You don't have to live in the deepest countryside to need a car!

andrealm

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I have no idea why you think this. Although I drive now, I've worked quite easily as a non driver on the Isle of Wight, in Shrewsbury, Hertfordshire, Windsor and Surrey. I've even managed perfectly well in rural South Shropshire, although my husband ran a car when we lived there.

Yes, I've worked as a non driver too, but I appreciate that there are certain jobs that you need a car for, as it wouldn't be practical otherwise, such as a health visitor or an estate agent, who would be expected to travel to many different clients in the cours of the day. I've always had to consider how I would travel to work, and a journey of 30 mins by car can take 2 hours by public transport. This wouldn't always be a very practical arrangement for someone who had to collect children from an after school club for instance.

RAS

When I worked in a city, I travelled to all sites by public transport, including several in rural locations 10 miles away. It just meant knowing my timetables and planning my neetings. I used to work on the bus in transit. One day I bet my boss, who was taking the car, that it was no quicker. She was walking out of the car park to cross the road as I got the the gate, at almost exactly the same time. After that she relaxed about my using public transport.

In my new job, the sites were all over the county and public transport required a lot of changes on intermittent services, so I used a car during the week.

Now, I work from one site with good public transport links even if it is a long commute. It is not always reliable; people dive under trains and nick signal cables, but neither are cars when they get stuck in a 3 hours tailback on the motorway. In practice, if things go desparately pear-shaped on either bus or trains, there are alternatives which get me there even if a little late. Better a circuitous route than stuck for three hours.

nickyhutch

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

And you're missing my point!

You've made certain life choices based on running a car. If you didn't drive, those choices (where you live, where you work, where you shop etc.) would be different and you'd be able to manage.

I do see your point. I'm defending my current position, though. Those choices - where I work and live - were made years ago. I've lived here for 20 years or so, and the choice was made based on the fact that I'd always loved this village as a child. I worked even further away then, and still didn't get the train, even though it would have been a 5 minute drive to the station and a 20 minute trip on the train. The reason? Because both my then husband and I worked in the same place and it was cheaper to use a car than pay 2 lots of rail fare.

If I was to try to find a job within one bus trip, earning what I need to earn, I'd struggle.

RAS

nickyhutch wrote: »

The reason? Because both my then husband and I worked in the same place and it was cheaper to use a car than pay 2 lots of rail fare.

The big advantage of public transport for me is that my pass costs less than £1000 p.a to cover all my work and private rail and bus travel in a wide area.

That is 40% of the cost of daily tickets for my commute. And running a car would cost more as well.

TooDee

andrealm wrote: »

Why do I have a strong suspicion that nearly everyone who thinks travelling by public transport is always a practical option lives in London or another large city?;)

Not at all, i've lived in rural Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Cornwall and never felt the need to learn to drive.

The only city i've ever lived in was Bristol, 2 minutes walk from my work. I love the place but hated living in the city. Now I live back in the countryside and have an hour or more journey to work but couldn't be happier.

If I was to drive to work it wouldn't be any quicker as the nearest free parking is atleast 10 minutes walk from town and it takes 45 minutes plus to drive into town so i'm better off getting the bus that gets to use the bus lanes and drops me off almost outside my work.

I know theres people that do really need to drive for there work but there are plenty of people who don't and could easily get the bus. If more people got the bus there would be less traffic jams, more buses and everyone would get to work a little quicker.

I'd never heard that maggie Thatcher quote before so looked it up
'A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure.'
Who knew I could hate that woman even more than I do already. Clueless totally.

I find it very plesant getting the bus, I get more time to read and expand my learning or a bit of crocheting. I used to always nod off on the bus to and still sometimes manage to get an extra 20 minute kip. Bet you can't do that in your cars.

Oldernotwiser

andrealm wrote: »

Yes, I've worked as a non driver too, but I appreciate that there are certain jobs that you need a car for, as it wouldn't be practical otherwise, such as a health visitor or an estate agent, who would be expected to travel to many different clients in the cours of the day..

I don't think that anybody's ever denied that there are some jobs where a car is essential, just not as many as some people seem to think.

piratefairy

I must admit I have skipped a few pages in the middle of this thread, but I have to disagree with those who say that most people should be able to function without a car.
For work, I live in the same town, so I can cycle when I have nothing else to drive to before / after. However, some days I drive because I volunteer at two different guides units, one is 20 miles away from my town, and there is no public transport option between the two after 6pm. The other is 12 miles away, and again, no public transport option back to my home afterwards.
In addition, working at a nightclub at weekends and some nights a week, there is no safe public transport option for finishing work at 3 or 4am and making a 30minute walk home to the other side of town. I coudl get a taxi, but at that time, the fare would be a lot more costly than running a car.

nickyhutch

RAS wrote: »

The big advantage of public transport for me is that my pass costs less than £1000 p.a to cover all my work and private rail and bus travel in a wide area.

That is 40% of the cost of daily tickets for my commute. And running a car would cost more as well.

But running a car means you can use it for other things, too. I don't have a car just because I need it for work - I'd have one anyway. I'm not green enough to not want the convenience of having a car, and the freedom it gives me.

onlyroz

TooDee wrote: »

I'd never heard that maggie Thatcher quote before so looked it up
'A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure.'
Who knew I could hate that woman even more than I do already. Clueless totally.

My god, did the mad old bat really say that? :eek:
I certainly think that it's possible to get by in a fullfilling job using just public transport. However, doing this means you have to make very careful choices about where you live, where you shop and where you send your kids to school. I would certainly prefer to get public transport into work, or cycle, but currently it is much more convenient for me to use a combination of car and bicycle - because I have two kids to drop off in different locations each morning (one at 8:15 AM and the other at 8:45 AM), and my boss wants me at my desk by 9:30 AM. I just wouldn't be able to do this using public transport.

I do think that people should make a more concerted effort to bus/train/bike/walk themselves into work. I am sure that there are plenty who could do this perfectly well and in a reasonable time-frame, but who choose not to.

nickyhutch

TooDee wrote: »

I find it very plesant getting the bus, I get more time to read and expand my learning or a bit of crocheting. I used to always nod off on the bus to and still sometimes manage to get an extra 20 minute kip. Bet you can't do that in your cars.

On the bus, you can't call in the shop for a pint of milk, pick your child up from his friend's house which isn't on the bus route, drop in to see elderly mum-in-law, set off when YOU want, leave when YOU want, go the way YOU want. I can expand my learning if I want by listening to the radio or audio books. I don't have to listen to what Chantelle got up to last night with her boyfriend or what Tyler thinks about Torres' transfer to Chelsea. I don't risk whiplash or bashing my teeth on the seat in front every time the driver slaps the brakes on. I don't have to stand in the rain waiting for the late bus/train, getting me and my work stuff wetter and wetter. I don't have to ring my boss to say I'm going to be late, again, because the bus hasn't turned up, or the train was full.

I'm sorry - I like spending time how I want to spend it rather than sat on a bus or walking for a bus or waiting for a bus.