the reason it's 'essential' to take the car is because you own a car.
Spot on.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Reasons it's 'essential' to take the car
(41 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
-
In fairness on my lack of checking the bulbs - given it was going for its MOT if I'd found a bulb out I'd have mentioned that and got them to replace it as part of the MOT anyway, rather than sorting it out myself (given it's only a couple of quid). Genuinely trust this garage (Lochrin Autos) to do the right thing.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I have had a few cars in the family, (aged pArents, multiple sprogs etc). The Toyota seven seater being the first one I have ever owned as opposed to the finance company )had a previous one die just after the last payment).
My partner is the driver. Five people on mercy dashes to visit the dying etc cheaper in a motor etc.
Posted 9 years ago # -
To sleep in (although we have a campervan, not a car)
Posted 9 years ago # -
The choice now available, in place like Edinburgh for 24/7 access, and the late opening hours for many car hire operations, means that I can get a big or small car at will and pay only for what I need.
The RAC Foundation annual survey reveals that most cars are sitting idle over 90% of the time.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not that surprising a statistic really. If the average person works 9-5 (8 hours), sleeps for 7 hours, spends an hour making and having dinner, and maybe 30 minutes having breakfast, half an hour getting showered and ready, and a couple of hours in front of the telly, that's 19 hours, or 79% of the day when driving isn't actually possible. So the other way if putting it is that a car is used for half the amount of free time when it's possible to use it...
Or put another way, each of my bikes probably sits idle for longer lengths of time averaged out over the year (I haven't touched the cross bike since the last race...).
I guess the point is the bike doesn't 'really' cost me anything (over and above the initial outlay) while sitting idle, while I still pay for insurance and tax on the car - not fuel, given it's sitting idle, that's only a case of paying for what's needed).
Have sometimes wondered about the car club instead, and that 24/7 availability, and car hire 'is' convenient, but altogether less convenient than the car sitting on my driveway, without a bus ride away, form filling, and trying to make sure I can match the amount of fuel that was in it when I got it (did a lot of car hiring in April and it really started to get my goat when it's a regular thing).
Of course, none of that shows my car is 'essential', just that I want to have it...
Posted 9 years ago # -
As someone who does the Car Hire + City Car Club thing; having a partner who is self-employed and works from home is very handy for car hire pick ups; owning a Brompton is also useful (cycle to car hire place, put Brompton in boot, drive off).
Posted 9 years ago # -
"...and maybe 30 minutes having breakfast"
This time can of course be combined with car-in-use driving-time, provided you're having cereal and can balance the bowl on your knees.
Posted 9 years ago # -
When you have to go to your head office in Brechin for 9am, taking with you files that would require a bakfiets to transport.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Well depending on how you're fixed for getting to the station in Edinburgh, it would be get to station with cargo, train to Dundee, electric car Dundee-Brechin-Dundee (as yet no e-cars in Arbroath) - give you comfortable hour on train vice hour's driving.
Other option is using traintaxi online sort taxi to/from nearest station
Posted 9 years ago # -
Seems weird to me in this day and age, that folks are still carting round boxes of files. That's what Dropbox / one drive etc is for. The trees man, the trees....
Posted 9 years ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.
posts
