Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by heather s on August 8, 2010 at 8:23am

It seems to me that if you thought about your time and schedule a little differently, being carfree wouldn't seem so crazy. For example, it would definitely be inconvenient and challenging to do all of your weekly shopping and errands in the same trip if you're biking or walking. The easy and obvious solution to that problem is to split it up so you're buying fewer things at any given time. Since you work from home and presumably set your own hours (?) this shouldn't be very much of a challenge. You might say to that, but it takes more time to make multiple shopping trips. But the difference is, you're spending that time doing something fun and enjoyable, whereas when you drive you're just sitting around in a box, waiting for traffic. Occasionally I do need something that is too big or unwieldy to carry on my bike. Usually you can get stuff like that delivered, though. For the few times when you really need something that's too big to carry on your bike or the bus/el, you could take a cab and still save money overall. A barbecue is like a once-a-decade purchase, right? You don't need to have a vehicle just for stuff like that.

I used to commute from La Grange, and the Metra ride plus walking from my house to the station and to my job took over hour. But it was generally really pleasant-- I got to read for half an hour and have a nice walk at either end. I don't really see why you consider using transit to be 'losing time' but driving is not. Think about all the time you spend moving your car around so you won't get tickets, or digging it out of the snow, or filling it up with gas. Those moments add up. I imagine you're spending more time than you actually think you are maintaining a vehicle, and maybe you don't recognize it because those tasks seem so normal to you.

I don't consider myself a minimalist. I consider myself someone who doesn't like to spend time worrying about stuff like tickets, parking meters, gas prices, oil changes, traffic, and being sober.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on August 8, 2010 at 8:33am

I live in oak park, work in the loop. About fifteen miles and change daily. I live with my son, and we don't have a problem getting downtown when we like. We have a trailer, a tandem, and a hitch to hook his bike to mine and pick what we're going to use depending on the weather and the circumstances. We have friends right near our neighborhood, and family up in edgewater and see them plenty.

I don't know if my lifestyle is minimalistic but it is what it needs to be. Not owning a car has pretty much just meant I didn't have to worry about car crap. The city is laid out great for biking, and not giving a damn about traffic or parking or maintenance makes life a lot more enjoyable and getting around a lot more predictable.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on August 8, 2010 at 10:09am

I've lived car light for several years. I kept an old car (already paid for) that I had when I moved back from out of state to help look after my elderly dad, for occasional trips or heavy shopping, or emergencies. When the car got too old, I donated it. My significant other has a car and works nights in a location where the car is needed for a safe commute. I have access to his car when he's not working, but I don't use it that much.

Do you work in the city or commute to the suburbs?

City

Would you describe your lifestyle as minimalistic?

Not really. But I try to be efficient in planning trips that aren't practical by bike or public transit to get the most bang for my buck when I need to drive.

When I run my weekly errands, I get everything done in one shot. How is that possible on a bike?

I got a cargo trailer.

Do you use car-sharing services?

I use I-Go on occasion.

How often would you say not owning a car creates a hindrance?

Maybe once or twice a month. It encourages me to do more stuff within easy riding distance, so I'm more likely to patronize neighborhood businesses and help those businesses to thrive and survive. I appreciate those neighborhood business districts, so this is a very positive side effect.

Do you ever feel like you are losing time in your day due to a reliance on public transportation or that it is more of a hassle?

Once in a while. Being on the far south side, my biggest frustration is when huge events or festivals downtown or near downtown (such as Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago, Air and Water Show) affect my ability to get across town. On weekends like this one, I often end up skipping events on the north side that I would have attended if I was still living in Rogers Park and could easily get there by bike.

On the flipside, I look at how much time I used to waste taking my car for service, filling it up with gas, washing it, etc., and how much money I used to spend on all those things. If you don't need a car for your commute and can plan efficiently for those trips that do require a car, a car share or regular rental can make a lot more $ense than owning, especially if you live in a neighborhood where car share locations are plentiful.

And I'd also agree with the suggestion to add Jane Jacobs to your reading list.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gort 12-mile Pinklegneep on August 8, 2010 at 11:42am

The question of losing time is interesting because from my point of view, I walk out the door and a moment later am at the gym, and then as soon as I'm done working out I'm at work. Then I leave work, enjoy some recreational activities, and am home again.

If it weren't for the bike, that time would be eaten up by "commuting."

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on August 8, 2010 at 1:17pm

This is an excellent piece of wisdom.

I cannot be car free for several reasons but I concentrate on driving as little as possible unless I have to. It's the best I can do and tons better then driving everywhere.

Dr. Doom said:

I always compare not having a car to not eating meat. If you don't like meat, don't eat it. If you dislike factory farming, the environmental consequences of meat eating, etc. but like meat, just eat less of it, and get it from better sources.

For me, not having a car makes sense; for others, it won't. It's probably better to worry less about being car free than about driving just as much as is necessary and no more. Car use is a spectrum, not an either/or.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Marion on August 8, 2010 at 3:08pm

I've been car-free my entire life, never got a license.

I make my decisions accordingly: I moved to Chicago because I can live here without needing a car, I live in biking distance to work, I moved close to public transportation for very cold days, I live close to grocery stores.

My family is across the ocean and I see them every other year or so. I take the blue line to O'Hare. :)

I frankly don't have that many errands to run, and sometimes wonder what people use their cars for on those long weekend shopping trips (in that sense maybe I am minimalistic?, I drink tap water, I don't buy much except food and hygiene/cleaning products). I can easily fit what I need day to day in panniers or on my rack. I very rarely get new big STUFF but sometimes get it delivered if I have no other way to transport it.

I spent most of January/February this year on public transportation and actually loved it, I read so many novels! :)

I hope so much I'll be a healthy elderly person someday who can still bike around. My grandparents biked around our hometown until they were in their 80s and never owned a car - trailers, soft saddles and everything - hopefully by that point there will be super bike friendly small towns for me to live in, to bike around with less stressful traffic.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on August 8, 2010 at 5:47pm

Michael said:

The annualized cost of owning a car, in my experience, was $4-5k/year. My current transit costs, as described above, amount to about $1k/year. I look at the difference as a tax-free bonus of $3-4k a year.

Tax-free? How'd you pull that off?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Liz on August 8, 2010 at 6:32pm

I have been car free for 4 years. 
I have only been cycling for 2 years.
In the first year I was half a mile from a grocery store.
I used peapod for my bulky/heavy items, the delivery cost is low and prices are reasonable.
now I live in an area that's a shorter distace from grocers so I make more frequent trips.

My family lives in the suburbs and I see them about once a month. I take the metra and then usually someone will pick me up. 
none of my family minds going 10 minutes out of the way to get me.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Joel on August 9, 2010 at 1:44am

I think it is really the only sensible approach. Even the people who don't own an automobile seem to rely on them to some extent (the UPS deliveries, taxis, iGo for bulky items, busses out of town, etc.).

There are some things bikes just aren't good at: carrying large, heavy objects (or people) quickly over a great distance. In the city of Chicago, most trips don't actually necessitate an automobile. I don't think it is effective to flat out condemn anyone for auto use. Showing people that many of their auto trips could easily be made by other modes is the right approach. There are places where transit just won't work. There are people that cannot bike. Sometimes walking isn't an option. Everyone is faced with a different circumstance.

Don't tell people to never drive. Explain that half of their trips are less than 3 miles and they almost never carry more than a single pannier worth of stuff. Those trips can be made by bike. Gradually push them down the car-reliance spectrum.

I'm getting close to selling my car, and probably would have already if I were making payments on it. A combination of iGo once every week or two, and a rental for weekends once in a while is starting to make sense. Most all of my trips are by bike otherwise. There are still times I need a car. Going to visit my parents in Michigan this weekend is a good example. There is no train service, a bus takes 3 transfers and 16 hours (vs. 3 hours by car), and a plane ticket is $200.

notoriousDUG said:

This is an excellent piece of wisdom.

I cannot be car free for several reasons but I concentrate on driving as little as possible unless I have to. It's the best I can do and tons better then driving everywhere.

Dr. Doom said:

I always compare not having a car to not eating meat. If you don't like meat, don't eat it. If you dislike factory farming, the environmental consequences of meat eating, etc. but like meat, just eat less of it, and get it from better sources.

For me, not having a car makes sense; for others, it won't. It's probably better to worry less about being car free than about driving just as much as is necessary and no more. Car use is a spectrum, not an either/or.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by steve rulz on August 9, 2010 at 4:21am

I had a car the first year I was in Chicago. I have been car free for the last 5 years. When I had a car I wasn't using it for my daily work commute and couldn't justify it if I didn't use it every day. My round trip commute is 28 miles in the city which I bike or bus. I have iGo car sharing which very rarely use unless I need a van to move something big. So I'm mostly stuck in my Chicago bubble. However I do go to Cleveland or Detroit about once a month on megabus or amtrak. I haven't really made a conscious decision to be anti car it just makes more sense for the lifestyle I live and the commuting I have to do.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Yaniv on August 9, 2010 at 5:21am

I got rid of my car 4 years ago and haven't missed it since. I donated it to Children Memorial Hospital and got a free lifetime membership to ZipCar for it. I think i've only used Zipcar once since though. I live in the Ukrainian Village and work in the loop so my commute is pretty easy. Grocery shopping is easy in my neighborhood and wouldn't use a car for it anyways. I rely on friends/roommates whenever i need a car for buying large things like a tv, bbq, etc... My family live in MI and I always take the Megabus. In all, i don't think owning a car in Chicago is essential, if your lifestyle can accommodate it.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on August 9, 2010 at 7:48am

Very well put.

I've never seen eye-to-eye with the "F*** cars" crowd, but I do understand the sentiment. I applaud your idea to wean people off of using cars to do everything. But they definitely aren't going anywhere any time soon. (Unless the flying car is around the corner - then they're going up in the air.) I live about a mile from the nearest Dominick's, and I'll walk to it if I'm picking up a couple things I can throw into a backpack. Sometimes even transferring lights and grabbing your bike helmet seem unnecessary to go do some errands.

Joel said:

I think it is really the only sensible approach. Even the people who don't own an automobile seem to rely on them to some extent (the UPS deliveries, taxis, iGo for bulky items, busses out of town, etc.).

There are some things bikes just aren't good at: carrying large, heavy objects (or people) quickly over a great distance. In the city of Chicago, most trips don't actually necessitate an automobile. I don't think it is effective to flat out condemn anyone for auto use. Showing people that many of their auto trips could easily be made by other modes is the right approach. There are places where transit just won't work. There are people that cannot bike. Sometimes walking isn't an option. Everyone is faced with a different circumstance.

Don't tell people to never drive. Explain that half of their trips are less than 3 miles and they almost never carry more than a single pannier worth of stuff. Those trips can be made by bike. Gradually push them down the car-reliance spectrum.

I'm getting close to selling my car, and probably would have already if I were making payments on it. A combination of iGo once every week or two, and a rental for weekends once in a while is starting to make sense. Most all of my trips are by bike otherwise. There are still times I need a car. Going to visit my parents in Michigan this weekend is a good example. There is no train service, a bus takes 3 transfers and 16 hours (vs. 3 hours by car), and a plane ticket is $200.

notoriousDUG said:

This is an excellent piece of wisdom.

I cannot be car free for several reasons but I concentrate on driving as little as possible unless I have to. It's the best I can do and tons better then driving everywhere.

Dr. Doom said:

I always compare not having a car to not eating meat. If you don't like meat, don't eat it. If you dislike factory farming, the environmental consequences of meat eating, etc. but like meat, just eat less of it, and get it from better sources.

For me, not having a car makes sense; for others, it won't. It's probably better to worry less about being car free than about driving just as much as is necessary and no more. Car use is a spectrum, not an either/or.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• …
• 6
• Next ›
• Page