Do you really need a car?

Dr Crayfish

Now I know a lot of people have no other way of getting to work and stuff, but I think there are a lot of people clogging the roads every day that don't really need to be. There's a girl at work who has started driving in from Finglas every day, we work in the city centre, and is quite happy to sit in ridiculous traffic for an hour or more every morning. Single occupancy too. This isn't an isolated case in my work either, quite a few people do it. I used to live out that way and bus took about 30 mins max into town even at rush hour.
She earns way less than me and must be paying 1000s in insurance. Why are people so adamant to be driving? I have use of a family car when I need it, which I may use once every week or two to go for a spin but that's about all. I usually regret it as Saturday and Sunday afternoons can sometimes be really clogged on the roads with arseholes (like me) driving around aimlessly.
I cycle to work most days, and nearly all the cars seem to only have one person in them. I remember talking to a girl online a few months ago who drove into town every morning from Artane ffs! That's about 6km, you could walk it in less than an hour. She said she didn't mind sitting in the traffic for ages because it was nice and warm.
This kind of thing almost makes me favour a congestion charge in Dublin, if the money was put to good use to get the roads flowing.
So could you do without your car? And how are people willing to pay these mental insurance prices?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

No I'd be lost without mine.

Dr Crayfish

LexieOnRale wrote: »

No I'd be lost without mine.

You're that reliant on sat nav?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

You're that reliant on sat nav?

Yes

Dr Crayfish

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Yes

Wonderful contributions so far, keep them coming

Pac1Man

Some people just like cars. They are not only an appliance although the plethora of diesel show ponies would lead you to think otherwise.

Get yourself a Mk.1 MR2 and head up to the Sally Gap OP. Up and back for your sins.

Arcade_Tryer

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

This kind of thing almost makes me favour a congestion charge in Dublin

Can't drive! Won't drive!

diomed

So you want to tax other people. Nobody thinks like that ever.

Dr Crayfish

Pac1Man wrote: »

Some people just like cars. They are not only an appliance although the plethora of diesel show ponies would lead you to think otherwise.

Get yourself a Mk.1 MR2 and head up to the Sally Gap OP. Up and back for your sins.

I don't understand about 3/4 of that. Should we not be encouraging ways of getting people out of cars though? It would hardly be feasible for every adult to have a car on the road! I know we don't have the infrastructure for it now but hopefully one day!

Dr Crayfish

diomed wrote: »

So you want to tax other people. Nobody thinks like that ever.

No but for people who need to drive to town, trades people etc, the roads are only going to get worse and worse, maybe discouraging single occupancy drivers on certain routes that don't need their car for their job and are served well with transport may be something that needs to be looked at.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I'm a country bumpkin and so have zero choice and need a car for getting to work, bringing kids to school etc etc

myshirt

Public transport is an inferior good, as economists would define it.

pudzey101

no , thats why i got myself a motorcycle , best of both worlds , no sitting in traffic, no parking fees , cheap tax ... list goes on .

Dr Crayfish

pudzey101 wrote: »

no , thats why i got myself a motorcycle , best of both worlds , no sitting in traffic, no parking fees , cheap tax ... list goes on .

Yes, good man, I really don't understand why more people don't use motorbikes and scooters and electric bicycles. So much faster and economical.

keano_afc

Depends where you live. In Dublin you may get away with relying on public transport but if you live in Not Dublin a car is pretty much essential.

beauf

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I don't understand about 3/4 of that. Should we not be encouraging ways of getting people out of cars though? It would hardly be feasible for every adult to have a car on the road! I know we don't have the infrastructure for it now but hopefully one day!

He means.

Some people like driving, like taking a sports car up the twisty mountains roads.

Some people look at cars for more than just transport.

Cortina_MK_IV

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

Yes, good man, I really don't understand why more people don't use motorbikes and scooters and electric bicycles. So much faster and economical.

Dublin in the future.

Ursus Horribilis

Yes. Besides there not being any public transport near where I live, I'd have to be given a very very compelling case to get rid of my wheels. Though on the other hand, maybe I'm better off with no public transport near me. It keeps the rheumy-eyed junkies confined to Dublin Bus and away from us out in the sthicks.

Dr Crayfish

Cortina_MK_IV wrote: »

Dublin in the future.

Well I'd rather that than sitting in a car park that's not moving every morning like it is in parts of Ireland!

beauf

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

... but I think there are a lot of people clogging the roads every day that don't really need to be...

I know someone who drives 30 mins in heavy traffic to work. Hes a 15 min walk at most from work.

A lot of people will take the laziest option. Its human nature. They will have to be forced out of their cars.

Beyondgone

Need? Need? It stops my ar5e dragging on the tarmac and has 250hp. There's no need involved. It's compulsory. I'd rather give up oxygen as being "unnecessary".

myshirt

I reckon we need to go back to horses.

bilbot79

I think it's common for people who feel like they're being looked at on public transport or are anxious about being approached by nasty strangers to be happy sitting in traffic jams in the security blanket of their own car

I live in rural Ireland, so obviously yes, we need two cars like most households around here.

Jack the Stripper

Deleted User wrote: »

I live in rural Ireland, so obviously yes, we need two cars like most households around here.

Do ye drive in convey or what?

Skylinehead

keano_afc wrote: »

Depends where you live. In Dublin you may get away with relying on public transport but if you live in Not Dublin a car is pretty much essential.

I live in Dublin and I'd be lost without the car. 3 hours commute vs half an hour isn't much of a contest.

.........

Another detached from Ireland Dub, who can't understand why the rest of Ireland doesn't just take the Luas, or the train, or Dublin Bus, or just walk. :rolleyes:

The Backwards Man

If I was in charge of the world there would be a complete and total ban on private car ownership, public transport for the public and leave the roads to the rest of us

Dr Crayfish

......... wrote: »

Another detached from Ireland Dub, who can't understand why the rest of Ireland doesn't just take the Luas, or the train, or Dublin Bus, or just walk. :rolleyes:

Maybe read my posts before rolling your eyes

bazz26

Take away the car and where will the Government get tax revenue in the shape of VRT/VAT on the purchase price of a vehicle, VAT & excise duty on fuel (over 60c of every ?1 in fuel is tax), VAT and levies on motor insurance premiums, tolls, motor tax, traffic fines and NCT/CVR test fees? Motorists have been bled by the government for decades in the form of taxes which go towards the cost of running the country. Lose that revenue and they will need to take it from somewhere else, ie increased income tax, etc.

Be Careful what you wish for.

Jack the Stripper

freshpopcorn wrote: »

They've a lot in common with cyclists!

Cyclists don't shiit on the roads, I have seen them urinate sideways off their bikes alright.

Wibbs

Yes. Yes I do. On a couple of levels.

jimmycrackcorm

keano_afc wrote: »

Depends where you live. In Dublin you may get away with relying on public transport but if you live in Not Dublin a car is pretty much essential.

There are a hell of a lot of people in Dublin who could cycle to work instead of driving. Much of the area from the M50 to the centre is within 15 km, 40 minutes at a leisurely pace.

Mountainsandh

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

There are a hell of a lot of people in Dublin who could cycle to work instead of driving. Much of the area from the M50 to the centre is within 15 km, 40 minutes at a leisurely pace.

I live in the countryside and a car is absolutely essential for me, so it doesn't concern me, but I think an important point is that some people's jobs require them to carry stuff.

I know I have a sizable amount of stuff to carry to work every day. If I had to take a bus, it would be a real ordeal.

Add to that the amount of people who, like me, might suffer from arthritis, a bad back, or other ailments that make it difficult to pull/carry weight for any length of time/walk, and you have another portion of users for whom the car is the better option.

Jack the Stripper

Jack the Stripper wrote: »

Do ye drive in convey or what?

Nope, wife does a round trip of about 70 miles every day for work, and I need a car for my own work, bring the baby to the minder...it would be impossible without 2 cars.

Filmer Paradise

Country type here. I & the Missus need a car each to get to work & bring the kids to school etc.

No brainer for us.

I agree with the OP though. Lots of people in the city don't need to commute in cars at all.

It's a total waste. If they're hell bent on not using the public transport on offer, why not car-pool?

Anything has to be better than crawling along at 5MPH for hours every day just to get around.

retro:electro

I think it's more to do with people feeling more secure in their cars and free from observation. After a long day at work where you've been talking to people all day, the last thing you want to do is get on a bus and perhaps see someone you know, or risk someone sitting beside you talking crap. You want to sit in your car, turn on the radio, talk to yourself, sing, fart (not me, lol) and just take your mask off and be yourself. Public transport just prolonges the social charade that you've already been a part of all day.

Lia_lia

I live in Cork city and don't really need my car for the city itself tbh. Never drive around the city in it, sure you can walk most places here. I drive to work in it because it usually takes about 7 mins (I avoid the city centre, link etc) as opposed to at least 45 mins in the bus.

The bus take so long as I have to walk to the stop, wait in traffic, and the bus stops loads of times. It goes a different route to the way I'd go in the car. I could take the bus, but the car doesn't cost me much. It's small and economical. I sometimes walk to work but it's all uphill so can be tiring in the morning, good exercise though! I couldn't cycle to work with the hills. If it was less hilly maybe.

The main reason I have the car is for when I go home to Kerry. I can't get buses to friends and family members houses out there. My Mother has a car but it's shared already between her and my brother. I also use it to visit my partner's Father and family in the country. No buses out there either.

Noveight

Living in rural Ireland. Being 6 miles from the nearest town means I definitely need my motor, would be lost without it.

Carawaystick

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

There are a hell of a lot of people in Dublin who could cycle to work instead of driving. Much of the area from the M50 to the centre is within 15 km, 40 minutes at a leisurely pace.

Assuming they work in the centre, not at the other end of the m50.
like work in Santry, Live in Sandyford....

Donald Trump

Wibbs wrote: »

Yes. Yes I do. On a couple of levels.

Ah, you work for Dublin bus?

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Cork Lass

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

There are a hell of a lot of people in Dublin who could cycle to work instead of driving. Much of the area from the M50 to the centre is within 15 km, 40 minutes at a leisurely pace.

They could, but maybe they just don't want to !!

.........

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

The total mismanagement and incompetent running of Bus Eireann has nothing to do with ordinary Bus Drivers or their union.

Filmer Paradise

anna080 wrote: »

I think it's more to do with people feeling more secure in their cars. After a long day at work where you've been talking to people all day, the last thing you want to do is get on a bus and perhaps see someone you know, or risk someone sitting beside you talking crap. You want to sit in your car, turn on the radio, talk to yourself, sing, fart (not me, lol) and just take your mask off and be yourself. Public transport just prolonges the social charade that you've already been a part of all day.

I love driving, but nothing is worth spending more time on commuting than you have to.

I did city life in the past & found it no problem to use public transport.

A 5MPH crawl in a car is just so soul destroying. I'd have to consider driving an Automatic.:eek:

Beyondgone

......... wrote: »

The total mismanagement and incompetence of Bus Eireann has nothing to do with ordinary Bus Drivers or their union.

End result is the same though. No transport. I'd rather eat grass then be without a car. I'd give up the ride quicker than I'd give up the ride.

EazyD

My job involves travelling around the country (mainly Leinster) every week so would be covering many 100's of km's. When heading to the office, I'm travelling from my home the whole length of the M50 and have to leave by 7-7.10am otherwise it will be a car park.

Frustrating really as I can guarantee a lot on it simply do not absolutely need to take the car. I hate the M50!!!! I also love my car and genuinely enjoy a backroad drive in it.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

RoisinClare6

I don't drive, very lucky to be living bang in the centre of town in carlow. So when doing shopping etc I walk if it is light enough or the help of my neighbour who also doesn't drive will help me carry them back. If it's a large shop a quick taxi home. For work my boyfriends parents drop me out and pick me up (I only work 2 days a week) it's about a 20 min drive away from home and I pay them for petrol at the end of the month. Then if I'm heading to visit my family back home in wexford it's on the bus.

Manage very easily without it and don't plan on starting. If I could get a job in the town I'd be laughing!

I will say though sometimes on really nice days I get a notion to go somewhere for the day like glendalough or the beach etc and do not have the means to get there but it's grand!

.........

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Then its high time these transport concerns were managed professionally and properly instead of constantly trying to blame ordinary employees for mismanagement's incompetency. Simple as that.