First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

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songsforpolarbears
Posts: 154
Joined: 4 May 2010, 2:02am

First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by songsforpolarbears »

Car insurance runs out at midnight and I have given it a lot of thought and I have decided to get rid of the car. I feel I'm getting laughed at (by the government) with regards to how much it costs to run a car. Not necessarily petrol costs (I don't drive many miles), but tax, insurance, services, MOT, etc.

I have two work commutes a week (20 miles, 10 miles each way), but the rest of the week i work in town (5 mins bike/walk).

I think I will miss the car most at weekends. Getting out and about won't be easy.

I should mention I'm going car-less in West Cumbria, maybe one of the hardest places to live without a car. Rural, hilly with TERRIBLE public transport.

Anyway, I'm excited, motivated if a little unnerved.
Last edited by songsforpolarbears on 2 Apr 2012, 3:52pm, edited 1 time in total.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by [XAP]Bob »

One can get alot of taxis for £££ saved from the petrol eater.

Of course they are best reserved for exceptional circumstances - now you can save for n+1 ;)

Anything planned in celebration? Buying a trailer with the proceeds from the car (assuming it is for sale)?
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daveg
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by daveg »

That's a brave step you are talking, especially living where you are. I hope it works well.

I decided to get rid of a car (it left us with one) and that was hard enough. Just the loss of having it stood outside (which is what it mainly did) was a real hurdle. Once it went it became easier and I now use bike/bus in preference to car most of the time. It's the big shop that still demands the car from trime to time although I keep telling myslef with the amount spent on fuel, insurance, tax, servicing etc. there is enough to get taxis and still have money left over.

Don't forget your off road thingy or they'll still be after your pound of flesh by fining you.

'course you could make a bob or two out of it by selling it just for the petrol tank at the moment :?
If it wasn't for cars, there wouldn't be the amount of tarmac that there is.
Nettled Shin
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by Nettled Shin »

Ocado offer a delivery pass for £10.99/month. You can then have deliveries as often as you like "free", so long as your order is for more than £40. If some shopping is arriving every few days, you'll never have to wait long if you need to add an extra item.
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meic
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by meic »

I managed 6 weeks last year. I coped OK but other people put pressure on me and I had to put it back on the road.
Basically whenever I pointed out "No I cant do that" they would drive to my house, then drive my journey and then drive home.
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Valbrona
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by Valbrona »

Car driving is the preserve of the avoricious and self-interested. I wish you all the luck in your life without a car. All that cycling and running to the bus stop will make you live longer. And you, just like me, might start to dislike those cyclists who also drive. Most of all I dislike those 'suits' in the higher-echelons of the CTC who are actually ... car drivers. In fact, it is about time someone set up a National cyclists organization that wasn't run by ... car drivers.
I should coco.
snibgo
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by snibgo »

All the best to the OP and anyone else who takes the plunge. I found it life-changing -- for the better, of course. The hardest part was convincing well-meaning friends and relatives that I could survive without a car, especially when I broke my hip.

Valbrona wrote:And you, just like me, might start to dislike those cyclists who also drive.

Hmm, interesting concept. I don't dislike them, although I do see them as somehow different to me and my ilk. A bit like the difference between Real Cyclists and POBs (People on Bikes), I suppose, though we shouldn't feel superior about it. Or maybe we should.
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Mick F
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by Mick F »

My sister got rid of her car a year or more ago.

She cycles into town and hires a van from time to time to shift beer barrels and stuff and deliveries too.
She brews at Sandstone Brewery.
http://www.sandstonebrewery.co.uk/the_team.html
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eileithyia
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by eileithyia »

Well done to the OP for such a move, if your lifestyle and work suit then it is a good idea. As said money saved from the car can be used for taxis where required.

As for hating car driving cyclists; interesting idea but I would have to give up my job if I were to give up my car, I cycle commute as often as possible but finishing at 22.00 17 miles away to be followed by a 17 mile commute back at 05.30 the next is not ideal. My colleagues are already horried that I do half the commute at 22.00 and the full commute at 05.30, by bike anyway. Start adding in the last 2 winters of snow and ice, no public transport that runs at those times.........
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reohn2
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by reohn2 »

I hope it works out for the OP,as someone else said upthread it sounds like if you can go carless where you live you've cracked it.

Valbrona wrote:Car driving is the preserve of the avoricious and self-interested......

That statement is utter bunkum
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Vorpal
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by Vorpal »

Well done!

Driving unnecessarily is habit, and just not taking the trouble to do something else. We found that out when we got rid of the second car. Now that Mr. V isn't working, we hardly use the first car. I've had an unusually high number of driving miles the last couple of weeks; I've used the car to get to a couple of cycling events (car sharing with another cyclist), but I've still cycled almost thrice the miles that I've driven. Mr. V has walked twice as many miles as he's driven.
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wirral_cyclist
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by wirral_cyclist »

Mick F wrote:My sister got rid of her car a year or more ago.

She cycles into town and hires a van from time to time to shift beer barrels and stuff and deliveries too.
She brews at Sandstone Brewery.
http://www.sandstonebrewery.co.uk/the_team.html


That explains the Wrexham stop of your journey Oop North then :)

I should have sampled some of those ales on the 2Mills CTC early season ride yesterday
as we went through Holt and Farndon <mutters> damn damn damn </mutter>
Malaconotus
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by Malaconotus »

I took redundancy in order to study for a year 21 months ago. Having had very nice company cars, and no car expenses for fifteen years, I had no idea of the costs until I was faced with quotes for £3,500 per year insurance. That pays for a LOT of taxis and short hires.

In the event, I have taken a total of six taxis and hired on two occasions for five days, plus a two week hire for a temporary job on Mull which was genuinely impossible without. (Transporting several hundred kilos of people, equipment and food to remote locations on a daily basis.)

It is very difficult to realise how dangerous, polluting, noisy and anti-social cars are when you are cocooned inside them. After nearly two years of daily cycling, nothing could be more obvious.

I live in a city with good bus services and rail connections. My work is now a mile from home. I very rarely notice not having a car. Obviously the OP's situation is more challenging, but I hope you find it as liberating as I have done. I am much more engaged with my community and surroundings than I was when going anywhere meant unthinkingly getting into a soundproof metal box.
The Mechanic
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by The Mechanic »

I was not aware that the CTC had become a campaign against cars organisation. Did I miss that vote? Nor was I aware that there was an extra membership class - that of "Cyclist who doesn't own a car and is therefore the only proper cyclist" category. Does that qualify for a lower annual fee? :roll:
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
kwackers
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Re: First day of NOT owning a car tomorrow

Post by kwackers »

The Mechanic wrote:I was not aware that the CTC had become a campaign against cars organisation. Did I miss that vote? Nor was I aware that there was an extra membership class - that of "Cyclist who doesn't own a car and is therefore the only proper cyclist" category. Does that qualify for a lower annual fee? :roll:

I think you're under the misunderstanding that this forum in any way represents CTC policy. It's a collection of people whom will sit somewhere on the bell curve of opinion given any subject.

Or are you suggesting active moderation of subjects and posts to ensure they meet CTC policy?
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