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My girlfriend has it in her head to get a car. She can drive, I can't. BUt because I will be "reaping the benefits" of her being able to drive, she wants me to split the costs, 50/50.
Now, maybe it's just me, but the economics of running a car just don't seem to make good sense.
We have an option to buy a car to around the value of £3,000, spreading the payments over 3 years - interest free.
Great, I hear you cry.
But then you have to insure it. Quotes come in at the princely sum of £800. Immediately almost doubling the cost of the car over the three year payment period. But even once it's insured to drive, you can't *actually* drive the thing, because you have to tax it, too. Something to the tune of £120+ to get your little sticker. So far we're looking at just under £2,000 a year.
But still the car is not "roadworthy", as it can't drive without... ta da da da da daaaa - petrol. I'm told "it's nothing to worry about" and "about £20-30 a week". Ooh, some small figures. But let's read the small print here. £30 a week? That's £1,560 a year.
So, for the paltry, almost insignificant price of £3,560, we have a car for a year. Put in a better perspective, for only £10,680 we have the car for three years and it is fully paid for, by which time, we'll likely be bored of it and want a new one.
Now, I can either have a car, or go on holiday twice a year to the bahamas, throw money to the wind gathering useless possessions and betting on the lottery, and afford all the alcohol and takeaway food I could ever want.
Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions.
Somebody please tell me why on earth I would choose the car?
Now, maybe it's just me, but the economics of running a car just don't seem to make good sense.
We have an option to buy a car to around the value of £3,000, spreading the payments over 3 years - interest free.
Great, I hear you cry.
But then you have to insure it. Quotes come in at the princely sum of £800. Immediately almost doubling the cost of the car over the three year payment period. But even once it's insured to drive, you can't *actually* drive the thing, because you have to tax it, too. Something to the tune of £120+ to get your little sticker. So far we're looking at just under £2,000 a year.
But still the car is not "roadworthy", as it can't drive without... ta da da da da daaaa - petrol. I'm told "it's nothing to worry about" and "about £20-30 a week". Ooh, some small figures. But let's read the small print here. £30 a week? That's £1,560 a year.
So, for the paltry, almost insignificant price of £3,560, we have a car for a year. Put in a better perspective, for only £10,680 we have the car for three years and it is fully paid for, by which time, we'll likely be bored of it and want a new one.
Now, I can either have a car, or go on holiday twice a year to the bahamas, throw money to the wind gathering useless possessions and betting on the lottery, and afford all the alcohol and takeaway food I could ever want.
Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions.
Somebody please tell me why on earth I would choose the car?
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The petrol seems a tad steep (depending on how far you have to go), and public transport would cost money, which you'll save by having a car.
Still, I figure it's overly expensive anyway, so long as you can get to most places comfortably.
Still, I figure it's overly expensive anyway, so long as you can get to most places comfortably.
She just wants to drive away from you as fast as possible...and make you pay half.
Eh?!?! Sounds like she's scamming you to me...
Oops! Who eedited my pot an poot speeling erros inn?
Why get a car when you can ride the "mus"?
So I'm not the only wierdo who hasn't learned to drive then? Nearly 32 and never had a lesson, nor any interest in getting a car.
Parents never had a car either, which is why I'm used to relying on public transport whenever I want to go anywhere, unlike a certain uncle of mine who sees it as beneath him to even consider getting on a bus. After losing the car for a few months after an accident, he pretty much became a hermit, refusing to use public transport even for short journeys!
My friends all think I'm odd for not having learned to drive, and are always on at me about getting lessons.
But why should I?
I'm not working at the moment, but when I was, I had either a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute bike ride to get to work.
I live just one mile from a major shopping centre, or a 25-minute mus ride from the town centre - a 5 mile walk, if the weather's nice enough.
And on the rare occasion that I have anything heavy enough to warrant transport, I can get a taxi, or ask a mate for a lift and give them something for the petrol.
I'm sure that being able to jump in a car and go out somewhere is something you'd hate to be without if you'd ever had it. But you can't miss what you never had.
Then of course, there's the fact that cars make you lazy. Why walk a mile to the shops, when you can hop in the car, right?
One of my car-driving mates offered me a lift to the local shops once. "Saves walking round there," he said. The shops are two courts away, and it takes less than 1 minute to walk there.
In fact, it would have taken LONGER to walk up to his car, get in, put the seatbelt on, drive there, park up, get out, secure the car, but the stuff, then do it all again coming back - than to walk there and back.
As for the costs - I agree totally. Buying the car isn't a problem at all. It's keeping the thing running that costs. I looked into driving lessons about a year ago, and while prices vary wildly depending on where you go, it was still going to cost me around £500 to learn to drive. Better if you have someone in the family to teach you, I reckon - which I don't.
Parents never had a car either, which is why I'm used to relying on public transport whenever I want to go anywhere, unlike a certain uncle of mine who sees it as beneath him to even consider getting on a bus. After losing the car for a few months after an accident, he pretty much became a hermit, refusing to use public transport even for short journeys!
My friends all think I'm odd for not having learned to drive, and are always on at me about getting lessons.
But why should I?
I'm not working at the moment, but when I was, I had either a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute bike ride to get to work.
I live just one mile from a major shopping centre, or a 25-minute mus ride from the town centre - a 5 mile walk, if the weather's nice enough.
And on the rare occasion that I have anything heavy enough to warrant transport, I can get a taxi, or ask a mate for a lift and give them something for the petrol.
I'm sure that being able to jump in a car and go out somewhere is something you'd hate to be without if you'd ever had it. But you can't miss what you never had.
Then of course, there's the fact that cars make you lazy. Why walk a mile to the shops, when you can hop in the car, right?
One of my car-driving mates offered me a lift to the local shops once. "Saves walking round there," he said. The shops are two courts away, and it takes less than 1 minute to walk there.
In fact, it would have taken LONGER to walk up to his car, get in, put the seatbelt on, drive there, park up, get out, secure the car, but the stuff, then do it all again coming back - than to walk there and back.
As for the costs - I agree totally. Buying the car isn't a problem at all. It's keeping the thing running that costs. I looked into driving lessons about a year ago, and while prices vary wildly depending on where you go, it was still going to cost me around £500 to learn to drive. Better if you have someone in the family to teach you, I reckon - which I don't.
You can listen to as much of your own music as you want in your own car. Except you'll be sharing, so you'll have to listen to Bon Jovi and other girly crap.
If you bought a car, you could have a mate (these are like relatives, but you can touch them in the bathing suit area if you so wish) sit in the passenger seat wearing a Stormtrooper helmet.
You can sit at traffic lights holding a conversation with your Stormtrooper mate as if nothing's different, and watch the other drives/pedestrians stare agog.
It's excellent fun.
You can sit at traffic lights holding a conversation with your Stormtrooper mate as if nothing's different, and watch the other drives/pedestrians stare agog.
It's excellent fun.
Meka Dragon said:
>and Walter smells. Walter frequently gets the bus.
there is a walter in every village so it would seem
>and Walter smells. Walter frequently gets the bus.
there is a walter in every village so it would seem
Unless you can afford to get a good car then there is no point. Driving around in an Aston DB7 convertible in the summer sun is good, driving around in a Lada Favourit (sp) not so good.
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