Treehugger - Latest Comments in Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Gary — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:30:58 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

vinay — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:19:21 -0000

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

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Andy — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:11:29 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Lauren V — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:34:52 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Matt — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:18:50 -0000

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...

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

cas — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:39:34 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

DH — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:22:06 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

anthony — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:03:54 -0000

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?

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

anthony — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:56:10 -0000

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??

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

mammamaia — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 01:08:09 -0000

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

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Steven Chen — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:12:32 -0000

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

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Photoshop user — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:31:01 -0000

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!

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Antitaxula — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:24:31 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

ColinH — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 09:02:42 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

elgatitoandaluz — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:01:39 -0000

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

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Susan — Wed, 23 May 2007 07:19:10 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

roger — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:50:54 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Logan Toynbee — Tue, 08 May 2007 04:54:54 -0000

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/rid.... 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".

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Adam Kim — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:12:39 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Ross Paumen — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:42:29 -0000

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!!!

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

gojohnnygo — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:26:31 -0000

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!

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

John — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:53:40 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

steve03 — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 03:59:02 -0000

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.c...

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Geoff — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 20:26:07 -0000

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.

Re: Have You Reduced Your Dependence on Cars?

Ron — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:28:49 -0000

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.