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Old 01-13-19, 11:49 AM
  #28  
Rob_E
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Similarly, I scaled back my car use to only out of town use, but it became an issue to have the car sitting, unused all that time. Tried to use it and found the battery dead. Ants found their way in. Bees built a nest in the twilight. Took it on an out of state trip and the clutch went out on the way home. I think. Made it home and parked it while I decided if it was worth fixing. It sat for a year, and the inspection was about to expire, so I had to decide. But having not driven in a year made the decision a little easier. I realized that for the cost of fixing it, I could easily fly on my one, out of state trip a year and use the train for my in state trips. Had the car towed away several years ago and have not regretted it. I do have a huge advantage in that my wife has a car. She does the grocery shopping and takes the dogs to the vet. Grocery shopping really wouldn’t be bad by bike, but vet trips could pose a problem. But for just me, getting to work, getting around town, eating, entertainment, etc., the bike and transit work great. Weather issues come up, but you learn to be prepared. Last night we had the threat of rain, maybe even snow, coming right around the time I would be getting out of a concert. That was a situation where I considered taking my wife’s car, but decided not to. Came out of the show to light rain, but temps a couple of degrees above freezing, so no snow. I didn’t even bother with the poncho because it’s easier riding without it. I had a light, wool base-layer on, and even though my jeans were soaked by the time I got home, I was warm enough. And cold rain is about the worst I have to deal with, so if can get around in that, I have no concerns about being without a car. The only other issue, which someone already brought up, was day trips to neighboring towns. Difficult to enjoy the nightlife of nearby towns if I don’t want bike for hours after midnight. But my town has plenty going on, so no big deal. Basically, I don’t regret it at all. The inconvenience of keeping the car running, plus money and time to keep it legal, proved to be more of a bother than finding my way around without a car has been. Good luck to you, and suspect you’ll do fine and be happier for it. It seems like you have a good mindset and have already thought through the issues you’re likely to face.
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