To think it’s not *that* weird to only have one car?

[OnlyTheLangOfTheTitberg]

At lunchtime today I was chatting to a colleague who asked if I was going to an (optional) event in the office on Wednesday. For context, we’re currently hybrid working, 2 office days/3 WFH days each week and as one of the managers (albeit not too high up the seniority tree) I get to manage which days are which myself, with sensitivity to the needs of the business of course.

I said I would have quite liked to have been there but my car is booked in for a repair on Wednesday so I’ve had to make it a WFH day. She immediately said “can you not just use your husband’s car that day?” I said we only have one car and she said “oh” and looked quite nonplussed, as if I’d suddenly started speaking in tongues, and there was a long pause where it looked like she genuinely didn’t know how to respond to my shocking revelation I asked her if she was going and the conversation moved on, so I thought. But then as she was about to go back to her desk she hesitated, and then said “so what does your husband do if he needs to go somewhere while you’re at work?” so it was obviously playing on her mind. I just said, we manage (as it happens he’s disabled so no longer drives but she doesn’t need to know the ins and outs of his medical history, and even if he were still driving we couldn’t afford to run two cars) but it got me thinking…is it so unusual to only have one car between a couple these days?

We only have one car and it isn’t a problem. We are the odd ones out where we live though as everyone else has three or even four cars per household.

We had one car when we lived somewhere with excellent public transport. We moved somewhere that we need 2 cars as there isn’t even a bus in our town. Unexpected expense but necessary

Nope. We recently sold one of ours and manage fine. We just discuss what we are each doing and work round each other.
Given that we both have some flexibility and neither drive for work so far it’s going well.
As well as saving £££, I think we are doing a bit for the planet, as we do less driving overall now.

Not unusual in the least where I am but perhaps different for people who are more rural.

Not the point at all, but your OP made me absolutely delighted to see nonplussed correctly used in the wild.

We have NO car 🤷

We only have one car....we had two but one just sat on the drive growing moss...DH works from home ft

On our road there are a few of us with only one car. We’re only a couple of miles from town though.

We only gave one car although DH does have a motorbike. I cant ride it now though so if DH needs the car then I just don't go out.

We have one car and occasionally it is a problem. Say a few times a month.

But I cant justify buying a whole other car to drive 20 times a year or so.

I don't have any cars. Or a driving license. People think that's really weird.

I'd say one car was notmal, but thinking about it I can't can't of any families that only have 1, other than couples where one can't drive. Actually, I think one of my oldest friends only has 1 between 3 adults. And her parents only had 1 last time I was at their house. I'd imagine some of the families at my very eco conscious church only have 1, but that's an assumption.

Most of my immediate family have 2 plus other vehicles for 2 adults. (Eg 2 cars. A van and a motor bike).

yanbu
we don't have a car and it seems to confuse people. we do everything by bike or train.
rent a car for days out or holidays.

@Hopdathelf

Not unusual in the least where I am but perhaps different for people who are more rural.

Not the point at all, but your OP made me absolutely delighted to see nonplussed correctly used in the wild.

Can’t beat a good nonplussing!

We only have one. I cycle and walk most places. Most people I know who live in cities are getting rid of their second household car, if they have one, on environmental grounds.

1 car is more common than 2+

It's ok to not have a car.
If you only have one driver in the family why would you need two cars.

We’ve only had one car for years. I used to say our other car was a bloody expensive bicycle but dh takes the train to work these days (about a 15 min walk to the station).
On the few occasions we really need two cars, we hire one. Much cheaper than ‘keeping’ one.
I’m currently wfh full time so our mileage in the car is massively reduced (dh says he likes taking the train as it’s a 10 min journey as opposed to a 35 min drive.).
We do need to plan a bit but mostly it really isn’t an issue. We are semi-rural too.

We have one car, but definitely the odd ones out among people I know.

I managed for 20 years. I have my own now because h left me

@HerRoyalNotness

We had one car when we lived somewhere with excellent public transport. We moved somewhere that we need 2 cars as there isn’t even a bus in our town. Unexpected expense but necessary

My mum doesn't even drive and I grew up six miles from the nearest village. So if we needed picking up from school, she walked.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't have another car, I'm just giving a different frame of reference for "necessary".

We only have one car as DH works from home. anyway. and I commute by train. No. point in having two cars sitting. in the driveway. most days.

The only families I know how have two cars are the ones where one partner uses it for work/commute each. day.

Only have one car, H office is in London so he used to take bike to work when office was open or train.

It depends on where you live. Where we live, every person who needs to leave the house needs a car or someone to drive them. There are two taxis and they are almost always in use by the service that drives the elderly to medical appointments.

We have 2 cars and I'm the only one that drives!!

Bought a second a year ago when other half wanted to learn but he has never bothered too yet.

If I'm out and he Wants to go somewhere, he just walks or bikes or gets a taxi.

It's weird to assume someone would be stuck at home because they dont drive. He goes out to the shops way more than i do.

We have one car which I have for school runs, medical appointments with the kids etc. My husband has a bike (push) and walks the 40 mins to and from work. We can't afford two cars 🤷🏼‍♀️

We do have two cars but we only had one for years. I don't think it's odd at all, especially if eg you can go to work on public transport.