People of reddit who don’t use a car, what are some things you like about that lifestyle? What is a change that would make your area more accessible?

14 comments

1. Well, I like.. Not having a car. They’re expensive and you have to find parking and have money set aside for repairs.

2. Better sidewalks. They’re barely accessible with a bike, I can’t imagine someone who’s disabled trying to get around. Also, it’s exercise and access to nature and sun. And environmentally friendly. My bike recharges on electricity, rather than my gas guzzling 18 mpg Interceptor which is grounded for awhile.

3. Things I like:

   * Not spending money on a car, insurance, gas, and maintenance
   * Not needing to worry about finding and paying for parking

   Improvements:

   * Better bike infrastructure
   * If drivers were less incompetent and murderous
   * Cheaper inter-city train fare (US)

4. I like not having to spend tons of extra money on something I won’t use anyway.

   My area and most of the country that isn’t like ultra-rural countryside has great public transport, and there’s sidewalks and bike lanes everywhere in the larger cities too. It’s easy to not need to own a car here. Public transit could be cheaper I guess, it’s kinda pricey compared to other places and my home country in my particular. But it’s not like buying, owning and driving a car would be more budget-friendly either, so eh.

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6. No money spent, I love taking walks. Way scarier past 9pm but I get friends to drive me around at that time

7. I love not having to worry about gas, parking, maintenance, insurance. I’m never designated driver.

   I’d love for there to be better public transportation including night busses and better bike infrastructure and safety. I wish cars would actually stop at stop signs and look right when they are going to turn right. I’d also like less hills but can’t change that unless I move

8. I think my favourite thing, aside from not paying money for it, is that I don’t really need to fear car crashes. I guess I could get hit as a pedestrian, but it’s way less likely than being involved in a multiple car accident. On that note, I wish my area though gave more importance to pedestrians on walk lights. The timing is bad, and the way the lights are timed at some corners results in cars trying to turn as you are crossing the crosswalk which is more dangerous than necessary.

9. Pros: I have built in exercise throughout my day. I intimately know my neighborhood, I feel connected to nature, and it’s faster to get to where I need because I don’t need to worry about parking. More spontaneous interactions with people/ability to socialize

   Cons: I can’t go very far. I have a chronic illness so I still need public transport. I have to carry groceries back home by hand so I can only buy about $30 worth each trip, I can’t wear fancy clothes to meet someone because I’ll be sweating/feet will hurt in heels. I can only live in the city where rents are high but things are closer together.

   Accessibility: more frequent buses, building a subway/metro

10. Not having to pay a shitload of money in order to park in Amsterdam and other expensive places when I want to shop.

11. I live and work in/near the center of a medium-large city with very good public transit options, so I just find it more convenient (not to mention cheaper) to just use public transit and the occasional cab/lyft/uber. Don’t have to worry about parking, gas, insurance, environmental impact, or the general stress of driving.

    My partner does have a car that we use maybe once or twice a week for certain errands, but we both take the bus to work.

    I’m moving to another city with a less robust public transit system in a few months and I’m honestly dreading the possibility of having to buy a car and drive it every day. I really wish it was more common for US cities to prioritize accessible public transit.

12. What I like:

    – Not paying for gas and utilities.
    – Not having to worry about parking and parking meters
    – Never having to deal with the stress and anxiety of highways.
    – No fines. Unless you don’t pay for the fare, it’s almost impossible to receive a fine.
    – Never having to worry about what stunts the people in front of me or behind me will pull that could lead to injury or worse. There are too many car drivers who should never have been allowed to even take, let alone pass driving lessons.
    – I can plan my entire day however I want.

    My only change would be more access to public transit after 10 pm. This is the one time where I don’t mind driverless vehicles because they can take over for drivers who need their rest.

13. Finding a parking lot is very time consuming in where I live. I’ll take an uber if anything

14. I made it up to 29 years old without owning a car and it was awesome. I was in better shape (biking), I had more disposable cash, and I explored a lot more. Then we bought a house and had kids and now I’m so tragically suburban that I don’t recognize myself in the mirror.