[Noos]

except that the small grocery stores have poor selection, expensive prices, and are more inconvenient since you have to spend more time every day to get your things instead of shopping for the month. Some of us work long hours and don't have a wife who can spend the time to do things like that.

Some of us know about both options, and a car is much better. People like cars because they are freedom; you are free to go where you want without relying on public transit schedules or the realization you have maybe a five mile radius of places you can walk to in an hour.

[foxyv]

I remember the first time I got a car. It was definitely freeing. But mostly because I lived in a car dependent garbage town. Everything was miles apart and criss crossed by death roads where walkers and cyclists had to be on full alert to avoid getting smeared by someone driving on a sidewalk or coming out of a driveway backwards at 30 mph.

I remember the first time I moved somewhere I didn't NEED a car to survive and it was AMAZING. All of a sudden the car went from being a source of freedom to an anchor. I didn't realize how much time, money, and pain went into owning one.

Insurance, registration, fuel, parking, maintenance, stressful driving, terrible commutes, time consuming trips to a grocery store, TRAFFIC, planning meals a week at a time, worrying about where I parked it, designated drivers and getting fatter every day. Cars are just a pain.

If you live in the middle of nowhere a car is the best thing in the world. It expands your access to everything. Living somewhere you don't need a car is is SO MUCH BETTER.

[SyzygistSix]

The city I lived in before this had bodegas that had a decent selection, pretty much all the basics, and were not expensive. It was nice to be able to walk a couple blocks if you just needed a few ingredients. I and many others got a lot of the basics - beans, tortillas, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, spices - from there.