How do you possibly survive in Chi without a car? (Chicago: city hall, high crime)

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

Yeah but I don't want to be limited to things that are "10 minutes from my house". Being carless would only inhibit my ability to roam thru all the outllying neighborhoods and bordering suburbs. Chicago is a lot more than just the candyazz neighborhoods that line the lakefront and north side.

Ever ride the Green line or the Red Line along the Dan Ryan? Are Pilsen, Humboldt Park, or Logan Square candyazz? You are making a completely tortured justification for a ridiculous assertion. At this point your definition of "surviving" includes driving to the 'burbs for fast food and cruising around every neighborhood in the city. People can get by just fine not going to every corner of the city, they will just have to live with your judging them. I think they'll survive just fine.

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Not true; I wrote about the need of people in certain lines of work to have a car.

Sure, but if someone doesn't want to be driving there are plenty of jobs that don't require a car, or where work provides them with a car. Having a car certainly does open up more possibilities (both professionally and recreationally) but it is certainly not a matter of survival.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by hank0604

P.S.

I think emathias makes a good point about the generational differences. I read a couple weeks ago that the current generation of young adults is the first generation in several in which car ownership has actually declined.

Yeah, it's pretty apparent from the responses here, that many young adults are doin' just fine by public trans. That's a real eyeopener for me. I came of age when car ownership was much cheaper for young people and parking issues were not a factor for most.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

Yeah, it's pretty apparent from the responses here, that many young adults are doin' just fine by public trans. That's a real eyeopener for me. I came of age when car ownership was much cheaper for young people and parking issues were not a factor for most.

I think a lot of older folks (not necessarily directed at you WP) simply don't understand the appeal of dense urban living.

"You pay how much per month for that postage stamp apartment? And parking is $200 extra? What about the high crime and filth?"

My parents never understood the appeal to me. They told me to move to Naperville when I relocated to Chicago.

Just as some people see an iPad as a waste of $700 which they have little use for, many young urbanites see paying hundreds of dollars every month to own a rarely used car as a waste.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by Attrill

but it is certainly not a matter of survival.

You're getting a little too hung up on the literal interpretation of the word "survival" here. Just file it under "for dramatic effect". I think most people got the joke or at least the intent of it.

If it makes you feel better let me go on record here:

People need a spleen
People need a carotid artery
People need nostrils
People don't need a car.

I feel better already.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

You're getting a little too hung up on the literal interpretation of the word "survival" here. Just file it under "for dramatic effect". I think most people got the joke or at least the intent of it.

If it makes you feel better let me go on record here:

People need a spleen
People need a carotid artery
People need nostrils
People don't need a car.

I feel better already.

You actually can live fine without a spleen.

[chirack]

Originally Posted by Attrill

Sure, but if someone doesn't want to be driving there are plenty of jobs that don't require a car, or where work provides them with a car. Having a car certainly does open up more possibilities (both professionally and recreationally) but it is certainly not a matter of survival.

Depends for low income workers having a car opens up much more of the burbs for employment. Now keeping said car in working condition is more challenging as you go down the income ladder but that is another story.

For certain professions like real estate agent, I can't see them not having a car. Any profession that requires a lot of visiting different spots around the city could likewise require a car like salesman.

Most people put employment above method of travel. It is just for a large segment of people(people working in the loop during rush hour) driving is not an ideal way to do it. And for others(People without easy parking) bringing the car home presents problems.

Additionally there are other people who use transit. In the case of families who have one car, one spouse may use transit in order to save cash. Teenagers who can't drive or can't yet afford a car will use public transit. Older people who no longer can drive use it as well as handicapped people.

[Alacran]

Yeah. Not everyone works in the damn loop.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Alacran

Yeah. Not everyone works in the damn loop.

No, but about half of all white collar workers in the metro do. That's a lot of jobs.

[chirack]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

No, but about half of all white collar workers in the metro do. That's a lot of jobs.

As well as the low income workers who serve them(Security guard, fast food staff, cashiers, ect...)

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

No, but about half of all white collar workers in the metro do. That's a lot of jobs.

I dunno; half? In the Loop? That's kind of hard to believe.