for the first time since age 17...

decides2dream

i do not own a car. :?
it's both a strange and liberating feeling.
i've been working in manhattan over 2.5 years now, thus using only public transport for my commute. well that and my own 2 legs. for awhile there both my husband and i worked in manhattan, both had the weekends off, and that is when i first toyed with the idea of being a 1 car family. ultimately, my car was old - 1995 neon - so cheap to insure, so we decided to keep it until it wasn't worth keeping anymore. that came in december. yet again the car proved unreliable, and we decided...enough already, donate it to charity before the end of the year and be done with it. hubby was thinking of getting another 2nd car but...firstly, we don't have the funds for one w/o having a car payment and i do not want that....and secondly, i just see no need. hubby has been driving to work now for about 6 months, got transferred to the bronx...and his days off are now sunday/monday, but even so, i thought...why not? the only person it possibly inconveniences is me, being car-less on saturdays...but thus far, it's all good. i don't "need" to be going anywhere on saturdays solo, really....and if i were with others, well....can catch a ride. otherwise, evenings or sundays....still have a car around. granted, if we both wanted to go somewhere simultaneously, both solo....yea...compromise time, but i am not too concerned. i'm thinking we'll save close to 1k a year by being a 1 car household, plus better for the environment, etc....i'm kinda happy about it.

anyone else a 1 car home? how do you like it?

marcos

It makes sense that you don't have a car living in New York. I live in downtown Philly and have no use for a car. I hate driving. But be careful and don't use a bike for transportation purposes. Drivers are crazy and they always seem like they don't care about bikers, even motorcycles. I use a bike strictly for exercise and recreational purposes because I don't trust car drivers.

decides2dream

marcos wrote:

It makes sense that you don't have a car living in New York. I live in downtown Philly and have no use for a car. I hate driving. But be careful and don't use a bike for transportation purposes. Drivers are crazy and they always seem like they don't care about bikers, even motorcycles. I use a bike strictly for exercise and recreational purposes because I don't trust car drivers.

well sure, living IN a city with good public transport, definitely don't need a car, and i can't imagine wanting one. however, i don't live in the city, but the 'burbs....so one does need a car to get around town. i cannot imagine living where i live without A car, but given i don't need one to get back/forth to work, we don't need TWO cars, ya know? just curious how many people live like that.

i know a looooonnnng time ago, in my student teaching days, my cooperating teacher had a one car family. his wife had the car to go to/from work, and he either hitched a ride with another teacher when possible, or more often, took the bus. that actually impressed me. i hate the bus. and especially on long island, we have pretty crap public transport, at least of what i remember from my before-driving days...

oh and i do enjoy driving, and i do like biking...but i'd never bike as real transport either. i always have too much stuff going to/from work, and also i am female...so wearing skirts with bikes, not too conducive. when i lived in london, and later in prague...it WAS odd going for such long periods without EVER driving, so i did miss it to some degree...but yea, in such cities, unnecessary!

i am fortunate tho that i live in a little village with a LOT of the necessities a decent walking-distance from home...so if i really needed to hit up the market, the pharmacy, the bank, etc...i could walk. definite plus there.

CJMST3K

When I used to work in NYC, I would park for about $30 or $40 a day. I loved driving with tons of cars, and ignoring the lines on the pavement - swimming like fish down the road. but yeah, no need for a car in the city.

decides2dream

CJMST3K wrote:

When I used to work in NYC, I would park for about $30 or $40 a day. I loved driving with tons of cars, and ignoring the lines on the pavement - swimming like fish down the road. but yeah, no need for a car in the city.

:wtf:
insanity!


and yes, i know it costs that much...i just would never willingly pay that.
bad enough, $199.92 for my monthly train ticket....tho it IS tax-deductible, right outta my paycheck, so gotta love that. driving in NYC is quite a sport tho, absolutely...

CJMST3K

decides2dream wrote:

CJMST3K wrote:

When I used to work in NYC, I would park for about $30 or $40 a day. I loved driving with tons of cars, and ignoring the lines on the pavement - swimming like fish down the road. but yeah, no need for a car in the city.

:wtf:
insanity!


and yes, i know it costs that much...i just would never willingly pay that.
bad enough, $199.92 for my monthly train ticket....tho it IS tax-deductible, right outta my paycheck, so gotta love that. driving in NYC is quite a sport tho, absolutely...

I didn't pay for it. My company did. Of course, I was the one stuck with a roller-cart full of radios when we did concerts... but, hey, free parking!

MrMerkinball

When my wife and I lived downtown Toronto, we only had one car for our weekend excursions, and for a 3 month period once - we had no car.

Now we have moved to the Burbs to raise our family and in the burbs, you have to have 2 cars.

PJaddicted

Sounds wonderful! We now have six cars for five drivers! :eek: You should see our Insurance bill!!!

chime

I have lived in London and for the past 10 years I have lived in the 'burbs (25min fast train ... slow train a lot longer from London) and have never learned to drive :shock:

Flagg

I wish I could do that!!

But down here everything is so spread out wide open and there is no public transportation to speak of. Not as efficient as up north anyway. But at least I have smaller cars!

Good on you decides2dream! I think that would be the best part of living in a big city.

dimitrispearljam

never had one..prefer other places for sex

CJMST3K

dimitrispearljam wrote:

never had one..prefer other places for sex

that implies that... (insert predictable joke here)

81

if i lived in the city, i'd still have a car for vacation, going home, grocery shopping, general shopping, getting out of the city. no way would i go carless. the gf on the other hand says she would sell her car if we moved into the city and i don't blame her for that, since we really wouldn't need two cars. even now we could get away with one, assuming i wanted to get up early and drop her off at the metra station. that wouldn't work so well, since i drive a stick and last time she tried to learn, she burned the clutch. letting off the clutch with the engine around 5,000 RPM will do that.

decides2dream

chime wrote:

I have lived in London and for the past 10 years I have lived in the 'burbs (25min fast train ... slow train a lot longer from London) and have never learned to drive :shock:

hahaha.


some seem to have the mistaken impression that i live IN the city; i do not. i live on long island and use public transport to get to/from manhattan from work. so yes, i'm in the burbs too. and no, couldn't live with NO car here, but living with ONE car for 2 people, i think doable. so far, so good!

as i've said, it is great b/c i can walk to my train easily (always have actually, even when i had my old car) and also there are many amenities that i can walk to even at home if i truly needed to do so. saturdays are the only day i am home and totally car-less until hubby gets home from work. otherwise, it's a workday and i don't need one, or sundays when we are both off...thus a car around. surprised there are not more with only one car, tho i understand areas that are spread out...or even if i worked on long island, i would definitely have my own car too. eh, we americans are a very car-centric culture.


sidenote - we've had allstate for our car/home insurance for as long as we're married. hubby has used them since he started driving. :shock: when we took my car off the insurance, i figured we should've gotten about $250 back since we're only 2 months into a 6 month insurance period. only got $140, so hubby called to look into it. supposedly, that is b/c of the multi-car discount now being gone. seems a BIG jump, so hubby looked into geico.

we'd save $500 a year on his car insurance, exact same coverage...so looks like we're making the switch. i'm slightly apprehensive, anyone have any experience with geico?

dcfaithful

We might as well be a 1 car household. My girlfriend drives to work everyday, but I ride the bus. Just recently school started again so I only drive on days that I have to be to class before and after work. Other than that, it's public transportation on me

- Smaller carbon footprint
- Less gas to pay for
- Less wear-and-tear on my car

Plus, I actually love to ride the bus. Fuck driving in the morning with all those other ass-hats on the road. I thoroughly enjoy sitting on the bus, drinking my coffee and reading...30 minutes later, I'm right at the front door of my work.

decides2dream

dcfaithful wrote:

We might as well be a 1 car household. My girlfriend drives to work everyday, but I ride the bus. Just recently school started again so I only drive on days that I have to be to class before and after work. Other than that, it's public transportation on me

- Smaller carbon footprint
- Less gas to pay for
- Less wear-and-tear on my car

Plus, I actually love to ride the bus. Fuck driving in the morning with all those other ass-hats on the road. I thoroughly enjoy sitting on the bus, drinking my coffee and reading...30 minutes later, I'm right at the front door of my work.

:thumbup:


i personally hate buses.
however, i love my train commute for the same reasons you love your bus. it's soooo nice to just sit, relax. so even tho i don't love the actual TIME my commute takes me daily (about 1.25 hours total each way, with walk/train combined, door to door) i do enjoy the chill ride, and actually getting some walking in daily.

lemmee know if you give up your car and join us!
it's only been about 3-3.5 weeks total thus far (b/c the car stopped running a week or so before we actually donated it) but i am liking it, and no issues just yet.

dcfaithful

decides2dream wrote:

dcfaithful wrote:

We might as well be a 1 car household. My girlfriend drives to work everyday, but I ride the bus. Just recently school started again so I only drive on days that I have to be to class before and after work. Other than that, it's public transportation on me

- Smaller carbon footprint
- Less gas to pay for
- Less wear-and-tear on my car

Plus, I actually love to ride the bus. Fuck driving in the morning with all those other ass-hats on the road. I thoroughly enjoy sitting on the bus, drinking my coffee and reading...30 minutes later, I'm right at the front door of my work.

:thumbup:


i personally hate buses.
however, i love my train commute for the same reasons you love your bus. it's soooo nice to just sit, relax. so even tho i don't love the actual TIME my commute takes me daily (about 1.25 hours total each way, with walk/train combined, door to door) i do enjoy the chill ride, and actually getting some walking in daily.

lemmee know if you give up your car and join us!
it's only been about 3-3.5 weeks total thus far (b/c the car stopped running a week or so before we actually donated it) but i am liking it, and no issues just yet.

I would ride the bus everywhere, including school...but I live kind of out of the way of campus, and I'd have to catch my reuglar bus 455 and transfer to the 47. In the end, I just don't want to risk being late for class...I'm kind of a punctual person, and whenever I'm late, even if it's by 5 minutes or less, I get stressed out, lol.

decides2dream

dcfaithful wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

dcfaithful wrote:

We might as well be a 1 car household. My girlfriend drives to work everyday, but I ride the bus. Just recently school started again so I only drive on days that I have to be to class before and after work. Other than that, it's public transportation on me

- Smaller carbon footprint
- Less gas to pay for
- Less wear-and-tear on my car

Plus, I actually love to ride the bus. Fuck driving in the morning with all those other ass-hats on the road. I thoroughly enjoy sitting on the bus, drinking my coffee and reading...30 minutes later, I'm right at the front door of my work.

:thumbup:


i personally hate buses.
however, i love my train commute for the same reasons you love your bus. it's soooo nice to just sit, relax. so even tho i don't love the actual TIME my commute takes me daily (about 1.25 hours total each way, with walk/train combined, door to door) i do enjoy the chill ride, and actually getting some walking in daily.

lemmee know if you give up your car and join us!
it's only been about 3-3.5 weeks total thus far (b/c the car stopped running a week or so before we actually donated it) but i am liking it, and no issues just yet.

I would ride the bus everywhere, including school...but I live kind of out of the way of campus, and I'd have to catch my reuglar bus 455 and transfer to the 47. In the end, I just don't want to risk being late for class...I'm kind of a punctual person, and whenever I'm late, even if it's by 5 minutes or less, I get stressed out, lol.

you don't plan on going to school forever tho, do you?





(i hear ya. if not for my very specific circumstances, quite unlikely i'd not have a car either. so you bet, it's great you have a car and still choose the bus! driving to manhattan daily = crazy, so car or no car...the train is the way to go )

dcfaithful

decides2dream wrote:

you don't plan on going to school forever tho, do you?

I sure as hell hope not! :?

TravisTheSky

I've been rocking a car-free lifestyle for over 25 months now! I rented a nice apartment near the subway line. It is absolute BLISS. Public transport is simple, convenient, and nearly free!

I took the California written exam for a driver's license. But the license is merely a form of ID. I have no interest in joining the millions of cars that inch along the overcrowded streets.

decides2dream

TravisTheSky wrote:

I've been rocking a car-free lifestyle for over 25 months now! I rented a nice apartment near the subway line. It is absolute BLISS. Public transport is simple, convenient, and nearly free!

I took the California written exam for a driver's license. But the license is merely a form of ID. I have no interest in joining the millions of cars that inch along the overcrowded streets.

:thumbup:

norm

decides2dream wrote:

anyone have any experience with geico?

i've been with geico for 15 years...their great...i was in an accident about 5 years ago...someone slammed into me on the freeway while we were going about 70...car was a total loss...within 6 days i had a check for what would have been it's full resale price

i figure if warren buffett owns it, it can't be all bad

81

gf has geico. i've got no complaints. she had esurance before that and they were slow and lacking in communication after a claim.

i currently have erie. for me they are CHEAP, and they do annual policies which is nice. cliams is a bit slow and very meticoulous.

in my insurance travels, state farm (i think) and progressive have been a little annoying to work with.

i had all state last, but they jacked my car and house insurance some 20+% after the first year. i dropped em like a bad habit.

CJMST3K

I had a Geico customer slam into me at a light. She apparently didn't know her light was red. ...my new car on my birthday late at night as I was driving to work too.

Geico didn't repair my car correctly the first few times. I kept on having to point things out to them.

...just FYI.


I use Erie Insurance, and when I get insurance salesmen at work, one of them said "oh you have Erie, they're good, you should keep them". Not as flashy and no ads, but that's who I use.

dottles

I don't drive and never have done as I am an epileptic, and so far I've managed to survive where ever I've lived, including down here in rural Cornwall. I am lucky though that I have amazing family and friends who give me lifts and take me places if needed but the buses and trains here are good.
I've often wondered what it would be like to drive, to have that, independence I guess.

Lizard

PJaddicted wrote:

Sounds wonderful! We now have six cars for five drivers! :eek: You should see our Insurance bill!!!

We have 5 cars although only 3 are reliable so I know what you mean!!!

and no, I don't have Geico!! Have USAA and I really like them. I was in an accident a few mos ago (supposedly my fault :oops: ) and totalled my car and they gave me way more than I expected for it. So now I have car payments again (yay!!).

iluvcats

You are on the train for 1.25 hours each way to work? We should call each other (since I'm in the car driving for an hour on a good day.) Do you see women applying makeup? I saw something about that in DC, that passengers were offended by a woman doing a full makeup job, not a touchup.

Since you are going into Manhattan, do you ever meet celebs like I did the time I was coming home to B'more from NYC?

I bet you read some thick novels on the train. I listen to audio cds while driving. Yes, I fail as a pearl jam fan. I keep listening to murder mysteries instead of pj! Husband just got me Sue Grafton's new audio book, starts with a U.

I don't have much to say about car insurance as we don't usually put in any claims (no reason to recently.)

pickupyourwill

decides2dream wrote:

i do not own a car. :?
it's both a strange and liberating feeling.

anyone else a 1 car home? how do you like it?

I know what you mean. yes, we are a one car home, but mainly because of stupidity, debt, and bad credit on me and the hubz parts. it sucks, but at the same time is nice because it forces you to simplify your life. and you feel less guilty about air pollution. plus, when the weather doesn't freeze off a limb or two, I can walk to work and get some fresh air and exercise.

decides2dream

thanks for all the good info re geico. :thumbup:
now hubby is thinking liberty mutual. his bro switched over to them and saved a TON of cash on his car and home owner's insurance. so hubby is going to look into that. anyone ever hear/use liberty mutual? and if that doesn't pan out to be a good deal, probably go with geico for car, keep house under allstate (geico doesn't do home owner's ins yet in our area)

i have never made an insurance claim in my life...*knocks wood*.....my husband made one, once, before we were married. so yea, it's not like i am so concerned about it, but on the other hand....you pay all this $$$ in insurance for years on end, IF the day ever comes that we do need it, car or home, i just want to be sure we get excllent service, no run-arounds, yada yada.


and yes cats, 1.25 hour each way. only 45 minutes of it is on the train, the rest is walking. in the mornings, i just listen to music on my ipod. in the evenings, i used to read books (read a book a week last year :? ), but now i have a couple of friends i meet on the train, so we usually just BS. oh and yes, there are always wpomen who apply their full face on the train. i don't get it, but i guess they figure they are being efficient with their time. whateva. the morning commute is usually quiet/mellow....so i don't care. oh, and i have seen celebs in manhattan....matt dillon, gina gershon, patricia arquette, rachen mcadams...off the top of my head...but have never 'met' any of em.

pickupyourwill wrote:

I know what you mean. yes, we are a one car home, but mainly because of stupidity, debt, and bad credit on me and the hubz parts. it sucks, but at the same time is nice because it forces you to simplify your life. and you feel less guilty about air pollution. plus, when the weather doesn't freeze off a limb or two, I can walk to work and get some fresh air and exercise.

and, agreed. it IS nice, so far anyway. cold or not, i always walk to/from home-train....train-office and the reverse. can't be bothered with the extra expense of the subway when it IS walkable. rather save my $$$ and get some exercise.

One Song Glory

I'm a student living in Ottawa and the only time I ever wished I had a car was during the fucking 3-month transit strike last winter! In general, I find our transit system extremely accessible and gets me everywhere I need to go with minimal problems. We also have a transit-way that runs entirely separate from the main roads so that you can get to most of the major hubs a lot quicker than by car.

CJMST3K

decides2dream wrote:

for the first time since age 17...

When I was 17...

I drank some very good beer. I drank some very good beer, I purchased with a fake ID. My name was "Brian McGee". I stayed up listening to Queen. ...when I was 17.