One of my greatest bugbears is the insistence of most people that they cannot live without a car.
Before I became a parent, I would defend people with young families who feel they need a car, but now we do it, it's really not that hard to live without.
We use some taxies and are getting quite good at fitting the carseat at speed, although I can't do it on my own at the moment because of the bump.
T cycles to work each day, which is a trek and takes about an hour, but would probably be the same in rush hour in a car.
I'm on foot or bus, but am reduced to a distance of not much more than a mile from home because of the bump, but that should ease up after the baby arrives.
I don't know how we would ever fit in enough exercise if we drove everywhere. And we would be skint.
When I explain this I am usually showered with the list of excuses of why city living, able bodied people cannot live without a car. Nobody argues that they want their car because they like the privacy and comfort that being in one's own car provides. Nobody argues that they like their car because the choice of car is a fashion statement.
I hear, “Ah but I couldn't get to work any other way.” People choose where to work and I moved job to be closer to home. Frankly the people who say this have never tried to get to work any other way. The other excuses are often simply ridiculous.
And then there are the parking and congestion problems. If there is something that might get drivers out of their cars, it's gridlock.
When I am the benevolent dictator of the world, I will ban private motor vehicles from Manchester City centre, making it only possible to get in by public transport. Not that I have any real intention of going into Politics.
Give yourself a £2,000 payrise. Ditch the car.
1 comment:
That's easy for you to say, but try living in the many suburbs in England (and elsewhere) where there are no decent shops etc within walking distance and bus services are lousy or nonexistent.
We have a car because I enjoy using it for my own purposes (I play the drums) - it seems crazy not to use it for other things. I cycle to work and elsewhere in town but my partner can't do so easily. I would of course prefer not to have a car, but I find it really useful. Annoyingly enough, it seems that old cars don't work so well if you use them just once per week.
I'm completely in favour of road pricing etc, as it would benefit "light users" of motor vehicles, i.e. (selfish) me.
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