Youths lose interest in cars

I got a car when I turned 16. Had a few different vehicles the first 5 or so years I was driving. From about 21-27, I had a VW Jetta that I put about 130K miles on. When I finally finished school and moved to Washington, DC (about a year and a half ago), I decided to leave the Jetta at my parents place and forego having my own automobile.

I honestly wouldn't change a thing now that I don't have my own car. I can get around perfectly fine on the busses/trains, and if I need a car, I just rent one. I only have the desire to drive every 3-4 months or so.

The thing about owning a car is it's so damn expensive. $300-400 a month if you get a car in the $20,000 range. I honestly don't know how much insurance costs, but let's say $100 a month. Then you've got Gas for $100-200 a month. Oil changes every two or three months. In a city like Washington, you're going to be paying a monthly fee to park your car in a garage or pay for a street parking decal. Random maintenance when something inevitably goes wrong.

Instead, I spend about $150 a month to take public transportation. The extra money I save by not owning a car would be enough to take a vacation every couple of months (or buy stuff, or go to sporting events, or go out a lot more often...).

If I were independently wealthy, sure, I'd have my own car, but it would be a complete waste of money to buy a vehicle. Even if you buy a clunker, the maintenance, gas, oil, parking, insurance are not worth it. Also, this is random, but I place a huge value on not having to even worry about my car. It can be really stressful when you have to suddenly get work done on your vehicle. I love that it never even crosses my mind now.

 

It's a life choice, going without a car, obviously one which many are happy with.

I can't even say it ever crossed my mind. I like the fact that I don't live within walking distance of public transportation. And I couldn't bear not having the autonomy of being able to hop in the car and go wherever I want whenever I want.

The costs of driving, to me, are hand-in-hand with mortgage payment, utilities, etc. I don't consider it an option to remove the expense.

 

How many of you without cars are reporters?

If your editor says "there is a fire on Elm, go out there," do you jump on a bus or call a cab?

Or what if you cover a football game miles away with a tight deadline?

I live in an area where I have to have a car, but I'm curious how others do it.

 

I am. I don't cover sports anymore, though. Most of the stuff I cover happens during the day, and I can walk, bus, or bike to everything I cover. And if it's something incredibly urgent, I can hop in a cab.

 

Weighed against the last hundred years of petroleum and global politics and internal combustion I'm not sure you have an argument.