• Why Millennials Are Ditching Cars And Redefining Ownership
    94 replies, posted
I'm 19 and I choose to ride my long board everywhere, because Michigan is hilly enough for it to be fun, and the rides are slow and beautiful. There's also the whole 'every minute this car is on I am just wasting away money' that I think of too.
I just like driving. So I drive. And it allows me freedom that public transportation doesn't. I can't change my mind and turn around in a train or bus. Or take a detour to have some coffee. I can in a car though. And I don't have to abide by schedules in a car. I can listen to my music loudly in the car. Etc etc.
Another great thing about a car is you can go out of town on a whim, any time you have a weekend off. No tickets, TSA, or fat guys in the seat next to you. It's a lot cheaper than a plane too.
[QUOTE=*Freezorg*;41920529]I just like driving. So I drive. And it allows me freedom that public transportation doesn't. I can't change my mind and turn around in a train or bus. Or take a detour to have some coffee. I can in a car though. And I don't have to abide by schedules in a car. I can listen to my music loudly in the car. Etc etc.[/QUOTE] And you don't have to watch your back to make sure you aren't pushed on the rails by a crazy person.
Here in the Los Angeles area you pretty much have to have a car. Sure, there are buses, but it's not very efficient. Say you get out of work at 5pm, but your bus stops at the bus stop at 5pm. So this means you beg your boss to let you out early enough to run to catch that 5pm bus or you wait for the next one at 5:45. That means not only do you waste that 45 minutes, but also that bus takes a half an hour to get you home. So it's really 1 hour and 15 minutes till you get home, when you could have driven home in a car in less than 20 minutes. Multiply that twice a day(going to work and coming home) and five days a week for the whole year and look at the time you are losing. Time is money.
yeah the only reason us millennials are ditching cars is because college is putting us out tens of thousands of dollars right from the get-go it's so obvious why we're choosing public transportation, because it isn't fuckin priced through the roof like most aspects of life in the USA
Never been a fan of using public transit. I can understand in Europe where population seems to be more concentrated and in big urban centers like NYC, LA, etc here, but I prefer driving for all my day to day needs rather than sitting next to smelly people on buses and trains and the like.
The only thing that public transportation needs to do is fix there damn online trip planners. [IMG]http://puu.sh/47Chn.png[/IMG] Its telling me to get off of a bus, then get back on the SAME bus 30 minutes later.
[QUOTE=mugofdoom;41919872]Who the hell thinks this? You're talking about an urban environment where just about everything you need is within walking distance from you, with wide access to public transportation, and you think you [I]need[/I] a car? Christ no wonder the air quality is shit over there. Fucking city kids thinking they're making some huge sacrifice not buying an entire car to carry a fucking "small toolbox" around the city in. Shit.[/QUOTE] I always saw the countryside as somewhere you [I]need[/I] a car, not the city. You gotta walk a block to take a bus to the store? Cool, down here the local store is on the other side of town and there is no bus. Or if you want Wal-Mart, that's in the next town over and the bus only goes there twice a day.
Personal transport is pretty essential here, 40 miles to the nearest train station, only a handful of buses each day, only I think 4 go to anywhere useful :(
[QUOTE=Intoxicated Spy;41921002]The only thing that public transportation needs to do is fix there damn online trip planners. [IMG]http://puu.sh/47Chn.png[/IMG] Its telling me to get off of a bus, then get back on the SAME bus 30 minutes later.[/QUOTE] Wait 30 minutes for a bus that'll take you .7 miles? Fuck it, could walk that far in under 30 minutes.
[QUOTE=Biotoxsin;41919504]I'm not why this would come as a surprise to anyone given that cars are so expensive to own today. Obscene gas prices, a lack of decent new cars on the market for a reasonable price, and high insurance costs make it very difficult to have a car when you're on a budget that makes you go into massive debt for a basic education beyond highschool.[/QUOTE] This. Ive seen a bunch of articles and mentions of this topic, and Ive noticed that they usually have this surprised or even condescending tone to them on the subject of younger people not getting cars. In fact, I see the same sort of thing with marriage, having kids, and home ownership. Pretty shitty considering how these are the same people who tell the millennials that getting a decent and stable job is as easy as it was in their days and act like the economic downturn does not exist, as well as the massive debt load students carry now.
I've never wanted to own/drive a car. I've had a few lessons and it terrifies me. I plan to stick to public transport/walking as long as possible
a lot of people in major cities don't drive, I thought this has always been like common knowledge
I would [I]love[/I] to not need a car. It's just so damn expensive to own one. I don't even have car payments anymore, I bought mine outright about three years ago, but a huge chunk of all the money I make has to immediately be set aside for gas, insurance, and repairs. I'd easily save two or three hundred bucks a month by not having a car, if it were an option. [editline]21st August 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Intoxicated Spy;41921002]The only thing that public transportation needs to do is fix there damn online trip planners. [IMG]http://puu.sh/47Chn.png[/IMG] Its telling me to get off of a bus, then get back on the SAME bus 30 minutes later.[/QUOTE] That's over an hour of travel to get four and a half miles. It'd be faster to walk, and it'd save you $2.25
Got in an accident couple weeks ago. Did some bumper, fender, hood damage, etc. It's enough that they might total the fucking car and I'll be left with a little bit less money than the car's actually worth and I'll drive a slightly worse car than I originally had. If they total it, I'm just saying fuck it, buying a scooter and I'll fuckin deal with that shit. The fact that they can total the car for completely aesthetic damage is beyond stupid to me. Owning a vehicle and owning a house just ain't fuckin worth it. Insurance is a fucking scam
[QUOTE=Intoxicated Spy;41921002]The only thing that public transportation needs to do is fix there damn online trip planners. Its telling me to get off of a bus, then get back on the SAME bus 30 minutes later.[/QUOTE] Use google maps.
[QUOTE=Intoxicated Spy;41921002]The only thing that public transportation needs to do is fix there damn online trip planners. [t]http://puu.sh/47Chn.png[/t] Its telling me to get off of a bus, then get back on the SAME bus 30 minutes later.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Shadaez;41922070]Use google maps.[/QUOTE]Better but not by much [t]http://i.imgur.com/N9RtgPI.jpg[/t] Gotta love Suburban Hub and Spoke designs. Great if you want to get to and from the commuter rail, shitty if you want to get anywhere else. At least in the city you have CTA that runs plenty of grid based Buses.
[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;41919463]If you feel you can ride a bicycle why can't you drive a car? If you're riding on the street on a bicycle, your risk level is higher than the guy in the car because you're all fleshy and i'm surrounded by metal mostly.[/QUOTE] Admittedly I hate driving too. I feel way too disconnected from the car to feel comfortable driving it. Prefer mass transit or cycling. Cycling is nice because you can take inaccessible shortcuts, and there's usually bike routes that bypass the usual traffic jams.
Best way to fuck up job interviews is by saying you dont have a car to go to work. But then agai., owning a car all by yourself isnt cheap.
Ugh, I am so sick and tired of trend pieces saying millennials don't like cars and are dooming the auto industry. The average price of a new car is around $30,000, and we're all saddled with at least that much in non-dischargable student loan debt. I don't see a brand new car being feasible for me until my 50s. When real life comes calling and you have to get off the skateboard and find a reliable means of getting to work, we'll all be getting cars. They just aren't going to be brand new Fords. [editline]21st August 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=hypno-toad;41922281]Admittedly I hate driving too. I feel way too disconnected from the car to feel comfortable driving it. [/QUOTE] That's because you're driving beige shitboxes. Get a real car. [IMG]http://www.progtdrivertraining.com/wp-content/uploads/ariel-atom-2-063.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=Intoxicated Spy;41921002]The only thing that public transportation needs to do is fix there damn online trip planners. [IMG]http://puu.sh/47Chn.png[/IMG] Its telling me to get off of a bus, then get back on the SAME bus 30 minutes later.[/QUOTE] Still better then Transperth's system, which tells you to walk 42 kilometres to a bus stop to take a 200 metre trip.
[QUOTE=areolop;41919194]Because we cant afford the fucking vehicles[/QUOTE] Can't even drop a few grand on a used car? Is it really that bad?
[QUOTE=No_Excuses;41922797]Can't even drop a few grand on a used car? Is it really that bad?[/QUOTE] do you really think that's where the cost of a car ends
Public transit is what pushed me to get a car thanks to a strike in the middle of an Ontario winter during exam time. Haven't looked back and am now on my second vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler. I've worked hard for my vehicle and I don't see it as a death trap or appliance, its a hobby, a toy, and tool all in one. [QUOTE=No_Excuses;41922797]Can't even drop a few grand on a used car? Is it really that bad?[/QUOTE] I don't get what the deal with this is. The job situation isn't nearly as bad as it was in 2008. Even if you buy a $1500 beater just learn from it, look for help and tips online and turn your own wrenches. One of the biggest turn offs for young car owners is mechanic costs so fix it yourself. Get parts from a local junkyard, get a fried to help, get some fun and experience out of it. A car is meant to be enjoyed, no matter if its brand new or a bottom of the barrel junker.
the main reason why they are ditching cars is cars are too damn safe anymore. i knew a guy in highschool that totaled like 4-5 cars in 2 years, totally bet 20-30 years ago he'd have died by now. his grampa was a laywer so he got out of all tickets and shit like that unfortunatlly. but seriouslly if you live in a big city, just buy a vespa, cas chicks dig da vespas [editline]21st August 2013[/editline] also its really hard to find cheap cars anymore. go to a dealership there will be nothing under 10,000$, go to cregslist and you'll find people wanting too much for their pieces too
We are not buying cars because they are "too safe" wtf kind of logic is that
[QUOTE=areolop;41924000]We are not buying cars because they are "too safe" wtf kind of logic is that[/QUOTE] I require danger in my life.
[QUOTE=frozensoda;41919486]Anxiety doesn't always make logical sense. I just don't feel so confined on a bike, and my sight doesn't feel restricted like in a car. [/QUOTE] I agree, I drive and bike and it's amazing how [B]little[/B] you can see in a car. Freaking A-pillars hide things and the like, but on a bike there's pretty much nothing in front of you. Almost 100% field of view
[QUOTE=Sableye;41923763] but seriouslly if you live in a big city, just buy a vespa, cas chicks dig da vespas [/QUOTE] Where I live it's embarrassing to own scooters because they're stereotyped as belonging to 14-15 year old kids because you can drive them with your learner's permit.
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