I Didn't Use Any Cars in 2023: Here's What it Was Like

Could you go a year without using any cars at all? I tried it out and made this video to share my general experiences, thoughts, and reflections.
------------
Instagram: @TheTransitBandits
Twitter: @TransitBandit7
------------
Music:
Animal Beast by SefChol (KZbin Music Library)
July by John Patitucci (KZbin Music Library)
------------
Inquiries / More Info: [e-mail]
------------
Thank you so much for watching!
Written, produced, recorded, and edited by Zaref Anderson

[@thetransitbandit]

Many of you asked me about my Olympia commute, well here it is! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4rbkoear9eBfJo

[@FlyingOverTr0ut]

Great video. I'm car free in LA and love biking, transit, and walking. I finally took Metrolink for the first time and thought it was awesome. I can't wait to ride it again.

[@thetransitbandit]

Thank you! I'm glad you're exploring transit in LA - I've heard great things about Metrolink, I'll actually be trying it out this summer, so excited!

[@JonathanChan212]

I enjoy riding transits in Seattle most of the time! Love how people recognize that public transits are very important and also, yes, we should have less cars now and then to minimize the traffic jam everyday

[@himbourbanist]

I've been car free since 2015, when I was living in Austin Texas. I had to choose between rent and a car payment and I chose rent. My car was repo'd and I didn't get it back. I started biking to work and realized that...I kinda like it. And then I tried riding the bus and found that it was kind of fun and surprisingly easy. I've been car free ever since, almost 10 years later.

[@thetransitbandit]

Wow, thanks for sharing!

[@updr1ft]

car free in texas sounds rough but glad its working out

[@joshuateicher4254]

Very nice video, as always! I haven’t been in any cars for quite awhile, either. I’m very much excited to see our transit system grow and encourage more ridership over time. Hopefully I can also do a whole car-free year as well.

[@thetransitbandit]

Thank you! It's always so exciting to see transit expand - good luck on your car-free adventures!

[@garettdavis4464]

Sorry I ruined the car-free stretch (I was the driver). To be fair though, you could've in theory taken a bus to the Airport and later we were driving full mini-vans (which are basically mini-buses)

[@thetransitbandit]

Yeah, how dare you :( Just kidding! I was thinking of bussing to the airport, but it's okay, I'm letting it slide LOL

[@kacamac]

I've been car free since early 2013, honestly I don't miss driving at all. Between trains and buses I feel pretty good. I remember how easy it was to feel road rage boiling up just driving for half an hour or so.

[@psedoali]

You rock! I want to bike and transit. You’re lucky enough to live in a city that does have multi modal transportation options. My only issue is dealing with bad weather. Also the link is the best way to get to the airport! There’s always the risk of getting caught in the drive up which is always backed up!

[@thetransitbandit]

Thank you! Weather is definitely a factor, and I've learned the hard way to wear rain pants and a rain jacket if I have to bike in the rain.

[@Ayzrito]

Awesome video! As I am personally more car-centric, it is very neat to see the point of view from someone who is quite the opposite! The narrating is on point. Great job!

[@thetransitbandit]

Thank you! I think it's so important to have varied perspectives in our lives :)

[@realquadmoo]

Very refreshing to see someone who doesn’t get offended from the idea of a bus!

[@jiiack]

Great video. It’s not easy to break a habit like car dependency.

[@stickynorth]

Kudos! Because Alberta has the highest auto insurance rates in Canada (thank you Ralph Klein and privatization for that one) I didn't even bother to get my learner's permit until I was 30. And even then I only bought a Smart Fortwo to drive the mile to work and back because of safety issues on Edmonton Transit and doing shift work which left me stranded after hours despite living only 5 bus stops and a 10 minute walk across a parking lot to get home. And even now since the pandemic I work from home and now car-share only when needed which mainly for grocery runs since my area is currently a food desert since Safeway moved to fancier digs further afield...

[@djpetesake]

Very nice! I've been living without a car in SoCal for around 12 years. I decided early on that driving caused me too much anxiety, and I'd already been biking long distance before I got my license, so I figured, why downgrade? It's also cheaper.

[@thetransitbandit]

Absolutely, thanks for sharing!

[@robertcartwright4374]

Very nice! I especially enjoyed the snowy footage.

[@NicholasIstre]

I live in Lacey and had to commute by car to the office in Seattle once a week (basically the opposite direction of what you have to do) until I discovered that Amtrak added new lines to the Cascades lines that made it a decent commuting option for me. I live right across the tracks from the Centennial Station (only a few minutes on the city bus to it), and my office is only a five minute walk from King Street Station in Seattle. It would be absolutely perfect if they had one more train that's 30 minutes to 1 hour earlier than their first train, but frankly, it's fine. The entire trip is basically 2 hours total, which is basically the same as driving, and ends up basically costing less than parking in Seattle. Win win for me! We were worried we'd need a second car if my company enforces 3 days a week in the office. Once I discovered this was a commute option where I can be working on the train, get up and use the rest room and stretch my legs if I need to, or walk to the cafe to get a snack and get into the office early enough to get to our Friday morning meetings on time, it was a no-brainer. We got a Cargo eBike instead of a second car to cart our kid around over the Summer since he's outgrown the bike trailer we used to use.

[@thetransitbandit]

Great story, I’m so glad the train is working out for you! Sounds like a much more pleasant commute than that drive, I can only imagine the traffic. I definitely considered the train myself, but with the schedule and prices I was better off with the bus for the most part.

[@robadr13]

I've been carless in Vancouver BC for a number of years, using only occasional car shares (real car shares, not Uber 🙂), and occasional lifts from friends. But my experience is that there is virtually nothing I can't do or access within the city itself by walking, biking, or transit. For some people the idea of being carless might be panic-inducing, and there are certainly many people who need a car. But if you're lucky enough to live in a city that is basically walkable, and has good bike infrastructure and transit service, I'd argue that your quality of life trends higher when you ditch the car. It's true that you lose the ability to spontaneously drive 50km to an out-of-the-way destination, but that is balanced by far more pleasant experiences on a daily basis of getting around your neighbourhood and city on foot and by bike, and a new-found appreciation of the efficiency and low cost of good public transit. You will gradually redraw your mental map of your city when you stop driving, but my sense is that it's a more pleasant and human-scaled map. I've thought several times of 'joining the crowd' and getting a car again, but in the end I always realize that I just don't want one.

[@thetransitbandit]

This is an incredible reflection, thank you for sharing! Fully agreed on all points for sure - and even some of those long-distance trips are pretty easy, at least with a little planning! Vancouver does have a great transit system for sure, glad you’re able to take advantage!

[@iplayball27]

Even if you don't have a car I still believe everyone should have a driver's license. You never know when even having one without a car will be useful. Also teaches you the rules of the road for when you're riding a bike.

[@thetransitbandit]

Without opening the whole can of worms that you brought to the table here, there are many reasons someone would be unable or unwilling to get a driver's license. As much as it may seem the norm in North America, there are a surprising number of people without licenses. Personally, I learned how to drive, and while I never got my license, I can understand where you're coming from with the value of learning skills. However, I think we really should be building our cities and places to be friendlier to those of us without licenses, rather than making having a license the norm.

[@stickynorth]

It's a good skill to have for sure but not everyone should be driving. Believe me. I waited until I was 30 to get my learner's which was no problem but corruption with the licensing system here in Alberta (which has since been fixed) means most people had to take the driver's exam 2 to 3 times before passing and then be restricted until you paid for another exam in a year... Which did nothing to help crash statistics but it did line the pockets of the private auto testers that popped up across Alberta.. At least until THAT scandal brought that system into sharp focus.. I.e. people buying licenses for $40 from crooked staff... No test required. Just a bribe...

[@bahnspotterEU]

Having a driver's license doesn't necessarily mean that you're a fit driver. I don't have a driver's license because all my life I could either take public transport where I wanted to go or took trips as a car passenger. I don't see my situation changing anytime soon, so if I were to get a license now, I would not get any actual driving experience (the thing that actually makes you a safe and capable driver) unless I needlessly obtained a car, which doesn't make sense for me, even via carsharing networks. It would be a waste of time and money for me and I wouldn't be a good driver either, should I actually need a car at some point, due to lack of training and experience.

[@thetransitbandit]

@@bahnspotterEU Very true!

[@hairypotter259]

Awesome

[@EquinoxMist]

Great video. New sub here!

[@thetransitbandit]

Thank you, and welcome!

[@jimspies2775]

Great video. I was excited when you said you mentioned your e-bike and showed the Rad City 5+, but was sad you referred to it as RIP. I'm about 2 months into my City 5, and love it. What happened to yours, if I may ask?

[@thetransitbandit]

I loved my City 5+, incredible bike. Unfortunately, it got stolen and wasn't recovered. I'm hoping to buy another one when I move to a building with better security!

[@jimspies2775]

@@thetransitbandit Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, that just stinks!!

[@sammymarrco2]

so 6 HOURS per day for 5 days a week, that is terrible, are you able to get a house closer to work? Great video by the way!

[@thetransitbandit]

Thankfully it was a hybrid job so I only commuted once or twice a week - I'll make another video talking about the commute experience itself, it was definitely an adventure!

[@sammymarrco2]

@@thetransitbandit id love to see that, Seattle to Olympia is crazy. Once a week ig is doable.

[@keithbeck8170]

I like how that part got glossed right over!!! I want to say I have been to Washington DC and the public transportation is top notch but I think in many places it is just a liberial utopia dream. If you work 40 hours plus and/or have a family that is not in the least practical. Example the owner of my company has 4 kids and is in every sport and activity you can dream up. You could not do that in your wildest dreams. I think it makes a cool experiment and in a few places like Washington, NYC, Chicago and Seattle it might be possible but in 99.9% of America it is hard to impossible. I will say I think high speed rail is a good idea up and down the east/west coast and Texas triangle but I think we need to spend more money on highways also. Plus you have issues like we have here in Jackson, MS that nobody ever wants to talk about. Being a non minority riding buses everywhere the chances of me being robbed, stabbed or shot in the one of the most dangerous cities in the country is stupidly high. That is with me having a CWP and assuming I get them before me I won't want that on my mind the rest of my life just to prove a point. 🙄 It is not realistic.

[@sammymarrco2]

@@keithbeck8170 yeah as you prob know Jackson MS is one of the poorest cities in the US so you're basically only gonna see the most desperate people on the buses there. I can understand the anxiety you'd get esp not being black (lets be honest thats the main demographic in Jackson and that uses JTRAN). However I've been on many buses where I was the only white person and most buses I've been on I was in the minority and as of May 2024 I've never been harassed or talked down to etc (knock-on wood 🌲). I am fortunate to live near DC which does transit very well for the US, and I agree (unlike some other transit ppl and urbanists) that there are many many places where transit will never be viable (at least not the the next 50 years). Thanks for your insight.

[@sammymarrco2]

​@@keithbeck8170 I can see how being the only White person (or non Black person as this is Jackson MS) could give one apprehension. On all the buses I've been on I've been the only or one of a few white people, I'm from a diverse area so its not weird or surprising but I could see how its unnerving for some folks. Just my personal experience but I have not had anybody harass me or talk down to me etc. (so far, knock on wood). I'm fortunate being able to live within an hour of DC which does transit very very well for the US and I agree w/ you that there are many places where transit is not viable, but its all about how the built environment is, if the older kids could take transit, bike or walk to their activates either from school or home then living with one or no cars is do-able. When we build everything so far from each other and only build wide roads then it becomes impossible for other modes other then the car. I'm aware of safety concerns but hundreds of thousands of kids do this in cities in the US and millions in other countries, just food 4 thought, NOT trying to change everywhere into New York or Seattle or anything like that!

[@stickynorth]

One step towards making cities more livable should be a ban on full-sized vehicles especially ICE-powered ones... If people swapped their whip for transit, bikes, walking and yes kei/city electric cars like are all the rage in China right now places would be much quieter, cleaner and equitable... Vehicles that are polluting, heavy, loud and large should be penalized if not outright banned especially since when we look at traffic patterns almost all commutes are under 40 miles round trip per day and rarely involved any speeds about 45 MPH... Medium-speed electric vehicles are a classification of car that is increasingly common worldwide and they fill this gap perfectly... Although the overall solution is to reduce car use as much as possible for a variety of obvious reasons, they are the best option for when all else fails...

[@maximhalas809]

2:00 At that moment i had a good laugh)As european i cant imagine living in a place that requires transit to get groceries(till you offer me a green card and 25$/hr of course)

[@thetransitbandit]

@@maximhalas809 to be fair, there is now a closer store, it just didn’t exist at the time of recording. But yes, it is an unfortunate reality that a lot of places don’t have a store in walking distance :/

[@ketam1ne420]

awesome project! hope this comment helps the algorithm

[@thetransitbandit]

Thank you!

[@MReliet]

you spent 6 hours a day riding a bus to get to work? 3-5 days a week???

[@thetransitbandit]

I'll make a separate video on that experience, it was only a once or twice weekly commute, thankfully, the job was hybrid. But yes, the commute days were about 6 hours of travel for 8 hours of work! Definitely not the most efficient trip but I had a fun time.

[@MReliet]

@@thetransitbandit how short would the trip have been via car?

[@thetransitbandit]

@@MReliet Including traffic, probably around 1.25-1.75 hours each way. Not that I could've driven anyway, I don't have a license or a car, and on an intern salary certainly wasn't going to consider that.

[@vintagetriplex3728]

Umm not everyone wants to be in a bus where you come across crazy people and people who smell. There should still be options for everyone. Many people still preter to be in their cars to go anywhere they need to go. Walking during the heatwaves in the summer or freezing cold temperatures in the winter is not enjoyable to most people. Yes driving may be stressful sometimes but there is nothing better then beinh in a car with a nice cold AC in the summer and a heater in the winter.

[@rustyturner431]

Not much of an achievement... I've been car-free since 2006, living comfortably in the Portland suburbs. I use transit and have two bikes, one electric and one pedal-driven. Both bikes have fenders and racks/folding baskets and I have no trouble shopping or running my various errands. I live very near my favorite golf course, so walking over there for my weekly game is not a problem and, yes, we ALL walk the course (no power carts allowed in my foursome). So, one year does not impress me. When you get to 20 years, I might listen to you.

[@adinrichter6034]

there's no need to be so rude about it, plus i highly doubt that you haven't once got in a car in the past 18 years. taxi, uber/lyft, friends? this was a whole year without getting in a car at all

[@EquinoxMist]

Have you tried not being an asshole?