How Vital

[TWR]

is your car in your life, could you do without it?

[Buenchico]

The casual work that I occasionally get (supervising travel surveys) often requires me to be at places that are inaccessible by public transport (and at times of the day when there's very little public transport available anyway).

So I couldn't do without my car if I want to keep getting the casual work. If I lost my licence though, or was unable to drive for any other reason, I'd still survive but I'd have to get a part-time job somewhere. Given that many of the jobs that I might be eligible for would be in the evenings or at night (such as replenishing the shelves in a supermarket) that would still leave me with problems as there aren't many employers within walking/cycling distance and we don't have buses after about 1830.

That doesn't mean that I'm addicted to using my car though. Whenever possible I take the train into one of the bigger towns near to me, as I'll be doing when I go out to the pub in about an hour's time ;-)

[woofgang]

Yes, I couldn’t have got to work without a car when I worked. I went for my interview by public transport and it took me an hour and a half to get there (bus goes all around the houses) and I had to get a taxi home because the bus got cancelled. Travelling by car its a 20 to 25 minute journey.
Balders, DH and I discussed reducing to one car when we were both retired. DH was a biker so had a stable of motorbikes. I said fine but I will choose the car, because we have very very different preferences, and I will have first call on it because you can always take a bike.....he thought about it and we kept two cars!I think a couple can manage with one car when retired provided that most of what they both want to do is within walking/cycling distance or there is excellent public transport. The nearest train stations to me are right in the city centre (where I would be travelling to so no help at all), in the town I used to work in, so a 20 to 25 minute drive or the 90 minute bus journey, or out in the middle of nowhere inaccessible without a car.
The biggest thing for me would be that I couldn’t keep my dogs because I have to drive them to where they can get decent exercise....so yes...on reflection my car is vital to me because of my dogs.

[taichiperson]

No, I'm self employed and drive up to 200 miles a week, plus taking my mother out shopping etc. Hubby has just retired and hanging on to his car for as long as we can afford to so that he has the freedom to do what he wants. We live a mile or so out of town; the bus service is hourly but last bus is at 6pm. Our eldest son lives in town and borrows my car for the weekend, though he could do without it. He has access to a works van too.

[jourdain2]

No, we couldn't do without it. Nearest shops are 4 miles. There is a bus twice a week - once there, once back. Doctors' surgery is inaccessible without a car.

[bhg481]

But you could use a taxi.