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Hate automobiles?

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The Take Out Bandit

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As much of a convenience as they are, the location of my new job, in addition to recent repairs I've had to perform on my car, insurance, and just the fucking stress of sitting behind some fat slag in their god damned FORDASAURUS on a hot summer's day inching along (The same trip via bike at that time of day only adds an additional 10 minutes to the trip and significantly reduces the amount of stress incurred by sitting around burning gas, roasting, and hating mankind); has got me seriously considering saving an estimated $2,000 annually (factoring in insurance, gas, and possible minimal repair expenses - which could easily well exceed my conservative estimate of $400) and just using the public transportation system and my reliable bike.

Are there any currently auto free GAFots, and are you loving it?

One thing I miss most about the bus system is being able to just sit down and read.

Is the convenience really worth all the stress and financial burden?
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
Are there any currently auto free GAFots, and are you loving it?
Click to expand...

I rely entirely on my feet and public transportation. If I need to get some place that absolutely, positively needs a car I rent one. If I'm back home for holidays or whatever, my parents keep an extra set of keys for both cars handy.
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
As much of a convenience as they are, the location of my new job, in addition to recent repairs I've had to perform on my car, insurance, and just the fucking stress of sitting behind some fat slag in their god damned FORDASAURUS on a hot summer's day inching along (The same trip via bike at that time of day only adds an additional 10 minutes to the trip and significantly reduces the amount of stress incurred by sitting around burning gas, roasting, and hating mankind); has got me seriously considering saving an estimated $2,000 annually (factoring in insurance, gas, and possible minimal repair expenses - which could easily well exceed my conservative estimate of $400) and just using the public transportation system and my reliable bike.

Are there any currently auto free GAFots, and are you loving it?

One thing I miss most about the bus system is being able to just sit down and read.

Is the convenience really worth all the stress and financial burden?
Click to expand...

The real question is:

Does public transportation in your area rock or suck. If it's good, why have a car?

If it's bad, then the ninth layer of hell would seem palatable.

If the bike ride is 10 minutes more I'd go with that. Specially if you're in gridlock all the time.
 
Does public transportation in your area rock or suck. If it's good, why have a car?
Click to expand...

It's certainly not as nicely implemented as say Chicago, but it's serviceable. Something else to consider is back when the bus was my primary means of transportation, they didn't have provisions for bringing along your bike; which further expands your mobility, and local area travel once you reach your destination.

The trouble with biking is it's a 14 mile ride one way, up hill on the way. So when I get there I'm pretty thoroughly soaked. Which isn't a problem since I work in a warehouse. It just makes the rest of the hot summer day a bit insufferable.

Home is great though. 14 miles, back down hill. OH YEAH! :P

The only real issue would be the winter. During which I'd have to abandon the bike due to road hazards and huff it. Which should be a fucking cake walk considering the Hell I've endured these past two winters. ^_^
 
I'm carless, but then again I live in NYC.

I use a $76 unlimited monthly Metrocard for the bus and subway, and also use Zone 1 to 3 LIRR ten-trip tickets. ($4.04 a ride)

The car culture in America is sad and pathetic. Walking from the LIRR station to work I pass by a drive-thru Dunkin' Donuts, with at LEAST six cars in line every morning. GET OUT OF THE FUCKING CAR AND GO INSIDE YOU LAZY ASSHOLES.
 
I'm in the Washington D.C. area for the summer. I just have a bike and the Metro to get around, it works great. Probably even better than having a car.
 
Hot damn, even public transport in NY costs more. :P

Then again, I'm certain it's better implemented than in Cleveland, so not factoring in the cost of living makes up for the difference. And it's still cheaper than owning and maintaining a car! :D

Walking from the LIRR station to work I pass by a drive-thru Dunkin' Donuts, with at LEAST six cars in line every morning. GET OUT OF THE FUCKING CAR AND GO INSIDE YOU LAZY ASSHOLES.
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I'd be completely inclined to agree, if the lunch hour at Toxic Hell weren't exactly the same situation. In which case I thumb my nose at that gas dependant line, only to discover the interior of the facility is just as backed up and slow moving. Fast food?! :lol
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
Hot damn, even public transport in NY costs more. :P
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Yeah, but the upside is that NYC Transit runs close to 24/7, and any scheduled outages are posted well in advance. The LIRR and Metro North commuter trains run about 20/7.
 
I don't have a car and don't forsee getting one. I walk to work everyday (half an hour from my place), and I'm in a decent location so there's a mall and everything else I could need.
 
getting my license and car soon, but otherwise i'm the typical NYC boy. i live on subways and take buses whenever i'm in the outer boroughs. nice perk of the LIRR, you can drink beer without reprecussions.
 
xsarien said:
Yeah, but the upside is that NYC Transit runs close to 24/7. Any scheduled outages are posted well in advance. The LIRR and Metro North commuter trains run about 20/7.
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Of course the C train being THE BASTARD TRAIN FROM HELL often ruins my LIRR commute, by making me miss the train at Penn because it shows up randomly, OR DOESN'T RUN DOWNTOWN LIKE YESTERDAY. *shakes fist*
 
goodcow said:
Of course the C train being THE BASTARD TRAIN FROM HELL often ruins my LIRR commute, by making me miss the train at Penn because it shows up randomly, OR DOESN'T RUN DOWNTOWN LIKE YESTERDAY. *shakes fist*
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A/C/E is shit in general. Of course, the 1/9 and 2/3 aren't much better. I've always kinda wondered why the seven trains that run to Penn (fucking) station couldn't be a little better with their service.
 
xsarien said:
A/C/E is shit in general. Of course, the 1/9 and 2/3 aren't much better. I've always kinda wondered why the seven trains that run to Penn (fucking) station couldn't be a little better with their service.
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The E train is amazing. It's the C train which is shit. When I get out at Penn and need to take the C uptown, often four to six E's will arrive during rush hour before a C train arrives.

I also really hope they do end up adding LIRR access to Grand Central.
 
I'm car free too. I ride the bus every day. It's free and pretty reliable(except when they are training newbie drivers). I love not having to worry about gas and insurance. On the other hand winter is coming and I don't want to freeze my ass every morning. I hope to have a el cheapo carro by then. I hate to have to borrow a car to go to the store.
 
goodcow said:
The E train is amazing. It's the C train which is shit. When I get out at Penn and need to take the C uptown, often four to six E's will arrive during rush hour before a C train arrives.

I also really hope they do end up adding LIRR access to Grand Central.
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I say the E train is shit purely because of my personal experiences with it. I've never gotten on one where there was more than an inch of room between me and, well, everyone else. It's amazing what refusing to walk one block at 34th street will make people do. Whenever I didn't feel like dealing with the crowd (which was often), I just walked across to the B platform.
 
xsarien said:
I say the E train is shit purely because of my personal experiences with it. I've never gotten on one where there was more than an inch of room between me and, well, everyone else. It's amazing what refusing to walk one block at 34th street will make people do. Whenever I didn't feel like dealing with the crowd (which was often), I just walked across to the B platform.
Click to expand...

Well, yeah, okay the E is shit in that sense, but it comes very often, and usually flies, at least down Queens Blvd.

The 6 train in the morning isn't a picnic either.
 
Although PT is bad in Indianapolis (buses run on the hour which means lots of downtime on bus stops; they eliminated free transfer slips last year because of "budget concerns;" and they cut a lot of routes to high-end (read: lots of middle class white people who don't want to deal with bums and minorities) areas of town, which means you'll have to get some unwanted exercise if you need to get something from the high-class mall 30 miles away) it still beats paying $2.40/gallon for gas and dealing with the constant road construction
 
The E train is great except that there's always a homeless person on each car whenever I seem to get on. And at least half of the 40-year-old cars stink. That train is only good going into Manhattan some of the time.

Oh, and the Long Island Rail Road should be 24/7; it's Metro-North that closes late at night.
 
I hate the F train because it usually smells. I hate the fact that the G train is pretty much non-existent. If the G train existed, I'd be able to take it *straight* to my school...but I can't do that and was forced to take the R>F straight to Brooklyn/Jay St or the R>E>C/A to Jay St for a while. An hour and a half for what would be a ~30 train ride with the G or a 10 minute car drive (literally...10 minutes). It's the reason why I started to drive to school and pay for a garage every month.

Fucking stupid G train.
 
My commute is to LI, so I save about 90 minutes a day not having to wait around for public transportation. To me, that's fully worth the operating costs of a car. This is in addition to:

-the freedom to go anywhere at any time at my pace using my own route
-a much better on-the-go music-listening environment (iPods and other standard headphone-based portable entertainment do not compare)
-the ability to transport larger things farther distances
-the flexibility one has when it is time to choose a place of employment, schooling, and/or residence (most important to me)

Just about the only thing I miss about public transport is the eye candy in the form of the opposite sex. That's about it, really. And I still get that driving around my area, anyway.
 
Couldn't do it. First of all, I love cars. I am an autophile for sure. Second, I have a 29 mile commute, and there are no public transit options available to me that wouldn't result in a commute of at LEAST 2 hours each way. I'm not moving closer to work either, for a large number of very valid reasons, the most important of which are a) housing is MUCH more expensive closer in, and b) my wife's horse is boarded at a farm that's on the way to work, and so she can leave early and ride on her way to work (we both work at the same place).

Plus we love our location -- it's a nice, quiet neighborhood, the houses aren't right on top of one another, there are plenty of trees & wildlife around, and the Potomac River is only a mile away. But we've also got a mall literally 5 minutes away, a movie theater 2 minutes away, lots of restaurants, shops, grocery stores, a Home Depot and a Lowes, and pretty much every other amenity you'd want, including several brand new schools for all grades.

Now, if I lived & worked in a city, I'd certainly consider using public transit. But that's not going to happen.
 
Lo-Volt said:
Oh, and the Long Island Rail Road should be 24/7; it's Metro-North that closes late at night.
Click to expand...

Well the more popular lines like the Port Washington one are fine, but then others like Long Beach have three hour gaps after 1 or 2AM.
 
AlphaSnake said:
I hate the F train because it usually smells. I hate the fact that the G train is pretty much non-existent. If the G train existed, I'd be able to take it *straight* to my school...but I can't do that and was forced to take the R>F straight to Brooklyn/Jay St or the R>E>C/A to Jay St for a while. An hour and a half for what would be a ~30 train ride with the G or a 10 minute car drive (literally...10 minutes). It's the reason why I started to drive to school and pay for a garage every month.

Fucking stupid G train.
Click to expand...

The G train is real, it just comes every 20 minutes.
 
-a much better on-the-go music-listening environment (iPods and other standard headphone-based portable entertainment do not compare)
Click to expand...

I can deafen myself just fine with a decent set of headphones, and it has the added benefit of not subjecting the folks around me to my screwy taste in music.

-the flexibility one has when it is time to choose a place of employment, schooling, and/or residence (most important to me)
Click to expand...

I'm taking this into consideration with my eventual relocation plans. I want to move to a more bike friendly State, including warmer climate. So far as choosing a place of employment - I'm fucked. I live in Cleveland, so you take what you can get, which is generally in the suburbs outside of Cleveland. :P

I'd go further into the crazy bin if I had to put up with a 90 minute car trip, taking into account all the stupid assholes that get in the way. My drive to work gave me a newfound appreciation for the Twisted Metal games. :lol

I reckon your general level of annual income and finances has a big impact on how you get around. An automobile is still an expensive fucking luxury item with my wages.

Something tells me if you're keeping horses, income isn't an issue. :P

This won't be a problem when I relocate. Oh yes.
 
If I didn't live in Texas where mass transit is akin to Kryptonite to every politician and the general populace outside of Austin (and half the populace within Austin), I'd certainly consider ditching the car.
 
Lo-Volt said:
Oh, and the Long Island Rail Road should be 24/7; it's Metro-North that closes late at night.
Click to expand...

Starting at ~2am, nearly the entire LIRR system shuts down, presumably for track and car work. I'm not sure if even the diesel lines run during that off-period.
 
goodcow said:
The G train is real, it just comes every 20 minutes.
Click to expand...

Are you serious? 'Cause I think I'd actually start waiting for it...I NEVER see it.
 
AlphaSnake said:
Are you serious? 'Cause I think I'd actually start waiting for it...I NEVER see it.
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From "Subwayland : Adventures in the World Beneath New York," by Randy Kennedy.

g_train_sprint_pg1.png

g_train_sprint_pg2.png

g_train_sprint_pg3.png


Note to mods: This is easily, and legally obtainable, by searching "g-train" in this book at Amazon. I made images instead of directions because, a) a lot of people like to bitch about my Amazon links / b) you need an Amazon account to view sample pages/in the book.
 
Hooray! Our public transport site is sorely outdated.

They claim only a few routes have bike racks, like the one I was starting my trek on this morning. OOPS! Bike rack. The driver informed me that most buses now have the racks, so Bandit avec Bike is in effect.

Which segues nicely into the second part. Getting there isn't a problem. I can catch the first bus at 7AM, and my transfer goes over to a second bus allowing me 30 minutes to get to work. OT here I come.

The website doesn't inform riders that Transfers have since been done away with. So I ended up dumping $4.50 today. Still, getting reaquainted with the bus was educational. It's been a few years and I enjoyed just kicking back and reading. Let some other masochist deal with the driving.

One of the persistent problems of Public Transport in Cleveland is the 40 minute wait for the bus home. Which is where the bike will come in handy, and I can make the trip in about that time give maybe ten minutes. I can see in the Winter I'll be nursing an alcoholic beverage from the Sizzling Hot Caucasian Female "Chinese" restaraunt near my pick up.

I'll see tomorrow if some prick tries making off with my bike. I'm chaining the rear wheel to the frame so I have sufficient time to mace their ass, then bludgeon them with my can opener (You never know when soup is going to happen!), or Swiss Army knife. ^_^
 
Haha, that article is so true. I never ran for a train, unless I was with people, I just wait for the next one.

Oh well, MTA will become useless for me now to commute. I got accepted to transfer to Queens College today, so I'll just be driving my ass there. =D
 
I don't like to drive or run over animals or pay for gas or pollute the world while using up a finite resource... but I'm stuck with it for now.
 
You don't need a car to run over animals. I accidentally "hit" a snake. It was slithering across the yuppie trail in the Metroparks (Which I now avoid because of all the SUV driving wanna-be Lance Armstrong suburban fucks, and their vapid trophy wives - in addition to all the god damned insects) while I was trucking along. I thought it was a stick. I reckon it saw people coming and froze - I ran over it and it slithered off into the grass on the other side of the path. Hopefully not to die. :X
 
mashoutposse said:
My commute is to LI, so I save about 90 minutes a day not having to wait around for public transportation. To me, that's fully worth the operating costs of a car. This is in addition to:

-the freedom to go anywhere at any time at my pace using my own route
-a much better on-the-go music-listening environment (iPods and other standard headphone-based portable entertainment do not compare)
-the ability to transport larger things farther distances
-the flexibility one has when it is time to choose a place of employment, schooling, and/or residence (most important to me)

Just about the only thing I miss about public transport is the eye candy in the form of the opposite sex. That's about it, really. And I still get that driving around my area, anyway.
Click to expand...

I have to commute to LI to work now as well, and I have to agree with this. It sucks I gotta pay tolls at the Throgs Neck twice a day every day, but damn if it isn't a much more enjoyable and stress-free commute.

Double agreed on the eye-candy of the opposite sex. The NYC public transportation is a freakin' gold mine. The other day I had to take the subway to head downtown to meet up with some friends, across the tracks was this bombshell in a mini-skirt, a bikini top, and a tight fitting leather jacket. Why she was wearing that, I don't even want to guess, but damn if it didn't look good.
 
I hate automobiles too. If i could walk superduper fast, i would NOT have a car. or if i didn't work 20 minutes away i would walk. ok.


BTW Who the hell makes the mini cooper??!
 
FOOK MI!

Ah well - my casual perusal of the Mini Pooper page was a bit too casual. :P

Whatever happened to those disposable Chinese cars? Does anybody recall the company Ford was getting terribly pissed at because they blatantly swiped some of their designs, or some such, and released them at a ridiculously low price point in China.

The other day I had to take the subway to head downtown to meet up with some friends, across the tracks was this bombshell in a mini-skirt, a bikini top, and a tight fitting leather jacket. Why she was wearing that, I don't even want to guess, but damn if it didn't look good.
Click to expand...

We get that here in Cleveland sometimes.

Although it looks like a horrible explosion happened at a cottage cheese factory, most of the time. :lol
 
If you think about it, it's kinda lame that we're in the 21st Century and still mucking about with horseless carriages.
 
Jesus shit.

Three Hours.

Three hours to get home today. I would have taken my bike, but that rancid cunt Mother Nature has been shitting on us the past few days, resulting in my getting stuck in a fucking downpour.

Yesterday was like drowning while on land. The rain was coming down in sheets. There was nothing to do to keep the Cleveland mud rain out of my eyes, obscuring my vision. Then there's the thunder and lightning to make you think twice about riding around on a lightning rod. :P

Then I got home to find the winds were reaching 90MPH, planes were overturned, and property damage was the order of the day. So yeah - I felt pretty good about bearing the brunt of that shit storm.

But today - THREE FUCKING HOURS!

Come on man. It's no wonder folks outside of Culutral Centers like New York and Chicago are so down on public transport. There's no god damned reason buses should be running 40 minutes to an hour apart - when people are leaving work!

Ugh. . .
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
Whatever happened to those disposable Chinese cars? Does anybody recall the company Ford was getting terribly pissed at because they blatantly swiped some of their designs, or some such, and released them at a ridiculously low price point in China.
Click to expand...

The company's name is Chery, and Malcolm Bricklin - the man who first imported Subarus in the late '60s, but also the man who imported Yugos in the 80s - is hard at work trying to sell Cherys in the US. New designs, of course... not copies of Ford or GM products.
 
Pretty much every NYC subway train is shit... I live by the yellow R train and the waits can be hell, though its much better now that I don't live in Bay Ridge.

Though the F train... that one I never have problems with.
 
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