Published on 12, July, 2020
How do you get about and are you happy with your mode of transport?
I used my legs, pushbike, moped, buses and trains until 17 years ago when I got my 1st car.
Now my car has died and I don't anticipate being able to drive again, for various reasons.
I'm wanting to make the best of this - far less expense and what I find the unpleasant experience of driving and grappling with other aggressive drivers.
I might get fitter.
I do have a couple of people who would be willing to give me lifts when necessary.
Any upsides anyone can see to me being car free, but also, what about you?
ps. I no longer work, so that's a huge advantage when not having your own transport.
I like cars. They are my preferred mode of transportation. I like older cars, there's something really charming about classic cars and I have an interest in them and restoring them. I spend a lot of time at home in my workshop working on a classic car or two.
My main mode of transportation is my Ford Capri 2.0 S. Really gorgeous car. My dream car, I bought it a few years ago when it was rotten and basically did a full nut and bolt restore. It's my escape, when things are too much I can get in and drive anywhere. Sometimes down to the coast or up to the mountains. Sometimes nowhere specific, I'll just drive and see where the road takes me. I love driving. Other road users add stress but generally when I go out it's either early or late, when the roads are empty, though I am lucky enough to live in the countryside and rarely see anyone else when I go out.
I'm sorry you're no longer driving but it's good you have people who can drive you from A to B when required. Driving is essential for so many reasons these days, it's a nightmare in a way because buses don't always run. I couldn't walk to my nearest town or village shop, so if I couldn't drive anymore I would need someone to give me a lift or I'd have to move.
I've been trying online dating as well, whimpers, and to get to my girlfriend I need to drive as well, especially as she doesn't drive at the moment but she is thinking about learning.
I like walking though, a good walk always makes me feel better in myself, and living where I live I have a lot of spectacular views and wildlife to observe and sometimes photograph. There's also this great woodland track you can walk through which takes you up and then down by this stream. I took my girlfriend there last month, she really liked it and I've always liked it. It's a really calm and quiet environment but you can only get there by foot, a car wouldn't fit.
Car is my favourite mode of transportation but I like a good walk as well. A magic carpet would be nice but not at those prices!
Where I live it would be difficult not to have a car, public transport is expensive and infrequent and for me to get to my GP would be two buses, to get to the nearest big town would be two buses, I could get a train and several buses as everything in Bangor is strung out and the station isn't in the city centre.
I've never riden a bycycle, I did try to learn, but that was a bust, I just don't have the balancing skills, riding a bycycle in Wales where we frequently get gales and serious rain would be dangerous too. Likewise for riding a motorbike.
When I was younger I either hitchhiked everywhere or walked. I've hitchehiked on the island here when my car's broken down and always been picked up by people I know or have seen around.
If/when I have to give up driving then I will get a big off road mobility scooter with a trailer for when I go shopping. I don't like online food shopping, I do most of it in Lidl or Aldi which don't do delieveries anyway and the other big one has a very bad and expensive habit of only doing the smallest pack they sell of things like rice and pasta online, so you have to order multiples which is more expensive, there are a lot of things they don't sell either and my diet is limited enough without havng to give up more stuff. I also don't like the idea of others doing my shopping for me, some of the horror stories I've heard about subsitutions.especially for vegetarians, people with allergies etc, I know theres a no substitution option, but I think a full shop could end up a days shop. It's not unusual for our shops to have little stock, sometimes it's because a ferry has come in and people are stocking up for an onward journey and sometimes stock just doesn't arrive, Automated ordering can't consider things like bank holidays, so enough stock is never ordered to cope with the influx of tourists.