I will be car free at the end of February
#1
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I will be car free at the end of February
I have a 2005 Pontiac and I will be car free at the end of this month. I have had my car for about 4 years, previously my sister owned it and before that, the original owner had it. The car is paid for.
The past year has been the worst for it, I have had a lot of problems with it, from constantly burning out headlights, to the power steering suddenly not working, to the price of gas. Last weekend while I was at the bank and sitting in my car, someone backed up into it and when got out to get there insurance info, they just drove away.
I have actually been thinking about getting rid of it sooner but at the end of the month, it will be gone. I am actually looking forward to April when I can start riding my bike again and not have to depend on my car to get around.
The past year has been the worst for it, I have had a lot of problems with it, from constantly burning out headlights, to the power steering suddenly not working, to the price of gas. Last weekend while I was at the bank and sitting in my car, someone backed up into it and when got out to get there insurance info, they just drove away.
I have actually been thinking about getting rid of it sooner but at the end of the month, it will be gone. I am actually looking forward to April when I can start riding my bike again and not have to depend on my car to get around.
#3
I'm happy for you. How much do your currently get around without the car? Just remember that you made a choice, and choices require dedication to transform them into habits. I personally enjoy the mindfulness which is used to complete errands without a car. For instance I need to remember my pannier when going to the bank and post office. Since I may have a package. Or, when going to work having clothing and food separated for convenience. I also learned to layer clothing which is not used when riding home in the afternoon and having it in the bottom of the pannier. This makes it so gloves and lights are on top.
Give it a go and try sooner even before you give up the car. Have fun riding
Give it a go and try sooner even before you give up the car. Have fun riding
#4
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I'm happy for you. How much do your currently get around without the car? Just remember that you made a choice, and choices require dedication to transform them into habits. I personally enjoy the mindfulness which is used to complete errands without a car. For instance I need to remember my pannier when going to the bank and post office. Since I may have a package. Or, when going to work having clothing and food separated for convenience. I also learned to layer clothing which is not used when riding home in the afternoon and having it in the bottom of the pannier. This makes it so gloves and lights are on top.
Give it a go and try sooner even before you give up the car. Have fun riding
Give it a go and try sooner even before you give up the car. Have fun riding
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I have a 2005 Pontiac and I will be car free at the end of this month. I have had my car for about 4 years, previously my sister owned it and before that, the original owner had it. The car is paid for.
The past year has been the worst for it, I have had a lot of problems with it, from constantly burning out headlights, to the power steering suddenly not working, to the price of gas. Last weekend while I was at the bank and sitting in my car, someone backed up into it and when got out to get there insurance info, they just drove away.
I have actually been thinking about getting rid of it sooner but at the end of the month, it will be gone. I am actually looking forward to April when I can start riding my bike again and not have to depend on my car to get around.
The past year has been the worst for it, I have had a lot of problems with it, from constantly burning out headlights, to the power steering suddenly not working, to the price of gas. Last weekend while I was at the bank and sitting in my car, someone backed up into it and when got out to get there insurance info, they just drove away.
I have actually been thinking about getting rid of it sooner but at the end of the month, it will be gone. I am actually looking forward to April when I can start riding my bike again and not have to depend on my car to get around.
Did you ask your insurance company what to do about this?
It's been ten years now since I sold my 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix (Mom sold it to me) and while you live in one of the more populous areas of Manitoba, overall MB is a huge province, unlike my Treasure Valley of SW Idaho and SE Oregon. Sounds like you may get stifled getting about to work.
By the way, 2005 wasn't a great year for Pontiacs. Find a maxi scooter or road legal motorcycle if you can and go car light.
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I have a 2005 Pontiac and I will be car free at the end of this month. I have had my car for about 4 years, previously my sister owned it and before that, the original owner had it. The car is paid for.
The past year has been the worst for it, I have had a lot of problems with it, from constantly burning out headlights, to the power steering suddenly not working, to the price of gas. Last weekend while I was at the bank and sitting in my car, someone backed up into it and when got out to get there insurance info, they just drove away.
I have actually been thinking about getting rid of it sooner but at the end of the month, it will be gone. I am actually looking forward to April when I can start riding my bike again and not have to depend on my car to get around.
The past year has been the worst for it, I have had a lot of problems with it, from constantly burning out headlights, to the power steering suddenly not working, to the price of gas. Last weekend while I was at the bank and sitting in my car, someone backed up into it and when got out to get there insurance info, they just drove away.
I have actually been thinking about getting rid of it sooner but at the end of the month, it will be gone. I am actually looking forward to April when I can start riding my bike again and not have to depend on my car to get around.
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Last edited by Machka; 02-13-16 at 07:18 AM.
#8
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I'm happy for you. How much do your currently get around without the car? Just remember that you made a choice, and choices require dedication to transform them into habits. I personally enjoy the mindfulness which is used to complete errands without a car. For instance I need to remember my pannier when going to the bank and post office. Since I may have a package. Or, when going to work having clothing and food separated for convenience. I also learned to layer clothing which is not used when riding home in the afternoon and having it in the bottom of the pannier. This makes it so gloves and lights are on top.
Give it a go and try sooner even before you give up the car. Have fun riding
Give it a go and try sooner even before you give up the car. Have fun riding
#9
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Hit and run is a felony or something...I hope you got the license and a good description for the authorities...
Did you ask your insurance company what to do about this?
It's been ten years now since I sold my 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix (Mom sold it to me) and while you live in one of the more populous areas of Manitoba, overall MB is a huge province, unlike my Treasure Valley of SW Idaho and SE Oregon. Sounds like you may get stifled getting about to work.
By the way, 2005 wasn't a great year for Pontiacs. Find a maxi scooter or road legal motorcycle if you can and go car light.
Did you ask your insurance company what to do about this?
It's been ten years now since I sold my 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix (Mom sold it to me) and while you live in one of the more populous areas of Manitoba, overall MB is a huge province, unlike my Treasure Valley of SW Idaho and SE Oregon. Sounds like you may get stifled getting about to work.
By the way, 2005 wasn't a great year for Pontiacs. Find a maxi scooter or road legal motorcycle if you can and go car light.
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I did exactly the opposite this February and purchased an SUV on February 1st...My 3 year LCF experiment has come to an end. I am now car-light as I was before for many years. In my experience being car-light is a much better option then being car-free.
#12
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Depends on where you are & what provisions you've made. Also depends on your lifestyle. Do you need to get to places that are very difficult to get to without a car on a frequent basis? You can always rent a car if you need one for a day or two. (assuming you still keep your licence). I've learned a bit over my almost year being car free. Between walking, biking, and public transport, I've only run into a few difficulties, and then I called up a taxi. Bit expensive, but still cheaper than a car!
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For every 1 car-free person who decides to live below his/her privileges in order to have the smallest carbon footprint possible with hopes of saving the world, there are 100 000 others who generate a much larger carbon footprint. So all your efforts to save the world mean absolutely nothing....I don't understand why anybody would punish themselves and practice self flagellation in order to save the planet...Look at it this way: using air conditioning and heating in your house also has a negative impact on environment.
#15
Pedaled too far.
I didn;t have a chance to get the plate number, they backed up and hit my bumper and when i got out of the car to get their info, they drove away. I tried to get their info but they were already down the street. 2005 was a bad year for Pontiacs, they had problems with the power steering and ignition problems but they never told the public.
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For every 1 car-free person who decides to live below his/her privileges in order to have the smallest carbon footprint possible with hopes of saving the world, there are 100 000 others who generate a much larger carbon footprint. So all your efforts to save the world mean absolutely nothing....I don't understand why anybody would punish themselves and practice self flagellation in order to save the planet...Look at it this way: using air conditioning and heating in your house also has a negative impact on environment.
#17
I'm not car free to save the planet. I'm car free because I enjoy to riding my bike. I also lack a willingness to pay so much just to for transportation. If you want to use a vehicle that's great. I just don't understand how you relate car free with "self flagellation".
Tim
Tim
#18
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For every 1 car-free person who decides to live below his/her privileges in order to have the smallest carbon footprint possible with hopes of saving the world, there are 100 000 others who generate a much larger carbon footprint. So all your efforts to save the world mean absolutely nothing....I don't understand why anybody would punish themselves and practice self flagellation in order to save the planet...Look at it this way: using air conditioning and heating in your house also has a negative impact on environment.
Also, there's the Schistosomiasis stories to bear in mind. When the Nile was dammed, this disease became a huge problem because the snail population exploded. When China created the same problem, they asked the people near the water to kill every snail they saw. As a result, they didn't have the same problem with Schistosomiasis as the Egyptians did. Each person just did a little, but the result saved many more people from disease.
I suppose if you think of walking, taking transit and cycling as huge chores, none of this has any meaning for you. Different strokes, I guess. For me, being in a car is extremely uncomfortable and even slightly stressful. If I can avoid it, I do. Cycling, on the other hand, is always a joy and walking is a close second.
#19
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For every 1 car-free person who decides to live below his/her privileges in order to have the smallest carbon footprint possible with hopes of saving the world, there are 100 000 others who generate a much larger carbon footprint. So all your efforts to save the world mean absolutely nothing....I don't understand why anybody would punish themselves and practice self flagellation in order to save the planet...Look at it this way: using air conditioning and heating in your house also has a negative impact on environment.
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I'll pass.
#21
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The past year has been the worst for it, I have had a lot of problems with it, from constantly burning out headlights, to the power steering suddenly not working, to the price of gas. Last weekend while I was at the bank and sitting in my car, someone backed up into it and when got out to get there insurance info, they just drove away.
I have actually been thinking about getting rid of it sooner but at the end of the month, it will be gone. I am actually looking forward to April when I can start riding my bike again and not have to depend on my car to get around.
I have actually been thinking about getting rid of it sooner but at the end of the month, it will be gone. I am actually looking forward to April when I can start riding my bike again and not have to depend on my car to get around.
I had a similar situation in that my car had some serious repair issues to be addressed, and I just decided to get rid of it. It was a fairly easy choice for me because the car would sit, undriven, for months at a time, so I looked at the cost of repair vs. the cost of booking air and/or train travel for my few out of town trips for the year, the figures were close, and once I factored in the aggravation of keeping a car running that I rarely used, it was an easy decision.
It's been great for me. I wish you luck.
#22
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Why three years then?
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To be honest, it's because LCF is a huge PITA in this modern society. It's only exciting and fun at the beginning but after a while it just becomes an obstacle which makes life more difficult, I would never become voluntarily car-free. It feels really good to have that extra option of using private vehicle on some days... LCF is ok to do temporarily but I would never want to make a long term or permanent lifestyle out of it.
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Kudos. I've never had my license and love it. Have owned a few cars and had my permit but decided it wasn't for me. My mom was the same way. Passed at 57 without ever having her license.
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