# Cars Created: [[2023_09_04]] 17:31 Tags: #Personal If you made it here, you likely asked me, "Why don't you have a license?" this is my answer. TLDR; They suck for: - the environment - your wallet - city layout and design - killing people - [even privacy](https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/) I know that it may seem odd to you that someone could even live without a car. It feels so essential to how you live. It is like hearing that someone doesn't use the bathroom, "but... how do you like... get groceries?" But the point of me writing this is that are actually several tradeoffs to having a car that many don't even consider. So many in fact that when people ask me why I don't have one, I normally freeze up because they are just too many reasons that come to my head all at once. So here goes nothing: ## The Bad ### Environment It is no secret that cars have an impact on the environment. From manufacturing to operation to maintenance, there is impact on the environment every step of the way. Now, everything in your life has an impact on the environment, but cars in particular are an outlier to an individual's impact on the environment over the span of their lives. "But what about electric cars? They are the future." Where does your electricity come from? What do you do with spent batteries? How much more went into the manufacturing of an electric car? Despite all that, they could be better, but they certainly are no silver bullet. ### Health When you are in your car, you are protected from the outside, but really you are just making the outside of your car worse with emissions of smog. Rates of asthma are rising and air quality on average is going down. Choosing to take your car everywhere also means that you are just sitting all of that time when you could be getting around by a more active form of transportation. ### Finances A car is not a cheap thing. Yet, many people live in places that they cannot get around without one. This disproportionately effects poorer people, especially when you factor in that the older cars they are likely to buy are less safe, emit more smog and are more likely to need repair. Cars are a tax on the poor. People often take for granted all the costs associated with a car, the rate of depreciation, its cost or lease payment, insurance, repairs it will need for both regular and irregular maintenance. Some people say it is an investment, if the return on my "investment" was negative I probably would not earn the label of a good investor. ### Cityscapes When thinking about city design, what should the priority be, around people or around cars? Many cities in the US have a very car-dependent view around design, with huge parking lots taking priority over pedestrian walkways. How you get around throughout a city tells you a lot about how that city was designed. For example, in New York, you have people getting around by Subway, empowering pedestrians to go much farther distances if they so choose. ### Killing People Oh yea, there is that little fact. It is essentially a hurtling heavy machine (that only seems to get heavier & bigger year after year), which is actually the leading cause of death for young people. Many lives have been lost because of recklessness; it is dangerous, and for it to be normalized is just outrageous. People are often afraid of flying in a plane, yet don't think twice getting into a car. ### Car Culture Honestly, I've never understood the fascination people have with cars. On one hand, a person will tell you that cars are absolutely necessary to get from A to B. On the other, you'll see them judging other people by what they drive, and their own personal worth seems to be derived from what they drive. The fact of the matter is that they have really only been misguided by a bunch of advertisements that the car someone drives should be indicative of the person somehow. ## The Good - That 1 time a year that you need to go to IKEA - Just get it delivered... - Navigating rural areas - How often does this really happen? ## The best ways to commute When you are going around places, the absolute best way to get around is by walking (if in reasonable distance). Walking allows you the freedom to go anywhere, be healthy and actually enjoy your surroundings and other people. I'll appeal to nature and say that it is the natural thing to do and what people were made for. When distances are just a bit farther away, the next best mode of transportation is by biking. Biking is an absolute joy, like it is the most fun way to get around and can get you reasonable far, reasonably quickly (all while still keeping you active). It still gives you a good amount of freedom to explore as you please, while still keeping you grounded in where you are. Cars, on the other hand, are like this huge bubble that insulates you from everyone else, they make you more prone to react with anger and, all in all, unaware of your surroundings. If you really need to get at longer distances than on a bike (or maybe weather does not permit) then your next best option is via public transportation by buses or trains. Both allow you the freedom to do whatever you want on your commute, like reading a book or listening to a podcast, rather than having to constantly be paying attention to the road. While still being environmentally friendly since they are working on the scale of (at least) tens of people rather than just 1 person and one machine. ## References - 95% of your car's lifetime it is just parked being unused. [[Don’t Pay for 95%]]