Experiment

[Parrot of doom]

Idle curiosity.

Has anybody here ever really tried not to use their car, just to see how they'd fare?

I don't mean not using it for work, but more cutting out of journies to the supermarket etc. Since I sold the Tiv last week, I've not yet got a replacement car. I'm lucky enough to have a co-op shop and a butcher within 2 minutes walking distance. The market is a 5 minute train ride - and the station is 200 yards from my house. I get my milk delivered.

The food I'm buying now from the Butcher, and the market, is sooooo much better than the supermarket that I doubt I'll be going back - ever.

Strangely, I'm not really missing having the car. I find myself not wanting to make spurious journies for somethign to do (ie the local shopping mall for something I really don't need). I use the internet a bit more to order odds and ends, whereas previously I would have jumped into the car, driven 10 miles, and got whatever it was.

Its actually quite liberating - not to have a big lump of metal outside costing me money every day! Of course I'm looking forward to getting my new car, but I'm not looking forward to it quite as much as I have when I've changed cars in the past - but then again, thats always been a dealer swap affair.

>> Edited by Parrot of doom on Sunday 13th November 23:56

[xiphias]

Welcome to City living

Seriously, we had half a tank left since the beginning of sept, and only filled it up on fri. Admittidly, we did average 65mpg But still, thats about 300 miles in two months, and only because we had to goto homebase a few times.

[dnb]

I lasted all of 3 days. (My old Impreza was written off and the TVR radiator died, so no cars at all.) Trouble is I live 2 miles from the nearest anything (including bus stop) apart from the local marina. (has a bar, but no shop...)

I suppose I could have sailed to work and to the shops... But work only have a car park

[wedg1e]

I bought a push-iron with the intent of doing just that... but in practise, it's the van I use, not the cars; and as my job generally relies on the toolkit that's in the van, I still need the van to get to the workshop/ clients/ ends of the earth etc.

So I go on increasing in girth and the cars continue to fester, unused - yet untaxed, so screw you Gordo - easing into their winter slumber, yet all too soon ready to awake for the first thrash of spring, bounding at the horizon with....er.... ummmm.... oh what's the use, I'll never be a writer

[mybrainhurts]

Once lasted a few months during a serious dispute with the dealer...

Bought a bike.....

Initially knackered....

Moved on to feeling frighteningly fit.....

Quickly became terminally bored with journey times........



kids with cars strongly recommended.........

[telecat]

Tried it when out of work for a while. No car where I live means that you have to turn up at the bus stop and hope the hourlier bus turns up. It frequently doesn't. Otherwise You have to walk down the A64 to Seacroft. about a 20 minute walk. Ok for me but not for the Young, infirm and elderly. And they don't start until 7-ish, not much use when I start at 6.

[WD*]

The town centre is a 10-15 minute walk, yet usually I drive... My excuse is that I might end up with too much to carry!

I do try and make the effort to walk into town at least once a week, and to walk round to my inlaws every few days... good for the baby and good for me. Well, apart from having to see the in-laws that is

Until I started working again, I used the car much less, since I never went that far, but my job involves visiting places anyway between here and about 25 miles away, and carrying allsorts in the way of shop signage, so the car is kind of essential for that, even for work in the local town centre.