People Who Do Not Own Cars

Quite a few threads have me wondering what your lifestyle is like that it doesn’t necessitate owning a car.   I think it is great that you are able to live car free, but I am wondering how this is. Many people have expressed the feeling of freedom that comes with not owning car, but for me it feels like a lack of.

Do you work in the city or commute to the suburbs? Are you otherwise required to commute to areas outside the city on a frequent basis?  Is your family local and how often do you see them?  Would you describe your lifestyle as minimalistic?  This is the part of me wondering how I would have gotten that all-in-one printer home the other day or the cans of paint and bbq I just bought.  When I run my weekly errands, I get everything done in one shot.  How is that possible on a bike?  Do you use car-sharing services?  How often would you say not owning a car creates a hindrance?  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?  

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on August 9, 2010 at 7:50am
As Joel said, it doesn't have to be a 'use them for everything or nothing' choice.

steve rulz said:
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.
Permalink Reply by Ace Mann on August 9, 2010 at 2:15pm
I live in the city and commute to my job in the city.I do have to commute around the city and nearby burbs.The company I work for has a Zip car account.My aunts and uncles live in the nearby suburbs,so I can take metra to visit them.I use Skype and Skype video to talk to my parents in New Mexico and now that they are on the same cell company(Verizon) we can talk for free.I am definitely not a minimalist! The money I save on not owning a car,I can spend on my girlfriends ever expanding shoe collection.When I need to move big stuff I borrow her car and then she gets new shoes.You would be surprised what big things you can carry on your bike.I also can borrow my friends car if she is not around.Then I fill up their car with gas after I am done as a thank you.It will seem really intimidating at first to go without a car,but you soon get into a car free state of mind really quick and you will start to plan things out in advance more.I think I save about $4/5,000 a year plus about another $500 bucks saved for no gym membership.That translates into a lot of shoes and some cool gadgets for me.I pay enough in taxes right now( Thank you Todd Stroger/Mayor Daley) that I don't need to give them money for a city sticker,parking tickets and money for that B.S. meter deal.Proud to be car free.
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on August 9, 2010 at 5:23pm
I live on the north side of the city and work all over the city as a real estate agent. My biggest challenge is dressing up for work. But I sort of have it down to a science. (That's for another discussion though...)

I sold my car about 15 months ago and have never looked back. It was a process for me, not a quick decision, but I realized that with the help of IGO, Zip, the bus, trains (CTA and Metra), cabs, my feet, friends, family, roommates and my bike, I could get by.

My dad lives near the same metra line that is 1 block from my house so getting up there is very very easy. My sister lives about 2 miles from my Metra line but I either get a ride from family or rent an IGO or Zip car. My brother lives in the city. My other sister lives halfway around the world so when I visit her I take the bus and blue line to Ohare (and of course get there MUCH faster than driving).

I am FAR from minimalist I think, but enjoy having ONE less object in my life that stressed me out. I HATE sitting in traffic, looking for parking and running out to pay a meter. I KNOW I save time by not driving 90% of the time.

Since my job requires me to be traveling around the city at night and weekends during high traffic times, and a lot of my business is in congested areas with little parking, when I don't drive (usually bike but not always), I find myself usually waiting for others to show up. I get calls all the time from agents telling me they are running late due to traffic or looking for parking. I secretly smile and think, "Ha,ha. Julie, you SO made the right decision". :))

When I need to schlep heavy objects I either put it on my rack, use my amazing trailer (thank you Martin Hazard for helping me find it), IGO, ZIP, Cab or borrow a car. I definitely cab a lot more than I used to and now don't feel guilty for "wasting" money of a cab. They are quick and easy and pretty inexpensive.

With that being said, I do have to think more about those heavy and/or bulky items like kitty litter, etc, so I tend to stock up more when I do have car in my possession.

I love being able to people watch on the bus, especially at non rush hour times.

And lastly, Zip has BMW's and Mini Coopers which are super fun to drive and my clients LOVE them!
Permalink Reply by Martin Hazard on August 9, 2010 at 6:52pm
Another benefit of being car free is that the government looses much of its control over you. Think about it the easiest way for them to exert control is by threatening your driving privileges. You can loose your license for things not even remotely related to driving. With the touch of a button they can pull your card, and turn you into a criminal, and you wouldn't even know it. Until you had contact with the police for any reason. That's another point, if you don't drive you will almost never have to deal with the cops, unless you do something really stupid. Hell I do stupid stuff all the time and get away with it. In the last 10 or so years the only run in I had with the police was resolved by giving the cabby $70 for his tail light that I had U-locked, and went on my way.
Permalink Reply by Glenn on August 9, 2010 at 8:06pm
Lot of questions. I prolly wont cover them all but in short: I live in 3 different locations throughout various times of the year. I work usually work no less then an hour long bike ride from any place I might be living at. I Travel outside of my local community frequently; usual distances ranging from 9-64 miles away.
I used to own a van and I used the heck out of it. Without it there r some challenges I have to overcome that used to never be an issue. But I enjoy it non the less. Really the biggest issue I have with no longer having the van is the firewood issue when going camping... Their wood has set at insane prices, especially when I have logs from cutting a tree down last fall. I mean really? $5 for less wood then it takes to make breakfast; just insane.
I do tend to lean on the minimalist side, but that's just my opinion. Either way, the bicycle and walking help me keep my life down to a slower (and healthier) pace.
Trailers, bags, racks, trikes which include my new pedicab easily help get most any job done. And its needless to say I enjoy it more this way.

I even let my license expire... And I thought I was excited when I got the darn thing.
Permalink Reply by Glenn on August 9, 2010 at 8:07pm
Side note though. I do miss those occasional late night rides through lower WI. Good times
Permalink Reply by tzizzle on August 10, 2010 at 3:51am
Q: Do you work in the city or commute to the suburbs?
A: I'm doing grad school in Evanston, which I commute to on CTA or by bike. I live in Uptown.

Q:Are you otherwise required to commute to areas outside the city on a frequent basis?
A: Not required, for the most part. But my partner commutes to Highland Park twice a week and takes the Metra. She can get from Ravenswood to HP in 25 min (I don't even think that's possible by car).

Q: Is your family local and how often do you see them?
A: All out of state. Having rail access to both airports is beautiful.

Q: Would you describe your lifestyle as minimalistic?
A: Not really. Cars are bad investment (don't they lose 25% of their value when you drive them off the lot), and not driving leaves you with a lot of extra cash (and mental energy) to be spent on other things.

Q: This is the part of me wondering how I would have gotten that all-in-one printer home the other day or the cans of paint and bbq I just bought.
A: I've brought IKEA furniture on CTA no problem. But you could have it delivered or take cab if necessary. Moving and buying big things isn't a good reason to own a car.

Q: When I run my weekly errands, I get everything done in one shot. How is that possible on a bike?
A: I live less than a mile from the following things: bank, post office, multiple grocery stores, staples, specialty liquor stores, middle-eastern and mexican groceries, hardware store, Target. These are all basically walking distance. But for things that aren't- uptown is extremely well served by CTA (i can choose between 4 good N/S bus routes, the Redline, or multiple E/W routes). And, of course, biking is always an easy way to get around a 5 mile radius fast. Think about it: you NEVER have to worry about parking or traffic.

Q: Do you use car-sharing services?
A: Haven't yet. But would consider.

Q: How often would you say not owning a car creates a hindrance?
A: I can't say I've ever wished I had a car in Chicago and I've been here for 3 yrs. Except for the rare moving/purchasing furniture cases, it just never crosses my mind. The few times, however, that I've ridden with friends in the city I've been bothered by the stop/go/stop/go and the inevitable struggle to find a parking spot. I much prefer the spaciousness of a bus or a train car where I can read until my stop and walk where I need to go. ALSO- in the winter, when I'm walking to the L (1 block a way) I see people in coats scraping the ice off their freezing car and I think "why do that?". When you step onto a bus or a cta car, it's always already warm. And when you bike in the cold, your heart-rate gets up and it can be exhilarating.

Q: 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?
A: I'm not sure what you mean "lose" time. Don't car drivers "lose" time in traffic, pumping gas, finding a parking spot, doing maintenance on car, etc.? CTA is great because you can read and relax; you aren't the one navigating through the nerve-wrecking traffic. Also- biking is great because you don't get bogged down in traffic (and you feel alive and more connected to your surroundings--- you notice different things and get a different view of the city). CTA is actually really great, and most of the time pretty quick- can you get from the loop to Ohare in 30 min by car at rush hour? The blueline can.
Permalink Reply by Jared on August 10, 2010 at 4:22am
Q: Do you work in the city or commute to the suburbs?
A: Work from home, more or less.
Q:Are you otherwise required to commute to areas outside the city on a frequent basis?
A: Required no, but I make a living selling books online and alas most estate and library sales or in the suburbs. Although in my opinion the best estate sales are in the bungalow belt. I either make do with what is within biking distance or else use public transport. When I think the cost will justify it I'll use I-Go.
Q: Is your family local and how often do you see them?
A: Nope, in Buffalo. Probably wouldn't want to drive that distance anyways.

Q: Would you describe your lifestyle as minimalistic?
A: Nope. I'm a bit of a pack rat.
Q: This is the part of me wondering how I would have gotten that all-in-one printer home the other day or the cans of paint and bbq I just bought.
A: Bought a new printer a month ago and after realizing it wouldn't fit in my milk crate I took the bus.

Q: When I run my weekly errands, I get everything done in one shot. How is that possible on a bike?
A: I guess I really don't do "weekly errands" but it does help that the grocery store is 2 blocks away.

Q: Do you use car-sharing services?
A: Yep, but I've only used it form business purposes thus far. At least primarily, though sometimes I'll do a few errands while I have it.

Q: How often would you say not owning a car creates a hindrance?
A: As I said before most estate sales tend to be in the suburbs so sometimes I do have to pass up promising sales that would be just too time consuming to travel to on bike. I'm usually hesitant to use I-Go for these things given the cost and the fact that there is no guarantee I'll actually find anything to buy.

Q: 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?
A: Sure I spend more time getting places sometimes, but for the most part biking time is competitive with car travel at least in the denser neighborhoods. Other times I know I'm significantly increasing my travel time but then again I'd obviously being expending quite a few hours of labor to pay for a car.
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on August 10, 2010 at 5:13am
I live and work in the city. My work is 9 miles from home...sometimes I bike, sometimes I take the el. My work requires me to visit various businesses. Usually I can get there easily without a car but I occasionally use Zipcar. My family is not local. Planes or car rental to travel back east makes sense. I would never own a car just for the occasional travel to see family.
I have 2 children. The teen has his own bike and enjoys the freedom it has given him. The other is only 4 and gets to ride with me. We are not minimalistic - I am not sure of how you are connecting "minimalistic" to not owning a car - what is the context you are expressing here? I have known car owners who are very minimalist.
I am curious as to all your errands? I have not found the absense of a car to interfere with errands. So many things are on the way to/from work or are in the local neighborhood that biking or walking is a breeze.
I did have a struggle with how to have my son on the bike with me AND transport things. Some folks use trailers and that works great. Others rent a car or have items shipped. I chose to purchase a cargo bike.
I believe I save time by NOT owning a car. Taking the el or riding my bike is just as fast as most car trips. Also, on the el I get to read or take a breather from the day without the stress of traffic...definite time saver as I don't need to create that space at home where my time is beeter served attending to family. On my bike I am getting in regular exercise....also a time saver! No need for going to the gym. I incorporate fitness into my daily lifestyle. For bad weather I have the choice of public trans or my bike. I am prepared for either and both have advantages.
I notice more of what is going on around me when I am on bike, walking, or taking public trans. This has expanded my world in so many ways. If I want to get away for the weekend...say a few hours of travel for some camping...I find it quite easy to rent a car. And this is still cheaper than owning a car. The idea of things being a "hassle" does not really make sense to me. I know that once I committed to not using a car for everything I started seeing other options and ways of getting around and living my life. My perspective changed and this opened up new ways of looking at how I live and why I do what I do.


And this is a small load for this bike. I can load the other side and can also load on top of the rear deck/rack. All with my son beign transported too.
Permalink Reply by Kelly on August 10, 2010 at 8:20am
Q: Do you work in the city or commute to the suburbs?
A: I am basically a stay-at-home mom right now to my two year old daughter, so no, I don't have to commute.

Q:Are you otherwise required to commute to areas outside the city on a frequent basis?
A: Not required.

Q: Is your family local and how often do you see them?
A: My family lives in Wisconsin, primarily. I see them two or three times a year at best. We take Amtrak and someone picks us up from the station.

Q: Would you describe your lifestyle as minimalistic?
A: We don't own a car and live in a very small apartment with a child. We've worked hard to not be materialistic. I am sure that there are other things we could do to become more minimalistic than we are, though.

Q: This is the part of me wondering how I would have gotten that all-in-one printer home the other day or the cans of paint and bbq I just bought.
A: Strap it to the back of your bike on a rack or use a bike trailer.

Q: When I run my weekly errands, I get everything done in one shot. How is that possible on a bike?
A: Our errands are often daily. Living within a reasonable distance of many grocery stores, a co op and farmer's market, and stores like Target make this easy to work into our daily routine.

Q: Do you use car-sharing services?
A: No. We have not tried this yet.

Q: How often would you say not owning a car creates a hindrance?
A: Not often now, but it was difficult the last two winters. I have a feeling it will be much easier this coming winter, though.

The first winter was spent trying to navigate a stroller and newborn throughout the snow covered sidewalks to get groceries. Last winter was spent learning to navigate a bike and trailer through snow and slush and frigid temperatures. Now that I have experience with both, I think it will be much easier.

Q: 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?
A: If I rely on public transportation, yes. Buses and trains are often late. But we mainly bike now, so I don't feel like I am losing time in my day.

Commentary: Adjusting to life without a car can be really hard, especially when you go from being completely dependent to not having one at all. We moved to Chicago in 2007, and we immediately sold our car. Being thrown into the car-free lifestyle after having lived in a rural area for all of my life was quite interesting and, at times, very difficult. But I adjusted, slowly but surely. My husband adjusted much faster than I did, but he began cycling soon after we moved there. I did not start cycling until last summer, after our daughter turned a year old. I find it much more preferable than relying on public transit, which is more often than not an extremely frustrating process.

My daughter loves her trailer and asks to go for a ride often throughout the day, and I am more than happy to comply with her request! She treats riding in a car like a special occasion, and I have to say, I like the way she thinks. If only more people could treat it as such..


Permalink Reply by Rhea Butcher on August 10, 2010 at 8:42am
I think it's cute and funny that your son has "Cars" shoes on!

Liz W. Durham said:
I live and work in the city. My work is 9 miles from home...sometimes I bike, sometimes I take the el. My work requires me to visit various businesses. Usually I can get there easily without a car but I occasionally use Zipcar. My family is not local. Planes or car rental to travel back east makes sense. I would never own a car just for the occasional travel to see family.
I have 2 children. The teen has his own bike and enjoys the freedom it has given him. The other is only 4 and gets to ride with me. We are not minimalistic - I am not sure of how you are connecting "minimalistic" to not owning a car - what is the context you are expressing here? I have known car owners who are very minimalist.
I am curious as to all your errands? I have not found the absense of a car to interfere with errands. So many things are on the way to/from work or are in the local neighborhood that biking or walking is a breeze.
I did have a struggle with how to have my son on the bike with me AND transport things. Some folks use trailers and that works great. Others rent a car or have items shipped. I chose to purchase a cargo bike.
I believe I save time by NOT owning a car. Taking the el or riding my bike is just as fast as most car trips. Also, on the el I get to read or take a breather from the day without the stress of traffic...definite time saver as I don't need to create that space at home where my time is beeter served attending to family. On my bike I am getting in regular exercise....also a time saver! No need for going to the gym. I incorporate fitness into my daily lifestyle. For bad weather I have the choice of public trans or my bike. I am prepared for either and both have advantages.
I notice more of what is going on around me when I am on bike, walking, or taking public trans. This has expanded my world in so many ways. If I want to get away for the weekend...say a few hours of travel for some camping...I find it quite easy to rent a car. And this is still cheaper than owning a car. The idea of things being a "hassle" does not really make sense to me. I know that once I committed to not using a car for everything I started seeing other options and ways of getting around and living my life. My perspective changed and this opened up new ways of looking at how I live and why I do what I do.


And this is a small load for this bike. I can load the other side and can also load on top of the rear deck/rack. All with my son beign transported too.
Permalink Reply by milesperhour on August 10, 2010 at 4:05pm
Thank you to everyone for all of the responses. I never imagined so many people would respond nor at such length too! This is so encouraging. I have a special appreciation for the parents who make it work as well. I am surprised by how many of you there are. And I love the pictures of you kids. So cute! Liz, is your son wearing a cape?

Some people asked me what I meant about leading a minimalist life style and about losing time and the hassles of public transportation. I was wondering if you make do with less given that you don't have a car to haul things around. As far as public transportation being a hassle and taking longer, that has been my experience with it in the past. It's often quicker for me to get in a car and do what I need to do than rely to on public transportation, especially when driving to the suburbs. I guess the traffic doesn't bother me as much. Locally, I would agree that biking is faster than driving and parking though.

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