This is for car owners on this forum. Would you consider leaving your car at home and using public transport instead? If so for what sort of journeys and how often?

I usually drive to work but yesterday we were going out straight from work, so I caught the bus instead.

Normally, I leave the house at 7:35 and am at work for 8:15. This suits me since I officially start work at 8:30, so it gives me time to get a cup of tea. On the way to work I can sit in a car where I decide the temperature, choose what music to listen to, make phone calls (hands free!) and if I want to stop at ASDA on my way to buy some a cake because it's someone's birthday, I can.

When I caught the bus, I had to leave the house at 7:20 to walk to the bus stop. I then had to stand for about 5 minutes waiting. I knew what time the bus was due because I'd checked in advance, which is lucky because there was no timetable displayed at the bus stop. There's also no shelter, so if it was raining I would have got wet.

When I got on the bus, the world's most grumpy man grunted at me because I didn't know what the fare to town was, and didn't have the correct money. He gave me 30p of change in copper.

The bus was really hot, even with the windows open. Obviously the heating was on, despite it being quite a warm day. After a few stops the bus (single decker) was full, with passangers standing up. I had a smelly woman sat next to me. There were kids making a nusence of themselves, and someone was smoking despite it being banned. The journey wasn't smooth, with the bus stopping and starting suddenly.

I got to town at 8:20 and then had to walk to my office, arriving at work just before 8:30.

I'll not use the bus again, unless I have to!

I leave my car at home when go to work. I normally spend about 30 mins walking each way, but if the weather's really bad then I catch the bus or tram.

Originally posted by Andy
I had a smelly woman sat next to me.

This is one of my pet hates about public transport and I'm sure I've mentioned this before. Is it really that difficult to get in the shower in the morning? Soap is not THAT expensive. :rolleyes:

If I had a car of my own I would most likely use it despite the traffic.

Originally posted by Pauly
If I had a car of my own I would most likely use it despite the traffic.

The traffic's no more of a problem for a car driver than for a bus passanger. Indeed, a car driver can easily make diversions to avoid queues, which a bus cannot do. Also a car doesn't have to keep pulling up then having to get back into the flow of traffic.

The seats on the bus aren't big enough. If I've got to share my seat with a stranger, I'd rather they weren't sat on my knee. Most of the time.. :heyhey:

no I wouldn't. not as things are right now. Since I have a car anyway and need one for certain journeys, I'll leave road tax etc out of the equation.

But it's cheaper for me to use the car than use the bus/tram combination that means I *might* have a chance of a seat - and I also leave home 30 minutes later with the car than I have to with the bus - and that's only nether edge to hillsborough! I have to leave early, because from abbeydale road, if I go for the later bus, 2 or 3 days out of 5, by the time it gets to my stop, it's too full and sails straight past withoput picking up.

If we had a bus SERVICE - ie SERVING the public, then I'd love to use public transport. But not as things are, no way. If I want to leave the car, I'd rather cycle.

I've started cycling into work while I'm on work placement at KIER and it's only takes me about 20 mins to get from Norton down to Wybourn so it's no biggie....plus I'm not sat next to a smelly git.

Anyway, this topic isn't about cycling. Soz people. hehe

And this is what the Government needs to see when they bleat on about people using public transport instead of taking their cars into busy City Centres IMO.... That services need DRASTICALLY improving before a lot of folk would even entertain the thought of leaving the car at home....

And I don't just mean services between Town and Stannington, I mean bus services throughout the UK.

By bus do you mean the peasant waggon? Yes, I'd certainly use this system of transport.

Nope... well not busses anyway.

I need my car during the day to get around, but regardless, our busses are noisey, smelly, unreliable, and contain people who would fit the same description.

Trams, well yes I would if they went from and to where I wanted to go, but they don't so I don't.

Trains... NEVER AGAIN.

Planes are no problem, as long as I can drive to the airport, go on scheduled flights and get a hire car at the other end.

Ferries, no problem providing they have a 1st lounge (minimal cost usually) away from the plebs. ;)

Taxi's... not too bad if you can find one and the driver isn't emulating Damon Hill on acid.

Coaches... well I'm glad I have the option of the car. The idea of a spending prolonged period in a sweaty sardine tin with smelly people staggering up the aisle to a chemical porta-potty fills me with dread... someone once told me that people go on touring holidays on these abominations :loopy:

Wow... I didn't realise I was such a snob :D

Nope I have to drive to get to work no other alternative.

In the unlikely event they ever become clean, comfortable, reliable, reasonably speedy and cheaper to run than a car!

10p per mile, door to door service, wee wee free seats, pleasant smell of air freshener, radio, freedom to make a detour.

or

60p+ per mile, shopping laden hike to house, pee and flatulence cocktail, someone elses 2000 decibel walkman, crushed by large person.

Let me think.......no, I'll have to get back to you.:confused:

I owned a car until september last year and am now saving for a car again. Public transport in Sheff is quite good, but I like my own space and public transport doesn't give you it. Kids scream, people smell, barge past you and youths are rowdy.

Bus drivers make a complete hash of changing gears smoothly, stop abuptly and take corners st speeds Damon Hill would be proud of. No wonder bus travel is cheap, you certainly get what you pay for. Sooner I get a car again the better!

These comments are one of the main reasons I still havent learnt to drive (second being im lazy third being im broke), beacuse I know once I have access to a car I wont go back and use public transport or walk for that matter?

Cars are horrible things that cost lots of money and are nasty to the environment but yet I am well aware in a years time I will be buying one grrrrrrr

I do still use it on occaision, but on a day to day basis it would take over my entire life.
I had to use it for 3 weeks whilst the (previous) car was in the garage, it added at least 1 hour each way to my journey (shef - Birmingham) thank god I wasn't going every day. It also made the journey unpleasant and inflexible (can't detour to visit someone on a train).

I use the tram when i'm planning to drink, and that's it.

:lol:

Why on earth would I use public transport? Journeys are quicker by car, even in rush hour, once you take into account getting to/from bus stops and waiting at them (and waiting, and waiting) once you get there. On top of that, its not even that much cheaper, and an awful lot less comfortable. Why don't people accept that cars are here to stay, and instead of trying to block them, embrace them and make sure traffic flows and that ALL road taxes go towards fixing the roads and widening/building new ones? The whole environmental issue can be sorted once Hydrogen technology goes mainstream (i.e. when oil companies stop the backhanders), so theres no problem on that front.

I'll stick to the car. Buses are unreliable at best.

I'm lucky enough to be able to walk to work in about 20-25 mins so I only take the car on the days I actually need it. I wouldn't have a car if i didn't need it for work. I suppose I might feel differently if i had kids, though. For me they are a necessary evil, nasty polluting things that kill thousands of people a year.

t020

"The whole environmental issue can be sorted once Hydrogen technology goes mainstream (i.e. when oil companies stop the backhanders), so theres no problem on that front."

WHAT??

What about all the energy needed to make all the new cars that people keep buying i.e. when they insist on changing their cars every few years.

What about when you're next at the garage and they say you need new tyres. Ask yourself where all that rubber went. It's not on the roads because every time it rains it goes straight into the rivers and seas.

What about all the different plastics that go into modern cars.

Having said all that I've got to admit that using the bus is a very frustrating experience indeed for most of the reasons that people have already outlined. Building new road isn't the answer though. That will just make things worse in the long run.

Originally posted by t020
:lol:

Why on earth would I use public transport? Journeys are quicker by car, even in rush hour, once you take into account getting to/from bus stops and waiting at them (and waiting, and waiting) once you get there. On top of that, its not even that much cheaper, and an awful lot less comfortable. Why don't people accept that cars are here to stay, and instead of trying to block them, embrace them and make sure traffic flows and that ALL road taxes go towards fixing the roads and widening/building new ones? The whole environmental issue can be sorted once Hydrogen technology goes mainstream (i.e. when oil companies stop the backhanders), so theres no problem on that front.

Almost totally off topic, I know, but is that the new Aston Martin DB9 on your Avatar?

scrap the roads, commercialise the flying car.

I'm fortunate (?) to live close to work, so I can take the car if I fancy getting in early (before 7:30 am) or I'll take the bus if I'm in a more leisurely mood. In good weather, I'll even jog to work in 30 minutes.

As for the return journey home, it is much quicker by bus at rush hour, surprisingly enough. It takes about 20 minutes by bus, but nearly twice that by car, due to a more efficient route - ie, not past West Bar roundabout! For that reason, when driving home, I'll usually leave after 6pm, to miss the rush hour queues.

With the amount of nutters on the roads, if I'm feeling tired, I'll take the bus and have a pretty relaxed journey home. I am wise enough to catch the bus a few stops before the great unwashed get on in the evening - that makes a big difference, I'm sure!

Originally posted by mojoworking
Almost totally off topic, I know, but is that the new Aston Martin DB9 on your Avatar?

Close - the v12 Vanquish. Another reason for cars in itself really - cars can be very beautiful - much better looking than the "back end of a bus"....

Id most certainly use the train if possible to get to work everyday if it was more convenient. It would take a lot less time - but as it is it costs the same as petrol does per week and no buses run from the train station to my place of work so i just use the car instead.

Originally posted by Smiler
. I suppose I might feel differently if i had kids, though. For me they are a necessary evil, nasty polluting things that kill thousands of people a year.

I'm not too keen on kids either,although I wouldn't accuse them of the above.

It always makes me laugh when I am stuck behind a queue of buses in the Wicker and the advert say's "Buses ease congestion". To me buses "CAUSE CONGESTION", the best thing to do is ban single decker buses running in the rush hour and run double deckers on all routes. Before buses were deregulated it cost 8p(Adult) and 2p(Child) to get to town, not as many buses were on the road and they were all full, clean and most were double deckers. First seem to be under the impression that if they put twice as many single decker buses on the road you can carry the same passengers, the only thing that this does is cause more congestion.

Originally posted by mad_hatter
It always makes me laugh when I am stuck behind a queue of buses in the Wicker and the advert say's "Buses ease congestion". To me buses "CAUSE CONGESTION", the best thing to do is ban single decker buses running in the rush hour and run double deckers on all routes. Before buses were deregulated it cost 8p(Adult) and 2p(Child) to get to town, not as many buses were on the road and they were all full, clean and most were double deckers. First seem to be under the impression that if they put twice as many single decker buses on the road you can carry the same passengers, the only thing that this does is cause more congestion.

I think the problem with your suggestion is that although it would be good for car drivers to have less buses on the road it would be bad for bus passengers. It would mean waiting twicw as long for a bus and buses being more crowded when they do arrive.

I'm lucky to live above the pub that I run so don't have far to travel to serve beer. I do also work in town so usually walk in which at my slow pace takes about 20 minutes. I tend to walk the dog to work (ensuring that someone walks with me to take him back). On rainy and cold days if I feel 'ugh' and am late then I drive to work and stick it on a roadside meter for the day. I tend to walk more than anything.

I use the car for shopping mostly, hopping around town, visiting other pubs (non alcoholic trips) and generally just collecting or moving things.

I hate public transport. I admit that buses look nicer these days but find the fares to be expensive - on par with the cost of motoring in many instances. Buses don't go to where I want to go on a direct route....nor can I fill the bus with several boxes of alcoholic bottled beer.

Public transport also encompasses trains, trams, etc. All I'm going to say there is 'mobile ringtones' la la la.

Originally posted by markham
10p per mile

WOW that's fantastic !!!

That of course includes:

Initial cost of the car.
Continuing cost of upkeep / repairs.
Insurance.
Road Tax.
Parking ...

having a car makes a huge difference. If people didn't use them unnecessarily, it would be seen in a different light.

These days each family member has their own sodding car - everyone leads a different lifestyle.

For example, if you were going shopping to Tesco for the whole family, and it was *****ing with rain, I would rather go in the car, than wait for the bus, and lug 7 bags of shopping back with me thinking I have done my bit for the environment but equally having just made my life a bit harder.

If the bus service was more reliable, maybe - but until then - NO.

Fair enough, you have to pay for the insurance, road tax, maintenance of the car you own, but then it is a convenience which some days makes it feel its worth 10x what its costing you.

Plus, it looks good ;)

I have a car, but never use it in the week while I'm at work. I rely on public transport to get me the 15 miles or so into Sheffield. Suits me fine as I can sit back, relax and read the morning paper happy in knowledge that I don't have to tackle city centre traffic and extortionate parking fees.

Originally posted by Jamie
WOW that's fantastic !!!

That of course includes:

Initial cost of the car.
Continuing cost of upkeep / repairs.
Insurance.
Road Tax.
Parking ...

No Jamie, 10p per mile is what I pay for EVERY trip I do. That includes trips to coast (£18 for a family of 5), leave when I want, set off home when I want, take the scenic route if I want, stop off and visit other places if I want.

Car park fees not much of a problem. Meadowhall is free, town is free on Sundays.

Initial cost of car I run at the moment was £565 two years ago and it's cost me practically nowt in repairs, maintenence I do myself. My previous car cost me £550 and lasted a reliable 4.5 years

Insurance is Third Party Fire and Theft, very cheap. <£200

Road tax? Equivalent to £2.12p per week. ( that by the way is less than a weekly trip to Meadowhall by bus for one person.)

Basically, using THIS car for the past 2 years has cost me about £500 per year (less fuel), that's just under £10 per week and if I average 50 miles per week that's another £5 to add, so that means that my very expensive mode of transport costs me a staggering £15 per week!!!!!

Considering that we do lots of runs to the coast, countryside, town, Meadowhall etc at a fuel price 10% that of public transport fares each time, I think its pretty clear that the car, MY car, is not only a convenience to my family and me, but a damn sight cheaper than 'First Cattlewaggon'.

Lucky enuff to be able to walk to work an back but if I worked in town I'd get a pushbike. I don't fancy rush hour traffic in a car and the buses are like sardine cans at that time of day.

Personally it was my loathing of Sheffield buses that made me buy a car. Why is it if you wanna get into town you can do it easy but getting anywhere else is a nightmare? And theres no timetables on the stops anymore. Grrr.

Wouldn't go back on the buses if you paid me.