Life Without Car - One Year On

In October 2009  I posted a blog entitled "Life Without Car". Now a year on I look back and note that :

1. My stress level has declined. It only rises on the very rare occasion that Messrs Stagecoach have let me down.

2. I have lost 3 and half stones in weight and now walk up to 30  miles a week.

3. I love seeing this great land from the top of a bus - views both urban and rural  that cannot be experienced from a car.


4. No parking problems!

5. No visits to the supermarket.  My shopping pattern has changed to little and often relying on the Lincoln Co-op and local stores.

6. Although I have spent money on trains and taxi's the net saving from not owing a car has been around £1000 over the year.

7. Some journeys are quicker by public transport such as York in one hour by train from Gainsborough.

Of course some adjustment to planning life has been made to accommodate the fact that public transport in Gainsborough is only available 6 days a week until 8pm (on Sundays there are no buses and only four trains with the first leaving Gainsborough at 2.30 pm). Timetables for services other than the principal Stagecoach  services are hard to come by and considerable lateral thinking  is needed when using journey planning sites, especially when working out how to access low rail fares. I also do rely on lifts from friends to reach places not served by Stagecoach.

However I am doing my small bit to save the planet so can sit on my bus or train feeling satisfied.