[Gustav]

The title says it all. If you don't have a car, why? Are you planning to buy one?

Living in Berlin, Germany there is almost no need to own a car and I realized less and less people my age actually do. I know the situation in the US is quite different and I would love to hear from people who don't own one and their reasoning behind this.

[wickedcapedkid]

I now live in Tokyo, Japan and also have no need to buy a car. In university I lived in Austin and also did not own a car. I found biking to be more ideal and since it was a college town it wasn't really a necessity. I took the bus if I needed to travel far. I don't think I really want a car in the future, no matter what country I live in. Driving sucks.

[Mekere]

Me. I had one when I was younger but I sold it when I moved to Paris. No use for a car in such a big city, it's just a waste of money.

[edit]I should read the title better before answering... I don't live in the US of course, so forget my message while I go back to sleep :p

[demolitio]

I now live in Tokyo, Japan and also have no need to buy a car. In university I lived in Austin and also did not own a car. I found biking to be more ideal and since it was a college town it wasn't really a necessity. I took the bus if I needed to travel far. I don't think I really want a car in the future, no matter what country I live in. Driving sucks.

That's the one thing about America though. For most people, it's very spread out and "roomy" so a car is more practical since most cities don't have a train or subway system but shitty bus routes instead. People that DO live in the big cities like New York don't really have a need for a car unless they travel outside the city a lot because everything you need is pretty close while the traffic is so bad that having a car would take longer at times but also cost a lot to park it since parking space is VERY limited.

I live in a smaller city that's considered an outside suburb of a large city so cars tend to be needed. I would bike to some places when I was younger but that's a hassle most of the time since there's not much room for biking and drivers are assholes. It depends on where you need to go and if there's room on the shoulder of the street or a sidewalk, etc. but some of the big roads that have nothing on either side and a small shoulder make it hard.

I got my car when I was 18 and that was considered to be really late since everyone had cars for school, but then again, most of the kids at the school had money from their family too...lol

Edit: Exactly to the above post.

[Zulithe]

I live in San Francisco, never owned a car and probably never will. It's really useful to know at least one person who does for special scenarios, but I don't feel the desire for one. I hate driving. One day when self-driving cars are perfected and affordable I probably will, for the first time in my life, own my own motor vehicle.

I used to live in the midwest where you could not go anywhere without a car because of how spread out things were.

Those were dark days.

[Bleepey]

not Us Gaf but I live in London, a car is a waste of money well at least for me,

[YoungHav]

Live in Manhattan. My parents sold my car and bought one for my sister. Now that I think about it, they never gave me even a penny from that sale.

[Sumidor]

I'm 28 and I just sold my car about 2 months ago, but could have sold it years ago. I live in downtown Portland, with less than a 10 minute walk to work and there's bars/restaurants/public transportation everywhere around me. Getting rid of the car was one of the best decisions I ever made. I probably only drove it 1 or 2 times a month and hated paying for insurance on it. I don't plan on getting another car unless I move to a suburb or get a job that is too far for me to walk to. There's quite a few car share options also, so if I ever reallllly need a car, I can just rent one for a few hours or a day.

[Manmademan]

I live in downtown philly. Even though I own a car I had it garaged for about 4 years or so until my job moved me an hour north to another office.

Everything here is within walking distance, or at the most a short ride on the subway, trolley, or cab. i know dozens of people in the immediate area that simply don't need or use cars.

[smurfx]

how many are 25 or older and don't know how to drive either? even if you don't own a car i think you should still learn to drive.

[Bleepey]

Never even tried, wish I did though I lost about 5 potential jobs cos of it.

[Frank Jaeger]

29yo! Have a Honda CB500 since I was 24yo which was when I started to make some money! Also have a car's driving license. I live in a small island where bicycling is almost impossible and we only have buses as public transport.

I don't expect to buy a car any time soon as I would only have a justification to do it if I had some kids, otherwise it's so goddamn expensive!

[esquire]

I got my driver's license when I was 15 and I've owned a car since I was 18. I've lived in US cities where driving was necessary as well as those where driving wasn't necessary, but it hasn't changed my view on car ownership any.

[Gustav]

how many are 25 or older and don't know how to drive either? even if you don't own a car i think you should still learn to drive.

Does this even happen in the US?

[Gordon Shumway]

Does this even happen in the US?

Lol me. DC and 36 in September.

[Gustav]

Lol me. DC and 36 in September.

How come? Never interested? Afraid of driving a car? No need?

[Gordon Shumway]

How come? Never interested? Afraid of driving a car? No need?

Honestly, just never cared. Always been a big walker/bike rider. I ride 15-20 miles almost every day just for fun (and to drop weight). I DO need to get a licence at some point. But in DC, with metro and dedicated bike lanes, a car is just pointless to me. My son will be driving before me :p

[Man]

Not US but I haven't owned a car since I was 21 (28 now). Public transport supports my needs most of the time.

[ChiTownBuffalo]

If I worked in the city, I probably wouldn't own a car. But I work in the suburbs, so I do.

[Gustav]

If I worked in the city, I probably wouldn't own a car. But I work in the suburbs, so I do.

So you live in the city but work in the suburbs?

[bubnbob]

I don't know how to drive

[Big-E]

Living in China so I have no need. Bus is roughly 15 cents if I want to take that and the starting rate for cabs is a dollar in my city. Driving here would require me to have an added stress worrying about all the idiot drivers here as well as have to worry about where the hell I could park.

[samus i am]

If you live in the city you don't need a car. If you live in suburbia you do. Simple as that.

[goodcow]

Live in New York City, so I don't have a car, or a driver's license, nor do I ever plan to get one. If I ever move away, it would be to another city with a large public transit system (America: Chicago, outside America: Tokyo, etc.).

[samus i am]

I live in DC, and I have more friends without cars, than friends with cars.

[entrement]

I have driver's license and have never owned a car. I use Zipcar for daytrips and such. I'm 31 and live in NYC. It's a total waste of money to own a car here.

[worldrevolution]

I've only been one month without a car since the age of 16 and that was waiting for some paperwork to clear in Japan. I can't live without driving, even when I lived near Manhatten, in Tokyo, or on the border of Austria. Driving is too much fun.

[Guzim]

I have a two friends who are both 24 and don't have their licenses. They also don't have jobs.

[jiji]

Sold mine when I moved to NY. Had been driving for almost 15 years before that.

[Gordon Shumway]

I live in DC, and I have more friends without cars, than friends with cars.

I get from Petworth to K St in less than 15 minutes. Takes my bud 25+ in his Dodge Challenger. Add gas to that, and you'll understand why he rides to work most days.

[Entropia]

I'm Canadian, if that makes a difference, but I'm 26 and don't own a car. I can get wherever I need mostly via transit or if my friends are headed in the same direction.

I would like one to be able to run errands on my own though, but the cost of owning a car for me right now isn't feasible.

[Gustav]

I'm Canadian, if that makes a difference, but I'm 26 and don't own a car.

At what age are you guys allowed to drive?

[entrement]

If you live in the city you don't need a car. If you live in suburbia you do. Simple as that.

I still see tons of cars in my neighborhood. It's funny how they spend sometimes up to 30 minutes looking for parking and dealing with moving their cars for the street sweepers twice week. Makes no sense to me in NYC.

[ChiTownBuffalo]

So you live in the city but work in the suburbs?

Yup. It kinda sucks.

[Lateraleye]

Piggybacking on this topic, for those without cars/live in public transit cities:

I've always wondered how people like yourselves manage to haul anything bigger than what fits in your hands. For example, transporting anything big or going to the grocery store. Do you just go to the store every day and get a bag or two at a time? I hate having to go even once a week.

[Nerfgun]

I'm not US-GAF, but CAN-GAF, in a big city. I'm 37.

Had a car for a year around 2000-1. Sold it, never looked back. Such a money sink in Toronto.

So I do a combo of regular biking + ebike, zipcar (local) / rentals (long distance driving), and subway. Very happy with this.

Lateraleye - groceries I get on the ebike (scooter style, lots of room for a few bags of food). It's all local shops so it only takes a few minutes. Anything bigger, like furniture, I book a zipcar for a few hours. Some of my friends do Grocery Gateway which delivers food to your door.

[Gustav]

Piggybacking on this topic, for those without cars/live in public transit cities: I've always wondered how people like yourselves manage to haul anything bigger than what fits in your hands. For example, transporting anything big or going to the grocery store. Do you just go to the store every day and get a bag or two at a time? I hate having to go even once a week.

My girlfriend and I usually go grocery shopping together. I carry about 3-4 bags, she carries 2-3 on our way home. It's a 5-10 minute walk, so it's not too bad.

For anything bigger (furniture, flowers for the balcony, etc.) we either get a cab or get a furniture transport. There's tons of small trucks in front of every Ikea here in Berlin that you can rent for the ride home.

[Forceatowulf]

I'm 25. No license.

Why? dat driving phobia.

I've had this problem as faaaar back as I can remember. My mom used to let my brothers and I drive around the block when we were like 13 and shit. They ALL loved it. But me? Shiiit... I couldn't wait for it to be over. Last time I got behind the wheel of the car with intent to drive was when I was 14. No joke.

[Pkm]

I live in the Jersey suburbs and a car is mandatory if you wanna live. Even tho a good chunk of people here work in NYC or Philly you at least have to drive to the train station everyday. I've prob been through 50 cars in the last 16 years.
Buses stop running at 11pm also, so even if you dont own a car public transportation is a bitch.

But living so close to NYC and Philadephia Ive driven through each city 100's if not thousands of times and think that if I did live in a city I'd own one. Dont get me wrong, some places are down right terrible to drive through during certain hours but its fun :)

[ElNino]

At what age are you guys allowed to drive?

16 (Canada). However, the process of getting your full drivers license in Canada is longer so I don't think you can drive on your own until closer to 18. Fortunately, I'm old enough that I didn't need to deal with any of that... got my 365 (learners permit) on my 16th birthday and had my full license two months later.

When I got married and moved to Toronto, we didn't buy a car for two years since we lived on the subway line and worked downtown. We rented cars on the weekend when we needed to and it really wasn't that difficult to deal with. Now that we have kids (and live in the 'burbs), it would be impossible to not have a car.

[entrement]

Piggybacking on this topic, for those without cars/live in public transit cities: I've always wondered how people like yourselves manage to haul anything bigger than what fits in your hands. For example, transporting anything big or going to the grocery store. Do you just go to the store every day and get a bag or two at a time? I hate having to go even once a week.

You learn to shop more frequently, instead of bulk shopping. I usually max out at 2 bags.

In NYC we also have a service called Fresh Direct that allows you to schedule deliveries of groceries to your apartment door.

Also due to the population density there are stores everywhere, so you are not walking miles and miles.

[Lyte Edge]

If you live in the city you don't need a car. If you live in suburbia you do. Simple as that.

Depends on the city. I live in Atlanta and you NEED a car to get around everywhere. The train system here only goes to a few places. Fortunately my job happens to be one of them and they pay for my transportation, so I get to ride for free and avoid all that nasty traffic on the way home.

I also lived in Japan for several years. While in places like Tokyo and Osaka there's no need for a car, I lived in a smaller city, Kanazawa, and a car was also a necessity. The trains only left the city to go elsewhere and the buses only went to a few select areas downtown.

[Gustav]

Depends on the city. I live in Atlanta and you NEED a car to get around everywhere. The train system here only goes to a few places. Fortunately my job happens to be one of them and they pay for my transportation, so I get to ride for free and avoid all that nasty traffic on the way home. I also lived in Japan for several years. While in places like Tokyo and Osaka there's no need for a car, I lived in a smaller city, Kanazawa, and a car was also a necessity. The trains only left the city to go elsewhere and the buses only went to a few select areas downtown.

I heard the same is true for L.A.

[gatti-man]

I now live in Tokyo, Japan and also have no need to buy a car. In university I lived in Austin and also did not own a car. I found biking to be more ideal and since it was a college town it wasn't really a necessity. I took the bus if I needed to travel far. I don't think I really want a car in the future, no matter what country I live in. Driving sucks.

You missed a LOT of austin that way. I mean a giant amount.

[ascii42]

I only live about 4.5 miles from where I work, so I could probably get by without a car. It would be miserable in the summer though. I do travel back to Florida fairly frequently, so I really wouldn't want to be without one.

[Lv99 Slacker]

Lol me. DC and 36 in September.

x2

27. Never cared to learn. Might have something to do with me being a weirdo loner (i.e., never dated, less than a handful of close friends), and living in areas (LA/NY) where getting around on public transit is doable.

[jajas2]

Well, I'm Canada-GAF, but I'm 27 and don't have a car. But I really, really want one soon. The job i'm in school for requires one, so i'm in the market for something cheap (but classy) right now. I actually like those older generation Hyundai Sonatas, the ones that look like like rip-off Mercedes.

[Chromax]

I'll be taking my road test in 1 hour...

[Gustav]

I'll be taking my road test in 1 hour...

Good luck!

[~Devil Trigger~]

me

but then, i live in NYC so its not too terrible.