Comments on: Car Free: Living In America Without A Car

By: Kenneth Bradley

Kenneth Bradley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:35 +0000

I lived casrfree in Rota spain did a 3 mile ride to work for 3 years, Food was carried in panniers front rear and center on my bike my wife carried rear panniers. Our first child was born there due to my wifes condition the labor was hardley noticable, normal delivery. Car free is the best way to live. I currently use a catrike and trailor for shopping. My car and truck use less than one tank of fuel a year. They are used in hydrogen reserch

By: Paula

Paula — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:17:50 +0000

You’ve really got me thinking. I live 2.5 miles from work and I could walk or bike (and have once or twice). I have a couple of excuses why I probably won’t go carless that nobody’s mentioned yet. Debt: I’ve had my car for 10 years. It’s paid for. Public transit: at 2.5 miles to work it costs more to take the bus than it would to buy gas. Insurance: about $400 per year – plus I’d keep the car and just drive less, so I’d be keeping insurance. Lastly: I have two little kids. I don’t want to leave for work before they get out of bed in the morning, and I don’t want to get home with only 2 hours before bedtime.

Wisconsin snow and cold are sort of a deterrent too. I would like to try minimizing my car use, it just seems like the small savings in my case aren’t worth it. Gets me thinking though. Could I make it work just once a week maybe? Dip my toes in the water a little?

By: Technologies I Live Without and Save Big - Saving Advice

Technologies I Live Without and Save Big - Saving Advice — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:29:24 +0000

[...] Last year I wrote about how I am car free and all the savings that it provides. I no longer need to be car free, but there still is not one in my driveway. All the reasons listed [...]

By: charles

charles — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:08:57 +0000

This may help me in deciding to go without a car . I can get by I think using a nice bike to get groceries , I can call a cab to get to the doctors office or take a bus perhaps . I think I will buy a cheap bike and try it for a few weeks to see . My car is ten years old and it only has 25 k miles so I can do without it I think . not paying insurance and repairs plus some gas will be good too . Thanks for the story .

By: Gerard

Gerard — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:19:54 +0000

Last week, the transmission on my car died. So I’ve been walking or biking to work everyday…not bad, (2.4 miles)For months I have been looking for ways to simplify my life but when my car broke down, I realized how much I rely on modern conveniences just to get throught the day. I decided…at least for the next few months not to get another car. I can afford one but I wanna see what it’s like to really be more self reliant. Wish me luck

By: Cindy M

Cindy M — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:49:39 +0000

Bravo, I’m carless also now for about 2 years and I do NOT miss having a car. My finances were never bad, I can and always could afford to buy another car. What I hate is the pity I get still from some of the relatives and people at church (one old guy is just dumbfounded by my decision and keeps asking me when I’m gonna buy another car). I’m close to 3 different bus routes and live within walking distance of nearly everything I need. My elderly mother lives close by and if I need anything heavy, I can use her car, which I’ve done very rarely. If I didn’t have that, I could even walk to a car rental place nearby and rent a car. I have a bike I don’t use. I say it makes you sharper, more imaginative, less wasteful, a lot more familiar with your “territory” for sure.

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:55:55 +0000

I didn’t even drive until I was 23 so I was carless for a few years. I walked a mile to work and a mile home and stood for the 8 hours in between. However when it was needed to ‘bum’ a ride, one must remember to either chip in for gas (at the current gas prices) or some other commodity. Being a mooch to improve your bank account isnt’ a nice thing to do. That being said, I think it is great if you can maintain yourself minus a car.

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:33:48 +0000

Good for you! I did the same thing in 2006 and I’ve never looked back. However, my children are 31 & 25 now, I don’t know if I could have done it so easily when they were in school and needed to be carted here and there, but I applaud your effort. It really is possible, I ride the bus and walk a lot but I am more active and feel more alive.

Fight the power to be one more mainstream American, because one of the components of that mainstream lifestyle is a big, fat credit card balance that never reaches zero until you take the steps necessary to wipe the slate clean.

Good luck!

By: Raven Hill

Raven Hill — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:33:49 +0000

Many workplaces have showers/wardrobes for employees to make themselves presentable before the start of the day in case they jog or bike to work.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:41:06 +0000

Great article, though I will still keep my car.

I definitely think that the public transportation options in your city, your city’s layout and the climate do make a big difference in how easily someone can go carless. I also think it makes a difference where you work and how forgiving they might be to have you come to work everyday a bit sweaty and smelly from biking/walking to work.

Could I go carless? Sure. It would be so, so difficult but it’s certainly something possible. But the negatives for me, outweigh the financial positives.