Driving in London

[Imustbemad00]

Why do people that live outside of London seem to think iabu for having a car in London? There seems to be a perception you shouldn’t need a car if you live in London.

I live in zone 1. I haven’t always had a car, but I have one now and wouldn’t want to be without it. Not everywhere is accessible by tube, buses take forever. Even though tubes are quick you have to factor in extra time walking to and from stations. Doing this daily with children just to go anywhere or get shopping is horrendous. It’s also extremely busy.

I don’t need to drive to get to work, but I need the car for other aspects of my life. Okay, maybe I don’t NEED it but life has been a lot less stressful since I’ve had it. Also, we do like to leave London and visit other places often.

You absolutely don't need a car in zone 1 unless all your children play the cello on different days. Taxis, Uber, hire cars. Think of the planet OP.

We used to live in London. We had a car then, and only used it a couple of times a week for shopping.

I was always happier using public transport.

If having a car suits you then fine. My experience was that it was often not necessary.

I can assure you I do, as I said I have so much more freedom, get so much more done and have less stress since I’ve had a car. I can not afford to get taxis everywhere I go. I do leave zone 1...

But you don’t need a car living in Zone 1. You want one. That’s fine - you’re allowed to want something. Why does it matter to you whether other people think you should do or not?

@Topseyt you’re right. It’s not a necessity. But I hate public transport and find it stressful with kids and find everything takes a lot longer. During the week when I’m at work, the car doesn’t get used as I walk to work. But on my days off, weekends and school holidays I wouldn’t want to be without it.

@StillCoughingandLaughing I don’t know, it just bothers me that people can’t think why a car could be useful in zone 1. A journey that takes 40 mins on a bus is 15 minutes in a car.

You don't need to own a car.

You could walk, cycle to many places in zone 1 faster than driving

If you had cellos or large heavy items there are other options to that don't involve owning a car.

You could use zip cars/drive now hires by the hour. There a zillions of them - I've never had to walk more than five minutes to get to a free one to rent.

Or an Uber ride fo 7 quid gets you a long way so probably covers a lot of trips.

When I go away for a weekend, I book out my nearest zip car for a couple of days

I also live in zone 1.

Can’t really cycle everywhere in London with two kids in tow. I managed years without a car just using buses and trains but it was awful.
Hiring cars I suppose is okay as an occasional things but not as part of regular life. Nor are Uber’s. It would cost a fortune.
The things I can get done in a day with a car would have to be spread out over several days using public transport. Just talking about general errands and shopping ect. Then there’s visiting friends and family, getting out and about with kids.

OMG I could have written your post myself. I'm in zone 3 to 4 though. I don't need a car but it has made my life massively easier. I get constant snarkiness from one particular person about how I don't need a car in London. But in zones 3 you're living between a collection of villages so it's really handy to nip around in a car rather than waiting for busses. I imagine you'd be stuck in traffic a lot in zone 1 though.

I don't live in London, but visited zone 1 recently; the traffic looked standstill a lot of the time, also didn't seem like there was many parking spaces. Isn't there a daily congestion charge too?

Can you not get your food shopping delivered?

I live quite centrally, and end up using my car about once a week.

I feel guilty if I use it when I could use public transport for not much more time, and I find with the traffic, and then having to ride around finding a space that non-residents can use, and then grappling with the meters or the ring up and pay system, that it quite often doesn't end up being wildly quicker than going by tube (though is usually a bit quicker than the bus).

I mostly use the car for going out of London, if I need to transport something big, or if I am taking a route that doesn't follow the radial pattern of his routes (ie if I would need to change more than once).

I don't think you need a car in zone 1, but it can certainly make life more convenient at times. I think you should weigh up this convenience against the environmental impact, though.

Yes it’s quite bad traffic wise but I’m not generally driving into the main part of the city, I’m driving away from it, and I know the quitter routes and places to go. It’s still quicker that getting a bus, and much much more pleasant.

I live within congestion charge zone so get a 90% discount and only pay for days I use. I can park locally and anywhere else I go will have a car park or I’ll know where there’s parking available for free.

I live in central London and got rid of the car ten years ago when I realised we were only using it about a couple of times a month. Now that you can have your shopping and even your IKEA purchases delivered there is absolutely no need. We hire a car a couple of times a year for things like visiting family at Christmas with heavy presents/when the trains aren't running and always get a nice brand new car, usually for less than the train fare.

For the able-bodied, it's completely indefensible from an environmental perspective to keep a car in central London and if you are in zone 1 public transport is excellent and buses run 24 hours. And if you can afford to live here whilst owning, insuring and parking a car then you can certainly afford Uber. I also walk loads which helps keep (some of) the flab off.

I wouldn't suggest cycling in London, especially with kids in tow, but then I am not a cyclist anyway and have no interest in it.

I still don't agree that you need a car in zone 1 though. We lived in zone 2. Using the car could often create as many problems as it solved, as parking was such a problem. That's why I only used the car for supermarket shopping.

My DD1 currently lives in zone 2 and had done for over a year. Moving house at the end of her tenancy was the only time she has really needed a car and couldn't do without. So she hired one for the day. Job done.

My experiences are different. I just could not go back to not owning a car. I don’t work school holidays so it is invaluable to me in those times. I just couldn’t afford to replace the times I use my car with Uber’s or hire cars. I don’t pay just under £15 a month for parking. My car is very good with petrol and my insurance isn’t too bad now.
I do understand I don’t need it, in the sense I could live without it but I felt trapped without it and hardly ever went very far as it was just too much hassle with kids and everything took too long. Maybe that’s just how I experience things beciase of my own personal preferences.
Environmentally, it’s not like I’m using it everyday for work or to pop to the local shop. Obviously it’s be a better world if nobody drove, but in this day and age its not going to happen.

• I pay (not don’t pay)

I have a car, two children, two car seats to strap in and check that they are suitable to the make and model of the car so using a uber isn't viable in my opinion and I also don't want to hire a car I want to know the children's car seats are properly installed for the times I want to use it. Couldn't care less what anyone else thinks.

HiJenny car seat safety is the reason I still have my car, even though financially it is not at all efficient, given how little we use it. I'd rather it was there when I do need it, and have peace of mind that DD's seat is safely installed.

Since you've clearly decided it's reasonable to have a car that you don't actually need just because it's convenient, without regard to environmental issues that will hugely impact your children's' lives, I'm not sure why you bothered asking the question. No one can stop you doing as you please but it's a bit rich to ask for reassurance that you're a good person at the same time.

We lived in zone two for years and always had cars. I commuted out of London and worked in multiple places and DH used his at evenings and weekends. Certain ‘friends’ of ours loved to comment on and judge us for our choices, telling us off for running cars in London. However they were the ones who always wanted lifts when we left London at weekends to go to weddings/festivals etc and other events, or went to IKEA, or even just to Sainsbury’s to do a big shop...

My DD and her DP are in zone 2 with no children and both have a car. DD needs hers for work sometimes but her DP does not. It's their choice, no one else's.

Agree it's their choice. Just don't know why OP and others want validation for what are (from an environmental perspective) essentially selfish choices. I really don't accept that many people living in central London (unless they are cab drivers etc) "need" a car for work.

I also live in Zone 1 and currently don't use my car it stays at my parents BUT you absolutely need your car in London and I would if I could!!

Just to get away from the tourists and the busy hustle and bustle! Especially having 2 kids under 2! Anyone that says you don't need a car has never had to rely on buses and trains around there, and most definitely doesn't have children!

I struggle daily to get around with my pushchair and two children one of whom has a disability and is unable to walk. A lot of the buildings and stations are old and haven't been made accessible yet, lots of stairs! Always easier to have an opinion when you don't have to go through it :)

I'll tell you what IS pointless though, cycle lanes that are nearly as wide as the roads! Especially when they don't use them!

In my experience you don’t need a car for getting around IN London but you absolutely need one for getting OUT of London.