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I posted this because I've lived without a car for seven years, and I never would have realized how relaxing it is not to have to worry about it (though I do us

I posted this because I've lived without a car for seven years, and I never would have realized how relaxing it is not to have to worry about it (though I do use the ZipCar service). And ultimately, as we reach peak oil and energy costs rise, I would like to think that we will re-evaluate how we build cities and make them more "human-sized", which could counteract many of the negative trends we face today (obesity, lack of social community, etc.). Of course, the alternative is that we find a sufficiently cheap source of energy for our cars beyond petroleum, and we continue on building our merry suburbs -- but maybe, just maybe, it doesn't have to be that way.

fortes 17y ago
Out of curiosity, what city are you currently in? I'm currently in NYC, although I used to live in Seattle carless as well. Honestly, one of the big reasons it's easier in NYC is due to social norms. Seattle wasn't bad, but NYC is definitely a lot easier to live without a car. One of the main reasons: You're not expected to have a car. In Seattle, people just assume you have a car and are surprised when you don't -- i.e. you have to explain why you can't just make it out to some random place to pick something up, etc. In NYC no one expects you to have a car (at least not in Manhattan and most parts of BK, etc) -- so people don't make assumptions that you can get somewhere if it's not near public transit, or that you can haul something somewhere. Obviously, there are other things that make NYC quite nice for carless life (delivery services, density, flat topography to name a few).
- mediaman 17y ago
  I live in Chicago currently, which has a decent public transit system (although there's no shortage of complaints about it). I'd be interested in your experience being carless in Seattle. I might move out there at some point and it would be nice if I could maintain a similar lifestyle there.
  - fortes 17y ago
    There are only a few neighborhoods where you can do it without really inconveniencing yourself: Belltown, Capitol Hill, and Downtown (Pioneer Square / Pike's Place market area). Other neighborhoods don't have as much density or public transit coverage.
amalcon 17y ago
It's funny you should mention ZipCar. I use their service, and it's very convenient for me in some cases, but really it just reminds me of how obnoxious it is to drive around the city (I live in Boston). Before I moved into the city, I never drove within it: it was always easier (and cheaper, considering the difference in parking prices) to park at one of the several T stations at the edge of the city and ride in. When I use Zipcar, I don't get that option. I usually get there faster than I would on the T, but the time on public transit is not wasted (I can read), while the time driving is. Unfortunately there are still things the T can't do, but I find the hybrid approach works well for me. The few occasions where I do drive only remind me of how well.
jimbokun 17y ago
"which could counteract many of the negative trends we face today (obesity, lack of social community, etc.)" I had an odd serious of thoughts about your inclusion of "obesity." First, I thought of how you must be alluding to the fact that without cars, people will walk more and burn more calories. Then I thought of the study showing that almost all of the increase in obesity can be attributed to Americans eating more food over the past decades, not to exercising less. Then I wondered about how being able to throw all of your groceries in the trunk and drive them home could lead to eating more than having to carry all your food from the neighborhood store to your house. Which is interesting, but I still managed to gain weight in Brooklyn from knowing where all the best bakeries were (I got to the point of picking different bakeries for different kinds of cookies and pastries), despite not owning a car. :)
- dkarl 17y ago
  I'll give you three more reasons why going carless will help people lose weight. 1. For people who are overweight, the huffing and puffing (and in summer, the heat and sweat) would kill their appetite for a while. Plus, nobody wants to eat a heavy meal if they immediately have to walk five minutes to the metro station, possibly spend fifteen minutes standing up at the station and on the train, and then walk ten minutes home. 2. For people who are overweight, the extra effort and side effects would be a constant reminder that they're fat. Nobody wants to hold up their friends on the street or be sweaty and gross on a day when nobody else is. It's easy to eat when you can avoid thinking about the downsides, but if you're still embarrassed by pausing on the stairs at the metro station that morning and stinking up the office when you arrived, you'll have a fresh reminder of why you should pass up the free donuts in the break room. 3. Psychology. I've lost a lot of weight "through exercise" because I overeat less when I exercise. Many people who exercise regularly find that they feel miserable, and eat more, when they stop exercising for some reason (injury, time, whatever.) I feel kind of like an exercise addict -- I know I'll feel down and gain weight if I don't do it. I suspect this exercise addiction is inborn in a lot of people, not created by exposure (like addiction to crack, for example) and is therefore more of a basic human need than an addiction. Adding twenty minutes of walking to everybody's day would boost the mood of all the unwitting exercise addicts and reduce their compulsion to eat.

fortes 17y ago

Out of curiosity, what city are you currently in? I'm currently in NYC, although I used to live in Seattle carless as well. Honestly, one of the big reasons it's easier in NYC is due to social norms. Seattle wasn't bad, but NYC is definitely a lot easier to live without a car. One of the main reasons: You're not expected to have a car. In Seattle, people just assume you have a car and are surprised when you don't -- i.e. you have to explain why you can't just make it out to some random place to pick something up, etc. In NYC no one expects you to have a car (at least not in Manhattan and most parts of BK, etc) -- so people don't make assumptions that you can get somewhere if it's not near public transit, or that you can haul something somewhere. Obviously, there are other things that make NYC quite nice for carless life (delivery services, density, flat topography to name a few).

mediaman 17y ago
I live in Chicago currently, which has a decent public transit system (although there's no shortage of complaints about it). I'd be interested in your experience being carless in Seattle. I might move out there at some point and it would be nice if I could maintain a similar lifestyle there.
- fortes 17y ago
  There are only a few neighborhoods where you can do it without really inconveniencing yourself: Belltown, Capitol Hill, and Downtown (Pioneer Square / Pike's Place market area). Other neighborhoods don't have as much density or public transit coverage.

amalcon 17y ago

It's funny you should mention ZipCar. I use their service, and it's very convenient for me in some cases, but really it just reminds me of how obnoxious it is to drive around the city (I live in Boston). Before I moved into the city, I never drove within it: it was always easier (and cheaper, considering the difference in parking prices) to park at one of the several T stations at the edge of the city and ride in. When I use Zipcar, I don't get that option. I usually get there faster than I would on the T, but the time on public transit is not wasted (I can read), while the time driving is. Unfortunately there are still things the T can't do, but I find the hybrid approach works well for me. The few occasions where I do drive only remind me of how well.

jimbokun 17y ago

"which could counteract many of the negative trends we face today (obesity, lack of social community, etc.)" I had an odd serious of thoughts about your inclusion of "obesity." First, I thought of how you must be alluding to the fact that without cars, people will walk more and burn more calories. Then I thought of the study showing that almost all of the increase in obesity can be attributed to Americans eating more food over the past decades, not to exercising less. Then I wondered about how being able to throw all of your groceries in the trunk and drive them home could lead to eating more than having to carry all your food from the neighborhood store to your house. Which is interesting, but I still managed to gain weight in Brooklyn from knowing where all the best bakeries were (I got to the point of picking different bakeries for different kinds of cookies and pastries), despite not owning a car. :)

dkarl 17y ago
I'll give you three more reasons why going carless will help people lose weight. 1. For people who are overweight, the huffing and puffing (and in summer, the heat and sweat) would kill their appetite for a while. Plus, nobody wants to eat a heavy meal if they immediately have to walk five minutes to the metro station, possibly spend fifteen minutes standing up at the station and on the train, and then walk ten minutes home. 2. For people who are overweight, the extra effort and side effects would be a constant reminder that they're fat. Nobody wants to hold up their friends on the street or be sweaty and gross on a day when nobody else is. It's easy to eat when you can avoid thinking about the downsides, but if you're still embarrassed by pausing on the stairs at the metro station that morning and stinking up the office when you arrived, you'll have a fresh reminder of why you should pass up the free donuts in the break room. 3. Psychology. I've lost a lot of weight "through exercise" because I overeat less when I exercise. Many people who exercise regularly find that they feel miserable, and eat more, when they stop exercising for some reason (injury, time, whatever.) I feel kind of like an exercise addict -- I know I'll feel down and gain weight if I don't do it. I suspect this exercise addiction is inborn in a lot of people, not created by exposure (like addiction to crack, for example) and is therefore more of a basic human need than an addiction. Adding twenty minutes of walking to everybody's day would boost the mood of all the unwitting exercise addicts and reduce their compulsion to eat.