An article about Americans.
The picture shows a driver in the right seat.
🤦♂️
mirrored image my friend
Doesn’t help how owner-hostile modern cars are, either
I moved to one of the few places in Canada where you can happily function without a car, where in fact I leave my car parked because driving it around would be stupid. I keep it only because driving it on track is a hobby of mine and because I find myself needing to drive to my hometown quite often, to a place where sense has yet to reach, and so I can’t take the train.
Every time I need to drive somewhere, especially with any amount of traffic, it is a battle to keep myself thinking positive thoughts. All my journeys on foot or by metro have so much colour and life, even on grey, rainy days. By car it’s just sad highway for miles while being surrounded by angry, impatient people who wouldn’t allow another person to merge on threat of death.
I hate driving. It is a chore even when I get to drive my fun little sportscar and the fact you need to pay for the privilege makes it all the more absurd.
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Oh, and I’m a better driver and mechanic than almost anyone else on the road(ignoring actual mechanics and race car drivers who might be driving around, obviously) and this is my stance. Meanwhile there are the worst people you know shitting their pants over a bike lane as if losing their car’s monopoly on the road would take a part of their soul away despite being far less than acceptably capable behind the wheel and despite having next to zero knowledge of how their vehicle functions.
I moved from MB to QC in 1999-2003 and I was so shocked by the differences I ended up giving my car to my sister back in MB.
Metro to work would be like 25 minutes including walk, where vehicle to parking to work would be like 1 hour.
edit: It didn’t last because I ended up shacking up with a woman who was too lazy to walk a block, so we ended up with another car. Yay. Now I get to spend 2 hours of every day constantly shoveling parking spots and driving in circles looking for parking :/
Yup, Montréal is top shit as far as North America is concerned. Metro is king, and so great for when you’re kinda tired and just want someone to drive you around. Like I said, I still have my car but I always choose not to bother with it unless I absolutely have to.
I just want to share my perspective. I just had my car totaled (not my fault) and I decided to bank the insurance payout and not rebuy, and see what it was like. I didn’t think I’d cope since I’m now 50 and had a car my whole life from age 16.
I’m actually a little shocked to say I don’t I miss the car, and further I actively enjoy not having a car anymore. It did necessitate rearranging some of my habits, but now I save a shitload of money and I seem to find it more convenient in more ways than I expected. And it’s just so much less stress and worry.
I’ve never been fitter, and the freedom from lugging it around, gassing it up, washing it, maintaining, finding parking, blabla saves me time and bother almost everywhere. I stress so much less because of constant vandalism, and needing to seek stable non-ticketed parking at friends’ places and at my apartment.
There are times I need to do a big shopping thing or just go to the beach, I rent a car for a day. I don’t need to live a life of deprivation I just re-balanced things. If I need to go out for some special occasion I cab/uber round trip.
Preface: I’m jealous.
That out of the way, I think this really depends on where you live and your job. Carless in single family detached housing suburbia does not sound like fun. Being carless seems like a no-brainer in a dense area with decent public transportation and/or within walking distance of your job.
Yeah that’s the thing and not unaffordable housing. Sure, Jan.
