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20 votes
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He secretly changed this freeway sign, helped millions of drivers
17 votes -
I tried ditching my vehicle and doing the no-car thing. It was awful.
Those urban activists who hate cars must be nuts. Today, rather than drive my not terribly fuel efficient vehicle from my relative's house back to mine, normally an easy 2 hour 20 minute drive on...
Those urban activists who hate cars must be nuts.
Today, rather than drive my not terribly fuel efficient vehicle from my relative's house back to mine, normally an easy 2 hour 20 minute drive on divided highway, I decided to try using alternative transport.
I started out with a 45 minute walk to the highway bus station. Of course that meant carrying a fairly heavy back pack and being an old fart after awhile that got to be a pain. I spotted a Bird electric bike on my route so I rented it for the final leg of my walk saving considerable time but it cost me $8.99.
I got to the station half an hour early which meant I had the pleasure of standing beside a guy who was either drunk or just unstable. He had "All My Ex's Live in Texas" playing at full volume on his phone and was singing his lungs out. Fortunately most everyone else seemed somewhat normal.
The bus ride wasn't bad, a fairly new FLixBus with decent seats, and fortunately I didnt have to sit beside Mr. Texas. Everyone just put on their headphones or earbuds and zoned out on their phones.
But then arriving at my city, I could either Uber, which would have cost me $35, which was as much as the two hour bus ride or take public transit. After a 10 block walk to the right stop, I found the 'express' bus to my area and then had to find somewhere to buy a ticket.
Once onboard the ride was less than comfortable. The bus was not only incredibly loud and hot but the driver thought he was in Formula 1. He was pretty excitable, going hard then jamming on the brakes whenever he had the chance. 20 minutes on that bus was plenty, I can live without that pain.
Then it was another 15 minute walk to my house.
Was it fast? Definitely not. The trip took four and a half hours, almost DOUBLE the time I normally drive it in my vehicle.
Was it comfortable? Not really, no. It ranged from the hard seat of the suspension less Bird bike, to the very uncomfortable transit bus to a respite in the FlixBus and a somewhat enjoyable walk. But compared to my own car, my own music, and my own personal space, it was definitely not even close to a definition of comfortable.
Was it cheap? With the bus fare and the Bird e-bike it was about 2/3 of what my vehicle would've cost me in fuel but without the licensing, registration and maintenance, so maybe half the cost.
Was it convenient? Absolutely not. What a pain trying to figure out locations, fares, tickets and worst of all, needing a bathroom before I got on the transit bus but no place to go because every shop is locked up because of the vagrants. In a vehicle I just drive to the nearest coffee shop and buy a java to use the washroom.
Would I do it again to save money? Not a chance in hell. What an absolute pain in the ass. Slow, inconvenient, with some odd characters in my space, and not even that cheap. Never again.
Those people who hate cars must be masochists or just love hearing country songs sung badly. Ill take my vehicle every time from now on, thank you.
57 votes -
Volkswagen to invest up to $5 billion in EV maker Rivian as part of tech joint venture
20 votes -
Why not ban left turns on busy streets?
25 votes -
The anatomy of catching a car thief
11 votes -
Last summer Swedish carmaker Volvo announced it would limit UK sales to more popular SUV models – change of heart sees V60 and V90 set to return
9 votes -
Montreal becomes largest North American city to eliminate mandatory minimum parking spots
48 votes -
Single point of software failure could hamstring 15K US car dealerships for days
22 votes -
EV maker Fisker files for bankruptcy
18 votes -
BYD: China’s electric vehicle powerhouse charges into Europe
16 votes -
Brussels is gambling that tariffs on Chinese EVs are a prod, not a punch
15 votes -
EU expected to impose import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles
26 votes -
Electric cars are suddenly becoming affordable
48 votes -
The case for NYC's congestion pricing
5 votes -
Japanese automakers Toyota, Mazda, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki caught cheating on certification tests
29 votes -
Teslas can still be stolen with a cheap radio hack—despite new keyless tech
17 votes -
If you had US$50K and had to purchase a classic car, sports car, and daily driver for your budget dream garage, what vehicles would you pick?
I saw a video by Throttle House with this premise and thought it was a fun one. What three cars or trucks would you want in your budget garage? Let's assume that you can only buy vehicles legal in...
I saw a video by Throttle House with this premise and thought it was a fun one. What three cars or trucks would you want in your budget garage?
Let's assume that you can only buy vehicles legal in your country, but that there are no costs for importing. For instance, it might be illegal to import or drive a car with the steering on the opposite side as normal, so that's out. But you can import a legal car for no additional cost. Prices are today's prices, but if your prices are not in US$ then don't feel obligated to be exact down to the dollar/euro/CHF since exchange rates fluctuate. And to keep things easy, there is no VAT/sales tax.
If you'd prefer to spec out a wishlist for a country you'd like to live in (like Japan or Germany) you may do that instead, but same import rules apply. :)
For instance, my garage might look like:
Daily Driver: Subaru Outback 3.6R (2014) - $17,500 ... I'm not too familiar with the pros and cons of this spec, but this seems like a decent fit for commuting needs, unless I should look at a newer car with a lower trim?
Sports Car: Mazda RX-8 40th Anniv. (2008) - $13,000
Classic Car: Chevy Corvette (1969) - $17,500 ... I'd prefer pop-up headlights, but it says it has under 6K original miles???
Total: ~$48,000
18 votes -
How did Helsinki make transit work in the suburbs?
9 votes -
The inside story of Elon Musk’s mass firings of Tesla Supercharger staff
36 votes -
Fuel-guzzling ‘yank tanks’ face a costly future in Australia after new vehicle emissions changes approved
23 votes -
Chevrolet Malibu heads for the junkyard as GM shifts focus to electric vehicles
17 votes -
Bike brands start to adopt C-V2X to warn cyclists about cars
26 votes -
Hey GM: If you want to beat Apple, give people the buttons CarPlay can’t
35 votes -
Weak demand, new model ramp up hit Europe's automakers
5 votes -
Car tracking can enable domestic abuse. Turning it off is easier said than done.
15 votes -
The reckless policies that helped fill our streets with ridiculously large cars
39 votes -
The cycling revolution in Paris continues: Bicycle use now exceeds car use
57 votes -
How GM tricked millions of US drivers into being spied on (including me)
56 votes -
Tesla’s two million car Autopilot recall is now under US federal scrutiny
22 votes -
Ford just reported a massive loss on every electric vehicle it sold
25 votes -
GM ends OnStar driver safety program after privacy complaints
38 votes -
European Commission approves creation of an environmental zone in the city centre of Stockholm, where petrol and diesel cars will be banned entirely from 2025
25 votes -
Swedish company Scout Park has launched a mobile app where you can tip off wrongly parked cars to traffic wardens to earn money
41 votes -
Volvo is celebrating its 97th birthday with the opening of what it calls "World of Volvo" in the company's hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden
7 votes -
Why is Montreal a stolen car export hub?
5 votes -
How do I sell a car?
Found a few threads on buying cars and I'm reading though them. Looking for advice on how to sell one. Should I? I've got a GM vehicle that's just under 10 years ago, but I don't like it. It's got...
Found a few threads on buying cars and I'm reading though them. Looking for advice on how to sell one.
- Should I?
I've got a GM vehicle that's just under 10 years ago, but I don't like it. It's got so many more tiny things wrong with it than my previous cars (20 year old corolla, driven into the ground; 15 year old caravan, totalled; 30 years old Buick that gave up the ghost).....I feel like I already got the "best" years out of this GM vehicle and it's all going to be downhills from here. Am I being irrational and should I just keep driving it until it's irreparable, even if the repairs feel more and more frequent and surprising? Essentially I don't have any confidence in this vehicle and I would like to get rid of it and try again with a Honda or Toyota.
- How?
If I'm selling it, how do I lose less money doing so? Dealerships feel like snake pits to me. Craigslist/Kijiji/Facebook? Do locations matter? Can I sell a car to a dealership in a different province?
15 votes -
EV bargains to be found as Hertz sells off some of its US electric cars
31 votes -
Subaru cars phone home to 3G cellular network that no longer exists - drains battery
59 votes -
You're wrong about Aptera's car. It's ridiculously efficient (and solar powered).
24 votes -
Fisker's EV prices slashed by up to $24,000, Tesla freezes them as trades
27 votes -
US police are using GPS tracking darts to avoid dangerous pursuits
34 votes -
Nobody warned electric vehicle owners how quickly they would burn through tires
39 votes -
All the ways car dependency is wrecking us – car harm: a global review of automobility's harm to people and the environment
15 votes -
GM cuts ties with two data firms amid heated lawsuit over driver data
32 votes -
Tesla's gear-shifting problems known long before Angela Chao's death
36 votes -
Sorry. Your car will never drive you around.
27 votes -
Automakers are sharing consumers’ driving behavior with insurance companies
58 votes -
A mistake in a Tesla and a panicked final call: The death of Angela Chao
27 votes -
Shock of the old: the amazing, infuriating history of the electric car – in pictures
14 votes