Several of my colleagues (of varying ages but all living in London), do not own cars!
They also don't visit anywhere outside Oyster card zone (in general).
I lived in UK without cars for couple of years (outside London but usually lived in town centers near to work) but nowadays I can't imagine life without cars.
PS: I am not talking of who can't afford to own cars but those who have chosen not to own cars.
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Some people aren't interested in owning them. I've no doubt in London there's excellent public transport system that makes it easy to do with out. People do without all over the place, I've lived in (various) parts of the middle of nowhere for the past 15 years and even there people do without cars. Far fewer of course and it's much more of a faff.
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As far as I know, not one of my mates are remotely interested in cars. In 35 years, I can’t remember cars ever being a topic of conversation in the pub. Work, music and girls - that's it (although perhaps what car you were doing it in when you were doing her might have cropped up). I know that a couple of them don't even have licences. And I've no idea what any of them are driving with the exception of one. We left the pub together only to find that we were both driving a Lexus RX and they were parked next to each other.
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I have several, mainly young, colleagues who live in London who do exactly the same. Street parking is hugely expensive, using the car to commute is expensive and inconvenient since parking at your destination is just as tricky as it is at home. Public transport is easily available for nights out etc.
All in all why not.
I know it was a different era but I survived quite happily in Glasgow in the 70s without a car.
In cities especially, a car is a choice not a requirement. Car sharing or short term rental is a suitable way to manage for many people especially singles or DINKY couples
Edit to add, my late mother gave up driving about 4 years before she died and managed fine in Paisley (a quaint little suburb on the edge of Glasgow for our southern readers) without a car.
Last edited by: commerdriver on Tue 7 Mar 17 at 15:26
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If I lived in London I wouldnt bother with a car - just join a car club or hire one as needed.
Even as a tourist in London I've found it easy (and cheap) enough to get around
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We never had a car to begin with when we lived in Tenerife until I came back 'ere, bought a little LH drive AX diesel and drove it back to Sunni Tenerife.
We used to use the buses which we quite enjoyed doing actually, or hire a cheap rattle and smoke car with dodgy tyres from a place I knew in Los Cristianos.
I/we could manage without a car again, but not living up 'ere in the back of beyond. I still think about ending my days in Spain or the Canaries sans car but, plenty of time yet as I'm only 64 :o
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Brother in law has never driven (50).
Used to own a cycle shop but still tended to walk, bus and train as required.
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I only drive into and back out of London, B in Law has secure off road parking. If going into central Edinburgh we use the nearby Park an Ride, free parking and bus travel, all buses to / from Edinburgh and most other cities in Scotland pass through. Many people use it as free airport parking. Our roaming lifestyle would be difficult without a car with an engine.
www.halbeath.org/location_and_facilities/
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 7 Mar 17 at 16:58
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I think I'd find it quite hard to adjust to not having a car. I've always had some sort of car since I was 17. I thought I'd even have difficulty with not having a large car, but recently I've been doing a lot of driving in a little Aygo we bought for my son to learn on and I've really been enjoying revisiting the nippy zippy fun of a small car. As a dash about local run thing it's great.
I'd miss not having anything to drive. Even on holiday, if I haven't taken my own car, I still tend to hire something to get a bit further afield in.
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Lived in London from 79 to 82 without a car, difficult to park where I lived and nigh on impossible at work. Bought one after getting involved in an outdoor group as needed for weekends and attending weekly meetings. Used it reasonably intensively for a few years until Mrs B and I bought a place in Watford.
For next three and half years we did fewer than 2k miles a year; shopping and odd holiday not on bikes/train. At least once had to go look for car 'cos we couldn't remember which street we'd parked it in - yellow lines outside our place. Both worked in London and used old bikes to/from the station.
Even easier to live without today with much improved public transport and Oyster cards etc.
Another kettle of fish out here in semi-rural Northampton dormitory. Couldn't even do my 10:00 to 19:00 CA shift and get a bus home - last regular service leaves at 18:00.
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It's inconceivable if you live in the country. To get to very small town it's a 4 mile walk, then one bus a day to a slightly bigger town.
Anyway. I like cars, and have 3.
When I lived in Wandsworth I still had a car although I cycled in to the centre daily.
I did go on a bus once but it's stressful trying to work out the routes and where to get on and off.
Trains are horrible. When young we always travelled first class, and even British Rail seemed luxury compared with the modern cattle trucks.
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I don't think I would bother if I lived in London. Parking permits are expensive, parking itself is often limited, insurance costs are high, and public transport in and around the city is convenient. And of course there's the wonderful congestion charge which is only going to grow in both scope and cost.
Friends and colleagues who live in London tend to use the car clubs like Zipcar for those times that public transport won't do. You can just rent a car at very short notice, at an all-inclusive fixed hourly rate, via a convenient phone app. Easy and simple.
Last edited by: DP on Wed 8 Mar 17 at 09:14
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DP.
My son, living in West London, was for about nine months without a car after a high tec theft of his car.
Yes using Zipcar, Zipvan, Uber, black cabs , tube and trains worked out cheaper.
I have been with him when getting a Zipcar or ZipVan and it is certainly a good, easy system.
A family addition means he is back to car ownership, parking on the street etc.
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>> A family addition means he is back to car ownership, parking on the street etc.
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Family does tend to make a car a more attractive proposition and public transport a less attractive one.
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We have managed for over 10 years without a Car, and live in a small rural town (pop 7000) with a bus service that does not go anywhere in the town, just from the Market Sq to the next village 2 miles away, and stops running at 5.15pm! - there is a train service to Barrow (25 miles away) that runs every hour, except between 13.00hrs to 16.15hrs when there isn't any, and no public transport services of any kind on Sundays (except Taxi's). I used my legs and bike mainly, and only recently got a car again when our hounds started getting too strong and I started getting weaker! Must admit never really missed a car, but now we have one again it's quite nice! but have noticed our pensions don't go as far!
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Life without cars - sooty123
