To think it's ridiculous how people go to pieces when they don't have their car

Well, not legally anyway. Around here it seems like you can certainly try to do all of those things while driving!

I made what I thought was a genuine and helpful comment about the fact that she's lucky she lives on a great bus route and got given looks of disgust and no-one even answered me

maybe your SIL took your "helpful" comment as gloating that she'd lost the use of her company car. I'm sure she knows about the bus routes as she, you know, lives there I can't imagine anyone having their nose rubbed in it being grateful for your "genuine" concern.

It would be pretty bad for us if DH had to give up his car - just getting DS to school would be a nightmare, we've looked at the bus times, to get him to school it's nearly an hour and two busses and one of us would have to go with him.

Leaving on time is unlikely, which is why we can't use transport provided by the LA. It will be a problem if DH is ever just to ill to drive DS, but at least that would hopefully just be a day or two.

Hahaha. This is brilliant. You've created a right frother here.

Depends where you live. Try living in remote rural Wales without a car. We just wouldn’t be able to do anything, not even getting the children to school. It got worse over lockdown, we lost a lot of bus services including free transport on some services at the weekends.

You forgot the advantage of a decent train seat on a train that isn't packed - that you can snooze if you want. As the driver of a vehicle you can't have a sleep nor read nor play games on your mobile.

I'm screwed without a car.
Not a single bus to get DS to school until 9:45. Train is 2 miles away, and drops off 1.5 miles from the school.
No public transport to my work.

Id have to pay around £25 each way for a taxi.

Hold my beer if you think cars are invariably more comfortable than public transport. If it were down to comfort, I'd take a train any day over my 20 year old rustbucket. And that's not to mention my uncle's car, where the passenger has to hold on to the door to stop the seat sliding backwards and forwards everytime it goes around a corner, plus any passenger in the back seat has to keep their knees jammed against the seat in front or risk having the tips of their toes taken off.

Actually some roads are simply badly designed.

Even though councils reduce the speed limits on them and put speed cameras on them, they are still unsafe to cycle on due to the design of the road.

Lots of cycle lanes are also badly designed. I was showing my DD a couple of badly designed ones near us, and we live in a council area that really promotes cycling. One had a row of mature trees on it. You have to cycle on the pavement instead which is wide enough to do so. The other had a couple of random metal poles on it and the pavement is too narrow to cycle on.

Oh, for god's sake, OP. People are used to what they're used to, and what you're used to is easier than what you're not used to. YABVU for berating everyone who is not like you for not being like you.

I definitely get treated differently for not having a car. Almost like I'm seen as still a child 🤷🏼‍♀️

It's just so super expensive to learn and to fund. I live rural and transport is nearly non existent which is such a shame especially for elderly who really rely on that especially socially.

Instead I have a cargo e bike so I can do the nursery school run and get into town. It's very freeing knowing I don't have to pay petrol tax etc can skip the traffic jams. It's not a perfect solution all the time, but it gives me options and freedom. Better for the environment and keeps me fit!

I had an accident caused by a black out at the wheel and was instructed not to drive until it was investigated by a doctor. I got a token 'poor you' type comment from my line manager, who then made it very clear that I was still expected to be in work the next day. I lived in a semi-rural location and it would have taken me five buses and a walk at the end. Minimum of 2.5 hours each way, and that's if the 1 bus an hour happened to coincide with the connecting bus (it was 45 minutes by car). The line manager very graciously offered me a lift, which meant I had to walk 3 miles along a 60mph country lane with no pavement to get to hers for 7am. I did it for 4 days until I could get checked over by a doctor.

I will go without my car. In fact, I now live in London and frequently travel by bike or public transport. But I don't like not having the option!

Yes, because your whole thread is condescending 😂
My point is that those who have a car and those who don't will have different opinions and that's fine. You're moaning about people moaning, just sound jealous of your SIL tbh!

I’m ‘reliant’ on my car because I have a disabled child, 2 other children, a full time job and live in a village with shit public transport. It is 15 mins in the car to work, or 55 mins on a bus. 10 mins in the car to a supermarket, 45 mins on a bus. It’s a no brainer really 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I didn't say I couldn't get through life. I said I would hate to live my life without a car. Big difference.

It's not just about ease, it's about money.

I live semi-rurally with kids. If I don't have a car, to get to work would be a 20 min walk to the bus stop, a bus to the train station, a train to the city, a train from the city to the area I work in, then either another bus or a 40 min walk to work. And then back again.

To visit friends would be the same, as my friends live in different cities.

To go to the supermarket would be buses or taxi.

I couldn't afford the trains and buses. Especially not if I've just put diesel in the car when it breaks down lol.

Sounds a bit like sour grapes OP. Are you a bit jealous that your MIL is so helpful towards your SIL? You seem to be getting your knickers in quite a twist over something that really doesn't concern you.

@orangesandlemonssaythebellsofstclements well there you have it. Just because you live within walking distance of supermarkets and have cheap taxi fares doesn't mean everyone does. Doing small shops instead of one big one would add cost because of bus fares if not able to walk. I know non drivers have to eat, I was one, but my life was so much easier when I got a car. I've recently had a job which meant I had to get the bus there and back and it was shit. Never again.