i can really appreciate the ideas of being car free and car lite. as for myself, though, it is simply not possible. i work for a wildland firefighting department in southern california with a 2 hour commute to work one way. once at work we are scheduled to be for a 3 day shift, often times more when days off are cancelled or you are stuck on duty because you're on a fire or out of county. it is not unusual to be at work for 10 days up to 21 days during peak fire season.
with that in mind, when i'm home i am making more of an attempt to use my bicycle as my primary means of transportation. let me tell you, i certainly feel better at night after riding around all day. i would certinly like to be less dependent upon having a car, but i simply do not want to live where i currently work or anywhere that we have stations. the areas i would like to live are too far from where we have stations. plus when the department sends us to training it can be in county, a nearby county, or up in northern california.
to those that manage a car free life: that is excellent. while i'll probably not be car free for many, many years, it is something i hope to one day be able to do.