[ryandrake]

When I was a kid in a suburban/rural area I used a bicycle to solve all those problems, besides groceries, which my parents took care of.

[alistairSH]

When I was old enough, I did as well. Didn't help for some things... middle school was ~7 miles from home and across several major arterial roads - making that ride in winter wouldn't have been safe (would have been in the dark on way to school).