To say car ownership shouldn't be seen as the default

[Sidslaw]

several posts on here about financial problems, all claiming the car is "needed" and not up for discussion

People tend to set up their lives with the assumption that they will drive - surely with the climate in the stat it is in it should now be the other way around? People to set up their lives with the assumption that they will not drive, as the default.

I don't drive, I am dyspraxic, so can't and always knew I wouldn't, and it has never been an issue, as I have chosen the places I live and the jobs I do on that basis. I use public transport, walking, cycling, taxis. I have raised my family as a single mother like this, and my children ( not dyspraxic) have grown up to set up their lives the same.

There is always going to be people who rightly or wrongly think they are an exception, but surely the default should be, don't own a car, don't drive?

Yes, that would be so much better - one of the huge issues with car ownership is parking spaces - it makes no sense at all to have so many in the population homeless, and at the same time have cars that have two separate parking spaces, one at home, one at work! and they spend more than 95% of their time stationary in one or the other. It would free up so much space if we took all that space away from parking, and rationalised it.

I agree. I don't like driving so I chose to live in a place where I could walk everywhere.

"Alright. I design and build public infrastructure, including transport."

Ha ha! I do similar without owning a car! It's possible...

How old would your grandparents be. My grandparents would be between 100 and 104 if they were alive and all drove. Even the women.

Both my parents, drove. I don’t know anyone of those generations that didn’t drive.

Mum and Dad didn’t have a car for a while because they worked within walking distance. Unfortunately where they live there’s very few employers in walking distance. The factories closed down.

Well I don’t know how old you are but I’m late 50s and both my granddads drove and owned cars , if they were alive they would both be about 108/110 . I also cannot see where you think future generations wouldn’t drive , most places in the country you are having to book 4-6 months ahead to get a practical test and often you have to wait to get on the books of a driving instructor .

So because you basically had the decision around whether you can drive made for you, you feel like you’re better than people who do? I’d like to educatedly guess that if your circumstances hadn’t dictated otherwise, you’d drive too.

it’s all well and good saying ‘use public transport’ or ‘walk’, but this isn’t possible for people who live rurally. Also, no one should have to justify why they drive.

I have very rarely been limited in where I travel to without a car, I have hiked and camped all over the country by public transport.

I don't really think people have a right to pollute the air and damage the environment just because they like the personal freedom, although I know people get terribly defensive, and say the DO have the right to do this

I have set up my life to be as car free as possible, I moved to a large city from a small isolated village and even with our pretty rubbish transport network I can largely do without my car day to day.

However, this is the part where it all falls down for your "setting up your life" theory. Not everyone can move to a large city. They're expensive to start with, plus why should someone forgo living in the area they grew up in just because successive governments have decided integrated public transport is a nice idea rather than a reality?

The main reason I still have a car is because I did move away from the area I grew up in. Without a car it's almost £45 per person and 4 hours on public transport each way.

In the car it's less than £10 in petrol and an hour each way. Literally no contest for car vs public transport. I rather like my family so wish to see them fairly often whilst maintaining the life I have in the city that gives my children better education and employment opportunities.

YABU for being so self righteous about car ownership. Not everyone can live within a reasonable distance of their family/work/school/hospital.

You couldn’t pay me to live in a city. Every aspect of my life (rural, commute, horses, distant family) requires a car, but ours are fully electric.

Why should I live a depressingly narrow life @Sidslaw? You can’t drive, so we should all live like you? Batshit. Perhaps we should all work menial low paid jobs too because some people can’t get a degree and no-one should have kids because some people are infertile.

Where do you live

I travel all over the country for work, often to rural places so yes I do need my car thanks. As do health visitors, carers etc. I mean would you be happy not to receive care you needed if it meant one less car on the road?
Also as a female I feel safer in my car than on public transport hence I never use it despite living in a city with very good public transport, it's still full of drunks, junkies and leery men, and yes I have been sexually assaulted on public transport. Nope, I will continue to drive everywhere until I no longer can.

🏆 for the daftest thread in a while. We can't all live in cities for many reasons. Wales are cutting bus routes back by 25% This year. Many villages haven't seen one for years anyway. There's no Ubers.

Our friend is dyslexic, dyspraxic he drives thousands of miles a year.

if I lived in Switzerland I would consider it, but here in the UK not possible. Public transport is far to expensive and poorly networked.

Agree. People haven’t realised yet the car ownership era is over. It’s not sustainable for so many reasons. Like the numpties that whine that people riding bikes slows them down 🙄

what does eating and drinking have to do with it? You can do that on buses! If he goes that often, wouldn't you have chosen to live closer? Or if it isn't that often, bus or taxi?

And you’re lucky you have been able to.

I have a disabled child who has appointments at 5 different hospitals in a 40 mile radius.

where do you suggest I live to walk it all?

Then there's also the issue of where do you choose to locate yourself? Near your work, near your partner's work, near your in-laws who you provide care to, near the hospital you have frequent appointments at?

Life today is not as it used to be. People are much more dispersed, as people migrate to where the opportunities to learn, work and thus earn exist.

Further, I travel at all different times. I'm fairly safe in my own car driving in the middle of the night, but not safe as a lone female commuter.

Then there's the fact that public transport doesn't run around the clock, and won't ever do so because it would bankrupt itself within a few months. So if I need to be somewhere very early or late, how am I supposed to get there?

A common sentiment from someone who doesn't rely on a car and has adequate public transport.

In an ideal world, we shouldn't need cars. Meanwhile in the real world. We wave shoddy public transport. Work commute is 30 mins, with public transport it would be nearer 2 hours. I have 2 DC, both have disabilities which mean public transport isn't a option in many case. plus frequent hospital appointments. I wouldn't be able to work if I had to do all the appointments (hospital, school etc) by bus as it would take ages and they are frequent. I am not sure what you expect people to do?

yes, we need better infra structure, and we need people prepared to make it clear that they are going to vote for it

Get lost with your goady post

you Seriously think everyone should live in cities with ‘good’ transport links

lots live all over this country for lots of reasons and need, yes NEED cars

piss off

If he goes that often, wouldn't you have chosen to live closer? Or if it isn't that often, bus or taxi?

are you for real, OP?

. Duplicate so edited

Having a car isn’t something I’ll give up. I don’t feel safe using public transport late at night...it’s often not great in the day. And the walk home afterwards. It’s also unreliable. And my dogs come with me and mumsnetters don’t like dogs on public transport so I’m helping them. 😅

So no-one should live rurally then? Let's all just crowd into towns and cities. I'm assuming you've never needed to use a taxi or get a lift from someone either OP? Not all of us are fortunate enough to be able to choose a car free life. As a couple our jobs are in opposite directions which don't work with public transport, and sadly neither job is particularly flexible in location. Not sure how we'd make that work without cars.