please empty your brain below
I bought that car you sold 5 years ago. It was rubbish. Gone back to motorbikes. Live fast and die relatively middleaged.

StrandMan | 21.09.06 - 8:33 a.m. | #

This should be encouraged.
Could you please lead a world wide movement.
I need a tranquil workplace...

dodderyoldfart | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 9:03 a.m. | #

So be it. You shall be unable to flee when Voltan's army of venomous monkies overruns London. There shall be smiting! There shall be biting! There shall be no mercy!

Voltan | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 9:19 a.m. | #

I wonder if DG will reveal what he does with the 'absolute fortune' he's saved.

Great Aunt Annie | 21.09.06 - 9:37 a.m. | #

Indeed, sitting next to people on the buses is not to be sniffed at. In fact it's almost positivley fashionable now! But more importantly for me, it's better "me" time than driving.

Jag | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 10:06 a.m. | #

I'd love to travel to work by bus but I'd need three of them and several hours or two tube trains. So I sit in my metal box with a million other people in their metal boxes.

Essexgirl | 21.09.06 - 10:45 a.m. | #

I left my car behind and take a Segway into work. Fuel cost = 5p pence for a 6 mile journey.

marc | 21.09.06 - 11:12 a.m. | #

Your last point says it all. Ruralsville to BigCity. I work locally enough to be able to walk to work and could accomplish shopping on foot if necessary. But I need my car for other journeys because local transport doesn't hack it.

GoodTwin | 21.09.06 - 11:13 a.m. | #

I was shocked by this posting... Barley Sugar?

I see you more of a mint humbug man. Or perhaps chocolate limes.

Matthew Guy | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 11:27 a.m. | #

I scooter.
In fact, I scooter right past your gaff every day.
Any chance of a photo of the sensational, apocalyptic, nocturnal roadworks currently transfiguring Bow Rd?

Christie | 21.09.06 - 11:48 a.m. | #

As an Australian I can't be without a car. We almost have one car per adult.

I recently sold my second car and now exclusively drive my stonking big V8 around Hackney(London).

Screw the planet, what's it done for me lately?

Uncle Hunty | 21.09.06 - 11:59 a.m. | #

Yeah, it's funny. My non-London dwelling friends think I'm a freak because I don't have a car.

Michael | 21.09.06 - 12:21 p.m. | #

BUT BUT What about Maggie's ascertion that "A man riding a bus (to work) at age 26 may count himself a failure"?

When did we stop listening and believing what we are told?

City Slicker | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 12:22 p.m. | #

Sold mine when I left Canada for here. Though I *do* miss the car, it's more because it was a nice car than anything else. I've no plans to buy one here, although I have just applied for a learner's license so I can join one of those car-sharing thingies.

Chz | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 12:24 p.m. | #

What DG does with the fortune he's saved is spend it on Oysters and rent.

ian | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 12:34 p.m. | #

I went the opposite direction, born and bred in London. No need for a car with a wonderful public transport system (please don't moan in London about how crap it is, because compared to the sticks it's bliss). To the Calder Valley in W Yorks. Where buses were every 30 minutes, trains to Manchester every half an hour. I tried public transport, but when the bus doesn't connect with the first train to Manchester you start to become dishearten. Then when you have to get your partner to hospital to give birth to your second child and she is the only one who can drive, you have to get on that financial treadmill of tax, insurance, maintenance and learn to drive and have two cars! Now my second child has grown up and is looking at cars, because even though we are now in the beautiful south sticksville Public transport is still non existant. If only it was there then I wouldn't drive to work and give my car up.

Big Al | 21.09.06 - 1:36 p.m. | #

Great post.

I get asked all the time why I don't drive, and the answer is that aside from the fact that I hate it, there is absolutely no point - congestion charging, tax, insurance, repairs and MOT, buying a car, paying for lessonzzzz.

I would rather take a taxi to work than spend hours cooped up with smelly people who cough and spread Ebola/bird flu but until I can afford it (and I can barely afford my Oystercard) then public transport it will be.

Someone once told my ex that to really be a man in London, you needed a car - hmmm, I must have missed that biology lesson...

China Blue | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 3:00 p.m. | #

I've never owned a car. When I was still living in rural bliss I was also at school, living at home and had access to the parental vehicles. Then Oxford (where the bicycle beats the car any day), Hong Kong (where owning a car is way too expensive, public transport is amazing and taxis are cheap) and finally London (no car for all the reasons above).

Cal | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 4:30 p.m. | #

My country gives tax benefits to those who purchase hybrid cars, but someone like me who doesn't own a car gets squat! And I, like you, made that choice! Rock on.

ellie | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 6:07 p.m. | #

I live in Stoke-on-Trent - a car is essential to escape!

Rob | 21.09.06 - 7:54 p.m. | #

Could I give you a lift anywhere?

Dave Hill | Homepage | 21.09.06 - 10:39 p.m. | #

Inherited car. Eek what do I do with this - would be rude to sell it, respect for the deceased and all that...[one year later]...got job which needed car...[2 years pass]...Had big rant at boss who said eek back and sorted out access to a pool car. Hurrah! Asked mother if she wanted my car - 'oh no it's far to small/Japanese/automatic'. OK then will you babysit it on your drive? OK then...[2 weeks later]...Can I have it after all? More hurrah! Now a very happy and better off train commuter, fold-up cyclist and car club member. Hurrah for not owning a car! (and I don't even live in London)

Libby | 21.09.06 - 11:14 p.m. | #

I sold my car five months ago when I moved from Atlanta to New York. Talk about a burden lifted! You're right - don't care about gas prices, insurance premiums, service/repair, parking spaces. Was back in Atlanta a few weeks ago, had a rental car and was forever getting stuck in traffic - aargh! Glad to not have to face that every day.

MaryB | Homepage | 22.09.06 - 4:09 p.m. | #











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