I have to use a car to go anywhere except the mailbox. It's my main complaint, okay one of three main complaints. A little.less than 24-hours in Chicago and I was already imagining what it would be like to ditch the car payment and the ridiculous cost of auto insurance. What a complete scam.
That was my life in San Francisco. And, after spending a week there, Melisse and I had the same types of feelings as you did when you came back from Chicago. You'll get there! Probably not long after us.
The greatest thing about leaving the Vancouver area was leaving traffic behind. My community has one person-controlled light for crossing the street - and that's it. The idea that people spend an hour or more each day, each way, stuck in traffic jams is beyond belief. There simply has to be better ways of getting people where they need to be. . . . but your idea of not having a license seems very bold to me. Do they have car-shares in Spain?
They do. More than enough. And everything is walkable. The City bike share costs less for a year than ours probably does for a month. Of course, there's great and abundant public transportation.
When Melisse's CA license expires she'll get a Spanish one, but only to rent a car for road trips.
Edit: I was correct. The LA bike share program, which is tantamount to a death wish, costs $150/year. Valencia is 29 euros a year and you're less likely to die or be the victim of road rage. Both are 30 minutes free then an additional charge thereafter. They're not meant to be all-day affairs.
I see - so Melisse will still be able to drive. Makes sense to me to retain the ability to rent or share a car for those times when a car just makes the most sense.
I hate traffic with a passion. I agree - why do we put ourselves in little metal cages and waste so much time every day? 😒 Not surprising that more and more people are working remotely.
Really it's the inefficiency of it all and, more so, the idea that we keep going with the status quo that blows my mind. Like, in most places, we don't even poorly address the problem.
Bryan and I have not commuted for work since 2012 when we moved to Seattle from the suburbs. Since then, we’ve always managed to work from home or take the bus. Both of our kids were raised taking public transportation, and my 19yo has chosen to not even get a driver’s license. I would probably feel a lot different about living here if I spent more time in the car.
Still need the car for our hobbies: skiing and golf. In Switzerland we have a great public transport set up and we use it. Car sharing gaining traction too.
In South Africa, Uber is a proxy for public transport. There are very few reliable trains and buses. We will still need a car but will be avoiding all that peak traffic.
In the U.S., pretty much the entirety of outdoor space (excepting "wilderness") is designed for and around the efficiency of automobile traffic. Which of course results in pedestrian/cyclist death statistics that are the highest (and climbing!!!) in the developed world. It is utter insanity, but no U.S. politician would ever work to change this status quo, as car culture is so ingrained in the U.S. psyche that doing so would be political suicide. One of the many reasons that makes me glad that I moved to Mexico, and divested in automobile ownership.
I appreciate the laugh I got from this article. It is so true. I have a CDL license which I pay yearly and dearly for. I drive to work, get in a truck, drive/haul equipment to the job site which is a location of freeway/bridge, work on the roads/bridges, get back in my truck, haul the equipment back to the yard, get in my car, drive home. Rinse and repeat. God help me, I am insane!
I have to use a car to go anywhere except the mailbox. It's my main complaint, okay one of three main complaints. A little.less than 24-hours in Chicago and I was already imagining what it would be like to ditch the car payment and the ridiculous cost of auto insurance. What a complete scam.
That was my life in San Francisco. And, after spending a week there, Melisse and I had the same types of feelings as you did when you came back from Chicago. You'll get there! Probably not long after us.
You're right. It's a scam.
I’ve gone license- (and of course car-) free in Spain. 👍 I’ve driven enough. 🙄
Me encanta. ¿Donde vives en España? Me olvidé.
Vivo en Málaga y estoy muy, muy feliz aquí. Ahora llevo nueve meses en España. 😃
The greatest thing about leaving the Vancouver area was leaving traffic behind. My community has one person-controlled light for crossing the street - and that's it. The idea that people spend an hour or more each day, each way, stuck in traffic jams is beyond belief. There simply has to be better ways of getting people where they need to be. . . . but your idea of not having a license seems very bold to me. Do they have car-shares in Spain?
They do. More than enough. And everything is walkable. The City bike share costs less for a year than ours probably does for a month. Of course, there's great and abundant public transportation.
When Melisse's CA license expires she'll get a Spanish one, but only to rent a car for road trips.
Edit: I was correct. The LA bike share program, which is tantamount to a death wish, costs $150/year. Valencia is 29 euros a year and you're less likely to die or be the victim of road rage. Both are 30 minutes free then an additional charge thereafter. They're not meant to be all-day affairs.
I see - so Melisse will still be able to drive. Makes sense to me to retain the ability to rent or share a car for those times when a car just makes the most sense.
I hate traffic with a passion. I agree - why do we put ourselves in little metal cages and waste so much time every day? 😒 Not surprising that more and more people are working remotely.
Really it's the inefficiency of it all and, more so, the idea that we keep going with the status quo that blows my mind. Like, in most places, we don't even poorly address the problem.
Agreed. The winds of change blow slowly...unless there's money in it for someone....😏.
¡Exactamente! Es hora de decir adiós a Estados Unidos.
Best of luck!! Good choice in a change of country, if you ask me! :)
Bryan and I have not commuted for work since 2012 when we moved to Seattle from the suburbs. Since then, we’ve always managed to work from home or take the bus. Both of our kids were raised taking public transportation, and my 19yo has chosen to not even get a driver’s license. I would probably feel a lot different about living here if I spent more time in the car.
We too like to avoid driving too much.
Still need the car for our hobbies: skiing and golf. In Switzerland we have a great public transport set up and we use it. Car sharing gaining traction too.
In South Africa, Uber is a proxy for public transport. There are very few reliable trains and buses. We will still need a car but will be avoiding all that peak traffic.
I am so thankful I moved to a country with a world-class public transportation system. I haven’t owned a car in 20 years and probably never will.
In the U.S., pretty much the entirety of outdoor space (excepting "wilderness") is designed for and around the efficiency of automobile traffic. Which of course results in pedestrian/cyclist death statistics that are the highest (and climbing!!!) in the developed world. It is utter insanity, but no U.S. politician would ever work to change this status quo, as car culture is so ingrained in the U.S. psyche that doing so would be political suicide. One of the many reasons that makes me glad that I moved to Mexico, and divested in automobile ownership.
I appreciate the laugh I got from this article. It is so true. I have a CDL license which I pay yearly and dearly for. I drive to work, get in a truck, drive/haul equipment to the job site which is a location of freeway/bridge, work on the roads/bridges, get back in my truck, haul the equipment back to the yard, get in my car, drive home. Rinse and repeat. God help me, I am insane!