this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2023
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Fuck Cars

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A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!

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Upvote if you don't have a car,

Downvote if you do.

No I'm not farming karma, there's no counter on Lemmy. This is the only way to run a poll.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

just a heads up, this method of polling won't account for people on instances without downvote turned on, like mine. hopefully we're statistically insignificant enough not to skew your results

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have a car, but I don't want to. My work or any interesting shopping is about 6 miles away, mostly uphill on a highway in a very desert-like area so I couldn't comfortably bike, and the public transportation is practically nonexistent (and was recently cut to not run on the weekend at all).

I do take my bike most weekends when I can, though. It's been a great experience.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

driving is the absolute only way to get around my city so i have to have a car to live. planning on moving to a walkable city as soon as possible

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have a car but I wish I had an alternative. In my city busses take so long I literally go faster by foot.

I might be wrong. But I think if cars were banned, we would have better public transportation.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Start with taxing cars wherever public transit is a reasonable alternative, then raise the rates annually, and pretty soon most cars will band themselves.

Just a pipe dream, of course...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

I have three, I'm a car enthusiast. I want to enjoy my car without the entirety of society being required to own them to exist.

Even if the dream is achieved and taking my car is more expensive and slower than public transit (which it should be), I'd still drive most of the time because I actually enjoy it. I'd rather not share the road with people that also actually want to be there. It'd be a safer and more pleasant experience.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't have a car but I could afford one. It's getting more and more tempting to get one. My husband and I are our mid 30's and we all too often rely on friends and family for a lift. It feels likes like we're not so much car free as carless.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I've never had a car but am considering it for the first time in my life, at least temporarily. My upcoming internship is at a school in a relatively rural village, and it's technically under the 1.5 hours travel time my college promises, but only by 10 minutes. Compared to the travel time by car which is 35-45 minutes depending on the time of day. Even in a country as dense and non-car friendly as the Netherlands it still sucks ass to get anywhere more rural without a car.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I have a car, it's currently broken. I intend to sell it for scrap, but will likely need to get another one as my local infrastructure is not fit for purpose for anything but cars.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We moved to a big city and went from two cars down to one. I'm working on convincing my other half to go to zero cars. We don't use it enough to justify the expense. An occasional road trip or big shopping run. We can easily (and far more cheaply) just rent a car when we want.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Make some kind of bet between you two. Like offer a nice dinner if you can save some money when going carless. And offer something in return if it's actually more expensive, too.

Talk also about the convenience factor etc, those all matter.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Got rid of my car a month ago, and I'm happier without it.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Same here, I'm a true bus wanker now!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We did without one for ten years but bought a 12 year old hybrid last year because some essential journeys became impossibly unreliable and expensive by public transport (thanks to entirely deliberate government action).

We did have to hire cars occasionally before that to get stuff to the tip and for rare trips that couldn't be done by public transport.

It doesn't get used for trips we can still do by bus or bike but train prices for the routes we use have doubled since the pandemic and, if both of us are travelling, it's often just not financially feasible any more.

We live where we live because public transport is excellent here (and are fortunate enough to have a choice). But the trains are no longer a realistic option a lot of the time.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's really sad how some of the government thinks removing public transport accessibility is beneficial.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

They do. To their donors.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I do. If I didn't it would take me 3 hours to get to work by bus and I don't think I would be able to get a bus home. Assuming the busses are running which isn't a guarantee, or 2 hours by bike. If I had the stamina to bike for that long and not get murdered on the road.

Would move into the town but that is completely unaffordable.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

35 years old and I've never learned to drive. I've just been lucky enough to never had the need. I've always lived either in the centre of a city or in a place where public transport just made more sense (London and Japan). I currently live in neither of those situations, but I get by just fine on my bicycle.

My wife drives, though only rarely, and she's pushing me to get around to learning.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

If you have access to one, it's worth learning how to. The longer you wait, the more difficult it is to learn. 35 is by no means too late (I'm 36 without a license), but it's also worth not waiting much more.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Can't downvote from my instance so this types of posts don't really work on Lemmy. (I don't have a car)

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I'm currently car free although admittedly not by choice. I've wanted a world where you don't need a car for a long time and we need to make public transit better because I just waited an hour for a bus and that isn't fun.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I have a car because I need to. And that's the issue. 😁

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

yeah and ive had to use it more lately because thE CITY WONT PAY ITS DRIVERS AND END THE TRANSIT STRIKE 😒

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

One Prius Prime I share with my wife. I commute by bike and public transit but having a family car is still very handy and my wife uses it to commute.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

We don't own a car. Mostly rely on bike and public transport. Big German city. For holidays or weekend trips we often rent a car.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Car was stolen, didn't bother getting another. I was only using it about once a week anyway.

Partner also doesn't own a car.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Close, it was a Hyundai. So same issues as the Kias.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Mine got totaled about 6 years ago. I live in a city, so getting around with public transit, rideshares, street scooters, etc, isn't too bad. I can get where I need to get easily and cheaply enough. There's plenty of times where it's a burden not having one, but honestly 99/100 days, it doesn't bother me at all.

That said, I'd still love it if my city was more walkable, in general. If I wanna get somewhere by foot, my options are pretty limited.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Only my mother has one, and she needs it for work. And by work, I don't mean to take the road that can be taken by bus, but often to go to villages with little to no public transport.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

We sold our house and car, moved to the city and bought a cargo bike instead. Its great! So much more relaxing and a good way for kids to experience the journeys we take. For longer occasional trips we either take the train or loan a car. (I live in Denmark, but not in Copenhagen)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

After my Dad passed away, and I no longer needed it for looking after him or sorting out things after he passed. I sold my car. I cycle a lot, and prefer getting around by bike, and now I dont have all the expenses that come with owning a car. Especially when it doesnt get used and is sat there rotting away.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I don't. Move to a city with very good public transport a year ago. It's really a blessing.

[–] DakRalter 3 points 1 year ago

I grew up in a car-less household, so I'm used to walking or using public transport. I cycle to work and walk or use the bus or train for shopping. I only get a lift by car when visiting one of my relatives because it's three buses each way and the route there has too many twists and turns for me to feel confident cycling.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Live in the US. Went car free because my PoS car wasn't worth fixing over a year ago. Luckily I live very close to a busline and work is a 15 min walk so it's nbd for me. I save so much money not having one. Only problem I have is walking to work and almost getting hit by cars.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

No car, I mainly get around by bike and public transportation... however I'm learning to drive.

Why? Public transportation here is getting less flexible, with more frequent strikes, timetables being spread out to make up for lack of staff, travel costs approaching levels similar to car ownership. Long distance travel that would have been really affordable and convenient before 2020 is a non-starter now sadly. When I moved here I could rely on a bus every 8-10 minutes... now its anywhere from 30min to 1 hour some days. At least we have live bus times so you can plan when to walk to the bus stop.

Once the costs and timetable get more realistic I'll happily return to public transport, until then I'll continue getting things done by bike, and learning to drive for long distance travel.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Sold my car more than 20 years ago.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I'm on an instance without downvotes. I do have a car. My job is in a very tiny town 15 minutes (by car) from the larger town that I live in. If I can get them to allow me to work from home, I should be able to get rid of the car. I'm also planning on moving somewhere where I won't need a car in the next year or so.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I have a public transport card from work, a bicycle and take a train whenever I do need to go further. Once or twice a year tho, I do have to call a friend who has a car

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I sold my car and moved to the city. I had an electric bike, but the bus rack caring it gave out and ran over it. So I'm -car -bike

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Never had a car, or even a driving license. Fuck cars.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I have one car, a prius that both my wife and I use

Would be practically impossible to not have one in our city, as everything is car-based, spread out over miles, and public transportation is nonexistent

We used to have 2 cars, but once I switched to remote work we sold the other

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I have a car, but for the first time in my life, I rarely need to rely on it. I recently moved just outside the downtown area of a small city. Although walking and active transit are not proiritized, in fact the sidewalks look apocalypitc in places, the desnity alone has allowed me to walk to the majority of my needs. My Nissan micra picks up the slack anywhere else, and in the winter, hauls more ice fishing gear than the average truck I see parked by the lake.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I live 400 meters from the grocery story and I have a hand cart to carry the groceries home. I have a motor scooter for travel to the nearest large town which I go to once a month.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I drive mine maybe once or twice a month, I wish there was better train transportation to the places where I want to go (and there absolutely should be), but all the public transit around me is a clusterfuck nightmare.

Other than that it's bicycle or bus where the bus works.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

We have 2 cars. I’m selling one the one that doesn’t work right now and the other car we need to get our family around in our small college town surrounded by rural farms.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

My wife has one. She gets weird looks in the office since we only have one. Both of us have bikes, she also has a motorbike. Always the right tool for the job.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

We have two. One is exclusively for towing a camper. We keep the miles down on it (~5k miles after two years). The other handles everything else.

Before COVID, my partner worked from home and I biked/bussed. It was about an hour each way. Driving was only 20 minutes and parking was free, but I tried to bike as often as I could. Also sometimes traffic made driving a terrible 40-60 min slog.

Biking was mostly fine except for the pedestrians who would wander into an intersection with no walk signal glued to their phones completely incapable of hearing my bell through their headphones. I actually purchased one of those car horns right before COVID had me WFH and I’ve been doing that ever since.

So now we just drive for errands, restaurants, and weekly groceries. I’m working on moving groceries to a bike trailer, but my partner isn’t as much of a cyclist, so it’s been tough to get her to bike to restaurants.

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