Would you volutarily sell your vehicle and rely on LA Metro Rail & Bus service for your primary transportation? (Pasadena: buses, beach)

[Mike121]

I was car-free for about a year. It is a big adjustment, but, it can be done. I had no big problem leading my regular life: work, shopping, etc. Grocery shopping was the biggest chore. I had to do shopping every couple of days, since I could only carry so much by hand. (Though you could probably get your groceries on-line now.)

In the end, I bought a car mostly because my friends are not nearby and can't easily be reached by bus or train. I missed them, and it seemed wrong to make them come to me all the time.

I still commute on the bike most of the time, so I guess that makes me car-light.

But I will say that car-free living is much cheaper than car-light living. My car I use only a couple of days a week still costs me $1200 in insurance, $1500 in gas, and probably $1000 or so in maintenance, $200 in registration and smog checks. So, that's about $4000 just so I can buy groceries and go out on the weekend.

[Mack Knife]

While owning a car in some places can be a hassle, having friends who don't have a car is a much bigger hassle.

Often, people without cars are more than eager to use the cars of others.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by Mack Knife

While owning a car in some places can be a hassle, having friends who don't have a car is a much bigger hassle.

Often, people without cars are more than eager to use the cars of others.

The car owners should set boundaries on what can and cannot be done for friends without their own transportation. I am carless and really appreciate when my friends help me out here and there. I don't take advantage as I want them to be willing to help if I'm in a real pickle ... I show my appreciation by helping with gas costs as well.

[Voyageuse]

If you can make it work, then yes. Personally, the only way I would sell my car to travel exclusively on public transportation is if I had a car payment and I wanted to be debt-free. We actually moved down to one car for that very reason, but it wasn't easy.

[Tasksgirl]

I did so for many years, and I worked far away from where I lived. It's not "ideal" but depending on your reasons for doing so it can work out very well.

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by Voyageuse

If you can make it work, then yes. Personally, the only way I would sell my car to travel exclusively on public transportation is if I had a car payment and I wanted to be debt-free. We actually moved down to one car for that very reason, but it wasn't easy.

Seems like this would be a lot easier for couples/people living together.

Especially if you both worked close to home or one person worked from home or stay at home mom/dad or something like that.

This seems kind of unusual though for L.A , but I'm sure there are actually "one car households".

[PDF]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Seems like this would be a lot easier for couples/people living together.

Especially if you both worked close to home or one person worked from home or stay at home mom/dad or something like that.

This seems kind of unusual though for L.A , but I'm sure there are actually "one car households".

munchitup does it with his wife. I thought about going car-lite, but it'd be too expensive even though I have free parking. So I'm staying car-free.

[Voyageuse]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Seems like this would be a lot easier for couples/people living together.

Especially if you both worked close to home or one person worked from home or stay at home mom/dad or something like that.

This seems kind of unusual though for L.A , but I'm sure there are actually "one car households".

You are so astute! That was exactly our situation. My husband worked from home and I was a stay-at-home mum, but it still was a pain, especially when he needed the car to see clients. I walked a lot of places and we did hit up my mum for help picking up the kids occasionally. Once we had the cash, we bought another car--quickly!

[JohnG72]

I live along the redline and within walking distance from work. I've done this for the past three years. I do have a car and need it to visit family and friends as well as for some entertainment needs. Basically I use it only on weekends and have put less then 2500 miles a year on it for the past three years.

That's about as far as it goes for me. Car is mandatory.

[jm1982]

I'm wondering , are the car lite people doing it mostly to save money on gas ?

I know insurance is also less when you do less miles but I don't know how big of a difference it is .

I only take the subway recreationally but I like not having to sit in traffic , look for ask pay for parking .. Gas is also not cheap .

My closest station is the noho redline and its pretty nice taking it to Hollywood or downtown without worrying about all the nonsense .

I think there are still a lot of people afraid of the subway .

I remember telling one lady I took it and she said her husband doesn't want to , they were both born in la I believe too .

Would be interesting to know how many people have ridden the subway at all .