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

nickyhutch

I don't fly very often at all - last time was 3 years ago, and 3 years before that. That last time was to see my Dad in Spain; I wont be flying any time in the near future. I have one child. I recycle EVERYTHING I can. I reuse EVERYTHING I can. I buy my clothes/books/allsorts from charity shops. I donate to charities, regularly. I don't have a garden so can't grow food, but am on an allotment waiting list. I buy fairtrade and organic and free range wherever possible. I cook and use processed foods infrequently. I use as little gas and electricity and water as possible, and not just because of the cost. I keep car travel down to a minimum, and not just because of the cost. We plan trips at work so that we do as little mileage as possible. I'd have hens if I had the land. I'm not veggie (was for 15 years) but we don't eat much meat. Anything else?

nickyhutch

ceridwen wrote: »

No comment.....

That makes a change.

KxMx

Oh and we even managed without a car living in the country with buses every 2 hours that stopped at 6pm (although it was a total mistake to move there without one!).

To the OP, when you don't have a car, you go where the bus goes. So you would have had to arrange all services like Drs, supermarket etc where you could get to, which is quite possible.

NEH

HappyMJ wrote: »

All the private hire firms around here charge that. Minimum charge £3 plus 50p for every half mile over 2 miles. So it's about £1 per mile plus £1 flagfall. You can get private hire firms in reverse so if your small village only has one uncompetitive company then ring one up in the town that you are going to and they'll send one to you for half the price. Every town I've ever been to charges about the same. Hackney Carriage is the most expensive and the maximum local rate set by the local council is £1.85 per mile.

Not sure where in North Yorkshire you are but a quick google search reveals many private hire firms advertising on the internet for around £1.20 per mile in North Yorkshire. You need to shop around get on the phone and get them to compete with each other.

It's my mum that lives in North Yorkshire, i live in on the Moray Coast Last time i could afford a taxi it was in Aberdeen, £13 to go about 4 miles....

and North Yorkshire is a huge place, there is two decent cab firms in my mum's village so not much competition and not much price difference between them...

ceridwen wrote: »

I DO understand where you are coming from.

I know that I am "allowed" a bit more of certain things - precisely BECAUSE I am so darn "good" in some other ways - ie I dont have more than 2 children (in fact I dont have any at all), I dont fly, I'm vegetarian, etc, etc, etc.....

I think the problem lies with people who don't do any of these things - but STILL drive cars - even when they dont need to...

I simply don't know what to do about those people who simply don't CARE and never will - no matter what you/I/anyone else says or does....it just makes me want to go back to bed and never ever get up again at the mere thought that some people just simply DON'T give a damn...I just try not to think about that attitude for any longer than I can help - because I WOULD go back to bed and think "Blow everything and everyone - why should I bother in the circumstances?...... It IS very frustrating - and I personally would welcome all suggestions as to how to cope with the fact of TRYING to "do one's bit" and then having to face the fact that a lot of people simply DONT care...

So because i haven't got kids, i don't fly currently i'm wrong to need car :rotfl:

If there was a reliable bus service then yes i might use it a bit more often, if the trains weren't two hours apart then i might use them more too....I would certainly take the train more for longer distances if it didn't take so long and the line was electrified and dual tracked and they provided more than one direct train south a day....

you're also forgetting that some of us folks with long term illnesses/disabilities do need a car, whilst it's great that folks like KxMX can manage with ill health and all those bus journeys, some of us don't have the energy or if we did we'd be so exausted by the time we got there we would have to come straight home again...

Personally i have known people to go for the long journey i mentioned earlier for chemo and do you honestly think you could ask the bus to stop because you're violently ill and need a toilet...

KxMx

NEH wrote: »

you're also forgetting that some of us folks with long term illnesses/disabilities do need a car, whilst it's great that folks like KxMX can manage with ill health and all those bus journeys, some of us don't have the energy or if we did we'd be so exausted by the time we got there we would have to come straight home again...

Personally i have known people to go for the long journey i mentioned earlier for chemo and do you honestly think you could ask the bus to stop because you're violently ill and need a toilet...

I have to manage so I do, I don't have a choice. I assure you it does wear me out but there is no other option for me!

I would love to be able to drive or have someone who can give me lifts but since neither of those happen I have no choice but to manage with buses and taxis.

Since October when health really crashed have had to give alot up. At the moment I can only do trips into town (10 mins on bus with all toilets along route known!) for essentials or Hospital, had to give up visiting the relatives I mentioned for now. And had to use taxis alot more and can't really afford it, but I have to.

MrsE_2

KxMx wrote: »

Oh and we even managed without a car living in the country with buses every 2 hours that stopped at 6pm (although it was a total mistake to move there without one!).

To the OP, when you don't have a car, you go where the bus goes. So you would have had to arrange all services like Drs, supermarket etc where you could get to, which is quite possible.

Except the most important one........

Work;)

Not all of us are lucky enough that we can all get a job where we can get a bus to:cool:

KxMx

That's a good point MrsE but Mum had to look for work only where she could get to by bus and was successful after 2 years.

Not all of us are lucky enough to be able to seek work without area restrictions!

MrsE_2

KxMx wrote: »

That's a good point MrsE but Mum had to look for work only where she could get to by bus and was successful after 2 years.

Not all of us are lucky enough to be able to seek work without area restrictions!

Not all of us can afford to be so choosy about where we work;)

onlyroz

brighthair wrote: »

not at 3am it isn't

Surely, 3 AM is the safest time to ride a bike? Less mad car drivers out there trying to kill you for a start...

tooldle

I used to work for the NHS. They do offer interest free loans to allow staff to purchase a bike. This is not a local trust scheme, but offered to all NHS workers. USually mentioned at induction, the payments are collected back through payroll.