America without a car....how long can I last? (best, cheap, weight)

[azoria]

We just returned to the US after 5 years of living overseas where public transit is accessible and widespread. I loved not driving. I loved not making car payments, not strssing in rain and snow and traffic, not paying car insurance, not buying tires and gas.....I loved not being owned by a car.

Now back in America I'm sticking to my guns in Seattle. No car. Unfortunately America, particularlly the west, was developed around the car. Public transit in Seattle is goodish, better than a lot of places, but still it's a hike in the rain for groceries and waiting endlessly for buses and then there's stuff like trying to get a vacuum cleaner home from the store and running around to job interviews by bus which takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

Can I hack it in the USA? Am I tough enough to keep hauling 50 pounds of groceries and garden rakes and cat litter without a car? Everybody here is overweight and I don't want to join their club, and I figure if I did it for 5 years I can do it for 5 more on foot, by bus, by my own energy, in the rain.....

What say ye? Is it possible or will I soon crack and start looking at the car ads thinking of all the things I can stuff in the trunk? Can it be done indefinately? Do our cars make us fat? How long can I keep shlepping all this junk home on foot.....? (I'm over 50)

[mattyj46]

Originally Posted by azoria

We just returned to the US after 5 years of living overseas where public transit is accessible and widespread. I loved not driving. I loved not making car payments, not strssing in rain and snow and traffic, not paying car insurance, not buying tires and gas.....I loved not being owned by a car.

Now back in America I'm sticking to my guns in Seattle. No car. Unfortunately America, particularlly the west, was developed around the car. Public transit in Seattle is goodish, better than a lot of places, but still it's a hike in the rain for groceries and waiting endlessly for buses and then there's stuff like trying to get a vacuum cleaner home from the store and running around to job interviews by bus which takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

Can I hack it in the USA? Am I tough enough to keep hauling 50 pounds of groceries and garden rakes and cat litter without a car? Everybody here is overweight and I don't want to join their club, and I figure if I did it for 5 years I can do it for 5 more on foot, by bus, by my own energy, in the rain.....

What say ye? Is it possible or will I soon crack and start looking at the car ads thinking of all the things I can stuff in the trunk? Can it be done indefinately? Do our cars make us fat? How long can I keep shlepping all this junk home on foot.....? (I'm over 50)

Wow, good luck I say, I think u'll end up looking for a car

I was in South Lake Tahoe in December and I hated not having a car, sure it wasn't a big town but the cold and snow made up for that! I'd walk 7miles in the ice,snow,slush, walking extra slow just to make sure I didn't fall over! For me if I want togo to a place, I just go, I have no patience with public transport. I do though say that the South Lake Tahoe bus transportation is very good.

And with groceries I was just lucky Raley's was across the road from me.

Good luck!

[maf763]

Has car sharing started in Seattle? A lot of people in cities like Philadelphia and New York are using this model.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by maf763

Has car sharing started in Seattle? A lot of people in cities like Philadelphia and New York are using this model.

Zipcar is in Seattle. Zipcar - Car sharing, cars by the hour or day

[TKramar]

taxis...are part of the public transit system...they just cost more.

[caligurltotx]

I think you can go carless depending on where you live. I meet people in L.A. all the time that come from NY and they do not even want to buy a car. With gas being what it is, I think we all are going to start rethinking the public transit options available to us.

I am relocating and part of my research is where can I live that is convenient to the train system (Dart) and also where my job and home will be so I am less than 10 mile commute! That's if I have to drive.

[Coem]

I have lived just fine for about ten years now without a car in Boston and New York City. For those times that I need to buy something big, I can usually get my parents or a friend to help me out... and if all else fails then there's always renting a car for a day.

Both Boston and New York also have commuter rail systems that can whisk you out of the city to the beach or a nice little town when you need a break from the chaos. There is also Greyhound bus and Amtrack for city to city travel.

I really enjoy my car-free lifestyle. I like having the time to read when I commute, walking and experiencing the smells, sounds, and sights around me. Of course, the best part is being able to eat anything I want and not gain wait because of all the walking I do!!

I have been to Las Vegas and Seattle without a car, although I'm sure visiting those places without a car and having to live there without a car are different experiences. Gas will never be cheap again, and as the population grows, Western cities will have no choice but to improve their public transportation in the future. Even Los Angeles has a subway now!

[charolastra00]

I'd really suggest zipcar. Not only does it save you from buying a car, but it saves you from being stuck with any ONE car. You can drive something new every day!

Over the last summer I had to walk 2 miles each way to the grocery store. I just split it up and went nearly every other day. That way you're never hauling 50 pounds of groceries. It might look ridiculous too, but if you get one of those laundry bags that you put on your back (you can find them at Bed Bath and Beyond), you can stuff all of your groceries in there and it's much easier to carry.

[cb at sea]

This country was DESIGNED to be driven---there's just no way around it. You don't have to BUY a car, but you do have to ride in one, somehow!

[nitram]

Americans are in love with their vehicles. They treat them better than their pets at times. Until gasoline runs out they'll drive them til death.
In many areas where there is no transit system, or a limited transit system, a vehicle is necessary.
In the AZ desert towns when it's 110-120 degrees outside, no one wants to wait in the blazing hot, open aired, bus stops, while their frozen foods, milk, ice cream, etc melts, or spoils, waiting that 20-30 minutes for a bus to arrive. Then walk another 5-10 minutes to your house or apt.