How important is driving if one wants to live in Cali?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by thisplacesucks

I moved from SoCal to the rural PNW & have encountered more hostile/careless/ dangerous drivers here in a very short while than it took in years of CA driving...and no, not because of CA plates. It's just how they drive.

Where in WA do you live? I'm thinking of moving up there, myself. I didn't drive the last time I lived there, so I have no idea what the drivers are like. And what about weather and road conditions? Are rain and ice an issue? They sure are in NM. Rain gathers into huge pools on streets and highways through town, and can cause cars to plane. And ice is an obvious hazard.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

It's not too big a deal in the SF Bay Area. In some respects, owning a car and driving can be a liability. Traffic is insane, there can be difficulties finding a parking space, and cars aren't safe in some areas. What kind of work do you plan to get, and where do you hope to get it? At some point, when you're doing well enough financially and career-wise, you should get a car. If you want people to take you seriously as a director.

Even in the Bay Area, you still need a car, unless your whole life revolves around living and working in San Francisco. You can probably do ok in Berkeley and parts of Oakland as well. But based on the type of career the OP is looking for, I'd say he/she needs a car no matter what.

I live and work in downtown SJ, which means I can walk to work every day and I have all the basic services within walking distance. But I still have a car. There are just too many things that come up where life without one would be a major hassle.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Where in WA do you live? I'm thinking of moving up there, myself. I didn't drive the last time I lived there, so I have no idea what the drivers are like. And what about weather and road conditions? Are rain and ice an issue? They sure are in NM. Rain gathers into huge pools on streets and highways through town, and can cause cars to plane. And ice is an obvious hazard.

The OP. There are cops everywhere, so many more than in CA, ready to issue you a ticket, as it is a huge source of revenue here. Yet, everyone, even the oldsters, exceeds speed limit & rides your bumper, even if you are the only 2 cars on the road, they are on your a--. They will pass you on the Hood Canal Bridge! ..Many country roads here with deep ditches so forget about pulling over. It only snows about once every 2 years in my area so far & melts in a few days, but I laughed when I saw all the idiots in the ditch from driving too fast/wrong tires. Biggest problem here is black ice.

Really, I have driven in London, Paris, NYC, Mexico City, but it is scarier to drive country roads in the PNW, the drivers are aggressive & insane, & this comes from someone who cut their driving teeth on the 405 in rush hour!

In all my years on SoCal, no one ever screamed "You f---!" at me when I pulled into my own driveway, but it happened on my first day here! What a welcome!

[Candycupcakes]

So are you saying that you can't live in California unless you already have a car?

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

It would be extremely difficult.

[20five]

To hit 30 and not know how to drive is mind boggling to me. But...never too late to learn I suppose.

Keep in mind, California experienced much of it's growth around the time the automobile was invented. This meant that for the first time in history people could live far away from where they worked. This is partly why we have so much sprawl....suburbs everywhere. The exception to this is San Francisco which almost resembles an East Coast city. San Francisco grew upward due to being surrounded almost entirely by water. In San Francisco it's pretty easy to live without a car...but in most places in California those without a car are able to do so by having friends with cars. I've had many friends that chose not to own a car and I must say, they are a pain in the ass. They always need help moving something or need a ride somewhere.

The advice about a Prius is probably good advice. As a film maker hopeful, you probably should live in the L.A. area, and down there even movie stars drive the Prius. It's as easy to drive as a golf cart. It's probably the only cheap car considered acceptable among the movie elite. But then, who cares....drive whatever you can afford I say. But I think having a car is safer most times than not having one. Never mind the obvious non-driver scare tactics such as "it's hard to find a parking space," or "traffic is dangerous." Riding the bus is dangerous...as is crossing the street (a good many pedestrians are killed each year in San Francisco.)