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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that the news is demonstrating our over-reliance on cars

291 replies

Bennifer · 30/03/2012 10:30

I was watching the news this morning watching the petrol queues, I saw a mum on TV talking about how she needed the car to pick the children up from school. Then there was a story about Nottingham charging people to park at their place of work. As the reporter was talking about this on the streets of Nottingham, there was a stream of traffic behind him, I didn't see a cyclist or a bus.

I just think we've got ourselves into such a pickle over transport policy where so, so many people are dependent on their car to get around, and it's lunacy. I know we all have different circumstances, so I'm not going to judge individuals, but as a society, it just seems crazy. AIBU?

OP posts:
nkf · 01/04/2012 09:10

One of the problems with car reliance is that petrol prices will continue to rise. That, I think, is inevitable. If governments won't invest properly in public transport, I can't see them subsidising fuel prices.

mousymouseafraidofdogs · 01/04/2012 09:32

I find it really sad that most drivers on here would not even consider taking a bike for short(ish) journeys.
I know it is scary for most people but unless more people are starting to use a bike regularly, and are visible on the roads, it will not get any safer.

Sirzy · 01/04/2012 10:08

Some people can't take a bike even for short journeys! I would love to be able to but physically couldn't.

SquidgyBiscuits · 01/04/2012 10:14

One of the benefits of getting into my car is the lack of people coughing on me, the lack of a tramp swigging a can of special brew, the lack of people who seemingly have never heard of soap, and the lack of paying through the nose I sit amongst it after walking for 10 minutes to the stop, waiting for 15 minutes for the bus or train (which has inevitably been delayed or cancelled) and then walking from the stop for 15 minutes to get where I actually want to go.

Aside from that, things are very different now to even 10years ago. When I was growing up, there was a hub of local shops - butchers, green grocers, bakery etc. it isn't the case now in most places, and a lot of supermarkets that have sprung up aren't so easily accessible unless you live directly on the bus route.

Where I live there is no green grocer in the whole town.

SquidgyBiscuits · 01/04/2012 10:16

Also, if I go from where I live to where I'm from to visit family etc, by car it takes less than an hour, £15 in petrol. By train it takes almost 3 hours, £22, with 3 trains and a metro.

nkf · 01/04/2012 10:23

This thread makes me think that many people are very reliant on their cars, that their basic lives would be very hard without one. I think it must be tough to be in that position particularly as fuel costs are likely to rise.

kickmewhenimdown · 01/04/2012 10:35

just read this and the answer to the last question was quite interesting, and if to be taken as fact, then technically are bus users and train users a drain on society?

kickmewhenimdown · 01/04/2012 10:36

Although it also makes me think that since most pt is quite expensive, someone is making money and it is not the government?

nkf · 01/04/2012 10:38

On another note, it does look extremely expensive to keep a car on the road. Is it really £6000 for a new car?

EndoplasmicReticulum · 01/04/2012 11:41

mousymouse - I'd consider taking a bike. But I'd have to learn to ride one first, and I have tried, believe me. I'm just not able to do it.

Husband does bike to work, but only in the summer so he can make it there and back in daylight, the roads are fast, dark and scary and he has already been knocked off and damaged once.

Poulay · 01/04/2012 11:52

A lot of buses are empty.

Probably why they don't make money.

butterfingerz · 01/04/2012 14:28

I don't drive but my DP does, we have a largish diesel saloon. We have 2 DCs, a baby and 3yr old. The car is used by my DP to drive to work, though it's not too far, about 2 mile on a bus route. We use it at wknds to go into town or on days out. I like the freedom of taking day trips to the seaside or countryside, for this reason I would keep a car in the family.

However, as a non-driver, I'm happy to walk my DD to preschool, she's enrolled at the closest school so will be walking there too (it'd be really lazy to drive even as its a stones throw). I enjoy walking and I like using the bus, we're on a bus route to town so it's no problem. My DP is pushing me to learn to drive, which I will probably do (the anxiety from being in a serious RTA when I was younger put me off for many yrs) but I won't be bothered about getting a second car, I'd just borrow my DPs as and when.

We moved from a city to a small SE town where pretty much every family relies on two cars. I just went to the corner shop with my kids, one in the pram, I actually had to walk on the road some of the way because everyone is blocking the pavement with a car. Not even having the courtesy to part half on, half off the kerb, no, completely on the pavement leaving no room to get past. And these are houses with garages and carports but obviously no room to park a second car.

Many of the mums at the preschool drive there even the ones that live a stones throw away (not begrudging the ones who don't or if it's terrible weather of course). Not to mention the absence of traffic calming or pedestrian crossings, it's definitely a town built for cars which is very sad as you hardly see any kids playing out compared to where we used to live.

TheBigJessie · 01/04/2012 14:38

kickmewhenimdown I would say that, technically, public transport is not a drain, because I presume
a) the cost to the treasury relates to public subsidies, and
b) the subsidies are in place, because Her Majesty's Government thought the wider benefit to society of public transport outweighed the financial cost of subsidization.

ppeatfruit · 01/04/2012 14:52

compost Don't sneer Grin I just googled water used a fuel and YES the first car invented by Rudolf Diesel (ironically) in 1893 was powered by hydrogen which was created by electrolyzing water with oxygen (sorry I haven't all the details) but I knew that that was correct (also the japanese are doing it now).

Of course the huge petrol based companies don't want anyone to know that and they and sadly a lot of people on here seem quite happy to carry on polluting the atmosphere for them and their DCs. BTW YANBU

LydiaWickham · 01/04/2012 14:57

nkf - depends on the car, most people on a budget buy second hand, and a lot of new car dealerships do finance packages. We bought both of ours without credit, mine was new as I was able to do the car scrappage on the old car, DH's was second hand and about £20k less than buying it new.

SquidgyBiscuits · 01/04/2012 15:52

Ultimately it comes down to priorities. It isn't possible to squeeze everything in, so something has to give.

I would rather get in my car and drive a mile to the shop after a long and hard day at work, and save myself time. I would rather get in the car to drive a mile to the gym than spend 25minutes walking there. Yes I could just not go to the gym, but I enjoy it. I guarantee that if I had I spend an hour walking there and back I wouldn't go. Sometimes after a 12 hour stretch at work I can just about muster up the energy to go as it is.

Yes I could cycle, but where would my gym kit go? Where would my files for work go? And my lunch, and other things I need during an average day?

I couldn't give a shiny shite about the cost, but I do care about the time. Why on earth would I want to spend 4 hours more on a journey than I need to?

Ultimately, there are very few things we NEED. But there are lots of things we choose to use to make life easier. We don't NEED a tv, a microwave, dishwasher, washing machine. We don't NEED to own more than 1 pair of shoes etc, but we choose to as it improves our lives in some way.

I don't feel the slightest amount of guilt when I use my car. I learnt to drive and bought one to do just that.

SquidgyBiscuits · 01/04/2012 15:57

Hydrogen power for cars has been around for ages.

But it is far too expensive to implement, hence all the masses of ongoing research to develop a cost effective method of converting hydrogen power to fuel a car, then of course a viable method of storing said power.

It's no conspiracy, it is a very difficult process to engineer on a mass scale.

MousyMouse · 01/04/2012 16:18

Yes I could cycle, but where would my gym kit go? Where would my files for work go? And my lunch, and other things I need during an average day?

very weak excuse. there is this marvelous invention called backpack...sorry if that sounds patronising, but I get tired of the I could, but... attitude on here.

Original poster
Bennifer · 01/04/2012 16:24

Or even better, MousyMouse, pannier bags.

I suppose it might be possible that one wouldn't feel the need to go to the gym if one cycled

OP posts:
freerangeeggs · 01/04/2012 16:36

I think people are far too reliant on their cars these days.

I walk about 2.5 miles to work every day, and I walk back at night as well. I enjoy it and it's the main form of exercise I get. It takes about 45 minutes. However, I have a number of friends living nearby who all have cars and drive to work instead. I find it quite a strange choice as it must cost them a fortune. I was talking to one of the other girls about it once and she said that she can't walk into work in the mornings as her hair would get messed up :S

Each to their own, but what really annoys me is the presumption that everyone has one. When I was doing my teacher training we regularly had twilight courses to attend at the end of the school day which started at 3:45pm - which was fine, except the venue was several miles away. Those of us without cars managed to blag lifts but I tought this was very inconsiderate on the part of the organisers. They also often held inset days in places like Lennoxtown and Twechar, which have no railways stations - we were able to get buses but it was a massive trek and I couldn't help but think that it was quite unncessary to hold them in such out-of-the-way places.

People with cars always comment on the length of my walk to work. It's really not that far. I think their perceptions of distance are a bit warped because they're so used to cars, and this means they use them without needing to.

carernotasaint · 01/04/2012 16:43

The reason a lot of buses are empty is because they are UNRELIABLE meaning they are late or dont turn up at all.
Do you really think that in this economic climate (when a lot of employers are looking to cut back on staff) that people are going to rely on unreliable public transport to get to work.
I bet the reason that woman who got burnt decanting petrol in York was to do with work. She was doing it so her daughter had enough petrol for her car.

Blondilocks · 01/04/2012 17:05

I wouldn't want to be without my car as there are sometimes when there just is no choice but to use it / it is cheaper / quicker to use it. E.g. you wouldn't easily bring bags of compost/manure/plants/DIY bits home on the bus/train & I'm sure the manure might not go down too well! Could pay for it to be delivered I guess but that's not always convenient working full time.

But most of the time I travel by train - it is greater London so public transport if often a better option, not necessarily cheaper but there's absolutely no way I'd drive to work so I'm already stuck with a season ticket that I may as well use at the weekends too!

DoubleGlazing · 01/04/2012 17:10

Another one here who thinks if decent public transport was made a priority then far fewer car journeys would need to be made.

SquidgyBiscuits · 01/04/2012 19:49

I think you missed the part where I said I like to go to the gym. Not that I need to go, I enjoy it. I also go rambling, again for enjoyment.

I take an average of 4 bulky files each day - sometimes more, sometimes less. I also wear a suit for work, and don't especially relish the thought of sweating on my commute then wearing the same sweaty suit for 12 hours.

And I've never said I couldn't cycle or walk to work. I said very straight up that I don't want to. I get plenty of exercise elsewhere without feeling the need to get it on my way to and from work too.

And yes of course I've heard of a fucking backpack. Very delightful it would look carrying it into a meeting too. Really there's no need to be so condescending. I'm glad some of you walk and cycle everywhere and I'm sure you have no washing machine, tv, microwaves etc either.

Im amazed that anybody cares how other people choose to travel around. Some people need to get a life.

Astr0naut · 01/04/2012 20:26

I still think a lot of the people who think we should ditch our cars don't really understand what life is like outside their own bubble, with nice roads to cycle on; pleasant pavements to walk on and all the time in the world.

The only person I know round here who doesn't drive, is my dad, and he's been partially sighted from birth. He would drive if he could - especially after his bus (to take him 6 miles) was half an hour late the other day.

Incidentally, two of my neighbours are bus drivers (husband and wife). They have a car each.