[yummyfajitas]

Many middle class women manage to care for two children while simultaneously shopping and preparing food. The husband fulfills the same economic role as the government does in your example - providing money while being otherwise absent. Why do you feel the poor lack the ability to do the exact same thing the middle class do?

Also, this situation is atypical. About 3/4 of the poor do have a car. 1/4 have more than one.

http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/h150-07.pdf