4 ms·

I believe that's the major reason. (Based solely on my anecdotal evidence.) Most young folks I know don't want to be car-dependent. They often cite gas prices

by jarrett 12y ago

I believe that's the major reason. (Based solely on my anecdotal evidence.) Most young folks I know don't want to be car-dependent. They often cite gas prices as the primary reason. Gas is already expensive, and the young people I know expect prices to go much, much higher. Some of them also mention exercise as a reason.

Crito 12y ago
Not having to drive back home from bars and restaurants is a big deal too. In the city I can meet up with some friends, get a meal and have a few drinks, then still get home safely. No designated drivers required.
Tiktaalik 12y ago
Your reasoning about why your friends don't want to drive may be anecdotal, but we do know for a fact that car companies are indeed struggling to get young people to buy cars.
ufmace 12y ago
For me, I'd say the core reason is that driving is inherently stressful. The whole time you're on the road, you're one mistake - yours or somebody else's - away from potentially huge property damage and massive injuries. Then you have worries about parking, getting broken into, driving drunk, servicing, etc. Seems easier to just walk.
- jarrett 12y ago
  For me personally, that's on par with gas prices as a reason not to drive. (I do it as little as possible, and rent a car when I do.)
- eqdw 12y ago
  +1 on that. I bought a car last year, and my car (at $22k) is costing way more than the expected cost of gas over a 10 year lifetime (~$12k). Gas prices aren't actually the blocker, when you take the long view. Driving, on the other hand. I grew up (and learned to drive in a city the (geographic) size of San Jose, with 700k people in the entire metro area. Living in the bay area now, I don't understand why people have cars. I can't drive to work in SF ($30/day parking is almost half what my rent is). I can't even drive, well, anywhere. Bay Bridge and 101 are both stop-and-go every time I get on them. People drive like maniacs, tailgate me, cut me off. Routinely break traffic law, creating dangerous situations I can't deal with. And then, at least in SF, the pedestrians and cyclists are ballsy motherfuckers, and it's too hard for me to track them all. Every time I go driving, I have a panic attack over either someone on the road who is going to kill me, or a pedestrian I'm going to accidentally kill. Or, I can hop on BART and walk the rest of the way. Just go in, sit (or stand, whatever), wait 20 minutes, and BAM HOLYSHIT LOOK THERE I AM. I can understand the convenience of driving, but I sure as shit can't figure out why so many people enjoy driving in a major city.
  - cbhl 12y ago
    Maybe they live far away from a BART or Caltrain station?

by jarrett 12y ago

Crito 12y ago

Not having to drive back home from bars and restaurants is a big deal too. In the city I can meet up with some friends, get a meal and have a few drinks, then still get home safely. No designated drivers required.

Tiktaalik 12y ago

Your reasoning about why your friends don't want to drive may be anecdotal, but we do know for a fact that car companies are indeed struggling to get young people to buy cars.

ufmace 12y ago

For me, I'd say the core reason is that driving is inherently stressful. The whole time you're on the road, you're one mistake - yours or somebody else's - away from potentially huge property damage and massive injuries. Then you have worries about parking, getting broken into, driving drunk, servicing, etc. Seems easier to just walk.

jarrett 12y ago
For me personally, that's on par with gas prices as a reason not to drive. (I do it as little as possible, and rent a car when I do.)
eqdw 12y ago
+1 on that. I bought a car last year, and my car (at $22k) is costing way more than the expected cost of gas over a 10 year lifetime (~$12k). Gas prices aren't actually the blocker, when you take the long view. Driving, on the other hand. I grew up (and learned to drive in a city the (geographic) size of San Jose, with 700k people in the entire metro area. Living in the bay area now, I don't understand why people have cars. I can't drive to work in SF ($30/day parking is almost half what my rent is). I can't even drive, well, anywhere. Bay Bridge and 101 are both stop-and-go every time I get on them. People drive like maniacs, tailgate me, cut me off. Routinely break traffic law, creating dangerous situations I can't deal with. And then, at least in SF, the pedestrians and cyclists are ballsy motherfuckers, and it's too hard for me to track them all. Every time I go driving, I have a panic attack over either someone on the road who is going to kill me, or a pedestrian I'm going to accidentally kill. Or, I can hop on BART and walk the rest of the way. Just go in, sit (or stand, whatever), wait 20 minutes, and BAM HOLYSHIT LOOK THERE I AM. I can understand the convenience of driving, but I sure as shit can't figure out why so many people enjoy driving in a major city.
- cbhl 12y ago
  Maybe they live far away from a BART or Caltrain station?