. so i carpool w/my coworker. recently we've been biking a lot more too. instead of driving to everything within a 10-mile radius, we bike. you can save quite a bit by doing that because a lot of trips are short local trips.

  • Chris · 3 years ago

    A year ago I moved so that I was closer to work. I used to drive about 98 miles per day for commuting, and now walk a little over a mile instead.



    I'm still using the car for shopping about once a week, but I'm planning on getting a bicycle and panniers so that I can get groceries without needing to drive.



    Nowadays when my coworkers complain about the price of gas, I just smile to myself and hope the prices go higher.

  • Paul · 3 years ago

    We bought a small house close to the train station in Mountain View, CA.



    We have one car but my wife takes the train to work and I take my bike on the light rail. The light rail gives me the time to read. Public transportation can be inconvenient but car expenses and the stress of driving can be the greater evil.



    We have an older car but since we drive it infrequently it would not make much difference if we traded it in for a new hybrid.

  • Jason · 3 years ago

    I bike 20 miles a day, and I buy local produce from the farmer's market, and I DO NOT FLY UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY (Basically 1 flight per year, but even that is too much).



    The Earth is dying, so there is no excuse for making the situation worse. If I hear one more person say "but I love the freedom my car gives me" than I think my head will explode! How about the freedom that the Biosphere gives you by letting you live?

  • MY · 3 years ago

    I moved from a rural location 25 miles from work to a town 3 miles from work. I had just spent £1000 fitting a new engine, only for the car to be written off a week later. Used the insurance money for deposit on a flat, now have no car, and i'm loving it.



    I now spend 30% of the time taking the bus, and cycle to work 70% of the time.



    I loved my car, tuned it up, spent a lot on maintenance, and that's where i'm saving huge amounts of cash now. My bike has cost me £3.50 in 6 months (new inner tube) - with the car you get used to random large bills all the time, but you just accept it.



    What really bugged me in the end was the mileage I was doing, something like 22,000 miles a year.



    So that's 1.2 tons of metal, which had to be propelled at 60mph, once round the Earth every year, just to stay alive? Madness!



    Is there a more wasteful species on Earth than humans?



    To paraphrase Brian: "I'll quit my dependence on oil, but I'll never give up the freedom to go where I choose on my own bike."

  • KS_ · 3 years ago

    I walk, cycle, take public transportation, telecommute and carpool. When I need a car, I rent one. If I've rented a car to go out of town, I try to fill it with friends. If my coworkers are driving to lunch, I encourage them to take 1 full car rather than separate cars. I chose a house that's 6 km from where I work, 8 km from where my husband works, 1 km from a grocery store, and close to restaurants, theatres, a train station, a bus station, and a community pool.



    My strategy for encouraging other people not to drive everywhere is to mention how much I feel I gain from not owning a car. In the past 5 years, gas prices have almost doubled and transit pass prices have gone up by $3. Last year, I bought a house using a downpayment I saved by not owning a car.

  • Simon · 3 years ago

    i reduce my dependency on cars by not owning one. I cycle, bus and train most places and when I need a car (which is rare) i just rent one.



    I can't remember the last time i needed to bring a flat screen t.v. from the shops but whatever.



    i think absence is one good method of forming habits.

  • Nick · 3 years ago

    I can relate to Brian's desire to go where he wants, when he wants, by what route he wants, and I also can't put up with the cost and delays of public transportation. That's the reason I bike everywhere. That's real personal freedom. Here in New York City, I rack up about a hundred miles each week.

  • Gomek · 3 years ago

    "Try taking a large flat screen TV you just bought in a store with you on a bus."



    Try reading a book while you drive.



    "I'll quit my dependence on oil, but I'll never give up the freedom to go where I choose in my own car."



    Were it not for the rest of the post, I would accuse the author of Socratic irony.

  • Joe · 3 years ago

    I live in an area (Atlanta, Georgia) that most people consider unliveable without a car. I have substantially reduced my driving the last four years from about 15,000 miles/year to about 4,000. I bike to work (10 miles round trip) and do grocery shopping and routine errands on my way home several times a week. I use public transit in inclement weather, and have begun using it for some social events in the evenings and on weekends. I have found that I really enjoy the relaxation of public transit, despite the increased time, in place of the aggravation I often experience behind the wheel. When FlexCar opens up shop in Atlanta this summer, I may decide it is time to let my personal car go altogether. With FlexCar, I'll have access to a vehicle when I need one, and I will be able to rent vehicles appropriate to the purpose of my trip (pick-up for large hardware; van for a group of friends). For nightclubbing and for visiting familiy and friends, I may use a scooter (which is not perfect, but has enormous environmental and congestion improvements over a car). For work I'll stay with the bicycle, as I really enjoy the exercise. For emergencies, I'll take a taxi. And I have already started discussing with friends how they would like to be conpensated if they find themselves to always be the carpool driver (most say an occasional meal would keep them satisfied). I've already gotten to the point that using the car feels like more of a burden than doing without it, and I hope to completely make the break within a year.

  • Gomek · 3 years ago

    "Try taking a large flat screen TV you just bought in a store with you on a bus."



    Try reading a book while you drive.



    "I'll quit my dependence on oil, but I'll never give up the freedom to go where I choose in my own car."



    The (Socratic) irony of this statement is not lost on me.





    With that said, I agree: Public transportation and bike riding are less convenient than taking a car. Sometimes public transportation is so inconvenient I find myself gazing out the window at the passing scenery. Sometimes, on the bike, I find myself breathing fresh air. Stopping to smell the flowers? You wouldn't believe me anyway.



    Alas, the cost of these inconveniences is that I am left with little time to enjoy a flat screen TV.



    YMMV

  • David · 3 years ago

    I've taken two main steps. 1) I bought a bike and started to use it as much as I can, and 2) I traded my 15mpg jeep for a 40mpg Jetta that uses biodiesel. I ride the bike to work most days. It's an 8 mile round trip. I either walk or ride to the grocery store (depending on which one I want to go to), and most other things I buy are also within walking or riding distance. It helps that a lot of my friends live nearby and are also cyclists, so we usually bike to each others houses when we hang out, and go on rides together. I end up driving only when I'm with a group of people and we all need to go someplace far away, if time is a major concern, or if it's really wet out. I've only driven 35 miles in the last two weeks. I think the main reason that I'm able to do all of this is my choice of where to live. If I had chosen to live out in some suburb (which many people did) it would be much more difficult for me to maintain this low level of car usage.

  • Joe · 3 years ago

    I live in an area (Atlanta, Georgia) that most people consider unliveable without a car. I have substantially reduced my driving the last four years from about 15,000 miles/year to about 4,000. I bike to work (10 miles round trip) and do grocery shopping and routine errands on my way home several times a week. I use public transit in inclement weather, and have begun using it for some social events in the evenings and on weekends. I have found that I really enjoy the relaxation of public transit, despite the increased time, in place of the aggravation I often experience behind the wheel. When FlexCar opens up shop in Atlanta this summer, I may decide it is time to let my personal car go altogether. With FlexCar, I'll have access to a vehicle when I need one, and I will be able to rent vehicles appropriate to the purpose of my trip (pick-up for large hardware; van for a group of friends). For nightclubbing and for visiting familiy and friends, I may use a scooter (which is not perfect, but has enormous environmental and congestion improvements over a car). For work I'll stay with the bicycle, as I really enjoy the exercise. For emergencies, I'll take a taxi. And I have already started discussing with friends how they would like to be conpensated if they find themselves to always be the carpool driver (most say an occasional meal would keep them satisfied). I've already gotten to the point that using the car feels like more of a burden than doing without it, and I hope to completely make the break within a year.

  • Shannon · 3 years ago

    I sold my car over a year ago and haven't replaced it. Since then, I walk, bike, or use public transportation to get around. The next car I buy will be a hybrid or I might just use services like zipcar and flexcar. I live in San Francisco so public transportation is very accessible as well as new car sharing businesses.

  • Kaban Sauls · 3 years ago

    Brian-- I get more freedom from not owning a car than dealing with the thing collecting parking tickets all week. You outline the fact that owning a car is a mandate for 99% of people in the US - it's not a choice, in much of the US you will literally starve to death if you don't own one.



    That's a terrible problem, and the answer is better infrastucture that allows for walking, biking, transit, etc...



    The bottom line is it's going to be 50 years at least before we adjust to the problems our car-only development has gotten us in, so in the meantime, by all means keep your car, but vote for improvements! Use a bike when you can! And buy a home that doesn't force you to drive all the time!

  • DG · 3 years ago

    I bought a bike last summer, and while it has taken a bit of getting used to, I now love it. I ride my bike whenever I can and pretty much only drive when I'm shooting a wedding or once every two weeks to go to the grocery store. If I weren't a professional photographer, I'd give up my car in an instant. Or if there were a car-sharing service (FlexCar, ZipCar) around here.



    That being said, I think the stats on how expensive a car is to own are very misleading, because they always include depreciation. I don't give a fuck about the depreciation on the car, I bought it to get me from point A to point B and will drive it into the ground. I didn't buy it as an investment, and "losing value" is not a real cost for me (though the actual car payments are).



    Also, the solution to the car problem has to include denser cities, which has to include affordable housing for the folks already there. If we simply gentrify cities and push poor people out to the suburbs we haven't solved the problem.

  • Jeremy Ryan Carr · 3 years ago

    I actually just sold my car (see my site for details). I drove a very nice Mercedes Benz coupe and now I ride the bus, bike, walk, and rent a Kia when I need to go to Costco, Target, etc...

    I am saving money, getting exercise, and enjoying my life considerably more. The first poster talked about freedom and choice. I agree that having a car does grant you freedom and give you options but it all comes down to choices doesn't it?

    I chose to live in an urban area with walking access to three grocery stores, clothing retailers, and great restaurants. I choose to check my consumption of goods and services and thereby more carefully consider each purchase (such as bigger televisions) and its impact on my life, my happiness, and the world. Also I use Amazon. A lot. No seriously the FedEx guy sticks around for coffee.

    It takes determination and will power for me to make it work, but all in all it’s been an easy transition for me. After the first week or so I discovered that places I wanted to drive to were not necessarily important to my survival, The Mall of America for instance or the closest drive through. So in addition to not having a $400 a month car payment plus $120 a month for insurance and then various sums for gas and maintenance, I am also saving money and energy by not driving somewhere just for the sake of going. Of course there are challenges like transporting my kayak to the lake and other such automotive grunt work, but not having the car to fall back on has forced me to be more creative in my problem solving. Also I now have to think ahead and prioritize my time. I rent a car once a month and run my major errands and make my big purchases if any. Again though, thinking ahead gives you time to contemplate your choices and decide what really is necessary and what isn’t.

    Now I am lucky in many respects. I work for myself pretty much full time and I can connect with clients via the net most of the time. When face time is necessary I am, as I mentioned conveniently and centrally located. But some of it wasn’t luck; some of it was by design and choice. My locations, my career, how I get around are all choices that I have made and then made work together. Can I hop in my car and just take off down the road on a whim? No. But do I really need to?

  • pb&j · 3 years ago

    On the weekends, I bike or walk- I live within 2 miles of all the stores I ever need to visit. My husband and I recently bought a cargo trailer for my bike, and we can haul upwards of 50 pounds of groceries in it (plenty for the two of us for a week.) We've also hauled a new 23" widescreen monitor- not QUITE a flat-screen TV, but getting close. I can't say enough good things about having a bike trailer- I don't know how we got along without it. We thought about panniers, but our take-along grocery bag (one of those foldable mesh cubes) wouldn't fit in them.

    During the week, I carpool. I live 14 miles from work, and there's no safe way for me to bike there. My husband works 10 miles in the opposite direction- he just stared at his office, though, and he hasn't found a carpool yet. The bus system isn't a very good option, either; it's a nearly 3 hour trip. We're currently looking to see if there are decent bike trails all the way there.

    He drives a Civic hybrid, and I drive an old Ford Contour that gets 33-35 mpg, so I'm waiting for the next generation to trade in for something better.

  • MGR · 3 years ago

    People will often say: "oh, public transportation project YZ cost $X millions! Look at how expensive it is! etc"



    But what they forget to do is look at the price for an individual and benefits of the project.



    I'm 100% sure that all the public transportation infrastructures of the area where you live cost you less in taxes per year than what a car would cost you, and that they cost a lot less than a lot of other more or less necessary things that taxpayers pay for.



    You must also consider how much more energy efficient it is (and it's even possible to run many forms of public transportation on renewable energy), how much money and productivity is saved by reducing traffic, stress & road rage, road wear, accidents, smog, global warming, etc.

  • Joseph Willemssen · 3 years ago

    I think the stats on how expensive a car is to own are very misleading, because they always include depreciation. I don't give a fuck about the depreciation on the car, I bought it to get me from point A to point B and will drive it into the ground. I didn't buy it as an investment, and "losing value" is not a real cost for me (though the actual car payments are).



    You may not care about depreciation, but it's still a cost. The "financing" cost only applies to the interest payments - not payments of principal. So depreciation is a measurement of where you stand with respect to equity relative to what you paid for something. You just have it embedded in your car payments, so you don't think it's real.



    http://www.edmunds.com/apps/cto/about.jsp

  • John Allison · 3 years ago

    I am in the process of pruchasing my first house. It will be 1.5 miles from my wife's vet school, and 6 miles from my law school. She intends to walk, I intend to bike and bus. The houses main draw was its location. I see these kinds of location becoming very valuable in the future as gas prices rise and rise and rise. I am still rather timid about getting rid of my car altogether. It will take some time before I give up my car, but at least it only costs $3000 for 15k of operation including insurance, gas and maintenance.

  • Capt. Jack Sparrow · 3 years ago

    Last summer I moved from the suburbs to the downtown area of a city... so now I can walk to the grocery store, drug store, restaurants, theatres, and almost anything else I want. Now I am also only two blocks from the Metro (train) station and can use that to move about town. By making a conscious decision to live closer to things I need, I have reduced my dependence on my car. I love being able to leave my car parked for the entire weekend, yet still be able to get all of my shopping done.



    If I find a suitable job closer to home, I will bike-commute, as I have in the past and loved it. I dream of it everyday.



    I also bought a TerraPass this year to help offset my car's emissions.

  • Turil · 3 years ago

    When you start to talk about decreasing car use, so many people's immediate thoughts are of deprivation. This is natural, because you are literally talking about decreasing something. Realistically, this is not an effective way to promote a good idea.



    Instead, I think it's crucial to promote the good stuff, and avoid encouraging negative thinking from the start (such as asking people if they have "reduced your dependence on cars?").



    So, how about asking people to think about what their most comfortable, enjoyable, environmentally friendly, and practical way of travelling is? How about asking people to consider what options they would like to see available that aren't already? This offers people an opportunity to focus on positive, forward thinking, and solution-oriented ideas. It's really a win-win way to approach the subject. One reason why I love Treehugger so much is because you folks do look for the good ideas far more often than wallowing in the bad ideas out there. And transportation is a case where the world really, really needs more good ideas!



    As for my own great ideas in transportation, I have a few:



    1. I decked out my already well-equipt commuter bike with a flatbed trailer and some brightly colored flags sticking out the side. This makes me not only more visible (so that motorists don't treat me like a two-dimentional object on the roads) and it allows me to carry tons (not literally) of stuff.



    2. I'd love to see non-profit organizations (NGOs) step into the public transit arena and create a vast network of short and long distance routes for buses and trains, as well as offering affordable rentable electric cars, scooters, bikes, and boats even. Taking the profit (greed) and the government out of the public transportation equation alleviates many of the beurocratic crap and money issues that have stagnated many transportation programs up to now.



    3. Overhaul the traffic laws to reflect an equality for all travellers, whether they be on wheels, foot, hoof, or any other form of travel, motorized or not. Remove all the complicated and discriminatory laws that treat cyclists, skatebaorders, scooter riders, horse drawn carriage riders, and cross coutry skiers differently from motorists and pedestrians. Make the bumper sticker slogan, "Same Roads, Same Rules, Same Rights" the law for all. Keep it simple: all traffic stays right (in the Americas) unless passing, before turning yield to travellers going straight, pass only when there is enough space to do so safely, obey all traffic signs and signals, and stay at or below a speed that allows you to stop if there is someone/something in your path (which will vary greatly depending on conditions like visibility, road condition, and stopping power).



    I agree that the only way to effectively create sustainable and enjoyable transportation for everyone is for all of us to get together to work from both the top down and from the bottom up while focusing on diverse solutions that satisfy everyone's needs.

  • algibson · 3 years ago

    I moved.



    10,000 miles a year commuting became 1800 miles.



    When the car dies I could take the bus, which I do every now and then, although I might just try to find an old diesel car to turn into a veggie oil burner.

  • MGR · 3 years ago

    Turil, I agree with you that the title could have used a more positive frame, but if you look at the post, the whole second paragraph is about solutions, and it is asking people to share their positive experiences.



    Something important that is conveyed in the title is the notion of "dependence" on cars. You will often hear people talk about the "freedom" that their car gives them, but freedom is about choice; if you don't have a choice to use a car (and to pay for it, and endure it when the drive is unpleasant), you are not free, you are dependent, and dependence is usually not something that people brag about..

  • Brian · 3 years ago

    Wow, I never would have guessed so much hatred would come my way for wanting a hydrogen car. Talk about being in front of a firing squad with you folks. I don't live close to work because I can't afford it. Instead of dwelling on the flaming eyes you all have toward my desire to drive a hydrogen car I'll suggest something for cities that is good for people and bikes and will piss off drivers to no end (something I'm sure you'll all cheer about). Why not close down some of the major streets in cities to motorized transportation for the entire length of that street? European cities do it, and those streets are only for pedestrians and bike riders. This allows people to get through the city more efficiently and the shops on those streets gain added visibility because of the people using them. It's something I've seen done in several European cities. They are always filled with people.

  • Icelander · 3 years ago

    I think this question would be better addressed to the folks over at GM's blogs. Not sure how much attention it would get, however, since it's not about overhead-cam vs. pushrod engines or fake wood trim. Anyhoozle...



    I moved as well. Now I'm less than a mile from my job, grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, bars, our local baseball team, and even a lumber yard.



    I'm less than ten miles from everything else. The only thing I could need that would allow me to sell one of our cars is a car sharing program.



    However, my wife isn't as lucky. She's going into her last year before getting her masters degree, but the school is almost 30 miles away. She's also a TSS, which means she needs to drive between clients during the day. She hates driving, but it's part of the job.



    And now, a true story about cars and the kindness of strangers: I bought a new TV at CostCo, but it wouldn't fit in our biggest car (a Pontiac Vibe). But then a nice couple with a truck offered to give me and the TV a lift home. I accepted, and I didn't have to worry about renting a truck.

  • Ian S · 3 years ago

    Very interesting to read, and amusing that all the blame is placed on passenger cars.



    I'm into auto racing but I have a definite green sympathy. I think most of you would cry if you saw my race car. To offset the cost of operating it, I purchased a fuel-efficient second car. I also have a wideband oxygen sensor and I've tuned the car to consume even less fuel than stock for my commute.



    That being said, quality of the burn isn't the same as quantity - higher emissions can happen from lower fuel input, as it promotes heat in the chamber, which promotes abnormal combustion such as detonation, increasing NOx, and leaving unburned pockets of HCs.



    My entire life is cars. The thought of losing the car and taking public transit is laughable to me. That's like taking a gardener and locking them up in a dungeon!



    Rather than spending hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing cars that have tiny benefits in fuel consumption and emissions - remember these are NOT the same thing though the overly simplistic view is that they are - how about putting several thousand dollars into waste cleanup. If everyone that bought a Prius instead put $4000 USD towards DIRECT air purification instead of secondary, through car emissions, how much more of a difference could be made? How about if just 50 of those people went towards cleaning up a large hydro plant's emissions? That's $200,000 a company could use towards cleaning up emissions!



    I'm all for the environment, but put the money where it's best used; stop trying to take my Civic off the road.



    What's primarily amusing is that the government is OK with my buying a large truck and doing double or triple the emissions as opposed to keeping my small Civic on the road - all because the emissions are ok for the vehicle's class. Heck, they'd be happy if I bought an Escalade, because the emissions would be great in the truck class!

  • todd · 3 years ago

    We're 40, have a kid and an adoption underway, have paid off our house, and we have never owned motor vehicles. We bicycle almost everywhere (have lots, including folders and electrically assisted cargo rigs, lots of gear for all weather, lighting systems, etc.). We haul our child nearly 80 miles a week. When we vacation, we either bike there (make the journey the destination), or ride to the airport or train station and take them along. We take public transportation about once or twice a year, and take out a Flexcar maybe 4 times a year. We feel blessed never to have been cheated of health or wealth by car culture in the first place, and are raising our kids to recognize that cars are so 20th century.

  • Indigo · 3 years ago

    Thanks for all the inspiring posts, everyone!

    I have always tried to live close to my work / school, mostly because I can't stand sitting in traffic, especially here in LA. When my car died a few years back, I got a Honda Metropolitan scooter, which I love. Can't go wrong with 75 mpg! I wish I rode my bicycle more, but it has sat outside too long and needs to get fixed up, which I'll do soon (hopefully).

    One of my favorite things about not having a car is that it prevents me from buying things indiscriminately, and since I have a small studio, helps reduce clutter. Luckily a large screen TV would never fit in my place, so I’ll never have to figure out how to get it home. And never having to worry about parking is so amazing. Worrying that I am going to die every time I put my helmet on isn’t so hot though. But, the more people riding bikes / motorcycles / donkeys, the more awareness rises and safety improves, allowing more people to leave the 4 wheel gas-powered vehicle at home. WaHoo!!

  • MGR · 3 years ago

    "Wow, I never would have guessed so much hatred would come my way for wanting a hydrogen car."



    Brian, first, I don't think "hatred" is the right word. The problem with "wanting a hydrogen car" is that it's not enough.



    By the time such a technology is mainstream and affordable (if ever - we can't know), it will be too late. We'll be a few decades in the future at least.



    Hydrogen has to be made. Where is that energy going to come from?



    If it comes from renewable sources, does it mean we should waste it?



    Having extremely long commutes and moving around 1 person per car is not going to make more sense in an hydrogen economy, and in the meantime, we must deal with our problems and not just think that some piece of technology that is far off in teh future is going to magically fix everything. Technology will be part of the solution, but our wasteful habits will have to go whatever we end up doing...

  • Joseph Willemssen · 3 years ago

    I don't live close to work because I can't afford it.



    I see this claim quite often. Where exactly is your workplace, if I may ask?



    Because my experience shows it isn't strict affordability, it's the notion of affordability within the constraints of what one considers housing that is appropriate for themselves.

  • MGR · 3 years ago

    "Because my experience shows it isn't strict affordability, it's the notion of affordability within the constraints of what one considers housing that is appropriate for themselves."



    Not to mention that the money saved on car insurance, payments, gas, maintenance, etc, can help you pay for it, and what you invest in a house (unless you rent) will still be there and increase in value, while paying for a car is money that you'll never see again..

  • cjeam · 3 years ago

    'Why not close down some of the major streets in cities to motorized transportation for the entire length of that street? European cities do it, and those streets are only for pedestrians and bike riders. This allows people to get through the city more efficiently and the shops on those streets gain added visibility because of the people using them. It's something I've seen done in several European cities. They are always filled with people.'



    What, you don't have those in America? Wow. Well your loss.

    I understand that some people like you can't really always avoid using a car. And I think hydrogen cars are great. They're better than hybrids because they require less parts.

  • Brian · 3 years ago

    Joseph,



    Well I'm not in the States right now, nor do I live there. ****Prepare to cringe everyone****, I live in Kuwait, and drive over an hour to work each way because I work out in the middle of nowhere. In regard to where I used to live, that was in Seattle. And yes, there were places that I could have lived in, if I wanted to live in an older building. I could have afforded that, but the interiors sucked. There's a lot of new construction of living space downtown going on right now. That's why I'm over here working in a place that's over 150 degrees in the summer with the wind constantly whipping up sand in our eyes.



    If I could afford to live close to downtown where I could enjoy all the things being close by, I would say you're right, I'd sell my car and never look back. But urban sprawl has people living further and further away from where they work, I'm a firefighter (not exactly rolling in cash), and they choose to build "out" rather than "up" in Seattle. It's changing though, just need a few more years for them to actually build the things. I'll be living in Kuwait until then. And if you people think the US is bad, you all would lose your minds over here. By the way, gas here is SIXTY CENTS a gallon.

  • Some Guy · 3 years ago

    In response to the ‘outrageous’ cost of transit such as light rail I usually remind people that a one mile strip of highway cost roughly a million dollars. In my transportation engineering class we did a quick calculation that showed you are essentially paving the ground with $5 bills. As far as cost, a light rail may seem expensive if not taken in context of our spending on highways and cars. Also everyday the equivalent of about a plane full of people die in auto accidents on these roads we’ve built, which is something you don’t here on the news that often. From an engineer’s perspective, our understanding of transportation needs a drastic change. Also, the concept of freedom is entirely in your mind. Are you free from non-renewable resources, are you free from working to pay for the car, are you free from the damage you do to the environment, and is your body strong enough to be free to move you about? While anyone may have the freedom to do whatever they damn well please, I also have the freedom to not be a part of their (poor) choices.

  • Eric · 3 years ago

    i support biking and public transportation fully.



    but i also believe that driving a car isnt dehumanizing. i believe driving cars have enabled us to be more rounded human beings by taking us places we could have never gone to if we had lived before them. on the flip side i think that cars allow us to be far more removed from life than we should be (driving two hours to work, so you can work six days a week and overtime, and then sleep all sunday while deglecting family).



    what it all boils down to is that black and whites are hard to make out...cars are not inherently evil and im sure there are some ways that public transportation can dehumanize...namely: lack of needed solitude. What ever we have, we need to use it in the best way possible and in the most considerate way.

  • MGR · 3 years ago

    "but i also believe that driving a car isnt dehumanizing. i believe driving cars have enabled us to be more rounded human beings by taking us places we could have never gone to if we had lived before them."



    The benefits you describe are the benefits of transportation, not of cars per se.



    I'm not arguing that moving around is a bad thing, but there are different kinds of uses of transportation; taking your car to go see family that lives relative far or to go to a national park isn't the same as commuting a 100 miles everyday because you live in a faraway suburb without a "soul", in which there's nothing of interest except big box stores, where people don't know their neighbors because the only time they go outside is to walk to their cars (not even that if they have a garage).



    A bunch of people sitting next to each other in traffic but completely isolated from each other easily explains why people behave very differently behind the wheel than in person. It dehumanizes the others around them.. We feel alone even in densely populated areas, and so people spend hours watching TV because there's nothing to do.

  • chuck817 · 3 years ago

    Ahhhh

    I have done the ultimate in savings

    I don't own a car

    I do however 3 to 4 times a month take a taxi to deliver my groceries which cost about 5 dollars for the one way trip each time

    the rest of the time (year round) I walk its better for me and the enviroment

  • James M · 3 years ago

    I ride the bus with the rest of humanity.

  • Jim Robb · 3 years ago

    So, another question to ask would be: Does your health insurance offer a discount because you are a cyclist? What if we lobbied for such a provision? Isn't other forms of greenmuting such as taking the bus or carpooling also a qualifier for a health insurance discount? One is offsetting greenhouse gas generation similar to second hand smoke as a greenmuter, right?

  • calendar · 3 years ago

    I bought a house a short walk to work about 9 years ago.Two years later I sold my car to pay off the mortgage. From then on, I rode my bike, took the bus (a bus stop is about 100 yards from my house), or walked for a few years. I developed a deep-seated hatred for the typical American car-centric lifestyle.



    But, after a few years, my brother felt sorry for me and gave me a very used Japanese full-sized car for groceries and emergencies. He did not view 4-cylinder efficient cars as viable transportation but referred to them as "death traps."



    At first the car repulsed me, but I grew to appreciate the convenience of it. It took a few months but I was chagrined to realize I was driving it 4500 miles per year.



    I mulled over getting rid of it but Katrina made me rethink things. In the USA, it is prudent to have an escape for inclement weather and emergencies because there is no safety net. When I saw all those poor people suffering in the Superdome and the convention center, I thought: that could be me.



    So I kept the car for a while.



    But, even with my comparatively low use, I still felt like a pig. I recently traded it in for a 2001 5 speed Echo, EPA rated at 34 highway/41 city. I usually do much better than EPA ratngs due to my driving style (mostly coasting and very light footed) but it will probably take about 6 months for me to get an accurate fuel use rating because I usually ride my bike these days.



    My commute is about 4 miles each way. It's scary because I have to cross many busy intersections.



    Driving makes me feel guilty and sick and I'd rather contribute minimally to destruction of the biosphere, profits for oil companies, loss of limbs and life due to needless wars, etc.



    Also I feel pretty certain that gas will be over $4/gallon by the end of Summer.



    It's not so much that I feel virtuous when I don't drive. It would be more accurate to say that I feel too guilty to drive too much.



    My goal for the next twelve months is less than 1000 miles driven. Hopefully this will translate to less than 25 gallons of fuel used (mostly city).



    And eventually I hope to use the car only when it rains or for necessary heavy loads such as soil amendments for the edible garden.

  • Anne · 3 years ago

    from transportation visionary and former mayor of Bogota, Colombia, Enrique Peñalosa's The Politics of Happiness:

    "When I was elected mayor of Bogotá and got to city hall, I was handed a transportation study that said the most important thing the city could do was to build an elevated highway at a cost of $600 million. Instead, we installed a bus system that carries 700,000 people a day at a cost of $300 million. We created hundreds of pedestrian-only streets, parks, plazas, and bike paths, planted trees, and got rid of cluttering commercial signs. We constructed the longest pedestrian-only street in the world. It may seem crazy, because this street goes through some of the poorest neighborhoods in Bogotá, and many of the surrounding streets aren’t even paved. But we chose not to improve the streets for the sake of cars, but instead to have wonderful spaces for pedestrians. All this pedestrian infrastructure shows respect for human dignity. We’re telling people, “You are important—not because you’re rich or because you have a Ph.D., but because you are human.” If people are treated as special, as sacred even, they behave that way. This creates a different kind of society."



    http://www.futurenet.org/article.asp?id=615

  • g · 3 years ago

    Hydrogen will never happen. Read James Howard Kunstler's "The Long Emergency" to see why. It's an energy loser. It takes more energy to produce than it provides. You can't make a dollar out of 15 cents.

    Having been a long time sport bicyclist it is an easy transition to bicycle commuter. I love bicycles and love to ride them. I bought a inexpensive bike for those times I would be leaving it unattended, installed a large basket, and bought a super heavy duty U-lock that came with a bike theft insurance policy. For longer trips I use a sophisticated road bike to which I recently installed a rack and large basket. I buy woven baskets made of natural fibres and zip tie them to the sides or top of the rack. They cost $10, much cheaper than a purpose made bicycle pannier. I buy clothing that I can wear on and off the bike. It's amazing how much better cycling is when you're dressed properly. I'm much more likely to choose the cycling option if I have the right thing to wear. There is a huge outdoor clothing industry and it makes beautiful, fuctional clothing that is fabulous to wear. Sometimes I take the bike on the train. I've noticed that a folding bike would be good for this type of travel. You can't take a regular bike on the train during rush hour but you can take a folding bike any time. A folding bike would not be as intrusive to the rest of the passengers.

    I ditched the Dodge Caravan and bought a Scion XB and a motor scooter. The scooter has fuel injection and a catalytic converter. The Scion and the scooter together cost much less than a Prius. The scooter gets more than 60 mpg and is fun to ride. Because it's legal to lane split here in California, I get everywhere faster.

  • Eric · 3 years ago

    My wife and I could make it with one car if we were the only members of our household but with 3 children doing different things each day it is not possible. So I got a 250cc motorcycle and use it to get to work when I can't ride my bike due to schedule pressures, got a 36mpg car for my wife and parked the mini-van to use when needed (1-2 times per month).

  • slb · 3 years ago

    reading all of these posts is inspiring. i bike to work but i haven't gotten rid of my car - which is good, because last week i had a bad bout of bronchitis and could not have biked to the doctor or to work as i got better (10 miles each way), and i can't afford to take a cab when i am sick.



    i am wondering, though, if we are not ignoring one major source of oil dependence that i have never thought about before. do any municipalities use hybrid or biodiesel technology for police cars, fire trucks or ambulances? we pay for those with our taxes. this might be a good thing to lobby city governments about. i don't know about the affordability, etc, for these types of vehicles, but as gas prices go up it might be easier to convince municipalities of the cost-effectiveness.



    just a thought.

  • KS_ · 3 years ago

    > In the USA, it is prudent to

    > have an escape for inclement

    > weather and emergencies

    > because there is no safety

    > net.



    I thought about this at the time and decided I'd be better off with my bike. Roads out of New Orleans were crowded, so cars were travelling at slow speeds. Gas shortages meant that people were waiting in long line ups to fill up their cars, often to find out that the gas station had sold out. I think it'd make perfect sense to load up my saddle bags with food and water and bike out of town.

  • brianthesmurf · 3 years ago

    Moved to a city with good public transport about 13 years ago and gradually started using the car less and less. After about 3 years stopped with the car altogether haven't owned one since.



    Have moved several times in the last 10 years but always to be near work and public transport. Currently living about 5km from my work an 8km from my partners work - both cycling. (Lucky to live in Europe as regards public transport.)



    If ever buy anything big (new washing machine for example) usually can pay to have it delivered. However should I ever need a car (happens once about a year on average) can always rent one.



    All major holidays have been by bike for the last 15 years (sometimes using train or bus to transport part of the distance). Most often take a small tent and camp.



    Plenty of shops within 15 mins cycle including 3 organic.



    Save pots of money not having a car and the cycling means don't have to waste money or time on a gym.

  • Erica · 3 years ago

    I moved from Dallas to DC. I picked my apartment based on proximity to a metro stop as well as the kinds of entertainment that interest me. I take the metro to and from work each day and walk or bus to handle most of my errands. I haven't sold my car yet, but I expect that I will in the next few months. There are a number of car-share programs in this city so that I could easily rent a car if I need to bring something home from a far away store. I am able to get some of my heavier items delivered (cat litter and food, specifically) and try to order large quantities to reduce the number of trips.



    My commute in Dallas was never very much (9 miles each way), and I usually only needed to fill up my gas tank two times a month. I decided to make this move for a number of reasons, but being able to live (largely) car-less was part of it.



    I will concede that I do not have to worry about the quality of the schools in my area, and my health is such that walking so much and carrying groceries is not a problem for me. I do get regular migraines though, so driving was an even bigger safety concern.

  • Mia · 3 years ago

    We've never owned a car (14 years in Seattle), although we 'car-sat' for my Mom in the Peace corps for 2 1/2 years, then shared the car for another year, weeks for her, weekends for us. It died about two weeks ago, just has she is heading off for another tour, and we're car less again. I love it! One of the things that is great is that it slows us down. Instead of driving all over town on the weekend, we pick a neighborhood to run our errands, and enjoy for the day. We order things on line, plan our trips carefully, and we've joined a car sharing service, although we haven't used it yet. So many of the 'must do' errands that seem so crucial with a car, just fall away when you don't have one. Paper towels are 10 cents more at the local grocery store than Target? Our question quickly becomes, is it worth the money to rent a car? It's a calculation most people don't make when they own one. I don't begrudge anyone who has a car, but the reason we've never owned one is we ask ourselves every year:

    1. How much per hour will this cost us?

    2. Is it worth it (in terms of bargains, etc.)?

    3. What would our lives look like if we didn't own a car?

  • Andrew Krause · 3 years ago

    @Brian: Some treehuggers tend to be provincial, and a tad overzealous at that. They may not respect that what works for some simply will not work for others. Try not to take it personally.

  • green bean · 3 years ago

    Sometimes these posts really bring out a lot of heat...and I think this is not such a bad thing, it is good to disucss and get ideas out there. There are a lot of interesting stories on here and it is great to read...but I think that sometimes people need to relax a little bit before they post. Why waste all that energy trying to rip down someone. I think Brian was just trying to be honest and not offend everyone. I guess we can always do more, but when you try to make yourself perfect in all aspects it just doesn't work. This problem is so much bigger than driving cars or not...and I know all of us probably know that, I just think we forget it sometimes because these are things we are passionate about. We will never progress as individuals, only was a community. I think it is pretty cool that Brian, someone who still owns and uses and enjoys his vehicle, even reads or comes to this site, reads the posts and shares his thoughts! Think of how many people are still completely oblivious!! And even worse, aren't and don't even care and aren't doing anything about it! There is no enemy out there, no us versus them. I really love this site, but sometimes the posts (especially the comments) get me down. Maybe things should be taken with a grain of salt or are not trying to be condescending or rude, but that is just how it comes across, you know? Anyway, I have been feeling like this for a while and finally decided to share it.



    On another note...I live in NYC so I don't need a car, I just bought I bike which I use everyday. I take the train to school and walk everywhere else. I take Amtrak to visit my home, but up there biking anywhere is a joke! It is a real rural place where things are really far apart and people usually only go out to go shopping a couple times a month and just buy everything they need from larger stores then. The only time I use a car is if I'm travelling far or I need to move a lot of stuff (when I was living in dorms I moved quite a bit of stuff a couple times a year). I try to buy local as much as possible and organic almost all the time. I'm totally all about cooking from scratch (although I sometimes don't have time) and I am always trying to help my family back upstate look into alternative ways of doing things. We do have a garden, though...so maybe they taught me a thing or two before I started teaching them!



    Anyway, keep up the good work TH!

  • Joseph Willemssen · 3 years ago

    Some treehuggers tend to be provincial, and a tad overzealous at that. They may not respect that what works for some simply will not work for others.



    You could say that about people in general, yet here on a site called "Treehugger" you choose to ONCE AGAIN insult people who care about the environment with your broad brush.



    Give it a rest.

  • John Fahey · 3 years ago

    My wife and I have moved closer to her work. She can walk and I take the bus or ride my bike.



    We have a car that we use for trips to the store but we're pretty close to grocery stores etc.



    Living closer to work gives us a shorter commute and more time to enjoy life. We're in Seattle.

  • Nick Aster · 3 years ago

    Hey Brian - love to hear about Kuwait and the level of environmental awareness there sometime - drop me an email if you'd like!



    Anyway - You guys should see this film when it comes out: Who Killed the Electric Car.



    It's very well done and makse the case the electric vehicles, not hydrogen, are the way of the future (at least for commuter cars - long distance drives will need hybrids). According to the film, even if we use fossil fuels to charge the batteries, electric cars are still better than all gasoline cars, and also better than hydrogen because of the tremendous amount of cost and energy required to make it (at least for the next 15 years or so).



    Anyway, I ride a bike! but I do enjoy renting a car now and then for a nice road trip...

  • Me · 3 years ago

    If we want to make things better, we'll need to find a way to reach out to people who haven't yet grasped the magnitude of the problems we are facing without making them feel stupid and selfish. We'll also need to come up with solutions that reflect the reality that most people have deeply ingrained values and (bad) habits. We have all had different life experiences, and we each have a different capacity to process and relate to things intellectually and emotionally. We need to try to be open minded and understanding of other perspectives. If each of us huggers can speak with both intelligence and compassion and win the hearts of just a few people in the "mainstream," that will probably do at least as much good for the planet as driving a hybrid, cycling to work, etc.



    I'm not saying I can always do what I'm suggesting myself, and I'm not criticizing anyone's post.



    Just think about it . . .

  • Leisl · 3 years ago

    When our car died, my husband and I decided to move into the inner city so that we could do without one. He rides 13km to work and back each day, and I go everywhere I need to on foot, my bike or I use public transport. We pay much more in rent than we used to, but that's offset by the money we've saved by being carless. We're close to small, independantly run grocery stores, bakers, butchers etc, ride our bikes for fun on weekends and frequent the local library a lot instead of watching a tv, which we don't own. And all this with a toddler!



    I personally think that our quality of life is better without a car, but that's just what works for us. We're planning on moving away from Melbourne in the next few years to a country town, but still hope to not own a car. And on the rare occaisons that we require the use of a vehicle (for instance, a friend recently got married in a town 200km away) we have some lovely friends who are more than happy to lend us theirs. The way we're going, I don't think I'll ever bother with getting my licence!

  • Andrew Krause · 3 years ago

    Joseph: I said the words "some" and "tend". That doesn't mean "all", or even "most" treehuggers.



    Incidentally, when I wrote that, I was thinking specifically of you and how you tend to single out people on posts and bully them ad nauseum until they either capitulate to your point of view (which is what you want), or just abandon the post (which ultimately doesn't serve the community).



    Give a rest indeed man. Learn to respect that other people have opinions, and they may not agree with yours, and then just get over yourself.

  • Lol B · 3 years ago

    Living in melbourne Australia can often prove challenging if you are reliant on public transport. The majority of Melbournians live in the outer suburbs where public transport can often be scant and more often non existant.



    It's not possible for everyone to live in the central suburbs as we now unfortunately have some of the most expensive housing in the world if you look at it in terms of the average income versus average house price in the inner city.



    As a family we have decide to move to a new home that is within a 5 min walk to the train station, a short walk to my daughters school and walking distance to shops. We are selling one car so we can become a one car family and are about to buy a Toyota Hybrid. I intend to walk as much as is humanly possible and practicable so as to reduce our fuel comsumption.



    With the continual and increasing development of the outer suburbs and lack of public transport provisions in these areas I fear for the future of Australia.

  • Nikki Chau · 3 years ago

    Hi. I live in Fremont, Washington, (aka The Center of the Universe, for those of you who don't know :) ) I choose *not* to live close to work because my job is located in a suburban setting with mainly strip malls and SUVs, which doesn't jive with my lifestyle.



    My commute of about 17 miles, by car, in good traffic, is about 30 minutes each way. Good traffic, however, is sort of an oxymoron in Seattle during peak hours, so it actually takes about 45+ minutes each way.



    I take the bus to work, which takes about an hour and a half each way, including walking, waiting, and transfering. It's more time than driving, but I get to read, sleep, and strike up conversations with other bus riders. So, in terms of time and money saved, everything is copacetic, and I love it.



    Yet, I confess, I really do need my car (Mazda 3 hatchback, 30-35 mpg), and if there is an alternative I would gladly take it.



    See, I'm a rock climber and a hiker. I go outside to climb about twice a week, usually at a local crag 40 miles away. Hauling stuff is *not* an issue, but transportation is. There is *nothing* that goes out there.



    So, twice or three times a week, my boyfriend, my roommate, and my fellow climbers take the car out to the rock walls.



    The irony for outdoorsy folks like myself is that we understand the need to preserve the environment, yet, to enjoy it (hiking, mountaineering, climbing, kayaking...), we need a way to get there, and for now, our main resource is driving (with other people, of course).



    Thoughts?



    Seattle Treehugger readers, we should discuss this over beer? ;)

  • NFB · 3 years ago

    For most americans giving up their car is not an option. Unless you live in a big city the you probably don't have the infrastructure in place to live your life without one (especially if you have kids). So telling people to give up their car sounds pretty stupid and elitist. A better strategy is to recommend people do more practical and obvious things to reduce the amount of fuel they are using like inflating their tires and not driving like maniacs from stop light to stop light (hello the light is red, why are you hauling ass to it?). Combining trips and carpooling are two more easy things that people can do.



    Oh and as far as the earth "dying" that is a load of crap. The earth isn't dying its changing, it will be here long after we have destroyed our ability to inhabit it.

  • Janet · 3 years ago

    I bike most days/places. I live in CA and three siblings live here so I kept my car to spend time with them. No one lives very close to me. I do try to see each sibling at least twice a year. I belong to a local CSA, but I get too much stuff to feel safe biking it home. I drive the day of the week that I get my food and do everything else that I need to on that date. The only other days I drive to work is when I have a doctor's appt or such. They seem to have a problem when you show up sweaty. I have been supprized how fast I get places on the bike. Most places I go is less than 5 miles. The local busses still don't go where I need them to. They have improved in the last year though because more people are using them. Maybe by winter, they'll get there if people continue to ride. Someday maybe they'll go closer to where I need to go.

  • Rupster · 3 years ago

    I live in an inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Although Melbourne has a reasonably good public transport network (even though hardly anything has been done to it since the 1930's), my previous job was way out of the city. Although it would have been possible to have taken a combination of two trains and a bus to work, it would have taken 1.5 hours instead of 35 minutes by car.



    I hated driving to work and when I was retrenched from that job 6 months ago it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because my new job is only 4KM away and I take a train to work each day and am considering buying a bicycle. I have now sold my car; my wife owns a small 4 cylinder car that she drives to work, that we use on the weekends for any trips for which public transport/walking is unsuitable.



    After subtracting the cost of train fares, selling my car has saved us over $3300 Australian Dollars (about USD $2475) per year not including the depreciation of the car. If required, this money can be spent on taxis, car rental, delivery (for that new flat screen TV), etc... However, after 6 months I can't say that I have spent any of it on these things and so it is going into paying off our mortgage instead.



    Personally I couldn't be happier, especially when we also purchase green electricity for our home meaning that my personal net contribution to Global Warming is very low. I certainly feel much better now that I did when I was stuck in traffic on my way to work surrounded by other angry people. I don't ever want to own a car again even if it does run on a renewable fuel.

  • Joseph Willemssen · 3 years ago

    Joseph: I said the words "some" and "tend". That doesn't mean "all", or even "most" treehuggers.



    Why make such a statement? It could be applied to any group of people, so why would you again come to this site picking fights by insulting people here and their beliefs?



    Incidentally, when I wrote that, I was thinking specifically of you



    Gee, really? I couldn't possibly guess you would be baiting me with your insults, then do your standard dance of superiority and "concern".



    and how you tend to single out people on posts and bully them ad nauseum until they either capitulate to your point of view (which is what you want), or just abandon the post (which ultimately doesn't serve the community).



    That's an interesting observation from a person who told me he'd "like to beat me to a bloody pulp since liberals want that". I guess that's not bullying - that's someone really trying to "serve the community", eh?



    Give a rest indeed man. Learn to respect that other people have opinions, and they may not agree with yours, and then just get over yourself.



    That's beautiful - projection and the "I know you are" retort all rolled into one.



    Let's look at my "bullying" of Brian. When he said he couldn't find affordable housing near work, all I asked is if that meant he couldn't find housing which suited his idea of what is appropriate near work. Did I remand him for driving a car? Did I criticize him in any shape or form? Did he get pissed at me for "bullying" him?



    No.



    So now you have your wish - I responsded to your bait and another thread is now turned to garbage courtesy of you.



    The "community" thanks you.

  • Morrow · 3 years ago

    I live in fort lauderdale and it has an ok bus system. I live about 20 miles from work and had been meaning to try out the bus for a month now. I finally got my chance when my car died last week.



    Now I am busing to and from work and it's been a wonderful change. I get to walk an extra mile or so a day and have plenty of time to read (something else that I have been meaning to do more of). Sure its not as convenient as the car but if you care about our planet you have to make sacrifices. And with all the new quality time I have it is not really a sacrifice.



    I think that some of the previous posts are right, if you don't have the car parked in your driveway ready to be used, it is much easier to adapt to a new way of commuting. I don't plan on getting my car fixed any time soon and think I might just fix it up to sell it (anyone know of an eco way to paint it). Also I have been saving up for a new hybrid (was thinking about the honda fit) but now think I will just use that money to buy things like the Voltaic backpack and a nice bike.

  • Andrew Krause · 3 years ago

    "Why make such a statement? It could be applied to any group of people, so why would you again come to this site picking fights by insulting people here and their beliefs?"



    Who did I insult? Nobody. Some treehuggers ARE zealous. They even pride themselves on it. You feign insult because it gives you the pretense for your trollish griping.



    "Let's look at my "bullying" of Brian."



    No, not just Brian, but everyone else who has ever expressed a difference of opinion only to have you harrass them.



    "So now you have your wish - I responsded to your bait and another thread is now turned to garbage courtesy of you."



    It's somewhat arrogant of you to think I even want to waste my time on your banality. I didn't address you, and I didn't ask you to respond. You did yourself. For whatever reason, you seem to enjoy playing whatever game of yours this is. And now this thread has 'turned to garbage' because you have once again sought to pick a fight over the net. Here's a hint Joseph: You don't actually have to type anything. You can actually excercise your right to keep your two cents to yourself. I typically ignore you when you start on people, but I think I'll make it a habit to not do so in the future, and see if you can take it as well as you dish it out.

  • Joseph Willemssen · 3 years ago

    Compare and contrast:



    "Incidentally, when I wrote that, I was thinking specifically of you."



    "I didn't address you, and I didn't ask you to respond."



    ---



    For whatever reason, you seem to enjoy playing whatever game of yours this is. And now this thread has 'turned to garbage' because you have once again sought to pick a fight over the net.



    That's interesting, Andy. I don't remember addressing you in this thread up to the point of your bait, nor do I remember you making any topical comments in this thread. What I see is you coming to the thread and making a snarky comments about environmentalists being "provincial", "zealous", and who don't "respect that what works for some simply will not work for others". Then I responded that I thought that wasn't topical and simply trolling. Now, naturally, you accuse me of doing what you yourself actually did -- which is your typical behavior pattern.



    You can actually excercise your right to keep your two cents to yourself.



    Do you take your own hints? Did I address you, Andy, or you me? I'm still trying to see where I was "bullying" or "harassing" Brian, or anyone for that matter, or where they said something about it. No, it's just you, the self-appointed "community defender" coming in to give me another one of your totally misguided, arrogant lectures.



    I typically ignore you when you start on people, but I think I'll make it a habit to not do so in the future, and see if you can take it as well as you dish it out.



    Oh, so you're openly admitting that you want to pick fights with me whenever I comment? Are you not seeing the part right below this comment window which says "Any comments made with the intention of instigating trouble will be removed. Discussions and debates are welcomed, insults and flamatory remarks are not."



    So much for your "concern" for this community. You'll just start fights because you feel you're entitled to.



    It's nice that when you're feeling agitated about life and angry about "liberals", you can come here and grace us with your psychotic and condescending behavior.



    So, do you think they'll close down this thread now, or are you hoping to flame me some more?

  • Andrew Hitchcock · 3 years ago

    I'm in Seattle (the U-District) and ride my bike or take the bus most of the time. I'm in an old building with a very nice interior, although it is expensive. I live by myself. My family lives nearby in a fairly close suburb (although outside of city limits). One of my family's cars runs on biodiesel, so I can take that long distance if necessary.



    I used to drive to high school (only like 4 miles) when I was in the suburbs, but I got fed up with being shackled to a car and having to pay for all that fuel (even though my parents were paying for it), so I decided to start bicycling (since I used to do it more in middle school, but had pretty much stopped in high school). I started riding to school almost everyday (even in the cold and rain). I quickly got in shape that year.



    I want to get a bike trailer haul things. Groceries are thrown in my backpack, but much more and a trailer would come in handy. Although, I'm making biker friends, so maybe they can lend me one if I need one. Seattle isn't very big (well, the interesting parts... I'm leaving off the Eastside because it is depressing), so you can get most places in the city in less than an hour on a bike.



    Here are some things we can do as a society to help reduce car dependency (this isn't related to what I do, but it is what I think should be done... and if some of these are implemented, will have more effect than just me biking everywhere):



    Reduce parking requirements. Right now, in Seattle, the mayor is trying to lower the required amount of parking space for new retail and residential constructions. Unfortunately, some residents are complaining because "parking is already hard enough." Tough luck. Even more unfortunate, we still have a required amount of parking spaces at all (since they are expensive and encourage car use).

    Mixed use development: get rid of all the single-use zoning.

    Stop subsidizing roads. Move the freeway costs completely to gas taxes (since that is probably most fair in terms of road damage done... big vehicles do more damage and use more fuel; this also hurts inefficient cars and people who drive way too much).

    Ban cars from downtowns like they do in some cities. Or, perhaps just ban them from certain streets (like Portland, I believe). It would rock if The Ave was dedicated to buses and pedestrians.

    Build carfree neighborhoods and cities. JH Crawford is the man and presents some great ideas for city design (which would greatly increase the quality of life). Google [carfree cities].

    Change the rules for bicycles so that they are no longer considered cars. Give bicycles certain privileges that make them easier to get around the city. Here is the list of who should get priority when making decisions (in descending order): pedestrians, bicyclists, mass transit, multiple occupant vehicles, single occupant vehicles.

    Ride your bike: the more you ride your bike, the more likely you are to influence other people. Endlessly promote your 'alternative' lifestyle and don't stop talking about. Don't make big fusses over cars (aka, if someone gets a new one, don't encourage them by acting interested). Your family may hate you (mine almost does ;) ), but you'll hopefully influence them over time.

    Encourage your elected officials to drive less and bike more. Especially require the transportation department of your city to bike once in a while :).

  • MY · 3 years ago

    Give it a rest guys - this is the biggest thread i've seen on here yet, and we need all the space we can get!!!

  • Joseph Willemssen · 3 years ago

    Sorry, everyone, for responding to the bait.



    Aand I'm sorry that you're behaving this way again, Andy. I hope you find more productive ways to deal with your life besides launching nasty attacks on people you don't know the first thing about. Whatever drives you to behave this way must not be very pleasant.



    I have nothing else to say on this thread.

  • Jeremy Ryan Carr · 3 years ago

    NFB wrote: "For most americans giving up their car is not an option. Unless you live in a big city you probably don't have the infrastructure in place to live your life without one (especially if you have kids). So telling people to give up their car sounds pretty stupid and elitist. A better strategy is to recommend people do more practical and obvious things to reduce the amount of fuel they are using like inflating their tires and not driving like maniacs from stop light to stop light (hello the light is red, why are you hauling ass to it?). Combining trips and carpooling are two more easy things that people can do."





    I'm not sure how stupid it is considering that what we're advocating is that someone live a more physically and environmentally balanced life. Also what's more elitist: Living in a socioeconomically and culturally diverse city that has been continually populated for decades, and taking public transportation, biking, and walking? -or- Living in a homogenized suburb built on a former wetland and, driving a vehicle that runs on a fuel that was provided to you at the expense of people's lives and the health of the environment, and is conveyed from place to place on roads that were routed through former neighborhoods and green spaces specifically for said vehicle? And I'm sorry but you're wrong, giving up a car is an option. Now I will grant you that it is an option that requires forethought, creativity, and planning but it can be done. All of your suggestions for saner driving are very good and are certainly things people can and should do to help but unfortunately such measures are merely band-aids, and not the good brand name kind either but the ones that come off after one hand washing.

    I am a recovering dyed in the wool “car guy”. I have owned a different car for every year that I have been driving. And while I have recently gotten rid of my everyday car, I still own a 1970 MGB and a 1949 Packard and I will never part with either. But neither is driven daily nor even weekly. I foresee a future where gasoline is a $10 a gallon luxury item that crusty old anachronisms like myself purchase for our antiquated toys but where we all get around day to day on the backs of resurrected mammoths. Clean up will be costly but just think how majestic they will be.

    All kidding aside, it is my opinion that to purchase a standard gasoline engine of any kind at this point is stupid. It is a dead technology now akin to buying a 5 year old computer. In the next decade you will see so many options (and there really are quite a few right now) come rolling out of Toyota, Honda, and Europe (I'm sorry but US manufacturers have missed the boat) that this whole discussion will be markedly different. The best part is that a lot of the options, as they are now, will be DIY home-built stuff like the current wave of grease cars. And that to me is the most exciting part.



    “Oh and as far as the earth "dying" that is a load of crap. The earth isn't dying its changing, it will be here long after we have destroyed our ability to inhabit it.



    Aren't you being just a tad semantical here? Does it really matter whether or not the earth is still here after us if all that's left is a charred, unpopulated hull? Isn't what makes the earth Earth the fact that it supports life? People aren't the only lives that matter but we are the only ones who can try and change things for the better.

  • Anonymous · 3 years ago

    Joseph,



    I find your snarky comments more commonly than Andrews. I more greatly disagree with his views than yours, but I'm getting sick of hearing your 'authority' views on pretty much everything.

    I thought I'd do a little looking, and found you do the same thing on a half-dozen other blogs, as well.



    Want us to respect your views? Prove to us that you're an aerospace engineer or something equivalent. One troll is as bad as another.

  • Icelander · 3 years ago

    For most americans giving up their car is not an option. Unless you live in a big city the you probably don't have the infrastructure in place to live your life without one (especially if you have kids). So telling people to give up their car sounds pretty stupid and elitist.


    I live in Lancaster, PA. It's not at all a big city, but it's got a great downtown, plenty of shops within walking distance, a low cost of living, and is surrounded by farmland.



    And I don't think we'll need to tell peopel to give up their cars. As more and more people decide to give up their cars, more people will see that an automobile isn't necessary for one's existence.

  • Me · 3 years ago

    Patience, understanding, forgiveness -- with respect to others and ourselves . . . these things make biking, riding the bus or driving an SUV more pleasant.



    Hugging . . . it's not just for trees anymore.



    :)

  • Anonymous · 3 years ago

    ^Children Please!



    As someone from Orange County, it is difficult to get around the burbs there on a bike... everything is 20 miles away, but i do it much of the time. When in school, in a city, the infrastructure makes if fairly easy to take the CTA. Even with large instruments (I play the double bass), the CTA gets me there for a couple bucks. When I am home in the OC though, it can be quite a hike, and scary one at that to challenge the SUV-moms that honk at you when you ride on the street. There are not many bicycle commuters in Orange County, and many of the cyclist racer/traithaletes that I see aren't the best at using the streets (oblivous to hand signalling etc). In general though I think the long mileages can be absorbed by mixed cycle/bus travelling.

  • MGR · 3 years ago

    Please lets get back to discussing the reduction of our dependence on cars. I don't want to have to remove the commenting option from this post; that would be a shame because we have some really interesting and inspiring comments here, and I'm sure there are more to come.



    Thank you,

  • Carl · 3 years ago

    I think the tone for calls to reduce car dependence should be one of advocacy for people who really have the option (such as people in the city who still drive everywhere). On the same note, I think people who think they can't change, should give it a try again, to see if it really is as hard as they imagine or remember.



    One of the main problems in the US is the design of suburbs which often do not offer ANY option other than a motor vehicle.



    If you're considering a move someday soon, factor in the cost of car commuting into your budget for buying a house. A place in town might be more, but if you could do with one less car (& insurance for it) and less fuel costs, you may find the funds for living closer to work. If you could switch to not owning a car at all, the financial gains could be very good.



    And it certainly does not have to be a big city. Anyplace that reminds you of Mayberry may be just fine. I grew up in a dinky town of 4500, which had a grocery store, a quickie-mart, a pharmacy, a five&dime, a few restaurants, and the grade & high schools were still in town. We would make monthly trips to a mall or a bigger store elsewhere, but most trips were in-town. It was an old blue-collar town that didn't realize how treehugger it had always been.





  • McAuliflower · 3 years ago

    bringing this back on topic...



    I'm two years car free- having a bill from the mechanic be the final straw that broke this camel's back.



    I walk, and bus and am taking up motorcycles.



    It was surprising how many people in my mc class were making the switch due to the better gar milage mc's get.

  • bruce · 3 years ago

    Y'all ,I live in Mississippi (northeast).I own a 2006 Scion Xa and have boosted it's mpg to 40+ mpg.I do walk when I can .I believe in saving the planet too like u.I also believe in saving money and keeping it in my wallet .Yeah,I guess that makes me a real ignorant white redneck.I just think California doesn't have a monopoly on this.

  • TruffulaTuft · 3 years ago

    What are some tips for reducing car dependence with kids?



    I live in Los Angeles and homeschool. We go on lots of field trips and drive to weekly classes and events across town. We carpool most of the time and take the metro when it's going our way but that's only a couple times a month. The bus has more routes but it takes longer and requires getting our act together earlier which is a challenge. I often feel like a pack mule on public transportation, carrying all the snacks, toys, extra sweaters etc. I love cycling but it's scary riding with little kids on the busier streets, they wobble all over the place.



    I'd like to hear of ways other people have found to wean themselves off cars when they have kids.

  • Sean Bossinger · 3 years ago

    My wife, two kids, and I just moved 30 miles north, to be within seven miles of my job. While we haven't fully established my commuting patterns, the plan is for me to take the bus most days (a 30 minute ride) and leave the car with my wife, who uses it occasionally.



    The great thing is that now we're within walking distance of grocery shopping, libraries, parks, and other places, too. We have reduced our car usage from two and a half tanks of gas per week to less than a tank every two weeks.



    And to boot, we're much more relaxed.

  • RichM · 3 years ago

    I changed jobs last summer and looked for work closer to home. I now take the bus half way and bike or skate the other half. (bike racks on busses) I recently sold my jeep wrangler because it was sitting so much, although it was tough to part with it. Luckily I sold before the summer, top-off, season. Now my family is a one-car family and having very few issues adapting. I now find that I prefer busssing/biking to work and get annoyed when I have to drive, and I don't even have a long or stressful drive.



    When anyone (as in previous post) cites expense of taxes and subsidies to mass transit systems, I like to remind them of the billions that are spent building and maintaining roads. This is money that should be immediately curtailed and redirected toward projects that can make mass transit more "user friendly" and less expensive.

  • Devra · 3 years ago

    "Provincial" was the right word. I'd love to live within biking distance of work and friends (forget family, as they're farflung already) but I can't afford to. Remember the blue-collar middle class serving you at every retail/restaurant/rental place you go? Who only make barely above minimum wage and the only places affordable near enough to live in and walk/bike from are already inhabited by the drug dealers of the community? And you want to harangue me about "it's the notion of affordability within the constraints of what one considers housing that is appropriate for themselves."?! And don't give me the crap about how much I'd be saving if I gave up my car (both mine and my husband's are paid off and we do our own maintenance, btw): the outrageous property taxes/rents on homes that *are* safe far outstrip anything I'd be saving by not buying gas.



    As long as our property values keep going the way they are, this discussion will always be one for the affluent in a community. For the rest of us, we either live in an area that is unsafe or we drive from home to work because that is where we can afford to live.



    (But, to answer the main question: I vow to make only one trip to town per the days I need to, so I make long lists of what I need and plan my route to be as economical as possible. I also shop at the local farmers market, contributing to the reduced larger gasoline usage of shipping groceries.)

  • Gabe Alarcon · 3 years ago

    Its so good to hear that so many people give a hoot enough to do something! I feel real lonely out there on the streets driving around in my 1983 Ford Escort hatchback electric car conversion. Its not pretty, stylish or even good looking, but hey, its a car, its electric and its recharged at home by my solar electric system. I've truly achieved pollution free, personal transportation. But these EV conversions are rare. You either have to make it yourself or pay someone to make one. I've got $10,000 into mine and another $10,000 into my solar system. I believe in creating a demand for the type of products you want. Be ready to pay for it though. Clean air, personal transportation and freedom is never cheap. Everyone's efforts to reduce pollution and our addiction to oil is loudly applauded! Thank you all.

  • Stephen · 3 years ago

    We started the Sustainable Solutions Caravan, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire sustainable living throughout North and Central America. For the past 2 years we have toured from San Francisco,California to Costa Rica in school busses fueled on recycled vegetable oil. Throughout the tour we promote alternative energies and bio-diversity by handing out thousands of seeds and creating a vast network of communities and people in over seven countries.

    In 2006, the Caravan is focusing on workshops in Universities throughout Mexico and Central America to promote sustainability. We will be working with professors and students unifying interested schools with one another. Our purpose is teaching about vegetable oil technologies and allowing students the opportunities to travel and work together. We will also be traveling to rural communities, promoting bio-diversity, distributing organic seeds and encouraging farmers to grow crops for fuel. Currently we are working on fundraising and are really excited about our next adventure! If you are interested in getting involved and helping out please contact us at info@veggiecaravan.com

  • amk · 3 years ago

    My husband and I took early retirement, sold our house, gave away our last old clunker car to my oldest son, and are now living on a 40' sailboat. We walk most places, use our bikes occasionally and use public transportation whenever we're in a town big enough to have it (we're currently in Mexico, which has adequate bus service in most places). We will eventually move into a house again, but we plan to never own a car again.

  • todd · 3 years ago

    Sometimes I need to commute(in a car) to remain inspired to ride my bike as much as possible. It really only takes about one trip every two weeks. This is usually enough to feel that sense of pride; as I pedal my way to (as another put it) "health&wealth"

  • Cynthia Trevino · 3 years ago

    i am 22 years old and have never owned a car. i have been riding the bus and my bike since i was old enough to walk home from school alone. i went through four years of college away from my hometown and family. i have been stranded in the rain and the heat (texas), dropped my groceries in the street, been harrassed (it's dangerous for a young lady to be by herself), missed important meetings / late to important interviews, lost in unfamiliar neighborhoods, carried a 4' x 6' oil painting (i was an art major) home, fallen off my bike serveral times and not to mention so many other inconveniences. but i'm glad i suffered so much. it only made me a healthier, stronger, independent young adult. now i am a college graduate and am about to embark on my first real career. i have the decision to buy my first car. i am nervous. should i spend my hard earned college degree which gave me my new salary on a new car or continue my pedestrian ways?

  • Arno Schortinghuis · 3 years ago

    Funny how car drivers often criticize transit for being heavily subsidized but forget to thank the non-drivers for their contribution to the way more heavily subisidized road system which is set up primarily to satisfy the single occupancy vehicle. It is estimated that each car is subsidized to the tune of about $5000 per year!

  • Arcus Thompson · 2 years ago

    Commute 60 miles each day , round trip to work. In an effort to save costs and help the environment I bought a motorcycle and use that as much as possible. During spring, summer and fell I can ride it most of the days. The money I save on gas each month is enough to pay for the motorcycle , insurance and gas for the motorcycle with the added bonus of less emissions.



    I know its not as good as some people have done but its a start.



    If they had a train and bus route to where I work I wouldnt hesitate. But its too far and just to odd of a route to ever hope for that to happen.

  • zz · 2 years ago

    I I sold my car so i can ride the bus since i live downtown city. would rather not have stress of owning car in traffic area. i'm liberal and all that noise, but, WE MUST INVADE any country that dares to fuck the the OPEC system Nixon setup..........unless you want the us dollar to be worthless....

  • Ray · 2 years ago

    I ride my bike to work everyday - no matter how rainy, icy, or cold it may be. I even ditched my car. That's right - I don't have a car. I can see how people are so easily conditioned to think that they NEED a car to survive, but this is only the product of years of car-centric life.



    Also, cycling is an amazing way to move and live. Not only do you support a green environment, but you also keep yourself healthy, become closer to nature and the elements, and earn more respect for technology. When you weigh that against paying car insurance, gas money, and pricey repairs, the choice is obvious.

  • migueloncito · 2 years ago

    I am lucky to live only 5 miles from my work teaching elementary school in L.A., a way too car focused city, ("nobody walks in L.A."). I ride one of my bicycles to work daily, with time for adding miles before and after work, mostly before, less smog and traffic on the road. I have to laugh at the drivers burning out from stoplights that I catch up to at the next stoplight, often passing them with the traffic buildup of cars. I rarely drive my pick up truck in town anymore, using it only for long trips, or carrying big loads of stuff. The amount of resources devoted to car transport blows my mind. The hours folks spend commuting seem like so much lost time and potential. Maybe if gas prices in the states were comensurate with prices in Europe or elsewhere folks would decide exercise in getting to work is a good idea. . . or live closer to their work.

  • Shane · 2 years ago

    I would absolutely love to eliminate my dependency on a vehicle, unfortunately, that is simply not an option at this time. There is no (not just no viable, but literally NO) public transportation where I live. I hear tell that they are extending the MetroLink (Southern California) to where I work, so hopefully that will become an option for me within the next 2-3 years.

  • MrX_TLO · 2 years ago

    What's really ironic is that so many of the jobs in the US are really just paper, computer and phone work which could all be done from home. That means not only are the cars not needed, but alot of the office space isn't either.



    Of course, in the future, we'll probably see more mixed used buildings like we have in Vegas where you can live, work and play without going outside. Not that it's entirely healthy but 2 hours stuck in traffic every day doesn't sound like quality of life to me.

  • Arie Dipareza Syafei · 2 years ago

    It is really encouraging to see your spirit to establish an environmental pollution limit in your place.



    I am a student, and in my everyday life, I always use a bycycle. I do have and will use motorcycle, but that is only if I have to reach such far place from my home.



    I can not being free from the use of such polluting transportation, simply because, public transportation is still not good enough to assist me in reaching a certain place, thus, it would spend more time than if I use motorcycle. Second, the capacity of public transportation (I am currently in Taiwan), almost reach its ability to carry passengers. So, less or more, it is not really convenient to do travel, especially when you have such big burden from your workplace, you would probably get stressed ant that may overweight your goal to not polluting air by using motorcycle.



    Another consideration is, I am Indonesian, and my hometown is in Surabaya, and if you ask the same question, I would definitely say, no... I can not use public transportation. Its just not convenient, dirty. So, private transportation, probably, the best option at the moment. But, when I get back there, I would definitely do the same thing like I did in Taiwan. Buy house close to your workplace. So that, you can use your old bycycle.





  • Syd Nochud · 2 years ago

    The American auto executives should be shot.

    They have made the US transport system dependent on automobiles.

    They went out of their way to eliminate competetion by eliminating bus service in such trendsetting areas as LA. Next they shut out electric bus trollies in favour of diesel.

    Lots of politicans wined , dined and lied to.

    Then after the energy crisis of the early 80's they refused to make small cars as in their mind there was no money in it and they did not like small cars anyways - no prestige.

    Lastly they put all of their research and marketing muscle into SUVs ( read old trucks).

    Companies with less resources like Nissan or Toyota developed hybrids as the same time that GM, Ford and Chrysler put all of their efforts into developing, marketing and reducing resistance to these big , old gas guzzling profitable ( at least for now) trucks (SUVs).

    It is amazing the amount of money people will pour in terms of fuel costs into these behemoths.

  • JiltedCitizen · 2 years ago

    As much fun as motorcycles are, sadly they are way worse on emissions than the dirtiest SUV. Times are changing though and they are having to met more strict standards, especially in Europe.

  • humanfly · 2 years ago

    I moved to a large city with decent public transport about 13 years ago and rented a cheap place on the outskirts of downtown. I cycle and walk a lot, I enjoy it, it keeps me fit. With the money I've saved from not owning a car, I'm putting a 25% downpayment on a large house in a central downtown location closer to work. I intend to live on the top floor, rent out the main floor and basement so that the rental income will cover the mortgage and all housing expenses. I haven't bothered to renew my license.



    I don't consider myself lucky. I planned it out. I understand that not everyone can do this, but I think most people just eat up advertising and think they need to live a certain lifestyle.



    I should be able to retire a decade sooner than my car driving friends.



    I don't consider working an extra decade to pay for a car convenient at all, I can't understand why so many people make this choice, and somehow associate cars with affluence. The average person is a slave to their car.

  • www.Kevin108.com · 2 years ago

    Not everybody lives in a safe enough area to use public transportation or bicycles. Also many forms of public transportation prohibit legally-carried concealed weapons. In 2005 I downsized from an 87 Chevy Silverado 4x4 with a 5.7L to an 05 Corolla with a 1.8L. I get 30-35 mpg with it. I live in a historical area and walk to the library, restaurants, and bars. I take the ferry to the next city when I can. The surrounding area isn't quite so nice though. Much of this city is a ghetto in redevelopment and the safety and health factors of being in ones own car far outweighs and benefit to using a bus.

  • BobV · 2 years ago

    Truth is people are not going to give up their power... when you give people power and a percieved higher standard of living they are not going to give up that luxury easily.



    Just as rich people hate it when government tries to raise taxes on them, even though they have 100's of times more then enough to support themselves and will never have to endure the risk of going without anything.

  • Ron · 2 years ago

    I upgraded to the latest muscle car. It gets 12mpg when I floor it and trust me I floor it often. I burn a set of tires every 3000 miles and they cost me 350 bucks a pop to replace.

    Why don't you losers get a life and let the market do it's work. Once we really run out of oil this problem will fix itself. Go look at China first and see how they are taking over as the nr1 dirt bag. A modern clean car hardly creates any emissions.

  • Geoff · 2 years ago

    I'm a high school senior and purchased a nice road bike with the intent of riding it to school everyday. I could ride it to school everyday (it's only 5 miles), but I don't want to try it because I'm sure the bike will get vandalized sitting in front of the school. Also there is a good stretch of road that doesn't have a sidewalk and drivers in my area have absolutely no respect for cyclists. Living in suburbia I'm too far away from anything to walk and there isn't any public transportation in my city so I usually end up using my car for almost everything I do.

  • steve03 · 2 years ago

    More varaiety in transportation and cleaner and more efficient cars and public transport are great. But most people are not willing to change their mobility needs and desires, so we will have to come up with solutions that fit their lifestyle as well.



    I found this article by Nick Aster very interresting:

    Variety in Transportation is as Important as New Technology: http://www.clubofpioneers.com/blog/blog-from-ni...>

  • John · 2 years ago

    I live in a rural area that requires the use of cars from everyone. It's just impossible for me to get rid of my car. If I did I would have to rely on others for rides everywhere and they would be running their cars extra just to get to me.

  • gojohnnygo · 2 years ago

    Mmmaplewood to Mmminneapolis, Mmminnesota...3 hr + 10 min daily commute using buses & walking 4 days per week.....I drive the 5th day (Friday) with the station wagon picking up free LP vinyl records (recycling) along the way. Sundays we visit family, do all errands, and move more records(!). The walk during the commute transverses both downtowns of St Paul and Minneapolis each twice a day (morning & afternoon), and is more interesting to me than a nature hike. We are a family of four, drive twice a week, fill the tank every three weeks, get lots of excersize walking, and are damn proud & smug about it!

  • Ross Paumen · 2 years ago

    I live in MN so biking and walking can be hard to do when the weather is cold. I chose to live off campus but my apartment complex has done a nice job of getting the local buses to come right to our apartment and run right to the college. SO i ride the bus in winter and bike when it gets warmer. As for the rest of the city, it is a sprawled mess with horrible pedestrian oriented infrastructure. My work is too far to bike and dangerous and taking public transportation to work is impossible since i either come to work right after class or go to class right after work. When i am done with school i hope to get a job in a downtown area and live there as well. Dreams!!!

  • Adam Kim · 2 years ago

    I recommend everyone try an electric bike for transportation. I've ridden mine for the past 8 months and am amazed at how well it gets me around.

  • Logan Toynbee · 2 years ago

    I am twenty-one years old and had been driving my '96 VW GTI since I was sixteen. I moved back to Alberta, Canada in it (from Orlando) and it has always been a huge part of my life. Frequent trips to Banff for snowboarding and blowing off steam, trips to the mall for wasteful purchases, and sometimes just driving around to get away. I was the guy with the car and loving it, that is until probably it's 19 millionth break down several weeks back.



    The car was probably pretty repairable, in fact I got it running the next day when I decided to sort it out. It was my "baby", the car that got me through my teens and to another country; meanwhile, serving as a good reminder of the one I left. And on top of it all, I enjoy driving nearly as much as I enjoy sex. At this point you probably realize that I loved my car. However, as you can see, I say loved because it's no longer a part of my life.



    As I said earlier, the GTI was still repairable... so why would I get rid of it? I'll tell you, freedom, conscience, and simplicity of life. Freedom from the financial, storage, and maintenance responsibilities, the eased conscience in knowing that my footprint would be significantly smaller, and the basic simplicity of NOT owning a car. I'm beginning to see that ownership and possessions can be more of a burden or added stress than a necessity.



    No more traffic jams, insurance payments, parking tickets, gas PURCHASE or USE, breakdowns, or even having to find somewhere to put it. Here in Calgary, we are fortunate enough to have a decent Light Rail Transit system which had switched to wind power for it's source in 2001 (See http://www.re-energy.ca/ridethewind/backgrounde...). Most anywhere I go, I take the train. Otherwise, I walk. I love it more than I ever thought possible. Life for me is already feeling more natural but there's far more to be done yet before I've even started to do my part.



    To me this is just another step towards becoming a better citizen of earth. And furthermore, it shows that cutting back on consumption and conveniences can be an extremely rewarding and gratifying experience as apposed to a loss. By they way, in a sense natural worth and minimalism, I ended up accepting fifty dollars for it from a man who had plans to sell it off part by part.



    I know it was long winded but this was my experience "ditching the car".

  • roger · 2 years ago

    I think that all of the comments are really great. Like someone else said, it feels good to know there are others sharing similar views or goals. I plan on writing my experiences without a car soon.

  • Susan · 2 years ago

    I only use my car when I absolutely have to. I travel to work via a combination of public tranport and walking and therefore get my daily exercise plus read lots of good books. It does take me longer to get to work than if I drove but because I'm effectively utilising my time instead of stressing out in the traffic, it doesn't seem as long.

  • elgatitoandaluz · 2 years ago

    Hiya! i have read some of your comments, i couldnt do with all of them obviously. It is so refreshing to see so many people committed to reduce their emissions :) me myself im 28, and i only drove once when my father took me forced to the car when i turned 18. I knew what was it all about, i have seen people driving all my life.I simply didnt find the idea of going fast and "in control" as thrilling as it is "supposed to be"...My old man argued that: "a man needs to drive, u will have to sooner or later" My father is a very fine man, (i love u dad if u ever read this), but he was talking bo****oks. I drove 50 meters until the corner of my street and the engine stopped as i knew it was going to happen. I stepped out of the car and ask my father to drive it back. Since then I have managed all my life using public transport in spain, england and morocco. In airplanes my record is not so great, but not ridiculous either.I traveled, went to interviews and to work, visited friends, etc by feet, bike, bus, tram, train...if u want to use the excuse i used for myself: a car is a bad investment for the massive cost of the car (which value is half as soon as u drive it a mile), the insurance, the accidents, the robbery,vandalism, the parking, the traffic jams...and the environment of course!

    good luck everybody reducing ur emissions

    dr.nono

  • ColinH · 2 years ago

    One of my good friends once said: "I just want to see all SUV-s extincted in my lifetime". He's got a point here. SUV-s are the type of vehicles with over sized engines and fewest miles per gallon build for carrying themselves not for people. I have an addiction for my car which is an Opel Calibra. Well, it's not the "buying prescription drugs online" type of addiction but I wouldn't get anywhere without my little car. I can connect more than 20 important events in my life to it.

  • Antitaxula · 2 years ago

    I can see both sides. Truthfully, I've been looking for somewhere to post this and this seems the perfect opportunity.

    If anyone has suggestions on how to handle this, I would appreciate them.

    I think what bothers me most (and Michael) is the wasteful use to which cars are put.



    It has always driven me a little crazy to watch people take an escalator up one flight of stairs or, drive around the corner, but lately it really makes me angry. I can see if you're handicapped, physically incapable of walking, but everyday I watch healthy people get into their cars and drive from one shop to the next, sometimes less than a few feet. I witness the same thing in the parking lot of my neighborhood.



    I usually walk where I can. Parking my car and doing my errands on foot, I walk to my gym, the pool, the mailbox. This makes sense to me because gas is expensive but burning it is bad for the environment. I once drummed up the nerve to ask a lady driving from one parking space to the next why she was engaged in such wasteful activity. I'll not repeat her response for fear of offending someone. Suffice to say, it was peppered with many words beginning with F.



    Incredibly, I live in a very progressive town within a community that vocally supports my activities. Yet when I look around, I see that lip-service is all that most are willing to pay.



    I really would like to do something about this, but everytime I try to talk sense into people they get angry and defensive.

  • Photoshop user · 2 years ago

    I have tried because driving makes me feel quite guilty and sick and I'd rather contribute minimally to destruction of the biosphere, profits for oil companies, loss of limbs and life due to needless wars, etc. Also I feel pretty certain that gas will probably be over $4/gallon by the end of Summer.



    //Thanks!

  • Steven Chen · 2 years ago

    I took the removable seats out of my VAN to save gasoline.

  • mammamaia · 2 years ago

    i gave away my rv almost ten years ago, after criss-crossing the us and canada in it for 2 and a half years and haven't missed driving a bit, though i truly loved doing it when i did...



    for the next 8 years, while living in various parts of the world, i used cabs or buses and/or walked... now, pushing 70, i live on a tiny island in the farthest reaches of the pacific, with my home and the donation center i started here being just across the street from the three or four little markets i do my shopping at... and the only other one i have to go to once or twice a month is just a mile away, so when someone takes me there, it's not much of a deal gas or emissions-wise...



    i think i've pretty well erased my gas-guzzling years' worth of bad karma...



    love and hugs, maia

    www.saysmom.com

  • anthony · 1 year ago

    hey guys i was looking into seeing what i could do to improve my car and make it better or my habits better and one of the things it said was to use the windows down instead of the ac. but on myth busters they showed that using the windows down was less fuel effficient than the ac. does anyone know witch is better from pure experience??

  • anthony · 1 year ago

    hey guys i have a question about the " make your car green" list. it says using the windows instead of the ac. but on myth busters they showed in an experiment that the ac is more fuel efficient due to drag with the windows down. any thoughts?

  • DH · 1 year ago

    I'm 22 and I've never even bothered to get a license. I've been using public transportation since I was 14. I always get to where I want when I need to and never had to rely on a car to get there. Nor has it been a hassle ever in my life. Try it for a week. I love my time on the bus, I use it to read and listen to music and have a little me time.

  • cas · 1 year ago

    for those who have children (i have three), i would suggest teaching them to ride bikes when they're older and going together that way. as babies though, i think being in a car is the safets option of travelling (buses won't take prams unless folded - ever tried doing that with shopping and a restless baby - very frustrating) great distances.



    my eldest can ride a horse, ride a bike, skate and soon i'll be teaching her to sail/canoe.



    all of these skills will be useful in a non-petrol future.

  • Matt · 1 year ago

    I was trying to make it the whole summer on one tank of gas but it it didn't work out. I'm on tank 2 since June 2nd. I take the bus, ride my skateboard and when I have to get somewhere fast I ride my e-glide electric skateboard which goes about 20 miles an hour. Its the most fun I have ever had commuting. I just graduated from Law School. My commute door to door driving was 45 minutes due to the traffic and the distance of the parking garage. My commute via electric skateboard was 16 minutes, with the board going right into my locker.

    Now all I need is a lighter battery...

  • Lauren V · 1 year ago

    I sold my car a few months ago, and haven't been happier. I commute to my husband's work with him, using his work vehicle, and then take the bus from there (there is no cheap way to get from Massachusetts to Connecticut without switching modes of transportation). No one can understand how easy it is to give up your vehicle until you do it. The only problem I have had so far was when my dog ate rat poison and almost died. You can't take a dog on a bus, and I wasn't sure I could convince a taxi driver to take a dog that is vomiting blood. My husband had to drive home to take us to the vet, but after the fact all of my neighbors chimed in and said I should have just knocked on their door. There are ways for everything, and it is not as inconvenient as everyone seems to think. I have become much more efficient with my grocery trips, and since my employer pays for my bus pass ($45/mo versus $71/mo for a parking pass), I have zero transportation costs to get to work everyday.

  • Andy · 1 year ago

    Since I moved to California, I have been biking to work and around town. I still have a car, but it is on a good way out. Currently it is used as a garage for my bike. Not the most effective use of a car, but hey, at least I don't drive it.



    Funny story, one day I am parking my bike and there is a note on my car. The note said that since my car was abandoned, it will be towed away. I had to explain them that my car is fully registered, on a dedicated parking spot etc and I just don't use it. So, they pretty much told me that I have to use my car at least once a week.



    So much for the green environment.

  • vinay · 1 year ago

    Hi Friend,



    I think is a same way like you. I am very much worried about our environment. I had lot of discussion with my friends about this but could found no solution. At last Ilaunched a website www.poolmycar.in . Its doing well.... more than 12000 people got registered and started pooling there car. I dont know what I have done is enough or not but i feel proud because I have removed around 50,000 cars of the road.



    Viany

  • Gary · 1 year ago

    In Cities with extensive Transit systems.

    City politicians are quick these days to legislate environment friendly by-laws (ie recycling programs). How about they make it part of city employees employment contracts that they do not drive an automobile inside city limits.