15 Car-Free Myths and Truths

15 Car-Free Myths and Truths
By Bill Poindexter aka “The Car-free American”

1. It is hard to live car-free!
False. It is not hard to live car-free. It may be inconvenient, but not hard. Think about it, people had been living car-free up to the early 1900s. No one died because they did not own a car, nor will you if you go car-free or car-lite. It takes time to get use to it, but it all comes together and becomes more natural than car use. Basically being carfree is getting back to nature-you get healthier, it is good for environment, and you meet your community-face to face rather than car to car. It is also nice to save money.

2. It is always fun
True: Most of the time it is FUN. Usually the weather is the fun or non fun factor. But there are other factors too; heavy traffic, if you are tired, or sick, or a strong headwind. Then again, those are all factors that make driving a car not fun too.

3. People look down at you
True: sometimes they do. That is ok; at the end of the day most secretly wish they could live carfree. Everyone will tell you that it is "cool."

4. You have to have special equipment
False: Good walking shoes and a bicycle. And you do not have to have an expensive bicycle, just one that works well for you. Overtime you’ll figure out your own personal style of transportation. Keep it simple. If it roles and feels good go with it. Take your time, do not spend alot of money.

5. You will lose a lot of weight
Maybe, if you burn off more than you take in. You will get fit-that is for sure. Diet is still important though, I recommend a "whole food" diet of non processed foods. Raw nuts, Olive oil, fresh vegetables, quality protein, berries, whole cheeses will give you all the energy you need...I recently lost 70+ lbs eating the above foods.

6. You will save money
True: No more gas! No more insurance! No more car payment! No more personal property tax! No more oil changes! I think the last time I figured I save about $8,000 per year (what I spent the last year I owned a car).

7. You cannot live carfree if you have a young family
False: You can, millions do, it is just more inconvenient until you become use to it. It is definitely easier in more urban settings and some suburban. If you live in the country it may not be practical, in which case a car is necessary, but it does not mean you have to use it all the time. Kids are carfree, and they make it work. Don't use your family as a excuse, instead use them as the primary motivation for living a healthier lifestyle!

8. You will get hit by a car or crash
Big false: Nonsense! Only if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings. The odds are still in your favor…not to get squished. I have spent 10 years riding in traffic a have never been hit by a car. I ride with the assumption the drivers do not see me. If you have a driver's license you know the laws, obey them and you should be ok walking or bicycling for transportation.

9. People will make fun of you if you do not own a car and /or bike places
False and true: Well, if they do, make fun of them back. They are jealous you are out enjoying yourself. I find that most people want to be carfree, I mean, when they go on vacation, they don't want to go someplace they have to drive all the time, no, they want to go some place to relax, walk or bike.

10. You will instantly be “Green.”
False: There is more to being green than just using alternative transportation. Carfree is a step in the right direction. A BIG STEP.

11. You will miss out on event because you won’t be able to get there.
True, sometimes that does happen, but you will be able to see and feel much more than you ever have in a car, so you’ll gain much more richness in your life. You will also learn to support events in your local community and you will add value as you arrive by your own steam. It makes your transportation an adventure!

12. I will have to own special clothes for bicycling?
False: You can wear anything you want. If you are riding longer than an hour, you may want to make sure you are wearing something comfortable. Bike shorts were made for a reason. Time on the bike will be your best teacher. I now rarely wear specialized gear or shoes. I keep it simple and comfortable.

13. I do not have time to be car-free
False: most Americans waste a crap load of time in their cars going to places they don’t need to go to or watching TV. I suspect you could find a bit of time to get healthier, save the environment, and make your community stronger. There is always time to do something good for you. It comes down to needs versus wants-“do I really need to drive to the Wal-Mart to buy more crap I don’t need.” Or “can we hop on the bikes and go to the local store to buy what we really need?” Then again...there are exceptions:)

14. Car-free means never owning or driving a car
False: It is a little confusing I admit. Typically Car-free means living with out a car and Car-lite means owning a car, but using it on a limited basis. Any journey you take without the use of a car, no matter the distance, is car-free.

15. Living car-free makes me happy!

Bill's bicycle with the bags, has over 30,000 commuting miles on
it.

TRUE: I love the lifestyle. Living car-free has helped me become healthier, I feel like I am polluting less, I save money, and I have developed very strong relationships in my community because of my lifestyle.


Bill Poindexter lives in Kansas City, Missouri and has lived the highly evolved life style of living carfree.

Childs letter to parents regarding alternate transportation

Written by Emily D. an 11 year old


Dear Mom and Dad,

I learned about the environment today at school. My teacher, Mr. Kellar, told us that the future of the Earth rest on actions of the people of the Earth. He says global warming is a real threat to our existence. He had some very impressive facts and names of scientists I have never heard of, and gave us a reading list to back up his points.

Mom, Dad, I am scared. I do not want to die, and I do not want to hurt the planet.

 One of the solutions Mr. Kellar told us about is finding alternate ways for people to transport themselves. If people stopped using fossil fuels on a “unlimited” basis, there may be a chance damage done could be reversed. I believe him.

I have heard you both talking about global warming, we have seen news reports, the Earth Day special we watched on TV, and we even have some books in the house that talk about it. I even remember about Dad saying he had a environmental science class in college that talked about it?

I am confused; since Global Warming is real why do have two cars?

And…why do we use them all the time. Why do other people do the same thing when they know that one of the major contributors of global warming is car use?

Can we change as a family? Can we use alternatives for transportation, like walking, bicycling, and buses? When we are in the car I see other people who do not use cars. I think it would be good for the environment and it would save you money. Dad, if you bicycled to work you would probably loose that “spare tire” you are always talking about and Mom if you walked to work you would not have to drive to the gym everyday to work out.
My friends are asking their parents the same questions. We understand change will not happen overnight, but we know we can make change now by; walking or riding our bikes to school, carpooling to sporting events, walking to the grocery store and restaurants, staying closer to home and enjoying the parks close to home rather than driving to places we do not need to go.

Mom and Dad I love you. I want to feel safe that the world will be around when I am your age and I want my children to be safe. I am only 11, but I understand the problem.

So tomorrow, I will be riding my bike to school, I can do that everyday. In winter when there is snow, I will walk, I can do that. When I need to buy something I will walk or ride my bike to the store. My friends and I will go to the movies on the weekends and we will walk or bike there, if it is dark when we are coming home we can carpool home if we walked. If we need to go farther, we can take a bus. And I want to bicycle and walk with you two. Will you please make changes and allow me to?

Love,
Emily
(At the parents request her identity will be kept confidential)
Please share.
The parents letter will be published next.

New quote from the founder

My Fellow carfree Americans:



"Ask not what your car can do for you, but what you can do without your car!" BP

is it just me-or does this stuff bother you too?

I think the two most important things are the health of the planet and the awareness of humans asking themselves a question-do I need it or do I want it?

The Planet is a given, but yet most of us choose to ignore the crisis because we may not be feeling the effects of global warming-we may see it, but do not FEEL it. Feel -not just physically, but mentally. Or maybe you do, but are ingoring it??? Do you know someone whose kids have asthma? Have you noticed changes in the weather? Do you or friends have to be on medications-say for anxiety or depression? These symptoms are typical of polluted environments.

If you start up your car in your garage, door closed, and have limited ventilation, after a while you will die. The planet is finite, it can only handle so much. But yet we continue to pollute it? Crazy.

So you auto makers have had the technolgy for years to put us in zero emission cars, and we, they and govt has know the negavite effects of CO2.  But yet we still let them build cars that ultimately poision us, our children, and our planet. We have cures to this cancer, but yet it is suppressed so people can line their pockets with money that will not help them when they are dying.

I think of it this way: If someone found a cure for cancer, but then hid it from the world so the current supply of cancer meds could be used up so the drug companies and associates would make money and not lose money, but millions of people die, even though there was a cure, would that not be criminal???

The same thing is happening today. The cancer(pollution, global warming, CO2). We have the technolgies to stop the majority of the poisions from going into the air, specically automobiles who use fossil fuels.  If a car company or govt has the technology to stop the cancer, but does not and keeps making and selling things that are posioning us and the planet-like the above scenario-millions of people are dying because of the CO2 pollution and worse the planet it dying. We dont need CO2 polluting cars-now the cure-electric, hydrogen, natural gas is available.

Hey, this is my planet too! I do not want to be posioned anymore. Nor, I assume, do you.

I asked a quesiton on Facebook the other day but go not response: When your kids come home form school, and they just learned they Autos are the #2 polluter/ and major cause of global pollution and they ask you: Why do we have so many cars, or a big suv, or why do we have something that hurts the planet, or do we really NEED our car?

What do you say?

Someday they, or you will ask.

I did  not edit any of this post or any others, I want to give to you what is on my mind. As most of you know I bike and walk for transportation. I see the pollution out there everday. I know no one can be totally Green unless you get naked and move to the woods. ;)

But I feel the need to share my thoughts and I hope you will share your thoughts with me-you dont have to agree, I welcome your opinion.

Tell me your thoughts?

random- Journal entry 11/18/2007

I ride…my bike, and I got to tell you it is not necessarily because I want to in bad weather, it is because I feel an obligation to the planet. Really, it is not that I am particularly doing it for other humans….no, it is because I am doing it for the planet and what is going to happen in the future….the future if we do not do something to stop global warming, how could I come up with a product to help make the change….hmmm I like the symbol of the bicycle to promote world peace…that if everyone rode a bike they would be happier, healthier, better for the planet, more community oriented ……(from personal journal 11/18/2007)