Ever since I saw how bad the infestation of cars is in the streets all around me, I just don’t find the idea of buying my own car very appealing anymore, in my small and dense town, every new vehicle on the street is a problem when the streets are tight and people already double park in many spots.
However, I do drive around my parents cars when I need to cause public transit here isn’t the best but I try to utilize it as much as I could.
Nevertheless, long gone are the times when I used to watch YT chaneels like carwow and hoping that I get to own the cars that I see, I can maybe compare my resentment towards buying a vehicle to the idea of buying cigarettes or alcohol to someone who quit either, a silly comparison but I hope it gives you an idea.
I spent most of my adult life without a car and without a driver’s license. I got to acutely and intimately experience, for decades, just exactly how car-centric our culture is and how profoundly society can’t and won’t accommodate you if you don’t own or can’t operate a private vehicle. When I finally sorted this out and got my license and vehicle, I felt zero shame or regret. I was done being a martyr. Yeah the future is public transportation but the present is what it is. There is no shame in being that person who says “we should improve society somewhat” while participating in society.
I held off on a car for years and did ok. When we got an electric car a year and a half ago, it was almost offensive how much better our city was. Now I’m looking at getting an electric cargo bike as I don’t always love driving.