Howdy everyone! I’m an EMT and I ride a bike to work. I mention my job because it is super physically demanding and when I get off work and hop on the bike I get strange looks.
I’ve been dealing with a lot of flats (bumpy roads, glass, still learning how to commute to work honestly) and last night my partner was like “so like why don’t you have a car”. It was an honest question but the answer I gave was “I honestly love my bike”. But I also wanted to say “I also can’t afford a car”.
We don’t make much and I live by myself so there’s just other things my money should be going towards. My job is a 12 min bike ride away, I keep my life pretty local so I also just would be using it for work. Busses are close to the office as well.
Does anyone or has anyone felt that weird shame or embarrassment of literally not being able to afford a car? I think if people were more honest they also probably can’t afford a car as well.
by UghBurgner2lol
27 Comments
Your last point is the real one. I am sure you “could” find someone to lend you the money, but car loans shouldn’t outlive the car. Bike with pride man. Whose ride is enhancing their body?
There are a lot of people out there driving 50, 60, 70 thousand dollar and up vehicles that have no business buying that much car.
Making wise financial decisions is usually boring, rarely sexy, and often requires some sacrifice. And if people judge you for making decisions that will benefit your future self more than your current self, then that says more about them than it says about you.
I feel shame for not owning a car and superiority because my thighs look very nice. Biking also gave me abs it’s kinda tight actually. It’ll feel nice in 20 years probably when your heart and lungs and legs are in better health than people who don’t bike everywhere. And lastly just live how you wanna live because none of it is forever anyway, and everything will start feeling a lot better
Being able to afford a car is not an indicator of how well you’re doing in life so there’s no need to be ashamed. You have a respectable job and a partner. You’re doing great. The whole world’s economy has gone to shit. Prices are up but wages are stagnant. Put away what you can and dont feel bad about whether you have a car or not, just set a savings goal. It doesn’t have to be a lot. I have a car and a bike and it has made me extremely lazy, negatively affecting my health. I choose to drive rather than cycle because I’m lazy. If there’s one benefit of riding a bike it’s that you’re exercising frequently and as you know being EMT that’s very important! Be proud of the life you live
I do have a car (shared with GF), and my commute is twice yours – 25 min if I’m fast. Still ride my bike to work whenever possible. If not, I take the train. I try not to use my car inside the city.
Ride with pride. You do the right thing, for yourself and for the environment. I know it sucks if you can’t afford something – but it sounds like you don’t really need a car, either, and probably have much better things to spend money on. Maybe thats how you should look at it: a car would not really be worth it in your situation, no matter whether you could afford one or not.
If society doesn’t pay you enough to participate in it is that your own fault? I don’t think so
Well you’d be able to afford a car if you did something more important for society, like running meetings about what color your brand is choosing for an ad, or making a pixelated button work 0.03ms faster.
Get back to work you entitled leech!
/s
I am 42 and completely broke. I drive a car I can’t afford and have many other money sucks in my life. Just do you. Who cares what other people think. I’m sure after a particularly hard day, it’ll be raining or other inclement weather or for some other reason you’ll decide to get a car
No, where I live you would get shamed if you drove a 12 min bike ride, wtf
I don’t have a car and I’ve told people plainly that I don’t have money for it. I don’t feel embarrased. Not everyone has to be rich and you could have other things your money is going to. But that’s a commonly accepted indicator of being well-off, so just deal with it. Just for context: I’m somewhat reclusive and don’t interact with people if I can avoid it, so no small talks for me and no problem explaining things about myself.
Also, huge respect for communting! Keep it up.
12 minutes is perfect for a bike commute. Don’t be a drone. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Especially don’t go into debt to do it. Kudos to you for resisting the peer pressure.
With regards to flats, I would recommend getting tire liners or upgrading your tires. You can also try tubeless but that is not an easy decision to make. You would have to research it and decide for yourself if tubeless is for you.
Once I only had a bike for 7 years and I loved it. Changed my whole outlook on life. I didn’t give a shit about what others thought. If I had to be somewhere I just planned ahead. It was fun grabbing groceries every 3-4 days, walking my bike up 3 levels to my flat, being in shape. I miss those days to be honest.
As far as flats go… I recommend getting good tires (generally the largest ones that will fit on your frame) and making sure they are well inflated using a floor stand pump with a pressure gauge. (If you don’t have one it pays for itself very quickly) A very very common problem is under-inflated tires which will give you “pinch flats” when you hit potholes or bumps. It might not be the “optimal” pressure, but I usually inflate my tires right up to their recommended max pressure. they lose pressure over a few weeks, so this stretches out the amount of time between fills in case I forget.
No shame. I do own a car but went 17 years without one and cycled everywhere.
Look for a product called Slime – it’s green in colour. Take the valve out if each tyre, add half the tube. Put the valve back in and inflate the tyre. Then slowly turn the wheel. This coats the inner tube so smaller punctures don’t happen.
Alternatively, take the tyre off, add a layer of duct tape to the inside of the tyre.
Both work. Both are cheaper than to keep buying intertubes.
Your fitness levels will be higher. You will be more alert as soon as you start work.
Embrace it.
Also, no shame about not affording a car. Well, YOU shouldn’t have the shame. The government should.
Is this Baltimore? Bc bumpy roads, glass everywhere, and mention of busses but no trains makes me think so.
Plus this picture kinda looks like Patterson park
Most people I met at work made fun of me for not being able to drive.
My parents refused to help me buy a car or help me drive. It was awful. None of those people at work are my friends anymore. If your partner can’t understand you can’t afford a car right now then you should probably let him go.
I think of it as “I don’t have to spend money on a car”. I did a budget once and I seriously wondered whether I used the car to get to work or worked for the car. You’ve arranged your life to be close to things you do, like a reasonable person. This American idea that spending four hours a day in a car is bonkers. You’re the one who should be giving your coworkers strange looks when they get in their cars. (I hear you about Baltimore roads though. I don’t mind traffic but some of the road surfaces try to end you too.)
hey i love you. im also emt. i rather have pride in something that is all mine than rely on charity. if you’re happy, nothing else matters. i rode my bike to and from work, and to my only friends house, for a year. i do have a car now but i still bike the 25 miles to work at least once a week
Everyone has different priorities for how they spend their money. In your case, it seems that you have decided that the value that a car would bring to your life would not justify the enormous cost. You might even have to take another job to pay for it. There is no shame or embarrassment in making smart decisions for your finances and your health.
This should be easy for other people to understand when you explain it to them logically (and without judgement) just like you explained it to us. However, it might make them uncomfortable because it could challenge their own car-dependent lifestyles. We often drive because it is *easy;* not because we have no other practical option.
Also, regarding the flat tires, I have had great results with tire liners (e.g., Mr. Tuffy, Rhino Liners, etc.). I have to be careful to get them installed correctly (so they are centered on the tread and they don’t pinch the tube), but I hardly ever get flat tires any more.
Happy commuting! 😊 🚴
You should be fucking proud for not killing the planet with yet another car. Starting a car for a 12 min bike ride? That is INSANE. What you are doing is not only helping your self, but everyone. Shame on your partner for not supporting you. I would love to be able to take my bike to work every day, but unfortunately that would be suicide.
Be proud, you are doing the right thing.
It’s a rational financial choice. A good one if you can swing it.
I have not been in that situation. But I totally respect someone who told me they could not afford a car. They are being financially responsible.
No! It’s for physical fitness and to save the earth!
Buddy I’m ashamed that I *do* have a car. They’re expensive to buy, own, and maintain. They’re bad for the environment. They’re bad for my health. And most importantly, they divert money away from bicycles.
Not sure where you’re located but in the US it seems like cyclists are shamed pretty often. It’s a very car-centric society and to steal from BikeSnobNYC cyclists are often portrayed as immature, silly, and pathetic is most forms of media (think 40 year old virgin and Pee Wee Herman). I’ve spent over a decade commuting via bike in Philadelphia and been hit several times from others not following traffic laws and one even yelled “buy a car!” at me. Cars are expensive, maintaining them is expensive, society seems setup to make life harder for anyone without a car and lobbyists like keep it this way.
All that is to say fuck that! And keep pedaling!
Eh, I have a car. When people find out I commute by bike, they assume I got a DUI. In my state, you don’t necessarily lose your license for a first offense.
I can’t imagine how much money it would cost (automobile, registration, insurance, repairs, maintenance, fuel) just to avoid a 12 minute ride? There ain’t no way I’d do that.
Ride on!