How do you get around?
 

We live "out in the country" - and have always had to drive to get groceries, go to church, get gas, see a doctor, etc.

How do those of you that don't drive, and/or don't have a car get around?

When we were young - and had four kids - we had ONE vehicle that DH took to work. So I was essentially "stuck" at home until DH got home. Our "outings" were pretty much limited to church and grocery shopping back then.

I have no idea of how to get around using buses or subways.

Every way you can imagine since my childhood. Walking, buses, trains, cabs, someone else drives, our car when we got one, rinse and repeat. Where I live now there is no place to actually walk to, although it is a suburban area. We drive or take Uber if parking will be an issue. Would have to drive to public transportation. I've ridden buses since childhood, taken the subway to work for a few years from a different location, walked to and from the station on both ends. Buses and subways not hard if you get a map ahead of time.

I would have to have my car if I lived in the country. l live close enough if I had to I could walk or take a bus or call Uber.

long ago when living in HOuston i rode the bus everywhere. Couldn't afford a car. Moved to Colorado, learned to drive there. so easy. no bad traffic like I live in now. I either drove or walked. bus service lacking and taxi service a laugh. now back in Texas everything is a long drive. no buses out here. i live just outside a city. having trouble finding another internet provider out here. silly but true.

In our county we have what is called "dial-a-bus". It is free service for seniors and a small cost for those who are younger. Check out your county to see if they offer anything like this.

I only lived like that from the age of 13-16 - then I got a license and swore I would never be in that position ... I absolutely hated being dependent on anyone for a ride anywhere.

I didn't have a vehicle for 10 years, but I lived right in the city.

I did live in the boonies for 2 years, but without a car? Not a chance.

Kudos to you for being able to do it, I'd go stark raving mad! (And, it's funny, because once I am home from work I don't WANT to go anywhere, but the thought of NOT being able to go? Couldn't handle it LOL)

we have very little bus service. when I was younger, I had to walk down to town to get a bus that took you to the Mall or a shopping center for .50. We still have the bus, but it's about $2 now. Very inconvenient because it's not always on time. If you have a place you need to go and the bus doesn't go, you're kind of up the creek. Taxis are always available.Everyone here has a car.

I grew up in the country and currently live outside the city limits. I have always had access to car transportation with my parents and on my own after I graduated from college. I have never ridden a city bus nor taxi in my local area, although I have in other countries when I've traveled - not in a long time!

We are in a rural type area. No buses or other public transportation. We have to drive everywhere. I don't want to have to depend on anyone else. If we live past us being able to drive then we will have to.

There is a free bus service in the tri-cities area near me, has pretty good routes. Also a "feeder" bus service from farther out, but it costs money. I was looking at their website and they guarantee you a ride home in case you miss the bus for some reason. Good idea.

Bus, car, and by foot. Love walking whenever I can.

By car! I've never been in a position to be without one. When I worked in management I often traveled from store to store. Kids were open enrolled for awhile, so they needed to be driven to, and picked up from school. When parents were ailing, I often had to leave at a moments notice. Now we often help out running grandkids around. Plus...there are no fabric stores within walking distance. Bus connection is several blocks away. I realize how incredibly fortunate I have been to always have had a car available. I bought my first car at 18, and have had one ever since...(almost 50 years!)

When I was younger i lived in Japan, we walked or took a taxi but they were cheap but mostly walked. Now. I have not driven fr many years as I am legally blind, sewing is challanging enough. Thankfully, hubby can still drive. When he was severely ill in the hospital and was in a veterans home my son lived 30 minutes away. Unfortunately as a few of you know we lost him in a fall accident a year next month . My daughter lives over 3 hours away so if hubby cant i dont go anywhere, depend on a few friends... there are no buses here, taxis few and very expensive.. sometimes scary to get older when you have health issues.....

Having been raised on a farm, learning to drive at a young age was just the way it had to be. Necessity of life was knowing how to drive the little Ford tractor at a young age and eventually worked up to the pickup and finally the car. I cannot even think about the day I don't have the freedom or independence to drive myself where I need to go. I find it interesting that some of my kids' friends did not get their driver's license and end up living in larger areas where public transportation is how they get around. I must admit I don't drive in the Twin Cities nor do I have any desire to. There, I would much prefer to take public transportation as I don't know my way around. In our rural area, there is an option for people to call a county transit van (I believe for a nominal fee).

We moved from our rural hometown to this area 5 yrs ago to be closer to a DD & family.Location was part of the reason
we chose this house.Still need a car,but this suburb is within a mile or so of our medical needs,groceries & basic shopping.
Most groceries now offer delivery/ or pick up service.Will be very handy when no driving becomes a reality.As someone said........it's scary when age rears it's head.Planning only goes so far,health/age trumps all.

We are vehicle poor- I have my car, DH has his and we own two pickups one older for transporting lumber etc. and a new one well sorta, it is a 2015., but only used from time to time. I bought my first car when I was 21 and have had my own or access to one ever since. I got my Driver's license when I was 14 - I'm going to be 73 in Sept.. I have had access to a vehicle since I got my license. I thought I was going to go stark raving crazy when I broke my foot 3 yrs ago and couldn't drive I had to depend on everyone else to take me somewhere for 8 weeks. I don't know what I will do if I have to be in that situation ever again. We live in a area where there is no pubic transportation basically, except for a Sr. Citizens bus- no trains city buses and definitely no subways. We haven't had a taxi service here for at least 45 years.
We have several older people in our Church two ladies in their 90's a 97 yr.old, and 91 yr.old and a 95 yr old gentleman and several in their mid to late 80's in our Church who have their own cars and drive themselves everywhere. Everyone here has their own vehicle, or have to have someone take them where they need to go.
Towns in this area are not close to each other- wide open spaces. I feel about my car like most people do their cell phones, I don't like to leave home with out it or access to the one I am riding in.lol
I live 80 miles from the nearest fabric store.

Haven't been able to drive since 1994 (injury) and live in a rural area. I ride our local transit. When I first started riding it was a small operation. When I went to town I had to stay all day....The local transit has really expanded now. Michigan Ogemaw transit is great!!! I do my medical appts and my shopping using transit. I have to ask for rides from friends for out of the area appts, but really try not to ask for rides. Fabric stores are far away...one quilt shop that I can't afford and Walmarts. It was really hard to stop driving and I still miss it...but I manage. I didn't even know we had county transit until I had been hurt, now they are my life line.

When we travel overseas, we always explore by buses and subways and trains. At home, we use our car or truck or RV. I have used a bus many times here locally and there is good service now.

Public transit around here is not great. I thought about taking the bus to work but it'd take me nearly an hour each way and I'd have to change to a later shift because they don't start running early enough to get me here in time for my current (6AM) shift (which I like). Or...it's about a 12 minute drive, so for me that's a no-brainer.

I used to take public bus home from school sometimes in high school; it was a 3 mile walk each way and I had a bad hip so it was a grueling march for me and sometimes I'd be too sore and would give in and take the bus. The only bus that would work went way out of the way, though, so it took about an hour and a half to get home by bus. But it took me around a little over an hour to walk the 3 miles anyway so that wasn't too different. It just sucked because I could either buy lunch or ride the bus, couldn't afford both, so I had to plan ahead and go hungry if I was having a "sore" day.

I love having a car and hope I'm never dependent on public transportation again. I really hope by the time I'm too old to drive safely that they'll have reliable self-driving cars so I can retain my independence!

In my area we have a non-profit organization that provides rides to those who are 50 years and over. When I stopped working, I started driving people for them. I've met some really nice people who need rides to doctors, shopping, etc.

I'm going to really hate it when I will no longer be able to drive. I've owned a car for the last 49 years.

We live slightly out in the "country" have to drive everywhere. We even have to transport our bicycles to town to find a place to ride them! I love where we live, but It must be nice to live where there is ample public transportation to go everywhere without driving. It would be nice to hop on the train and end up downtown (Detroit) and miss the traffic. Loved public transportation in England. Bring back trains!!!

We live outside the city limits, too far to walk or ride a bike to shop. Everyone here has trucks, SUVs, four wheelers, and tractors to get to town. I've never been without a vehicle in the yard to drive. Growing up rural there was always something to get on and ride to the store or to a friends house. No way I'd be at home without a vehicle to use whenever I wanted.

Loved reading this thread! Love driving my car! I love walking, too, but there aren't many places I can walk. I could go visit the neighbors, maybe. Within 30 miles of my house there are two "large cities" (10 to 16 thousand), and at least 26 smaller cities and towns with 4 thousand to 20 people in them. These are just the ones that have names on the road as you approach them. Some don't have their own zip code. These are scattered all around among all the cows and corn. Not too much forest but some patches of trees. I live 4 miles from a 4000 town and four miles from a 400 town.

I'm still driving, and I drive when others much younger than I are in the car but they don't want to drive. That includes my daughter. I even drive my grand-kids around. And many of them have their license. Now I can drive the great-grands, too. If I can't drive anymore, I'm sure I will be moving into one of these little towns. But I'll stay happy right where I am for as long as I can.

Bearisgray, I can't imagine how it would be helpful to know how people get around in an area that's different from where you are, or is this just for curiosity's sake? If you are truly out in the country, is a bus or subway ever even an option? I'm in a large suburb, almost as big as the biggest city in Kansas, I'm pretty sure, but just a suburb of Dallas, and although the metro area, including our town, has trains and busses, I'm probably about 4 miles from the nearest commuter train station, and as far as I know there's no bus stop near me. Places I go regularly to drive my young grandson to karate, for example, 8 miles, or to go to the grocery store, about 3 miles, the hospital is 5 miles - well, you get the picture. Nothing is a short walk, though if really pressed I could make the 2 miles to a corner that has restaurants, a pharmacy and a gas/convenience store/post office, a dance school and a dog groomer. I'm sure Uber would be an option here, but I haven't looked into it. There's probably cab service, but that would be expensive. Bicycles are an option for some, weather permitting. I'm afraid I'm beyond the age of considering that, though I have a couple of similarly old friends who still ride daily for exercise. Not having a car out here would be awfully inconvenient.

I have just remembered to add that I have a cousin in her 80's who quit driving cars when her husband got home from Vietnam. She managed to raise 5 kids without driving - can't imagine how because I didn't know her well in those days. A few years ago they moved to a small Texas town, and for some reason they decided that she needed a way to get around when her husband was not well, so they got her a golf cart. I don't know if those are legal on the road everywhere, but it's an interesting choice.

When we considered buying our house in the country we knew we would have to drive anywhere we needed to go but the trade off was well worth it. I love living in the country where it it peaceful and beautiful. I can ride my bike to a small grocery store if needed or if real ambious walk to store. I am very happy here.

I didn't learn to drive until I was 21, before that I lived in the city centre and walked to work. Soon as I learned to drive, that was it, no more public transport for me. I would be lost without my car, we live in outer suburbia in a hill location, the public transport system here is woeful.

I'm old enough that my grandmothers were born in the late 1800's and neither of them drove. My mother didn't learn how to drive (or maybe just get a license) until she was 35 and her older sister never drove. But, I grew up on a farm and even though I rode the school bus, we drove everywhere else. Didn't have a car when I was in college, so was pretty much confined to campus and had to search for a ride from kids from my area when I wanted to go home for the weekend. Over the years, I have often depended on public transportation for getting to work, but not for a long time. Not looking forward to the years when I might lose my independence by not being able to drive. About eight months ago I had to take my younger sister's car away when she moved into assisted living and she was not happy, but when someone becomes a threat to themselves and others, they can't be allowed to drive.