Officially car and van free....a new life begins!

[Mickeyspinn]

That's a fair point but it also opens up a can of worms. The eldest two certainly would take taxis on occasion but not without precautions. If it was just one of them, on their own, usually just one taxi company would be used and that was because we had built up a good working relationship with them. They could tell us the name of the driver and we would know who it was, partly through my wife, who doesn't drive. That might seem overly cautious but, while the girls were at primary school, the young mother of one of their friends was murdered by a taxi driver, and it made an impact on them—well, on all of us. However, that's not the only reason that they don't feel 100% safe in taxis: it's the wider experience of creepy guys and sexual harassment both online and in the real world. All three of them have experienced it to varying degrees: bums pinched or slapped, unwelcome comments, persistent nagging for topless photos . . . Violent assault is not the only cause for concern. Our youngest simply will not take a taxi at all because she doesn't feel safe in them. I give a lot of lifts because so many guys are arseholes around women. Whatever car stress I might get is less than the stress the girls face around guys.

And to return to the original point of this thread: while it's undoubtedly a good thing for some people to give up their cars and use pedal power or public transport instead, until everyone feels safe doing so, sadly, there are always going to be sectors of the population for whom a car provides relative safety as well as transport.

That's awful.....I feel for your daughters....society just doesn't seem to be progressing and law just isn't keeping up.....living in fear is not healthy
However there's safety in numbers....it's all statistics like a little fish swims on his own chances are he won't see tomorrow.....swim with the shoal chances are vastly improved! More people out of boxes and their bubbles the better for all. One thing that has struck me since cutting back on the tinbox is the hellos and head nods from other slower paced road users....don't get that in cars. I guess you could say in some ways the car has been the worst thing ever for society!
It's reached the point in urban environments that car travel is the slowest and most isolated...the only human exchanges on the commute are mouthed f...u...and the hand shandy shake!

 

[greencat]

I'd probably disagree. By most measures (except quite a number of environmental ones), the world is getting better and safer for more people. Women have experienced bad poor behaviour by men etc for thousands of years, but even here things have improved in my life time.

It's not to say there haven't been a few backward steps or unforeseen consequences. Sexual liberation has probably been a good thing, but teens getting their information and role models from internet porn probably isn't.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

My eldest lass - perhaps unfortunately for her - has inherited my height and build.

She's also a black belt in 3 different martial arts, and an enthusiast white collar boxer.

Twice she's had to get tasty to protect herself. First time a lad pulled a knife on her, and she took it off him and gave him the good news so hard he was actually crying by the time a bunch of doorman from a nearby club came to her aid.

2nd time three lads tried to rob her. She was hurt in that one and suffered a broken jaw, but she hit one of them so hard she split his stomach open. The dibble picked him up in hossy and he got to spend some time in prison, doubtless having the sheet ripped out of him for getting beaten up by a girl.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

My eldest lass - perhaps unfortunately for her - has inherited my height and build.

She's also a black belt in 3 different martial arts, and an enthusiast white collar boxer.

Twice she's had to get tasty to protect herself. First time a lad pulled a knife on her, and she took it off him and gave him the good news so hard he was actually crying by the time a bunch of doorman from a nearby club came to her aid.

2nd time three lads tried to rob her. She was hurt in that one and suffered a broken jaw, but she hit one of them so hard she split his stomach open. The dibble picked him up in hossy and he got to spend some time in prison, doubtless having the sheet ripped out of him for getting beaten up by a girl.

Yes...one of my other societal peeves...women being the fairer sex... I'm a firm believer that the bs patriarchal society needs to end. I tried muay Thai kick boxing many years ago with a bunch of lads and my girlfriend.....I saw another side to her pretty quickly ,a side I liked.she went from quiet and demure to being quiet yet completely kick ass!
Seeing her stand Infront of one of the lads freshly ex forces 6'4" and literally all muscle with out flinching and always moving in was epic....over a foot shorter and at least half the weight but equal match of spirit! Proud of her I was ..top lass!

 

[Tootyred]

I think its fantastic if you can get carfree and onto 2 wheels. Sadly, outside towns this becomes somewhat harder.....

My brother-out-law bangs on about how he lives in a village and rides a bike, but he lives in Surrey.....thats not a village, its an extended "modular" townscape!

I totally understand pricing and penalising Londoners who still want to keep a car given the amazing transport and facilities available, but then placing the same burden on remote rural communities....often with low paid workers....seems rather unfair.

But good on you....

if i could actually.....

A. Get to work
B. Get to a shop
C. Have sight of any form of public transport
D. Visit friends

I would join you.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

I think its fantastic if you can get carfree and onto 2 wheels. Sadly, outside towns this becomes somewhat harder.....

My brother-out-law bangs on about how he lives in a village and rides a bike, but he lives in Surrey.....thats not a village, its an extended "modular" townscape!

I totally understand pricing and penalising Londoners who still want to keep a car given the amazing transport and facilities available, but then placing the same burden on remote rural communities....often with low paid workers....seems rather unfair.

But good on you....

if i could actually.....

A. Get to work
B. Get to a shop
C. Have sight of any form of public transport
D. Visit friends

I would join you.

Work is the biggest challenge for me! It's not going to be easy...i have a workshop now work has to come to me...i can see part time work or weekends during the winter...so be it.

We got buses...no trains... buses cost a fortune...about the same as what a car actually costs.... about 20 miles for nearly a tenner! I can do that for half a baked spud.
Funny when I lived in London I hated driving less than public transport...rush hour tube... cycling in London although a bit scary at times was always the fastest way of moving about.

Mates are miles away I haven't been able to afford rent or get back on the ladder over that way and I can't see that's ever gonna change .
65 miles round peddle for a beer? Why not!

I've got a village shop about a mile away...however it's 3 X price of nearest supermarket about 20 miles away!
I see myself getting back to where I was weekly mileage wise on a bike a few years back real quick!

i wish the gov... sorry a gov! would get behind car sharing..tax incentives ...drop the bs of car insurance for hire and reward ...drop the law for hitch hiking etc ...I personally dont see any real incentives from political bodies yet that are eco only monetised spin with a coat of green paint.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

I think its fantastic if you can get carfree and onto 2 wheels. Sadly, outside towns this becomes somewhat...

I live 7 miles from the nearest town, 8 from the next nearest.

When I worked I used to cycle in anyway, partly because parking was difficult but mainly because I loved it.

And in this modern age shopping comes to you.

If people want to do it, they'll just do it.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Sods law been keeping my eye out for a small engineers lathe locally....flog the van 2 days later one come up 5 miles away....bike... lathe...hmmm....small details....

 

[grantoury]

Yeah, a lathe on a bike trailer.... probably a bit too much

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Yeah, a lathe on a bike trailer.... probably a bit too much

Whats the worst that could happen