I'm thinking about getting rid of my car.

Just got fed up with repairs, running costs and parking problems (bloody nightmare round where I live).

I hardly ever use it in the week as I walk to work, and only occasionally at weekends.

Like a lot of people, since getting a car I've been saying "I need one", but I'm not sure if it's true, as I managed a while without one. I reckon I might be able to hire one for the odd day I really need one. And I've been thinking that I live in a city, so do I really need one.

Comments

  • Jump into the future!

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSG-ViYguJ8QLYS72bUTNvmptQCK8T8KQNEitEGe_hVYdrpI2WM7vh6LuE
  • If you barely use it then as you noted cheaper in the long run to rent one when you need one.
  • Or get a cheap motorbike/scooter. No parking problems, running costs are minimal and repairs are often quick DIY jobs.
  • I got rid of my car in 2011 after barely using it since late 2009. I'd been cycling to work since '09 as it's only 15 minutes away. Cycling was quicker (and much cheaper) than driving and finding/paying for a parking space. In the end I thought it was madness to pay £30 a month insurance (I'd paid the car off in '07) just for the car to sit on the drive or for the occasional trip to the off licence.

    The missus still has a car so that's the family car now - bet it's quite unusual these days to be a 1 car family.
  • We've only got the one and it does us OK.. The wife and I get bus passes for the month as we both work downtown and it saves us the headache of paying for fuel and parking.

    It costs $12 per day to park downtown unless you rent a spot somewhere or pay a monthly parking fee at a parkade, which makes it about $8 per day (and no guaranteed spot, you're just paying upfront to use the facilities).

    The wife just goes to her office and home and I go to a few sites that are close together, so we don't need the car to be there.

    We generally just use it evenings and weekends, so a full tank tends to last a couple of weeks.

    We could probably get away with not having one except for grocery shopping - but for the amount of times we go, we could just get a taxi home.. I don't think online grocery shopping has really taken off in Canada, so we probably can't do that.
  • Nooo...don't get rid of it. My OH has an SLK..and it's broke down about 3 times in the last 4 months..I still drive it though. On the other hand..if it's a 1981 Skoda Estelle 105...scrap it!
    I stole it off a space ship.
  • If you're anything like me I'd say drop it and get a pushbike.

    You'll miss a car when you fancy an impromptu holiday, walk, bulky shop or most visits to B&Q, but if you had half the problems I had with my last car (old type Nissan Micra that I gave away to a garage for free in the end), on balance you won't regret it :-)
  • I'm not that into cycling, and the only time I tend to drive is when I have to transport stuff so I don't think I'd replace driving with cycling. I have shops/supermarkets within walking distance so that's not a problem.

    Having said that, I'd definitely swap it for a C5...

    I might give it a go for a while and see how it goes.
    R-Tape wrote: »
    You'll miss a car when you fancy an impromptu holiday, walk

    Eh..?! :)]
  • Kaija wrote: »
    Nooo...don't get rid of it. My OH has an SLK..and it's broke down about 3 times in the last 4 months..I still drive it though. On the other hand..if it's a 1981 Skoda Estelle 105...scrap it!

    I understood nothing of that car talk, I don't drive and now at over 70, they have refused me a license anyway, blaming it on the fact that I am blind, but I think they are being ageist personally.

    Don't get rid of it yet Morkin, remember you promised to be the driver for me on my next Bank heist, I don't want to have to run away, it is not the same
    ;)
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • Well I think there's an issue with the alternator or battery or something at the moment.

    Had booked it in to take it to the garage this morning, but the sodding thing wouldn't start...

    fawlty_zpscyu45qxi.png
  • No wonder it won't work, Hitler has just given it a good thrashing with a small tree !
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • Well, I finally sold it, so am now car-less.

    It's quite liberating really, I don't have to worry about fixing anything, tax, insurance, or wondering whether someone's nicked it/smashed it up as I always had to park it so far away from the flat.

    One less expense to worry about = more beer tokens for Mr Morkin.

    Only thing is that I think I've lost my no-claims bonus.. :(
  • Morkin wrote: »
    Well, I finally sold it, so am now car-less.

    It's quite liberating really, I don't have to worry about fixing anything, tax, insurance, or wondering whether someone's nicked it/smashed it up as I always had to park it so far away from the flat.

    One less expense to worry about = more beer tokens for Mr Morkin.

    Only thing is that I think I've lost my no-claims bonus.. :(

    Isn't Bristol the car crime captial of the UK?
  • Morkin wrote: »
    Only thing is that I think I've lost my no-claims bonus.. :(

    The 'no claims bonus' is a load of pish anyway. Meaningless marketing term that makes no odds to insurance price if you shop about.
  • p13z wrote: »
    Morkin wrote: »
    Only thing is that I think I've lost my no-claims bonus.. :(

    The 'no claims bonus' is a load of pish anyway. Meaningless marketing term that makes no odds to insurance price if you shop about.

    Especially if you haven't got a car!
  • Morkin wrote: »
    Well, I finally sold it, so am now car-less.

    It's quite liberating really, I don't have to worry about fixing anything, tax, insurance, or wondering whether someone's nicked it/smashed it up as I always had to park it so far away from the flat.

    One less expense to worry about = more beer tokens for Mr Morkin.

    Only thing is that I think I've lost my no-claims bonus.. :(

    Isn't Bristol the car crime captial of the UK?

    It's possible if Psychobilly's are car thieves :))
    Every night is curry night!
  • To go slightly wonky topic!
    I think about getting rid of my combustion car for a battery car.
    Then saw the Nissan leaf prices etc!!!
    Do you think the model of autonomous cars being used like leased/rental/hire cars will mean we can all get rid of our cars?
    If it works and takes off and is affordable.
    Happy Saturday.
  • Morkin wrote: »
    Well I think there's an issue with the alternator or battery or something at the moment.

    Had booked it in to take it to the garage this morning, but the sodding thing wouldn't start...

    fawlty_zpscyu45qxi.png

    What car was it ?
    I got rid of my car in 2012 a C4 when my son was born, I go everywhere with PT, it's fine we have the wife's car which does the job being a baby tractor. I do miss real driving though sometimes, I want to buy an old shitbox for fun but can't justify it.
  • IIRC the no claims lasts for another couple of years. That was with Directline so may be insurer-specific.
  • Well I got a refund on my insurance, a massive £25 quid, and a few months tax back, so it feels good so far. Generally I can walk everywhere anyway, and am not far from train/bus stations.
    Isn't Bristol the car crime captial of the UK?

    Not sure... Used to find I got the odd scratch, or damaged wing mirror or door or something, but made a point of having nothing on show so nobody smashed a window.
    ivanb303 wrote: »
    What car was it ?

    It was a fairly old Ford KA, low mileage but about 12 years old, so I needed to replace bits here and there whenever there was an MOT.
  • I've had no qualms with getting the bus up till tonight.

    Stayed a bit later at work as I'm covering another lad's sites as well as my own while he's away on holiday, and I had to write up my paperwork so I used the computer in his office.

    I usually go to the bus stop by the library, which is closer to my office, so I can actually wait inside, it's got a big screen that shows when the buses are coming and security guards so no-one hassles you, so you can wait in there until the bus comes and you're straight on it.

    Tonight I went to this stop as it was closer to my colleague's office - it's only one stop down the line from the library, but it's less of a walk.

    I've usually gone there before around 5 and there are loads of people milling around getting on buses, so it's not so bad, but this was closer to 6. Got hassled for change by three people and I carry a big backpack for work with my tools in it and one cnut decided to try and rifle through it - I felt him touch it and turned around and he walked off and went into the bus shelter, but I took it off and looked and it had been opened - it has four sections , and he opened the one that had my lunch in it. I went through it when I got home and I'm pretty sure nothing's missing.

    I glared at him and he stood there looking shifty, but then my bus came and I figured f**k it, there's nothing worth getting knifed over in there, especially not on principal - like I'm not going to reform the ****, am I?

    Thinking I might get some of those little luggage padlocks to avoid anything like that in the future though.. I have some stuff with client data on it and I would get in crap if it went missing.

  • Put barbed wire on the zips.
    Post edited by Rebelstar without a cause on
  • I'm scared of catching a bus now after Grunaki's post... :-?
  • Morkin wrote: »
    I'm scared of catching a bus now after Grunaki's post... :-?

    They are very heavy...
  • I've been car-less for over ten years now AND I live in the country. I can find someone who wants me to buy them a tank of gas in exchange for a monthly shopping trip, I always preferred two wheels but at 70 I thought it wisest to quit whilst in one pieces, reflexes slow down, peripheral vision drops off, you need both. The very last car I drove and nearly bought was a Mercedes SSK repli-car, it was a bargain too and then I thought how much fun lying under cars fixing them isn't. Still it was a high point to exit on, lovely driving experience.
  • Morkin wrote: »
    I'm scared of catching a bus now after Grunaki's post... :-?

    They are very heavy...


    The comp.sys.sinclair crap games competition 2015
    "Let's not be childish. Let's play Spectrum games."
  • Morkin wrote: »
    I'm srcared of catching a bus now after Grunaki's post... :-?

    Yeah, I know it's not exactly much in terms of actual hassle, but it just wound me up..

    End of the day, I had worked late, it was dark (dark nights in Winter really do my head in these days) I was tired, and then I had to have unwanted interactions with people and someone tried to thieve from me.. Blegh.
  • Just make sure you knife that twat first, problem solved...
    Every night is curry night!
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