Do you live in a place where you could get by without a car? Have you ever thought about what you would do to get around? Do you actually NEED that car, or do you just LIKE having it?

Sadly no. We live in a very small town so there are no public transportation. Here we have a postal office, a corner store, a gas station, a restaurant and a bar. The nearest town is a little bigger less than ten minutes away and less than thirty minutes away there's another bigger town with more available things. We used to live in a big city and I was using the bus and subway system there. I do have a driver's license but I am too stressed out when I drive so I rarely drove my dad's car. Soon I'll start again because I am tired of waiting for my dad to be available to drive me. The funny thing is that I was so tired of taking the bus and subway that I was about to buy a car when I lost my job, it did not take me long to miss it!

I wish. I read an article about a woman who created a huge custom bike with a wagon to cart her large family around (I think she had over 4 kids). Pretty cool. Living on the East Coast would make it too cold to do something like that. Plus there aren't a lot of sidewalks where we are.

I have been considering getting rid of the van payment, and gas expense though.

I'd love a custom bike like that. I do have my beach cruiser bike that I got at a thrift store, plus a kid trailer I picked up for free from Craigslist. It sort of makes my bike into a three-wheeler, since I can put groceries or whatever in the trailer portion.

In South Florida a car is a must. I also really enjoy driving...it makes me happy--my alone time.

'em..

No.

Southern CA is the same way - it is very hard to get around on foot here, and the public transportation isn't that great.

I am actually without a car right now, since mine broke down again. I am getting a ride back to AZ with a friend, and from there I will just walk everywhere. The one really good thing about my little town is that everything is close by and easy to walk to.

Does anyone use a bicycle to extend their transportation reach without breaking out the car.

I own a bicycle but I have yet to use it. When I was young (especially a teenager) I spent hours on mine then it broked and I bought a new one several years later (in 2007 or 2008). I am afraid that I have forgotten how to use it and that's why I haven't tried it yet, I know it's stupid and I believe everyone who says that you cannot forget how to ride a bike but hey that's me. As for using a bike for transportation in my town that's doable but to go to the nearest towns it could be dangerous, the roads here are not well done plus there's a lot of traffic and the people here mostly drive like maniacs in addition. Causapscal is the nearest town and there's a small road that goes to there so that I could try one of these days but I'm not too sure about trying for Amqui, I would be less scared to walk there. Two or three years ago they did a supposed bike lane, you should see that thing especially the parts that follow the river! It's like an horror movie and of course it cost a lot of money to build! I'm still missing the subway and buses, if I can have the money to move somewhere else and I'm still not rich enough to build an island a city with public transportation will be at the top of my priorities.

Yes we could get by without a car. Here in the large town where I live it's serviced by both buses and trains, and the stations are close enough to walk to. With the bus stop going through our estate it takes you into town. Plus I do online grocery shopping, and sometimes shop for shoes etc., online. However, it is nice to have a car for outings, as it becomes more difficult when going country for short holidays, long weekends and so on. Although I'm not allowed to drive for health reasons, I do love our car. I chose it, and it's been built from scratch in the colour I wanted (Chilli Orange), and fitted out with bluetooth, voice recognition etc., Dark tinted windows and very sporty looking, eco friendly, just as I order her. She's a small Ford Fiesta Sedan rather than hatchback, and all paid for toboot. No way am I going to part with her. Anyway she is a frugal car as she's very good on petrol. Runs on the sniff of an oil rag. Margaret

No. Too much of where I go and what I need to do is not within reasonable walking distance.

My most recent car died and so i am carless now. I don't really care - most everything is in walking distance. So let's see how long this works for me.

So far, walking, using my bike trailer and catching rides with friends is working fine.

Eventually I will need something driveable but i won't worry about it today. I will make this a fun challenge.

I can't get by without a car where I currently live and work. The trip from home to work is more than 30 minutes by car. It would be two hours by bus, then I would need to walk a mile. All of our stores are more than a mile away.

I absolutely have to have a car where I live. There is no bus line, bicycling with three kids is not realistic. There are a lot of other issues with the layout of the roads and such as well.
I hope one day to be in a situation where the family only has one car that rarely gets driven.

Lisa, I really wish cities were designed better for non-car transit. I used to fantasize about green cities where everything was clustered and walkable, with green spaces and walking/biking paths brought you to everything, with communal parking areas on the outliers to people could drive in the to edges and walk the rest of the way.

I know some cities are like this, but sadly, too few. And those great cities seem to be very expensive to live in.

Since I am back together with my hubby, we only need one car. So I am getting rid of mine to make cash and save money.

Saved:
registration
insurance
upkeep
repairs
cleaning
gas: we are more mindful of little trips when there is one car only

Almost sold my jeep today - the boys looking at it were going to give us cash right now. But then they showed it to the kid's dad and he said 168,000 miles was too much. I don't think it's too much for a 97 jeep grand cherokee. Anyone have any thoughts?

Selling it for $1800.

It's interesting you say that. I'm in South Florida and we have plenty of public transportation. My husband takes a bus and train to his place of work daily. He's really happy to not have to drive to work. Keeps our insurance quite low.

I'm at a way (through practice of course) you know what?

I CAN DO w/OUT just about anything!

But I agree w/Dr. Hershey...unless you're in the middle of nowhere (which feels to change soon) and MUST have a car, I can go either way.

Biking, love it - though can't quite at the moment. Bus, train, well...not a problem either.

But the CHOICE...now, if I were able and quite often did, I too LOVED the privacy, those moments alone, where you can just think, take a drive around a lake, clear your head and whatnot.

However, just a feeling...the wind bends the willow sideways almost as a discouragement as to utilizing that of a vehicle.

At this time I do liv w/out a vehicle and can manage just fine

So far I have a lot of people lowballing my car ad. I'm not in a hurry to sell, so i will just wait it out.

Anyone have experience selling their cars?

I've found it really easy to share one car between a couple. What do other people think about that?

PERFECTION Jilly!

There's or I feel, "will" be a huge push for transit connecting this city to that cramming everyone into one "buckle" - it'll have something to do w/inter-city, urbani-something 'er other. The reasonings are beyond anything I can even go into here

The thing or issue w/the "pro" this or that, is if you've ever really BEEN through or to downtown Detroit, downtown Cleveland (grew up there myself), etc. and even through some of the more "scenic" areas of the greater Chicago areas, well...

That's a "feeling" of something coming to a town near you sometime here in the (what I call) near-future. To others, maybe 3,5,7 yrs. But the destruction they did there will begin merging to other areas of say, more rural or natural settings where people actually take care of their surroundings.

Sharing an automobile, is a wonderful idea!

It conserves on so many levels and something that can even bring people together; swapping here and there, sharing expenses and gas which should be going up here shortly after something having to do w/elections (maybe mid? Don't follow politics so don't know or care but other people might).

Inflation is coming. It's here already, just hidden. I can taste it in the foods I get. I cook everything, even vinegars and olive oils, butters are watered down on some level so gas will be coming.

Personally, I don't have a car and really don't want one. Haven't been happier either without all the fees, tests, hassles, waiting in line, plates, etc.

I exchange or do things of value for a ride if ever I need one. Quite the private person, lol.