The Chainlink

Quite a few threads have me wondering what your lifestyle is like that it doesn’t necessitate owning a car.   I think it is great that you are able to live car free, but I am wondering how this is. Many people have expressed the feeling of freedom that comes with not owning car, but for me it feels like a lack of.

Do you work in the city or commute to the suburbs? Are you otherwise required to commute to areas outside the city on a frequent basis?  Is your family local and how often do you see them?  Would you describe your lifestyle as minimalistic?  This is the part of me wondering how I would have gotten that all-in-one printer home the other day or the cans of paint and bbq I just bought.  When I run my weekly errands, I get everything done in one shot.  How is that possible on a bike?  Do you use car-sharing services?  How often would you say not owning a car creates a hindrance?  Do you ever feel like you are losing time in your day due to a reliance on public transportation or that it is more of a hassle?  

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I think it is really the only sensible approach. Even the people who don't own an automobile seem to rely on them to some extent (the UPS deliveries, taxis, iGo for bulky items, busses out of town, etc.).

There are some things bikes just aren't good at: carrying large, heavy objects (or people) quickly over a great distance. In the city of Chicago, most trips don't actually necessitate an automobile. I don't think it is effective to flat out condemn anyone for auto use. Showing people that many of their auto trips could easily be made by other modes is the right approach. There are places where transit just won't work. There are people that cannot bike. Sometimes walking isn't an option. Everyone is faced with a different circumstance.

Don't tell people to never drive. Explain that half of their trips are less than 3 miles and they almost never carry more than a single pannier worth of stuff. Those trips can be made by bike. Gradually push them down the car-reliance spectrum.

I'm getting close to selling my car, and probably would have already if I were making payments on it. A combination of iGo once every week or two, and a rental for weekends once in a while is starting to make sense. Most all of my trips are by bike otherwise. There are still times I need a car. Going to visit my parents in Michigan this weekend is a good example. There is no train service, a bus takes 3 transfers and 16 hours (vs. 3 hours by car), and a plane ticket is $200.

notoriousDUG said:
This is an excellent piece of wisdom.

I cannot be car free for several reasons but I concentrate on driving as little as possible unless I have to. It's the best I can do and tons better then driving everywhere.

Dr. Doom said:
I always compare not having a car to not eating meat. If you don't like meat, don't eat it. If you dislike factory farming, the environmental consequences of meat eating, etc. but like meat, just eat less of it, and get it from better sources.

For me, not having a car makes sense; for others, it won't. It's probably better to worry less about being car free than about driving just as much as is necessary and no more. Car use is a spectrum, not an either/or.
I had a car the first year I was in Chicago. I have been car free for the last 5 years. When I had a car I wasn't using it for my daily work commute and couldn't justify it if I didn't use it every day. My round trip commute is 28 miles in the city which I bike or bus. I have iGo car sharing which very rarely use unless I need a van to move something big. So I'm mostly stuck in my Chicago bubble. However I do go to Cleveland or Detroit about once a month on megabus or amtrak. I haven't really made a conscious decision to be anti car it just makes more sense for the lifestyle I live and the commuting I have to do.
I got rid of my car 4 years ago and haven't missed it since. I donated it to Children Memorial Hospital and got a free lifetime membership to ZipCar for it. I think i've only used Zipcar once since though. I live in the Ukrainian Village and work in the loop so my commute is pretty easy. Grocery shopping is easy in my neighborhood and wouldn't use a car for it anyways. I rely on friends/roommates whenever i need a car for buying large things like a tv, bbq, etc... My family live in MI and I always take the Megabus. In all, i don't think owning a car in Chicago is essential, if your lifestyle can accommodate it.
Very well put.

I've never seen eye-to-eye with the "F*** cars" crowd, but I do understand the sentiment. I applaud your idea to wean people off of using cars to do everything. But they definitely aren't going anywhere any time soon. (Unless the flying car is around the corner - then they're going up in the air.) I live about a mile from the nearest Dominick's, and I'll walk to it if I'm picking up a couple things I can throw into a backpack. Sometimes even transferring lights and grabbing your bike helmet seem unnecessary to go do some errands.

Joel said:
I think it is really the only sensible approach. Even the people who don't own an automobile seem to rely on them to some extent (the UPS deliveries, taxis, iGo for bulky items, busses out of town, etc.).

There are some things bikes just aren't good at: carrying large, heavy objects (or people) quickly over a great distance. In the city of Chicago, most trips don't actually necessitate an automobile. I don't think it is effective to flat out condemn anyone for auto use. Showing people that many of their auto trips could easily be made by other modes is the right approach. There are places where transit just won't work. There are people that cannot bike. Sometimes walking isn't an option. Everyone is faced with a different circumstance.

Don't tell people to never drive. Explain that half of their trips are less than 3 miles and they almost never carry more than a single pannier worth of stuff. Those trips can be made by bike. Gradually push them down the car-reliance spectrum.

I'm getting close to selling my car, and probably would have already if I were making payments on it. A combination of iGo once every week or two, and a rental for weekends once in a while is starting to make sense. Most all of my trips are by bike otherwise. There are still times I need a car. Going to visit my parents in Michigan this weekend is a good example. There is no train service, a bus takes 3 transfers and 16 hours (vs. 3 hours by car), and a plane ticket is $200.

notoriousDUG said:
This is an excellent piece of wisdom.

I cannot be car free for several reasons but I concentrate on driving as little as possible unless I have to. It's the best I can do and tons better then driving everywhere.

Dr. Doom said:
I always compare not having a car to not eating meat. If you don't like meat, don't eat it. If you dislike factory farming, the environmental consequences of meat eating, etc. but like meat, just eat less of it, and get it from better sources.

For me, not having a car makes sense; for others, it won't. It's probably better to worry less about being car free than about driving just as much as is necessary and no more. Car use is a spectrum, not an either/or.
As Joel said, it doesn't have to be a 'use them for everything or nothing' choice.

steve rulz said:
I haven't really made a conscious decision to be anti car it just makes more sense for the lifestyle I live and the commuting I have to do.
I live in the city and commute to my job in the city.I do have to commute around the city and nearby burbs.The company I work for has a Zip car account.My aunts and uncles live in the nearby suburbs,so I can take metra to visit them.I use Skype and Skype video to talk to my parents in New Mexico and now that they are on the same cell company(Verizon) we can talk for free.I am definitely not a minimalist! The money I save on not owning a car,I can spend on my girlfriends ever expanding shoe collection.When I need to move big stuff I borrow her car and then she gets new shoes.You would be surprised what big things you can carry on your bike.I also can borrow my friends car if she is not around.Then I fill up their car with gas after I am done as a thank you.It will seem really intimidating at first to go without a car,but you soon get into a car free state of mind really quick and you will start to plan things out in advance more.I think I save about $4/5,000 a year plus about another $500 bucks saved for no gym membership.That translates into a lot of shoes and some cool gadgets for me.I pay enough in taxes right now( Thank you Todd Stroger/Mayor Daley) that I don't need to give them money for a city sticker,parking tickets and money for that B.S. meter deal.Proud to be car free.
I live on the north side of the city and work all over the city as a real estate agent. My biggest challenge is dressing up for work. But I sort of have it down to a science. (That's for another discussion though...)

I sold my car about 15 months ago and have never looked back. It was a process for me, not a quick decision, but I realized that with the help of IGO, Zip, the bus, trains (CTA and Metra), cabs, my feet, friends, family, roommates and my bike, I could get by.

My dad lives near the same metra line that is 1 block from my house so getting up there is very very easy. My sister lives about 2 miles from my Metra line but I either get a ride from family or rent an IGO or Zip car. My brother lives in the city. My other sister lives halfway around the world so when I visit her I take the bus and blue line to Ohare (and of course get there MUCH faster than driving).

I am FAR from minimalist I think, but enjoy having ONE less object in my life that stressed me out. I HATE sitting in traffic, looking for parking and running out to pay a meter. I KNOW I save time by not driving 90% of the time.

Since my job requires me to be traveling around the city at night and weekends during high traffic times, and a lot of my business is in congested areas with little parking, when I don't drive (usually bike but not always), I find myself usually waiting for others to show up. I get calls all the time from agents telling me they are running late due to traffic or looking for parking. I secretly smile and think, "Ha,ha. Julie, you SO made the right decision". :))

When I need to schlep heavy objects I either put it on my rack, use my amazing trailer (thank you Martin Hazard for helping me find it), IGO, ZIP, Cab or borrow a car. I definitely cab a lot more than I used to and now don't feel guilty for "wasting" money of a cab. They are quick and easy and pretty inexpensive.

With that being said, I do have to think more about those heavy and/or bulky items like kitty litter, etc, so I tend to stock up more when I do have car in my possession.

I love being able to people watch on the bus, especially at non rush hour times.

And lastly, Zip has BMW's and Mini Coopers which are super fun to drive and my clients LOVE them!
Another benefit of being car free is that the government looses much of its control over you. Think about it the easiest way for them to exert control is by threatening your driving privileges. You can loose your license for things not even remotely related to driving. With the touch of a button they can pull your card, and turn you into a criminal, and you wouldn't even know it. Until you had contact with the police for any reason. That's another point, if you don't drive you will almost never have to deal with the cops, unless you do something really stupid. Hell I do stupid stuff all the time and get away with it. In the last 10 or so years the only run in I had with the police was resolved by giving the cabby $70 for his tail light that I had U-locked, and went on my way.
Lot of questions. I prolly wont cover them all but in short: I live in 3 different locations throughout various times of the year. I work usually work no less then an hour long bike ride from any place I might be living at. I Travel outside of my local community frequently; usual distances ranging from 9-64 miles away.
I used to own a van and I used the heck out of it. Without it there r some challenges I have to overcome that used to never be an issue. But I enjoy it non the less. Really the biggest issue I have with no longer having the van is the firewood issue when going camping... Their wood has set at insane prices, especially when I have logs from cutting a tree down last fall. I mean really? $5 for less wood then it takes to make breakfast; just insane.
I do tend to lean on the minimalist side, but that's just my opinion. Either way, the bicycle and walking help me keep my life down to a slower (and healthier) pace.
Trailers, bags, racks, trikes which include my new pedicab easily help get most any job done. And its needless to say I enjoy it more this way.

I even let my license expire... And I thought I was excited when I got the darn thing.
Side note though. I do miss those occasional late night rides through lower WI. Good times
Q: Do you work in the city or commute to the suburbs?
A: I'm doing grad school in Evanston, which I commute to on CTA or by bike. I live in Uptown.

Q:Are you otherwise required to commute to areas outside the city on a frequent basis?
A: Not required, for the most part. But my partner commutes to Highland Park twice a week and takes the Metra. She can get from Ravenswood to HP in 25 min (I don't even think that's possible by car).

Q: Is your family local and how often do you see them?
A: All out of state. Having rail access to both airports is beautiful.

Q: Would you describe your lifestyle as minimalistic?
A: Not really. Cars are bad investment (don't they lose 25% of their value when you drive them off the lot), and not driving leaves you with a lot of extra cash (and mental energy) to be spent on other things.

Q: This is the part of me wondering how I would have gotten that all-in-one printer home the other day or the cans of paint and bbq I just bought.
A: I've brought IKEA furniture on CTA no problem. But you could have it delivered or take cab if necessary. Moving and buying big things isn't a good reason to own a car.

Q: When I run my weekly errands, I get everything done in one shot. How is that possible on a bike?
A: I live less than a mile from the following things: bank, post office, multiple grocery stores, staples, specialty liquor stores, middle-eastern and mexican groceries, hardware store, Target. These are all basically walking distance. But for things that aren't- uptown is extremely well served by CTA (i can choose between 4 good N/S bus routes, the Redline, or multiple E/W routes). And, of course, biking is always an easy way to get around a 5 mile radius fast. Think about it: you NEVER have to worry about parking or traffic.

Q: Do you use car-sharing services?
A: Haven't yet. But would consider.

Q: How often would you say not owning a car creates a hindrance?
A: I can't say I've ever wished I had a car in Chicago and I've been here for 3 yrs. Except for the rare moving/purchasing furniture cases, it just never crosses my mind. The few times, however, that I've ridden with friends in the city I've been bothered by the stop/go/stop/go and the inevitable struggle to find a parking spot. I much prefer the spaciousness of a bus or a train car where I can read until my stop and walk where I need to go. ALSO- in the winter, when I'm walking to the L (1 block a way) I see people in coats scraping the ice off their freezing car and I think "why do that?". When you step onto a bus or a cta car, it's always already warm. And when you bike in the cold, your heart-rate gets up and it can be exhilarating.

Q: Do you ever feel like you are losing time in your day due to a reliance on public transportation or that it is more of a hassle?
A: I'm not sure what you mean "lose" time. Don't car drivers "lose" time in traffic, pumping gas, finding a parking spot, doing maintenance on car, etc.? CTA is great because you can read and relax; you aren't the one navigating through the nerve-wrecking traffic. Also- biking is great because you don't get bogged down in traffic (and you feel alive and more connected to your surroundings--- you notice different things and get a different view of the city). CTA is actually really great, and most of the time pretty quick- can you get from the loop to Ohare in 30 min by car at rush hour? The blueline can.
Q: Do you work in the city or commute to the suburbs?
A: Work from home, more or less.
Q:Are you otherwise required to commute to areas outside the city on a frequent basis?
A: Required no, but I make a living selling books online and alas most estate and library sales or in the suburbs. Although in my opinion the best estate sales are in the bungalow belt. I either make do with what is within biking distance or else use public transport. When I think the cost will justify it I'll use I-Go.
Q: Is your family local and how often do you see them?
A: Nope, in Buffalo. Probably wouldn't want to drive that distance anyways.

Q: Would you describe your lifestyle as minimalistic?
A: Nope. I'm a bit of a pack rat.
Q: This is the part of me wondering how I would have gotten that all-in-one printer home the other day or the cans of paint and bbq I just bought.
A: Bought a new printer a month ago and after realizing it wouldn't fit in my milk crate I took the bus.

Q: When I run my weekly errands, I get everything done in one shot. How is that possible on a bike?
A: I guess I really don't do "weekly errands" but it does help that the grocery store is 2 blocks away.

Q: Do you use car-sharing services?
A: Yep, but I've only used it form business purposes thus far. At least primarily, though sometimes I'll do a few errands while I have it.

Q: How often would you say not owning a car creates a hindrance?
A: As I said before most estate sales tend to be in the suburbs so sometimes I do have to pass up promising sales that would be just too time consuming to travel to on bike. I'm usually hesitant to use I-Go for these things given the cost and the fact that there is no guarantee I'll actually find anything to buy.

Q: Do you ever feel like you are losing time in your day due to a reliance on public transportation or that it is more of a hassle?
A: Sure I spend more time getting places sometimes, but for the most part biking time is competitive with car travel at least in the denser neighborhoods. Other times I know I'm significantly increasing my travel time but then again I'd obviously being expending quite a few hours of labor to pay for a car.

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