To think car ownership is out of control in the UK

[JacquesHarlow]

I fully expect to get a vast majority of "YABU" comments, but here goes:

Firstly, before I get flamed - I am a woman, a car owner, and yes I have a driveway now (though didn't before). I am a car enthusiast in terms of the enjoyment I've got from driving and I don't have an issue with "cars" per se.

What I have an issue with is how ridiculous Britain's councils and governments are on car ownership. How cheap car ownership is. How anyone can distort the living environment around them with their choices.

Have you driven down a suburban street lately, or even an urban one?

Small and narrow Victorian streets with lines of cars packed on either side, and only room for one vehicle to drive down it. Why so many cars? The houses have been there for 150 years. Why now?

And because so many people (often fellow women, annoyingly) don't ever like reversing, you find yourself caught in the middle, having to reverse right back to the end of the street to start again.

School runs are chaos - so many cars, parking up in illegal or careless ways, purely to save a short distance walking.

And the size of cars! Absurdly large vehicles which then take up more road space on the kerbside. Yeah it is "legal" but in a decade where theoretically we want to get better as a country environmentally, most people do not give two fucks as long as their precious DCs are "safe" (you're just as safe in a NCAP 5* rated Yaris as you are in a Merc GLS, but try telling that to people where I live).

So this is the madness of today:

Cars are SO much bigger. And thanks to PCP they're cheaper - and this is why I see so many cars where I live ,and up north when I visit, and everywhere else. The PCP monthlies thing keys right into the British obsession of wanting to look and feel wealthy. Years ago a Golf or an Audi A3 would be considered posh for a family. But why would I buy a Golf when my monthly payments could get me into something BIGGER!

The one thing that isn't bigger, is the United Kingdom. I've seen councils in London paint "parking lines" half on the pavement so that people can park up on either side to let cars past. I've seen people in these Discoveries and Defenders mount kerbs at drop off time without a thought or care for who might be behind them or even aware of this being an issue.

And you can have 1 household in a street of 20 houses own 5 cars. You do the maths as to how much of the available parking is then taken away.

Why are people so aggressive and discourteous in their car ownership? What are we going to do about this?

Some of us remember 20 or 30 years ago when you could drive to another street and not have to face a x5 barrelling towards you, parked cars either side? With a tiny woman peering over the steering wheel refusing to reverse back into the space immediately behind her? But powering through so that you, in your little hatchback, have to reverse 10 car lengths to accommodate her ego and lack of driving skill?

Our city and town streets are not made for X5s, Discoveries, Range Rover Sports, and god knows what else, to be parked along the kerbside blocking out the light into tiny terraced houses.

How do we put a stop to this? I love the Japanese principle in certain cities where you have to name a parking space you own or have access to before you buy a car. Could this work here?

AIBU? How will we ever wean ourselves off this 'bigger is better, and every member of my family must have a car' mentality?

Get a proper waterproof and you'll end up healthier.

I live in Edinburgh where they have banned pavement parking and double parking. The entitlement when this came in was wild (but my car!!!). I live just outside the controlled parking zone but they are extending it to my area. The neighbours with multiple cars are horrified. I’m delighted. I have a Skoda Octavia estate with a tiny engine and a permit will cost me about £15 a year. Less efficient engines would cost over £200 a year I think, and then a second permit for a household will cost exponentially more. I think it’s a great system and I’d always get a parking space. Can’t wait.

As car owner yourself I don’t think you have a lot of credibility here. I’m also part of the problem so would never point fingers, nor would I advocate “solutions” which as other have mentioned, penalise those who are both cash and time-poor.

It would take me 1- 2 hours to get to work .. then the same back . I have a ND teenager at home . Guess what I will take my 20 minute commute thanks .

Trains from our town are once an hour , buses once an hour after a certain time . I know locally some buses are every 2 hours .

i think the one per household is ridiculous . Do you know how many multi generational households there are , do you know how there is an expectation that everyone in that household works .

when I was job seeking about 10 years ago I was expected to look at least 90 minutes travel away . Would you be 90 minutes away from your dc relying on public transport .

i am not your target group , despite living in a terraced house - I am a Lp and drive a corsa with off road parking but yet I can see how it’s a problem that won’t be solved by restricting it to other people except you because you have a drive 🙄

People telling OP to get rid of their own car before criticising others are engaging in critical thinking errors, btw

yourlogicalfallacyis.com/tu-quoque

Just to add I have a very small car and probably always will. The smallest and most efficient I can get away with, which is just personal choice.

@babyproblems

Currently the street I am talking about is families with young or post teen adults at home. There is one house that is being converted into a HMO which is just about to be finished - it’s caused a bit of an outrage as the maximum capacity is 14 people which is INSANE. The parking space for this house on the driveway is one car!

Classic council of "stick" rather than carrot in often specifying no or just 1 car park space for property in planning permissions. Developers try getting permission for more but are rejected on that ground alone. We had a situation in our village of a pub being converted into 3 separate dwellings - the original plans left their small car park untouched as parking for the 3 dwellings - which would have been around 6-7 cars. Council refused and instructed the application to be re-submitted with the car park re-designed with just 3 parking spaces. In the event, the developers changed the plans to make 4 dwellings and 4 parking spaces by using some of the car park for an additional dwelling! So council lost out on that one due to their stupidity.

Just a thought I had whilst pondering about the school drop off - maybe schools could pick a different drop off point, walkable to the school- maybe even two or three different ones - and parents could drop off at those places and the children walk to school in a group with some adults/parents on a rota/school staff! Parents could choose the drop off point nearest to them or en route to work. Could use places like supermarket car park or station drop off point.

Car owners aren’t the problem here. If you live outside of London (or a big city), it’s virtually impossible to get around without one. Public transport is largely naff, high streets are closing in favour of out of town retail parks and family and friends no longer live just around the corner.

Unless gazillions was channeled into a brilliant transport system, I don’t see a solution. I agree with the point that some people do have totally unnecessary monster trucks, presumably as a status symbol. However that’s none of my business and people can buy whatever car they like.

I drive a SUV but it’s a necessity due to family members who are disabled (higher seating makes life easier) but also live semi rurally. The nearest big supermarket is 10 miles away. There is a smaller shop about 5 miles away but the local council recently slapped parking charges on the car park. That combined with parking machines which are incredibly slow has basically forced everyone out to the retail park where the parking is free.

I think it’s more to do with a succession of very poor planning by councils who appear more interested in revenue.

he's achieved his goal people

https://i0.wp.com/pamgrout.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/00001q.jpg?resize=339%2C279&ssl=1

I agree with you op,not just on cars,the amount of traffic is ridiculous now,my once quite road is like the A1 now,Lorry’s ignore the signs an cut through,families having 2+ cars but no drive or a small drive.

Public transport sucks once you have small children too… no room or patience from others for buggies or small
children!

Chicken and egg scenario. Until the alternative is actually there, nobody is going to give up their car. In reality, for vast amounts of areas outside major cities, public transport has been much reduced rather than increased.

My area has a community bus scheme, but lack of financing from local council is making it non sustainable.

It’s also because young people can’t afford to move out so you end up with many adults under one roof, all with a car…

Public transport provision has been continually cut, one reason being because of lack of use.

Because of increasing car ownership.

Public transport can't improve first due to the cost of having empty/barely used services running. Which was the reason they were cut in the first place...

Ah so you are unpleasant as well as unreasonable

Maye if public transport was better, and cheaper - more people would use it.

I've bought tickets to go to central London tomorrow - £77!!
And its obviously just a hope they will be on time, so I am having to go in earlier just in case, oh and dont forget to add the £12 parking, and the 20 drive to get there...

Very easy said, but the reality of walking head down into rain blowing sideways soon wears thin. Especially in dark mornings and evenings.

We could introduce 1 car per house/flat.

If extra cars are required there would be an additional tax. Thus woukd discourage car ownership.

If you wfh, less need for a car. If you work away, choose a home near a station.

I’m glad you’re enjoying your car while advocating the rest of us shouldn’t have one. Do you realise how entitled you sound? I live in a small village with poor public transport - should I stay indoors to provide more space for you? As for your comments about women drivers - drivel.

The first bus leaves my village at 9.30am. How do DH and I get to work in opposite directions if we only have one car (according to your proposed rules)?

This very much reads like I’m a driver and own a car but none of you other fuckers should because you get in my way - or something along those lines 🤣

I work from home, I also walk when I can. I still need a car though.

Are you willing to give up your car and rely on unreliable public transport. If not, then why should others?

Do people really think that going on car strike will force the government to improve public transport? If so you have a lot more faith than I do. Public transport costs them money; car ownership makes them money.