What's awesome about Living Car Free
 

Ok, I'm admittedly only car lite, but here I 4 things I find awesome about LCF on my no-car-use days; 1: "parking" closer to my destination than any other type of vehicle. 2: Figuring out which "no outlet/dead end" street sign only apply to cars, ie urban exploration & finding shortcuts a car couldn't fit thru. 3: A utilitarian reason for exercise, rather than a boring stationary machine at a health club. 4: Hauling groceries in panniers just feels satisfying to me, not sure why.

What are some things you find awesome about LCF? And thx to Machka for suggesting the thread title.

I suggested the title?

I did start this thread ... http://www.bikeforums.net/living-car...t-because.html :)

Yeah, I'll find the quote, it was from a few weeks ago at least.

So, I saw the idea for this thread in a now-closed thread that was titled something along the lines of "63% of US citizens can't afford a $500 car repair." Needless to say the thread got closed for the usual reasons, and I couldn't "reply with quote." So I copied and pasted the following quote within a quote, Machka quoting mconlonx:
Quote Originally Posted by mconlonx View Post
What I find unfortunate are those LCF proselytizers who see this forum more as the car-bashing forum than a "what's awesome about LCF" forum. They send out these hateful vibes to those who happen to own cars in wave after wave of hateful, disrespectful posts...
+1

It would be wonderful to see a whole lot more about "what's awesome about LCF"!

End copied section.
So I was barely caffeinated this morning before work when I thought, I'm gonna start a thread based on that thought. So here ya go...

After living car-light for a few years and then living car-free for 3 years I find nothing awesome or extraordinary about LCF...and so I went back to being car-light.

1. The thought that each time a person gives up driving in my city, the air becomes a little cleaner, so we can all breathe a little easier--especially asthmatics--is awesome.

2. Not being part of the slaughter on our motorways is wonderful.

3. Not tooling around in a vehicle that is belching out toxic greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and contributing to global climate change makes me feel great.

What's awesome about Living Car Free

I’m car-lite too, mostly due to family activities, but I’m the most amenable to car-free. My major motivation to ride is not sociopolitical, or environmental, but physical. However, a useful and enjoyable side benefit, it enhances my reputation.

And Machka, sorry if I've recycled the sentiment of an existing thread that you started. I wasn't going for this cartoon's message: http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=506071

Only so much can fit in a backpack, so my wife and I meet and grocery shop after work, then walk or ride home together. What's awesome? More time together. Sappy? Yes. True? Yes again.

Are you under the impression that your physical well-being is somehow separate from the environment you live in? If your city is jammed with smog-belching cars, and you are breathing dirty air, you might want to get motivated about changing the situation. I don't understand your comments about reputation. Why is that important and who are the people you want to enjoy a good reputation with?

I don't think you'll find many of us who hate cars per se', but there are many aspects of automotive-dominance and driving-dependency that are problematic and the hate starts to emerge when car-people get defensive and start attacking us for not keeping quiet about the problems. There are also people in many areas who are struggling to get better cycling and transit infrastructure, who encounter backlash politics from people who want to marginalize any form of transportation that's not driving. Given these various factors, it's not surprising that the 'vibe' can feel hateful, but you should consider the context and think about what it would take to have a truly positive discussion that includes the possibility of reducing automotive traffic for the benefit of environment and encouraging other forms of transportation that can reduce driving-dependency for more people.

What's awesome about Living Car Free

Thanks for reading my post and your reply. I had quoted your bullet points about the awesomeness of Living Car Free to contrast my appreciation of the (Car-Lite) lifestyle. My cycling history goes back to the “pre-Earth Days” of the 1960’s.

Fortunately for me. I have never lived in a “city is jammed with smog-belching cars, and …breathing dirty air” (? Mexico City, Beijing) and I am certainly healthier for it. But environmental concerns just don’t motivate me to ride the miles and extreme weather (though once I was described as having the “smallest carbon footprint of anyone” in the organization where I work.) I don’t deny any contributions to “Green Living,” that I make, but I don’t tout them.

Notably too, the OP also did not list a "Green" rationale, other than, "Hauling groceries in panniers just feels satisfying to me, not sure why."

I have used that quote about reputation on several threads, including this one on the Commuting Forum, ”Coworkers”

I don't cycle (or live Car Lite) to enhance my reputation, but it is awesome and distinctive; in a similar vein, I've also got a reputation at work as a good dancer (from various social functions). Both are good things.

nailed it

I created that thread where a study revealed how millions of Americans are practically broke unable to afford a costly auto repair.

What's awesome about living car free. It enabled me to be part of the 37% of the population that has more than $500.00 dollars in the bank! LOL

Actually, when you've been carfree for quarter of a century, there's nothing "awesome" about it anymore. It's natural like turning on the faucet and finding water. It's liberating.

- Parking ($20 or more per day in big cities)
- Tickets (miscellaneous, speeding, BS revenue generator tix)
- an asset which can be seized by the State or a business

With the above, you know there are cameras which can track cars by license plates? So you can drive along roads, and mobile police cameras will snap your cars' picture. You're not as anonymous as you think you are in a car. Not that you're doing anything "wrong" or illegal, but, Big Brother likes when people have cars & drivers licenses. Makes people easier to track & control. No drivers license, no car....... You're *almost* off - grid right there!

There's a lot for me. Cost and convenience mainly. Find it much easier to go hop on the train and call it a day. $5 for an entire day and no need to worry about parking and someone else does the "driving." I'm lucky to live in an area where I don't need a car but I've never had my license. I started a thread in here back in November ("Never had my license") that received a record number of complaints and was closed.

LCF is a touchy subject for a lot of people.

I'm like you. I love commuting by train and bike, but in this group anyone who dares start a thread or post a comment that might be considered the least bit pro-mass transit will be attacked by fanatics who trot out their tired "it's too expensive/we can't afford it/beware, that's socialism!/oh dear, that's big guv'ment!" diatribes. Any mention of the environment will be met with similar howls of protest from the same bunch, who delight in denying climate change and belittling anyone who admits to caring about it or expresses an interest in doing anything about it.

Consider yourself lucky to have never owned a car or even a driver's license. How dare you come to this forum and share your carfree happiness with those that still own a vehicle and are suffering! .

I've owned two cars with the intentions of getting my license but haven't owned one in 5 years or so. Doubt I'll ever own one again. I know how to drive in the event of an emergency and that's good enough.

My 12 month insurance premium is cheaper than the bike I just purchased spread out over the same amount of time; gas is as cheap as its been in over a decade and my non-hybrid sedan gets over 40mpg on the freeway given low/moderate winds.

Agree with the exercising bit. Hammering to and from work is my daily fitness.

I think all the reasons mentioned so far apply to me. I have lots of reasons for being carfree and I get a lot of enjoyment from it. LCF is a win/win/win/win/... situation for me.

Did your bicycle last only 1 year?

When I divide the purchase price of my Full Campy Colnago by the number of years I've owned it and ridden it as my primary bicycle (a lot of commuting, but not car-free). The annual cost comes out to about the cost of 2 cups of coffee per year.

Now, there has been some parts and maintenance that has gone into the bike, but I doubt that I've put more into it than a single 6-month insurance premium.

I haven't ridden it a lot, but say if it displaced a gas guzzler at 20 mpg, it would have saved about 2,500 gallons of fuel.

My 5000 or so miles last year would have saved an additional 250 gallons of fuel.

Even if fuel is "cheap", the cost adds up.

Another reason: If a friend sees me on the street, it's very simple to turn around and go talk, much easier than in a car. This happened to me the other day, a friend yelled out my name while I was riding past, and I made a quick 180 turn and went and said hi. I guess this equates to greater maneuverability, and an easier time connecting with other people who are also traveling by foot or by bike.

And another: Bike ciommuting for the last 3 years, I have gained an much more thorough knowledge of the topography of my town. It's one thing to know that a certain street has a hill on it. I enjoy the bigger picture of riding enough streets that I can view a town-wide topographical map in my mind.