You are right, few people are aware how high the costs of just owning a car are. Fortunately, here in Europe, a car isn't mandatory everywhere. While there are

You are right, few people are aware how high the costs of just owning a car are. Fortunately, here in Europe, a car isn't mandatory everywhere. While there are remote locations in the countryside where you really want a car, a large part of the population can get by quite well with public transport. And once you got rid of your car, you save so much money that you can easily afford to occasionally call a taxi, if a car is absolutely needed.