<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for I sold my car, and I couldn’t be happier ... I think]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by enviroperk http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Fri, 08 May 2009 14:02:54 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/1 Good for you, Erica. Great article on the challenges. Someone should write about doing this a smaller city and the challenges without public transportation. I think part of the solution would have include relocating to a place where day to day necessities ( Grocery, etc. ) are within walking distance. Bikes are great for much of the year.

]]> Good for you, Erica. Great article on the challenges. Someone should write about doing this a smaller city and the challenges without public transportation. I think part of the solution would have include relocating to a place where day to day necessities ( Grocery, etc. ) are within walking distance. Bikes are great for much of the year.

]]> Comment #2 by katakanadian http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Fri, 08 May 2009 19:28:11 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/2 I bike to work most of the time. There is a car share coop in my city.

I share a car with with my dad. My main reason I don't want to give that up is that that my decision to drive is frequently made about 5 minutes before I would have to hop on my bike depending on whether the rain has stopped yet. I wouldn't like reserving a car 24 hrs ahead of time because "maybe it will be raining tomorrow". This is, of course, just an excuse because I survived quite well without a driver's licence until I was 31 but it is honestly my biggest reason for wanting to keep easy access to a car. I bike to work ~75% of the time and hardly do any other driving.

]]> I bike to work most of the time. There is a car share coop in my city.

I share a car with with my dad. My main reason I don't want to give that up is that that my decision to drive is frequently made about 5 minutes before I would have to hop on my bike depending on whether the rain has stopped yet. I wouldn't like reserving a car 24 hrs ahead of time because "maybe it will be raining tomorrow". This is, of course, just an excuse because I survived quite well without a driver's licence until I was 31 but it is honestly my biggest reason for wanting to keep easy access to a car. I bike to work ~75% of the time and hardly do any other driving.

]]> Comment #3 by MRMinSF http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Sun, 10 May 2009 11:01:00 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/3
This piece brings up the question about our addiction to cars, and forces us to consider that cleaner cars are by no means a silver bullet to a better future... if we could magically swap every gas-car for a 100% green/pollution-free car with a snap of the fingers, we'd still have unsustainable sprawl, obesity, and road-rage.

Is a world of cars, cars, and more cars what we want for our future?



]]>
This piece brings up the question about our addiction to cars, and forces us to consider that cleaner cars are by no means a silver bullet to a better future... if we could magically swap every gas-car for a 100% green/pollution-free car with a snap of the fingers, we'd still have unsustainable sprawl, obesity, and road-rage.

Is a world of cars, cars, and more cars what we want for our future?



]]> Comment #4 by mihan http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Mon, 11 May 2009 10:39:16 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/4 The stuff you own owns you. That's one less (expensive) thing you have to take care of/worry about. I've never had a car (I'm 37), and hope that my first car is a tiny electric car to port my groceries after I've had my hip replaced and can't bike too well anymore.

Next step---get rid of the cell phone!

]]> The stuff you own owns you. That's one less (expensive) thing you have to take care of/worry about. I've never had a car (I'm 37), and hope that my first car is a tiny electric car to port my groceries after I've had my hip replaced and can't bike too well anymore.

Next step---get rid of the cell phone!

]]> Comment #5 by CS http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Mon, 11 May 2009 13:23:49 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/5 Good article. The easiest place to do this is in a public transportation friendly city. Here in Salem, OR some busses run every 15 min; others every hour. Some areas of town don't get bus service and it wouldn't be possible to walk or bike.  Also, there's alot of rain here. I think my favorite thing about owning a car is the independence. It's always there at the last minute, gets me to my destination the fastest and I can put much more in a car than on a bus, bike or what I can carry. I had a temp job once where my bus was paid for. Walking to and from the bus + the ride took 1 hour. In my car, maybe 15 minutes. Right now, having a car is better for me.

]]> Good article. The easiest place to do this is in a public transportation friendly city. Here in Salem, OR some busses run every 15 min; others every hour. Some areas of town don't get bus service and it wouldn't be possible to walk or bike.  Also, there's alot of rain here. I think my favorite thing about owning a car is the independence. It's always there at the last minute, gets me to my destination the fastest and I can put much more in a car than on a bus, bike or what I can carry. I had a temp job once where my bus was paid for. Walking to and from the bus + the ride took 1 hour. In my car, maybe 15 minutes. Right now, having a car is better for me.

]]> Comment #6 by CS http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Mon, 11 May 2009 13:32:42 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/6 You're the first person I've heard saying get rid of a cell phone! I think 9 out 10 people are obsessed with having one. I don't have one; only have a land line and never have been in such a hurry to make a call that I can't wait till I get home. I'd get one if I had money to spare and it would be a luxury and good for emergencies. Experts say too much use affects the brain. What do you all think?

]]> You're the first person I've heard saying get rid of a cell phone! I think 9 out 10 people are obsessed with having one. I don't have one; only have a land line and never have been in such a hurry to make a call that I can't wait till I get home. I'd get one if I had money to spare and it would be a luxury and good for emergencies. Experts say too much use affects the brain. What do you all think?

]]> Comment #7 by MRMinSF http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Mon, 11 May 2009 13:42:36 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/7 This goes a tad off-topic, but most people can save a lot of money and motivate themselves to limit their use of cell phones by going on a prepaid, per-minute plan. For 8-10 cents a minute (T-mobile in the San Francisco area) I can make the calls I need to but keep my monthly bills in the $10-12 range, which I consider to be a highly affordable convenience. When you know every minute counts, you regulate your chatter.

And, I am happy to keep using my perfectly-functional 4-year old phone. One less item in the ewaste stream.

But, like driving, cell phone use is fundamentally a lifestyle habit so many of us take for granted: never a bad idea to stop for a moment to ask ourselves if our lifestyle is healthy or not, and make adjustments that seem worthwhile. Its easy to get addicted to convenience, but that is not necessarily a good thing for our personal or environmental health.

]]> This goes a tad off-topic, but most people can save a lot of money and motivate themselves to limit their use of cell phones by going on a prepaid, per-minute plan. For 8-10 cents a minute (T-mobile in the San Francisco area) I can make the calls I need to but keep my monthly bills in the $10-12 range, which I consider to be a highly affordable convenience. When you know every minute counts, you regulate your chatter.

And, I am happy to keep using my perfectly-functional 4-year old phone. One less item in the ewaste stream.

But, like driving, cell phone use is fundamentally a lifestyle habit so many of us take for granted: never a bad idea to stop for a moment to ask ourselves if our lifestyle is healthy or not, and make adjustments that seem worthwhile. Its easy to get addicted to convenience, but that is not necessarily a good thing for our personal or environmental health.

]]> Comment #8 by MRMinSF http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Mon, 11 May 2009 13:53:12 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/8 Comment #9 by MRMinSF http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Mon, 11 May 2009 14:34:16 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/9 By the way... today's New York Times features an article on Vauban, Germany, a suburb designed explicitly to reduce or eliminate the need for a vehicle. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/science/earth/12suburb.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Its not the only such example, but a refreshing reminder that cars are not fundamentally required for a modern lifestyle.

]]> By the way... today's New York Times features an article on Vauban, Germany, a suburb designed explicitly to reduce or eliminate the need for a vehicle. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/science/earth/12suburb.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

Its not the only such example, but a refreshing reminder that cars are not fundamentally required for a modern lifestyle.

]]> Comment #10 by human power http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Tue, 12 May 2009 23:58:36 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/10 Enviroperk asked about car-free in a smaller city. I live in Eugene, OR, a city of less than 200k, even if you add adjoining Springfield. We have very limited public transit and it is mostly filled with drug addicts and homeless people; sometimes because this is the only place they can get out of the rain. I walk and ride a bike everywhere I go, except for trips to CA (train). With a decent bike trailer and some baskets and/or panniers, I usually leave the grocery store/farmers market/hardware store with a much larger load than the folks in the steel wheelchairs. There is one major downside to riding: every week I am assaulted in some way by car-critters. I am not sure why they hate cyclists so much, but the animosity is very real. The only times the motorists were well-behaved towards cyclists was when the busses were on strike and when gas was over $4.00/gal. I think their improved behavior was due to them thinking that the cyclists were only riding because they could not afford to drive. I am anxiously awaiting a return to less cheap gasoline to see if this happens again.

Considering the fact that nearly all of our oil is imported, it is obvious from an econ 101 standpoint that using a car not only drains away the user's health and wealth, but also negatively impacts our national economy. Get patriotic and get car-free!

]]> Enviroperk asked about car-free in a smaller city. I live in Eugene, OR, a city of less than 200k, even if you add adjoining Springfield. We have very limited public transit and it is mostly filled with drug addicts and homeless people; sometimes because this is the only place they can get out of the rain. I walk and ride a bike everywhere I go, except for trips to CA (train). With a decent bike trailer and some baskets and/or panniers, I usually leave the grocery store/farmers market/hardware store with a much larger load than the folks in the steel wheelchairs. There is one major downside to riding: every week I am assaulted in some way by car-critters. I am not sure why they hate cyclists so much, but the animosity is very real. The only times the motorists were well-behaved towards cyclists was when the busses were on strike and when gas was over $4.00/gal. I think their improved behavior was due to them thinking that the cyclists were only riding because they could not afford to drive. I am anxiously awaiting a return to less cheap gasoline to see if this happens again.

Considering the fact that nearly all of our oil is imported, it is obvious from an econ 101 standpoint that using a car not only drains away the user's health and wealth, but also negatively impacts our national economy. Get patriotic and get car-free!

]]> Comment #11 by enviroperk http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Wed, 13 May 2009 22:33:28 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/11 I live in a small, rural town ( less than 10,000 population), in the "old downtown". Thankfully it is experiencing a resurgence so the library, post office, grocery store and even stuff like a shoe repair place, tailor, hardware stores bike shop, coffee shop are close. Like within 3 blocks close. I still bike for shopping and the biggest challenges are finding well made baskets for the bike that carry a lot of weight.  In my old paper-boy days that stuff was easy to find. Now, the local bike shop, with all of the ounce savings feature-bikes, looks at me like I am crazy for wanting a big and heavy set of steel baskets.

As far as cars and bikes, I have seen only two other people in town that bike for errands, and take hostility from fat rednecks driving monster trucks as an unavoidable nuisance. I miss living in the mountains of Colorado, where a motorist not yielding to a biker could almost be summarily executed.

]]> I live in a small, rural town ( less than 10,000 population), in the "old downtown". Thankfully it is experiencing a resurgence so the library, post office, grocery store and even stuff like a shoe repair place, tailor, hardware stores bike shop, coffee shop are close. Like within 3 blocks close. I still bike for shopping and the biggest challenges are finding well made baskets for the bike that carry a lot of weight.  In my old paper-boy days that stuff was easy to find. Now, the local bike shop, with all of the ounce savings feature-bikes, looks at me like I am crazy for wanting a big and heavy set of steel baskets.

As far as cars and bikes, I have seen only two other people in town that bike for errands, and take hostility from fat rednecks driving monster trucks as an unavoidable nuisance. I miss living in the mountains of Colorado, where a motorist not yielding to a biker could almost be summarily executed.

]]> Comment #12 by gohlkus http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Thu, 14 May 2009 11:10:10 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/12 I got rid of my car for good not long after moving to the SF Bay Area 6 years ago.

It would have been a little bit tougher to do so when I lived in the Midwest (winter biking to the grocery store kinda sucks).

A great book that helped inspire me to do it was "Divorce Your Car" by Katie Alvord, which I'd recommend to anyone. I don't know how dated it is now, since she got rid of her car in 1993... but it is an interesting and well-researched story.

]]> I got rid of my car for good not long after moving to the SF Bay Area 6 years ago.

It would have been a little bit tougher to do so when I lived in the Midwest (winter biking to the grocery store kinda sucks).

A great book that helped inspire me to do it was "Divorce Your Car" by Katie Alvord, which I'd recommend to anyone. I don't know how dated it is now, since she got rid of her car in 1993... but it is an interesting and well-researched story.

]]> Comment #13 by Mark431 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Tue, 19 May 2009 13:07:19 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/13 I love my black car but in same way i have to get rid of it. That is because we keep on building infrastructure that rewards car use rather than transit use and fails to create walkable/livable environments that meet our needs.

E20-322 Specilist Certified

]]> I love my black car but in same way i have to get rid of it. That is because we keep on building infrastructure that rewards car use rather than transit use and fails to create walkable/livable environments that meet our needs.

E20-322 Specilist Certified

]]> Comment #14 by vesper7 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Thu, 21 May 2009 09:59:21 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/14 I got rid of my car almost two years ago. I miss the following:

1. Getting out of the city and exploring places in "solitude" that public transportation doesn't touch. I used to love getting out of the city in my car, driving up to the mountains or some secluded place by the ocean.
2. Listening to music in the car. I always love how music sounds in a closed space and car audio has gotten SO GOOD.
3. The personal space of the car, where I can control who sits next to me (or who doesn't!), the temperature, and the lighting. I have gotten sick more often since being a regular public transit user.
4. Direct access to places. Public transit does take longer, generally speaking.

I promised myself that I will not buy another car until electric cars come out and when the electric filling station grid is in place.




]]> I got rid of my car almost two years ago. I miss the following:

1. Getting out of the city and exploring places in "solitude" that public transportation doesn't touch. I used to love getting out of the city in my car, driving up to the mountains or some secluded place by the ocean.
2. Listening to music in the car. I always love how music sounds in a closed space and car audio has gotten SO GOOD.
3. The personal space of the car, where I can control who sits next to me (or who doesn't!), the temperature, and the lighting. I have gotten sick more often since being a regular public transit user.
4. Direct access to places. Public transit does take longer, generally speaking.

I promised myself that I will not buy another car until electric cars come out and when the electric filling station grid is in place.




]]> Comment #15 by gohlkus http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Thu, 21 May 2009 10:21:57 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/15 Have you considered car sharing? It can be a great way to have those experiences without the expense, hassle, or carbon footprint of owning a car. Your profile says you're in Vancouver -- have you looked at http://www.cooperativeauto.net/ or zipcar?

I'm a member of City CarShare here in the SF Bay Area and like it a lot. I don't know what the services up there charge, but I pay $10 a month to be a member (I consider it a donation to a cause I support). And then each trip costs no more than what it would cost to rent a car (sometimes less), I have access 24/7 via phone or web, and the price of gas and insurance are included.

It's a good deal for that occasional need for a joyride (or a trip to the store).

]]> Have you considered car sharing? It can be a great way to have those experiences without the expense, hassle, or carbon footprint of owning a car. Your profile says you're in Vancouver -- have you looked at http://www.cooperativeauto.net/ or zipcar?

I'm a member of City CarShare here in the SF Bay Area and like it a lot. I don't know what the services up there charge, but I pay $10 a month to be a member (I consider it a donation to a cause I support). And then each trip costs no more than what it would cost to rent a car (sometimes less), I have access 24/7 via phone or web, and the price of gas and insurance are included.

It's a good deal for that occasional need for a joyride (or a trip to the store).

]]> Comment #16 by katakanadian http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Thu, 21 May 2009 10:32:15 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/16 Vesper7,

I love riding my bike to all the places buses don't go. I like taking shortcuts that cars can't take.

I love the sound of my iPod without the background rumbling of a motor. Unfortunately it can be hard to get away from all the road noise caused by cars but cycling roads/trails are nice and quiet.

With my bike I'm not stuck beside someone I don't want to be with and nobody begs me for a lift.

I often dread driving to places because of the hassle of finding a parking spot and then having to walk from there to where I'm actually going. My bike gives me much more direct access.

When I lived in Japan, the train was usually much faster than driving because they didn't have to deal with frequent stoplights and traffic jams. Often the only way to drive as fast as the train was to pay extra for the expressway. e.g. my seasonal trips to Costco took 2.5hrs by train (~2500 yen) one way but driving took 4 hrs unless I paid ~2500 yen in tolls on top of ~1500 yen for gas.

]]> Vesper7,

I love riding my bike to all the places buses don't go. I like taking shortcuts that cars can't take.

I love the sound of my iPod without the background rumbling of a motor. Unfortunately it can be hard to get away from all the road noise caused by cars but cycling roads/trails are nice and quiet.

With my bike I'm not stuck beside someone I don't want to be with and nobody begs me for a lift.

I often dread driving to places because of the hassle of finding a parking spot and then having to walk from there to where I'm actually going. My bike gives me much more direct access.

When I lived in Japan, the train was usually much faster than driving because they didn't have to deal with frequent stoplights and traffic jams. Often the only way to drive as fast as the train was to pay extra for the expressway. e.g. my seasonal trips to Costco took 2.5hrs by train (~2500 yen) one way but driving took 4 hrs unless I paid ~2500 yen in tolls on top of ~1500 yen for gas.

]]> Comment #17 by vesper7 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Thu, 21 May 2009 10:37:00 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/17 Thanks for your comment. I have looked into car sharing a bit. I know that the two companies you've mentioned require an upfront fee that can be quite costly, and then there are monthly rates depending on how much you plan to use the service. I will continue to research these options.


When I got rid of my car I realized how many joyrides I actually went on. Probably not very environmentally responsible of me at all. I would get the urge to go for a ride, realize I didn't have a car any longer, then I'd start pacing the house back and forth, back and forth. I laughed at myself, got the headphones, and began the habit of "joywalking". ;) ...which I do to this day, rain or shine. Costs nothing, gives me fresh air, and the only footprints I leave are from my Converse hightops. :)


]]> Thanks for your comment. I have looked into car sharing a bit. I know that the two companies you've mentioned require an upfront fee that can be quite costly, and then there are monthly rates depending on how much you plan to use the service. I will continue to research these options.


When I got rid of my car I realized how many joyrides I actually went on. Probably not very environmentally responsible of me at all. I would get the urge to go for a ride, realize I didn't have a car any longer, then I'd start pacing the house back and forth, back and forth. I laughed at myself, got the headphones, and began the habit of "joywalking". ;) ...which I do to this day, rain or shine. Costs nothing, gives me fresh air, and the only footprints I leave are from my Converse hightops. :)


]]> Comment #18 by vesper7 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Thu, 21 May 2009 10:41:19 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/18 I checked the Coop Car Network again. It costs $520.00 CAN to join, plus signing a six month commitment. This is what makes me a bit wary, because I'm so used to transit that I'm not sure how much I'd actually use the service....

]]> I checked the Coop Car Network again. It costs $520.00 CAN to join, plus signing a six month commitment. This is what makes me a bit wary, because I'm so used to transit that I'm not sure how much I'd actually use the service....

]]> Comment #19 by gohlkus http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Thu, 21 May 2009 11:44:26 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/19 Wow, that's a lot. City CarShare required a $300 deposit when I joined, but it's fully refundable. It was a cash hit at the time, true, but it's nice to know I can get it back if I leave for any reason. (Looks like it's refundable for the Co-op also, and they have a deposit-free plan that looks sort of reasonable.)

On the subject of joyrides, hey, you gotta recharge sometime, somehow. If burning a little gas once in a while helps you do good work the rest of the time, it's probably worth it. (And I say this as a VERY occasional driver -- I haven't taken a car out in over a month.)

]]> Wow, that's a lot. City CarShare required a $300 deposit when I joined, but it's fully refundable. It was a cash hit at the time, true, but it's nice to know I can get it back if I leave for any reason. (Looks like it's refundable for the Co-op also, and they have a deposit-free plan that looks sort of reasonable.)

On the subject of joyrides, hey, you gotta recharge sometime, somehow. If burning a little gas once in a while helps you do good work the rest of the time, it's probably worth it. (And I say this as a VERY occasional driver -- I haven't taken a car out in over a month.)

]]> Comment #20 by vesper7 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/ Thu, 21 May 2009 12:07:55 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-08-sold-my-car/20 I checked out zipcar again, too, and it is probably more in line with my potential car usage...at only $55 a year, and no automatic monthly fees. That might be the best way for me to go....

]]> I checked out zipcar again, too, and it is probably more in line with my potential car usage...at only $55 a year, and no automatic monthly fees. That might be the best way for me to go....

]]>