Kevin Wilson wrote:We’ve been car free since 2012... However we are now 61 and 68 and seeing a need for a car on the horizon for medical runs.
Good to see this thread active again! I posted 5 years ago, so thought I'd update.
We are still car-free (at ages 66 and 74, with a genetic heart condition for me that's reduced my physical capacity by about 50%, plus only having one good eye, and a heart attack for him 2 years ago). Still thinking a used EV is in our future sometime, but we're not there yet. We have several kind neighbours and friends who will give us rides at strange times in emergencies, or lend us a vehicle.
Husbear doesn't ride a bike any more, both of us walk or bus most places. Shopping still mostly happens using the cart, but since COVID we have options for grocery delivery which we use every 2 months or so for big heavy items.
I do get a lot more rides from friends nowadays, for a specific activity: I helped start a community orchestra here in Sep 2021 and ended up conducting it (as well as playing in a quintet, and playing in another orchestra one-ferry-down-coast!). It means a lot of local travel with instruments, music stands, multiple music scores etc which are heavy enough that I have given in and get rides for almost everything to do with it. Luckily, with a 35+ person group, plenty of people are happy to feel better about their own vehicle use by carrying me and my stuff as well. Mentally, I trade off the downsides of vehicle use with the upsides of building community through music, and making a lot of people very happy. Including me.
Kevin
