How many of you out there Drive Automobiles?

is so relaxing.

 

Easy to say you are happy to abadon your vehicle, when you are young, don't have a job, and can take the bus to school. I drive, a LOT. Why?

• I have FOUR children, and the nearest store is 3 miles away. I also buy at least 20 bags of groceries a week. Every try to put a toddler, a baby and a few other kids, plus TWENTY BAGS of groceries, on a damn bus?
• There are NO busses where I live. School busses only. There are no mass transit vehichles in my area.
• I have medical problems, which prohibit what I can do. Walking SIX MILES to and from the grocery store? I think not.
• Even the library is about 6 miles away. I can't imagine either walking with or taking a bus (which doesnt exist in my area) for a 12 mile trip, with 30 lbs of books in tow.
• The nearest pharmacy is at least 7 miles away. I need to go there at least once a week, I ain't walking FOURTEEN miles to get my meds, or meds for a sick child.

I have a question for those who are ready to give away their cars.

• Do YOU do the grocery and sundry shopping for your entire family? If so, how far away is the nearest store?
• When you need to go somewhere, the mall, the bowling alley, the teen center, and there are no busses running. Do your parents drive you?
• Do you have children? Are you the one main adult responsible for them? How many and what ages are they? What do you do when you need something in an emergency?
• How far is the closest hospital to you? Have you ever taken a BUS to the hospital when you were in premature labor, and time was of the essence to save your baby's life? (I have had to be rushed to the hospital, at a time when we had NO ambulance insurance, if I had been on a fucking BUS, by first dd would have DIED on that bus, born 3 months early) Have you ever had to take a sick or injured child or husband to the hospital, in the middle of the night, by yourself ON THE BUS? If so, how did you get home?

 

I know driving and have a license, but I drive very seldom. I didn't drive since last october But I think in Switzerland this is much easier then in America, because we have trains and busses almost everywhere. If possible, i take the public transports because of the environement.

 

I spent 4 years without a car, going to college and for the first year in my house. that first year when you're buying a lot of stuff like furniture is tough without a car. I was using the bus everyday. did all my shopping, even brought home a microwave on the bus, and gardening tools(shovels, rakes, dirt...) using the bike and walking the rest of the time.

now that I have a car I use it for large shopping trips when I know I wouldn't be able to lift, let alone walk home with all the groceries or on long distance drives out to the country. I am single and no kids so that does make it easier. when I do take care of my little cousins we take the bus or walk but take the care more often just because it's easier and less complaining.

 

i live in a rural area ..walking everywheres is next to impossible ..wife works 20 miles away..public transportation is okay for urban areas but in small rural towns they don't exist ..no buses or taxis here

 

You are absolutely right, tuarara. Some hippys want to have all the comforts and conveneinces of the Big City (like taxis and busses) but somehow also want to live in the Country. From what I know, you can't have both. We're semirural and we walk when we want to go down to the creek, or the forest. But, we need the car for daily essensials.

When I was young, I lived either IN or right outside Chicago, and I didn't have a car until I was 23 and had finished college. But that was the Big City. I'd rather drive when I have to and live the Country Life.

 

ok man, calm down, it was just a simple question, besides there's poor people everywhere, i personally blame bush for that, and sometimes well there's other reasons why people are so poor, i was just asking how all you guys go about in your lifes, basically i was just asking how many of you are against polluting, maybe this would have been a better topic in the enviorment forum instead of this one. oh well... and hey, there's a lot of rich assholes up here, i'm 20 years old, i got bills to pay, i have no health insurance, how do you expect a sista to live brother? whatever... peace out... keep the faith everyone else who hasn't completely insulted me... danny

 

Unfortunately I rely on the motor vehicle.

I have 10-month old twin boys. They are very heavy, like grabbing things (in particular my hair), crawling around and exploring, standing up on things and constantly getting into danger, and wriggling in my arms every chance they can get.

It would be absolutely impossible to get them on a bus; taxis wouldn't have the two baby seats I need for the back seat; they are impossible to lug around on foot. The twin stroller is impossible to take into many shops because the aisles aren't wide enough, plus most people are arseholes and don't move out of my way. I can put one in a single stroller and one in a pouch but they are so heavy now it's next to impossible; bicycles - unthinkable.

Hell, I don't even leave the HOUSE most days as it is such a pain to lug them around. So when I go out it's my own car, or I'm going nowhere. I wish it was different though.

 

It really sucks that so many people have no access to good public transport, but then i guess living in the country is probably more than an adequate substitute. In all honesty, I don't see that there's much wrong with having a car if you really need one (In my ideal world there would be a whole load of independant shops on everyone's doorstep but I don't see that happening soon). The people that really annoy me are the ones that rely on cars for short journeys in cities that could totally be made by walking or public transport. I totally sympathise if you have small children!

 

GREAT POST

 

I could take the bus I guess, but I'd have a panic attack sitting there with all those other people. I wouldn't be happy abandoning my car, I just don't really think I have a choice because it's running really rough and I know if it breaks down somewhere, then I'm screwed. My Dad was paying for the car insurance, but he's not anymore, and on my suck ass minimum wage, there's no way I can afford it. To be honest with everyone, I wouldn't do so well walking everywhere because of my social anxiety, assholes always beeping and shouting stupid crap out the window.. It's hurts my feelings man, and then I don't want to go anywhere. I don't really know what else to do. I don't work right now but in the spring when I have to go look for another crummy housekeeping job, it's going to suck. Wherever I end up working, I'm sure it won't be within walking distance..

 

Yah well, rich/poor, who gives a fuck, I guess up here us yoopers would prefer a car over anything. Besides, there's nothing to do up her but drink. I've seen so many people waste there time going to school and by the time they graduate they still end up working minimum wage. It's not my fault man. I'm just trying to make a living doing the best I can. Whateva...

 

working minimum wage ain't the end of the world ..it's what you do with the wages .i know people who are close to bankruptcy who make over $150,000 a year and i know people who work minimum wage who sock some money away ....i don't make that much money ..i probably would be poor by what they call poverty wages but i live the life of riley ..how??easy ,i'm self sufficient .......i bake instead of buying ready made .,i brew my own beer,roll my own cigarettes,chop my own wood ,do all my motor vehicule repairs and bodywork,painting included ..........in the house i do all the repairs from drywalling to plumbing to electrical ...i never ever hire anybody to do things for me .......why work at a high paying job you hate to buy things and services you don't need ..i love my job ...and what i don't know how to do ,i ask ..advice never cost me anything ,,so what if it takes a little longer to accomplish ,at least i have self satisfaction
to just give you an example ...........you can buy all the equipment you need ,compressor,paint,paint guns,air sanders,small mig welder,etc for cheaper than you can get your car's bodywork and painted....then the next time you can do it dirt cheap cause you have the equipment .........same for plumbing ....you can buy the tools and materials cheaper than bringing in a plumber for a small job

 

Man this whole topic went from Automobiles to minimum wage. Interesting, but still minimum wage isn't enough to blow your money on anything but bills. I don't see how upper michigan is any different from anywhere else. People do leave when they want to. It's extremely hard maintaining a car, and what sucks is the poorer you are, the cheaper the vehicle has to be so we end up buying some $250 piece of junk. Insurance for somebody my age ends up being like $1500 every 6 mo. I don't really care about the body of the car as long as it runs and drives good. My dad was really good at fixing cars, so for the first four years of driving, I never had a problem when it came to repairs, but now that he lives 8 hours away, it's more difficult plus all the repair business's up here don't know what the hell there doing. I actually thought about going to school for auto repair, I know a little bit about them, but not as much as I like to I guess.

 

Automobile, Bicycle, Boat, Bus, Carpool, Pedestrian, Plane, Rickshaw, Skateboard, Train and Taxi, cover most of ones transportation options around the World, it is too bad most Americans are so focused on owning a car and are particularly against human powered or shared transportation.

 

EXACTLY.......

 

i dun't drife

yuou need unger monegement

 

glad to have you back purple nuts

 

i berely mede-a it through keendergerdee-a, vhet du you zeenk??

 

Mester, I just want you to know that I love your writing, it so different from everybody else's. I can read exactly what your trying to say. As well as most of us here.