Have we reached "Peak Car?"

[3 Justin 3]

That's why I bought a motorcycle. I could care less how much I spend on gas, where as when I'm in my car that's all I think about. When I'm on my bike I want to just drive and I go through fuel like crazy.

[Bonded]

I have never owned a car, I am holding off for as long as I can. I choose my communities based on their walkabilty and access to groceries and work. I love having the extra cash from no auto expenses, but there are at least 5 weeks a year where i almost break down and buy one. Also, much better now that i live in the bay area

[macker]

Was freezing my butt off in a rink this morning reading about Calgarys War on Cars http://www.calgaryherald.com/homes/C...484/story.html

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by STeeLy

Not counting car clubs and such, most of the people (Probably about 90-05%) I know only view cars as something that gets them from point A to point B.

I don't know many people that enjoy taking their car out to just drive. And I also don't know many people who don't mind getting dirty and work on their own cars, no matter how minor it may be.

Gear heads (or as the Brit would say, Petrol heads) are becoming a rarity.

Believe me, I know this all too well.

I think I've done more driving this week "for the fun of it" than I have to actually go do something.

[freedogger]

I think its partly due to the internet. I probably save a couple of tanks of gas a year by shopping online. When i do drive, it is easier to find closer stores with GPS and other online tools. Just look at how people use CPuck for research about bigger puchases that otherwise would involve more driving around.

[Northendzone]

it is all because of the segway - that device was supposed to change how cities were built, and it seeming has......

[Cluelessboy]

If this was Vancouver or NY or Japan, or some city that has modern day transit, then i could live without a car and most likely would. But in Calgary? Forget it, no way in hell id ever go without a car here cause the public transit is the worst.

I know from personal experience, living in Calgary NOT being mobile flat out sucks.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Cluelessboy

If this was Vancouver or NY or Japan, or some city that has modern day transit, then i could live without a car and most likely would. But in Calgary? Forget it, no way in hell id ever go without a car here cause the public transit is the worst.

I know from personal experience, living in Calgary NOT being mobile flat out sucks.

From the majority of your posts on this account, and posts on your other accounts, I honestly don't think you've ever gone further from Calgary then Okotoks.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Cluelessboy

I know from personal experience, living in Calgary NOT being mobile flat out sucks.

Then you're doing it wrong.

[Bill Bumface]

I love cars, and I love driving. But I found sitting in traffic for 45 minutes twice a day killed that enthusiasm a bit. I'd get bored of cars pretty quick, buying a different one ever 2-3 years.

Now that I live closer to work and don't use my car to commute I actually really like driving again. I look forward to getting behind the wheel. I've had my current car for 4 years and have no plans to sell it at all, I still love it. I went from driving 25,000km a year to about 8,000km a year.

[Table 5]

I'm kind of the same Hulk. I don't need a car for daily life, so only really drive for fun or for random outings/trips. So there's definitely a sense of pleasure associated with driving because it's not associated with the daily grind. If I'd have to commute in traffic here every day, I'm pretty sure I would've murdered someone till they were dead.

[Muta]

I love driving, but I also love living downtown close to everything. I'd sacrifice my car if I could, it's one of the worst investments of money one can possibly make. You don't really need one if amenities and public transit are readily available.

I wish we had 5x the train routes in Calgary we have now. I've been to cities where this is the case, and it's so damn convenient.

[Vulcan]

When I was a kid, my friends and I could identify pretty well every car on the road, down to model and year. Every September it was a huge deal when the new models were introduced. Now I couldn't tell a Hyundai from a Honda and many a ten year old car looks almost the same as a new one. It may be just a question of me getting old but I don't think that's all it is, the love affair for most has gone but I still love cars and my motorcycle, although most cars seem soulless these days.

[CaramonLS]

Huge props to anyone who pulls a 'Marchetti Wall' reference during their exit interview when they quit.

[Vansmack]

I used to be a slave to my car, but now living in Mission it is amazing how little I need it. Granted ski season is almost upon us so I will be up to the mountains pretty much every weekend until spring. My car is basically only a highway cruiser at this point.

[joshux]

too many ppeeps own cars they dont need

[joshux]

Americans buy cars that they can even afford to fill with gas

[Ozy_Flame]

I'm actually more sickened not by the amount of cars on the road, but by the number of cars with only one person in them. Watch cars during rush hour, and I swear 4 out of 5 cars have ONE person. And half of them are trucks and SUVs as well, which are guzzling gas in the process.

I think there needs to be more incentive to car pool (e.g. tax breaks somewhere or discounts). I hope "peak car" theory validates itself through better car-pooling and/or pay-as-you-go methods.

[The Yen Man]

I think I didn't fully enjoy driving until I actually bought a manual shifting car. I know I "feel" the car a lot more, that's for sure. I love driving late at night because that's when you can really drive and not have to worry about being stuck in traffic.

As for traffic jams, I've learned to deal with it. It's not something I can really change given where I work, so I might as well not get too stressed out over it. I still dread the daily traffic reports when they report accidents on routes that I go on, and I'm already dreading the first day of snowfall, but other than that, it's ok. After experiencing traffic jams in Toronto, Calgary isn't really that bad.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I think I didn't fully enjoy driving until I actually bought a manual shifting car. I know I "feel" the car a lot more, that's for sure.

Yep, that's kind of what I was getting at earlier. Driving has become too easy and boring, so the thrill is gone. Manual transmissions force you to pay attention and be involved, which in the end is always more satisfying.