ctg492, I understand what you're saying. Thanks for you honesty and insight into living car free. You've really done it, and I don't know that many people who have. It's so helpful while making the transition to hear your experience.
Anyone else living car light or considering going car free?
My grandma was car free and this has brought up a lot of memories about visiting her. You could find her out by the road waiting with the other neighborhood children for the ice cream truck to come by if she wanted a cold treat. She walked a mile to the grocery and called for a cab home. Otherwise everyone knew she'd be available for a glass of ice tea or lemonade and a chat on her front porch. I loved her simple life in town. She did too...much easier than the farm life she was raised in or during their early married years.
Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.
Float On, She sounds like a great lady! I had an older "Aunt Louelle" in San Francisco who used to take a taxi cab, too. She was a hoot!
Today on the bus I saw the same group of people. They're all really friendly. At the end of the ride, I realized that I'd forgotten my bike helmet. (I have two bikes now. One I use to run the dogs, and as a backup.) I left my helmet on that one. So, I was lucky enough to catch a second bus right away. I only had to bike a few blocks to the gym. I rode on the sidewalk. I was thinking, "As a kid, we didn't have bike helmets." For some reason, I was so worried about getting in an accident and having my head splattered all over the highway.
Earlier on the bus ride, I had a flashback to my nursery school days. I went to a preschool called Acorn Academy in Seattle, WA. They had a van that used to come pick us up at the house. We all rode together to school and sang this song, "Acorn Academy, we love you..." I kind of feel that way with this Sat. crowd on the bus.
Coming home, two older homeless men approached me at the bus stop. "Hey, there's a rummage sale across the street..." one of them told me. I got this shirt," he said eagerly. "They gave it to me!" (It was a flowered print) "I got this table; it folds out..." his friend added. "Oh, that's a really nice shirt. It looks new," I answered. "That's a card table," I told the second guy. "We used to have one of those." They were really sweet. They seemed to pleased that I was interested in their good buys, like little boys. I'm not sure of their situation. I see them at that bus stop a lot. It was sweet. I was thinking about how so many people are trying to get rid of stuff. These guys found some things that they really needed...
Yesterday I took three buses and the subway to my vocal coaching session in Hollywood. I got there three hours early! (I was afraid I'd have trouble with the connections.) Had a good time around Hollywood... hung out at Starbucks on Hollywood and Vine, and rode my bike around Stage 9 and Sunset Blvd. It took me three hours to get home. The time passed really quickly, though. Carrying a bicycle up an escalator and through a turnstile is challenging! I learned how to work the TAP card machines. Everything is computerized now. I met so many people...they were all really helpful and encouraging. There were a lot of bicyclists on the subway. The bike racks at North Hollywood Station must have had at least a hundred bikes parked there! It's a new craze...
The Hollywood/Vine station lets you off right across the street form The Pantages Theater! Now I can go see Broadway shows. It's such a relief to know my way around on the LA subway. I could have taken the Metro, but the RT fare would have cost $21.50. With my bus pass, I only had to pay $6.00 RT. It sounds crazy, but it was kind of fun. I only need to go once a month. I'll practice at home the rest of the time.
Tomorrow I pick up the bike trailer. I'm really glad, because with this daily grocery shopping, I've been feeling like pack mule!!!
^ Waiting for public transport & riding on it certainly results in a higher number of interesting interactions with people. I often help out elderly folks when they can't see the number of the bus that's coming and that sort of thing.
It seems like you're enjoying and benefitting from the change
I'm nearly 31 and have never owned a car. Living in the UK, this isn't too unusual. Some people think it's odd, like my in-laws, but they've lived in the same spread-out town all their lives whereas my husband and I live in a compact city. They recently offered us their old car for free but after much deliberation we decided it'd be too much of a burden. We use the local equivalent to zipcar when necessary and even though we've got a baby on the way, we can't really see the advantage of owning a car in the city. Being in a car too often makes me feel disconnected and stressed...
mira,
Yes, that's true. I feel such a sense of relief without a car. It seems like I'm more on track, financially. I'm going to need to repipe my house, so the savings will pay for that. Riding the bus has become very social. I see the same regulars who live near me. One lady wants to learn to crochet, and I offered to teach her. (We both knit.) She lives up the road from me. That's nice that you help the elderly riders by reading the bus number. That stuff means a lot. I've had a couple of men offer to lift my bike off the rack, or carry my huge backpack off the bus for me. Now that I have the trailer, I can wheel it down the ramp. It's much easier.
I can see why you turned down the car. I was feeling the same way here. For $32.00 a month, I can go wherever I want! I used to stay home and combine errands on one day per week. Now, I'm out and about every single day. It's fun to go out and run errands. The bus stops at the library, the post office, the grocery store, and the drugstore. It's super convenient, and just as fast as driving. The buses here run on natural gas, and they are all brand new. I can even take the commuter bus down to North Hollywood station if I want to take a dance class at Debbie Reynold's studio. Most of the auditions are on Burbank Blvd. The bus stops right there.
My parents were saying that they wished they had given me their old car, too. But, it was on its last legs, and I think would have been a money pit...I'm happy this way. No need to rent a car so far...I hauled the 5 lbs. of water on my trailer yesterday, and it was so much easier than carrying it on my back!
Tomorrow I may try the beach bus to Santa Monica. I think it would be fun to ride my beach cruiser along the bike path near the ocean. I'm looking into the details.
Just thought I'd post an update. It's been over a month since my last post. Am still car free, and I really like it. The bike accident made me a little shaky, but I've fully recovered. I'm definitely seeing my expenses going down. I received an email inviting me to a filming of Alan Johnson's choreography in Beverly Hills. I'd really like to go to that, but will probably have to rent a car. It's quite a ways from here. I'll research it. He's one of my favorite choreographers, so it would be worth it.
The only other glitch has been that the bus has driven right by me on five different occasions! Sometimes the next bus does not come for another hour and a half! It seemed like the drivers were spacing out. Most of the time, they're really good. I called and reported it each time. Has that happened to anyone else?
Last edited by awakenedsoul; 10-15-14 at 5:06pm.
Congrats on remaining car-free AS. I wish I could do the same but will have to stick with "car-light" myself as I have too many activities I do at night fairly far away and don't want to bike that far or ride home so late at night. Now if I was back in a small town where everything/everyone was so close and I felt safe biking home late at night in low or non-existent traffic then I might go car free but not here.
Not sure why the buses are passing you by unless they are express buses or commuter buses that don't stop at all bus stops. Otherwise they probably don't see you and you may have to step out and wave them down.
Oddball, I've thought of carrying a flag. I've got kind of a lot to carry as it is...especially when that dog is out. (He chased me again yesterday...but that's another thread...) I was going to go car light and buy a Fiat. The car sales place was giving me the runaround for two weeks, so I got my money back. I'm definitely spending much less on groceries, too. I don't load up my back seat at Costco anymore. It makes a huge difference!
Spartana, No, they are local buses. We only have one line out here where I live. I'm on the outskirts of town. I've had to yell at the drivers when I'm on the bus for doing the same thing. ("Hey! There's a lady back there!") I think they're on autopilot. They have a videotape, so I call. Most of the time they are good. I can see why going car free wouldn't work for you. I used to take the last bus home when I had my business. I didn't get to our stop until 10:15 p.m. It was cold in the winter, and I never really felt safe. Now I can ride on the off times. I get to stay home at night, which I like.
Thanks, OP. Helpful and fun thread to read. I'm taking notes.
I'm moving to a large city soon and can't wait to donate my car to Habitat for Humanity and live car-free.
Temps are mild so I don't have to worry about snow.
I hate driving in cities. I want to travel as green as possible.
I was athletic when I was young and unknowingly and happily used up my knees so no bicycles for me. My new city has lots of buses and trams but no subway - thank goodness! Subways mean lots of stairs up and down to stations. Yes, there are lifts for handicapped, but they are few and far between.
Plus stairways take tons of time & escalators are often out of service, as any NYC dweller will attest.
I plan to buy a wheeled folding cart with waterproof covers. I'll be an official Old Lady then!
I'll get an in-home water purifying system to avoid water portage and delivery.
I love to shop for food several times a week to get fresh produce, cheese, and protein. And I love Thai and Chinese home delivery.
My new town has fab museums and all public transport goes to them.
Can't wait to donate my dependable 1999 Accura and move!
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