Car free living is carefree living

Some of the wonderful things you can do without a car

• Taxis (and Uber) are fun.
  You sit in the back like a king, and get picked up at your door and dropped off right where you want to be. No parking! With the money you save by not owning a car you can take a lot of taxis.
  
  
• You can't beat a morning walk in the neighbourhood.
  Walking north on Chisholm avenue one morning I stopped to admire my favourite front yard with a formal garden. Walking south a lady stopped to admire the same yard and told me how much her daily walk along this pretty street to the subway station made her day.
  
  
• Want to drive or bike once in a while?
  For low cost, no hassle hourly auto rentals, in Toronto try zipcar or Enterprise CarShare. For bicycles it's Bike Share.
  
  
• Day trip from Toronto to Hamilton
  Take the express GO bus. It leaves frequently from Union Station and takes an hour to downtown Hamilton. You can get off at the old TH&B station or anywhere along the street. It's cheap and seniors go for half price. What a bargain!
  
  
• The great outdoors without a car.
  It's easy with parkbus.ca, connecting the city to national and provincial parks, campgrounds, canoe access points, lodges and hiking trails accross Canada. Also see Transportation Options, ​Ideas and innovations for sustainable travel ​and tourism solutions in Ontario.
  
  
• A week in the country
  There are lot's of motels and campgrounds on intercity bus routes. Here's an example: the Sword Motel in Bancroft (613-332-2474). Take a bus from downtown Toronto and change in Peterborough. In a few hours the driver will let you off right at the motel. Lots to do within walking distance. Don't get lost in the forest.
  
  
• A night on the town
  Most of our favorite night spots are right on the public transit.
  
  

Think you can't survive without a car?
Maybe you can.

• From cash register to kitchen with the bundle buggy.
  They're great. They fold up and you can carry them in one hand and keep them in the closet. You can use them in the supermarket instead of the shopping cart. When you leave the check-out you're all packed up and set for the road. When you get home you wheel the loaded cart right into the kitchen (if the wheels are clean) and unload it where you want it. With a car you carry the groceries to the trunk, take the shopping cart back to the store, drive home, take the stuff out of the trunk and carry it into the kitchen (several trips!). If you live in a high rise you've also got the elevator. No problem with the bundle buggy, just roll it right in. You can even take a loaded buggy on a city bus, although I wouldn't try it at rush hour.
  Where can you get them? There's one in Real Bargain. 2505 Danforth Ave. Toronto for about $30. They have several sizes. Also A to Z Discount at 2535 Danforth Ave. The big ones have 4 wheels and you can carry a lot. Also see http://www.thestar.com/article/607660
  
  

Obviously we need a bunch of help.

• how to walk safely
• how to bike safely and efficiently
• how drivers can avoid accidents with pedestrians and bikers
• how to avoid financial pitfalls when buying/leasing a car
• how to find a job or residence on publilc transit
• how to find a job/business working from home
• more fun things to do without a car
• picture of a cloud of smoke over a city, eg Toronto from S side of lake or from Leslie spit
• Several years ago I saw a picture on the internet from about 1940 showing a bunch of pedestrians waiting at the intersection for the light to change, standing right at the curb, leaning over into the traffic. I always stand way back, it's safer. Can anybody find that or a similar picture?
• how to politely convince other people not to drive so much
• more to come