My wife bought a car
After just short of 2 years being car-free, my wife brought home a car this past weekend, a surprise she had been saving for several months.
My commute is 12 miles each way. I estimate I rode about 6,000 miles the first year, and about half that much this past year so far since I started telecommuting part-time. Public transport options here are very limited and most bus trips take much longer than a bike ride, but the bus doesn't go where my job is anyway.
She has offered me rides to/from work as often as I want. Not sure what I'm going to do. We had already spoken about her desire to get a car and I supported her, and still do. It's hard to live here without a car, and much more fun to have one.
I still think riding a bike is fun.
I don't know what I want to do yet. I'm sure enjoying the break from the commute. If it were shorter, I'd probably feel differently.
I want to take guitar lessons, real live ones with a real human teacher, no Skype. I don't think I want to haul my guitar and gear around on my bike.
I know this is commuting forum, not LCF, but my car-free days might be over unless/until we relocate.
There's not enough business to keep me busy full-time at my work unless I take on additional responsibilities, and the other work available for me to do requires my presence in the office, so no telecommuting. But the boost in my hours from taking on additional work would more than cover all the operating costs of my wife's car and then some.
Maybe it's time for a change.