Is Our Long National Obsession With Cars Finally Ebbing?

One thing I have never understood about Americans is their love of cars and I am from Texas -- SUV country par excellence.

To me a car is like a prison sentence, once all the real costs are figured into the purchase. First there is filling it up. Easily $50 right now, $2600 a year. Then there is oil for the engine, $5 every couple of weeks, maybe every other month or so. Then there are state taxes, $100-$200 a year, maybe more in other places. Tolls? $1.50 each way once a day equals $60 a month, just for the twenty or so business days when using toll roads. Then there is the upkeep. On an American car I'd assume on average over a year it comes out to maybe $1000. On foreign cars, especially European luxury models? Much higher. Then there are inspection stickers, or exhaust fees for some states: $200 a year in some places, $30 in others. And don't forget the insurance racket: $1500 a year? Maybe less, maybe more? Finally, we come to the price of the car in the first place. I think it's pretty hard to get into a car for less than, say, $14,000, so maybe a minimum payment of $400 a month for five years, so about $4800 a year? What's that come out to for a year: $10,000 just to drive one car! (Just imagine having two teens in the house?)

Wouldn't you rather save $8,000 a year and only pay $2,000 a year in infrastructure taxes to ride the subway? Or an excellent bus system? And improve our national rail network? As a part of the bargain you would walk more, get exercise, be healthier and as another bonus spend more time in closer quarters with your fellow Americans, building communities, making new friends, the chance meetings of people reading the same book on the metro or bus?

Or, keep spending $10,000 a year on cars, building ever more far suburbs, locking ourselves in gated communities, shutting out our fellows, and fighting oil wars in the Middle East?

Seems like a simple choice to me. But then again, I'm here in Singapore. I walk to work. I walk to eat dinner down at the food stalls and meet new friends. I walk to go get a bit of coffee. I walk to the store to get a new iron, and ironing board and carry it with me back to my flat. (Or, you can always ride a bike!)

Of course, there are always valid excuses, but the "I have four kids and need a big SUV" isn't even close to being valid. Now, if you work on a farm? Or live in a deep rural community, sure, you need a car. But city dwellers? Not on your life.

What am I missing, that old, time worn, hackneyed excuse that a car equals the open road and freedom? Codswallop if you ask me! Have you ever ridden a train across country? Trust me when I tell you it is much more relxing and edifying than driving, tense traffic and big rigs blowing by you at the speed of light. And when it comes to trains versus planes? Well, there is simply no comparison.

Like I said, I've never understood our national obsession with cars. And financially it's beginning to look a lot less attractive.

Comments

[MajorKong]

I love my car, but I don't like being in the position of having to drive my car everywhere. I can't even ride my bike to the nearest grocery store without traveling on a major road and taking my life in my hands. That puts me in the ludicrous position of having to put my bike on the car and drive it to a bike path somewhere just so I can ride my bike.

[Paul]

Excellent post.

We abandoned the cities in the 50s and 60s and moved to energy-inefficient suburban living.

That trend will reverse because the average person will not be able to afford a car.

If I could get around without a car I would junk it in a New York minute.

[KillTheMessenger]

It's not about liking/disliking cars. The truth is that many, if not most places in the US are, right now, almost inaccessible without a car. And this won't change for at least a decade or two.

The trouble we are in is caused by us having made our country less, not more accessible and we have done so by pretending that ever larger cars will be available at ever decreasing cost for eternity.

There are numerous attempts by local governments, especially on the city/county level, to recreate actual city centers where people can live, work (or at least ride to work), shop and entertain themselves. The key to such an effort is to build for higher density, i.e. to erect apartment buildings where only low income businesses used to be. This will allow at least singles and childless couples to maintain an economic presence in our cities and towns and move their spending from transportation towards services. If this effort can bring the families back from the suburbs needs to be seen. As far as I can tell the economic situation of the school system will not lead to a recovery of inner city schools and a move of more quality schools towards the higher density neighborhoods anytime soon.

Singapore is a wonderful example of the city of the future. But it is not a realistic model for the US for decades to come.

[ilovemydoggy]

I am sick of my car. Sick of high insurance. Sick of paying for repairs, new tires. I say "On to the Future". Mankind lived a long time without cars. It must have been so quiet then and the air clean.
V. Cornue has some recent posts about middle eastern oil and what it is costing us http://www.Vaboomer.com

[Paul]

Don'tcha love buying tires?

I have never figured out how two $50 tires wind up costing $150.

[4real]

Beginning next year anyone who purchases a large SUV/Tank should be subjected to a luxury tax.

[ferrarimanf355]

No. Some people still like their cars, and I'm one of them. I want a Dodge Challenger or a new Camaro. If the Greenpeace crowd successfully legislates the V8 out of existence, I'll be a unhappy camper...

[MajorKong]

I fear $4/gallon gas is going to kill the V8 far more effectively than Greenpeace could ever hope to.

[CharlieMarlowe]

Cars? I want someone to explain to me the "need" for riding lawn mowers and leaf blowers.

[Viper]

well I have 100 acres to mow. You are more than welcome to come and show us how you would mow it with a hand mower or even just an acre. I have 2 Dixie Choppers and a tractor and my own diesel tanks.

You must be a City slicker! LOL.

Regards

[RememberTheAlamo]

Hi Viper,

They all are . . . the don't have cars and don't get out of the city much.

Narrow travels . . . narrow viewpoints.

Am sure somebody will suggest you hitch up a windmill to power your tractor.

[drkazmd65]

Having been a country guy a substantial part of my life - I get the 100 acres thing.

But - get rid of the lawn man, unless you have a baseball/f­ootball/so­ccar whatever field out there save yourself a lot of time and trouble and plant it in wildflowers, or start up an a tree farm or something. Lower maintence, and in the long-term the lumber from the tree farm will be a windfall.

My borther has only got a about 4 of acres of yard, and every year another chunk of that (albiet limited) acerage disappears under a perennial flower bed, a more couple of mulched fruit trees or another mass of blueberry shrubs. His goal is to retire the riding mower within a couple more years.

[magicmary]

When I was young I lived in Eugene, OR and rode my bike everywhere I went unless we went to the mountains and then we drove. I didn't get a drivers license till I was 32. It was fine except for being asthmatic in all that rain and pollen rich environment was bad. Then in Portland, OR I hardly ever drove because I lived in the inner city and took the light rail most places. That was over when I got my career because even though my work is something I can do in my pajamas, for some strange reason my presence is required at the freekin' office. In WI I was 30 miles out of town (because who can afford to live in town anymore?) but I had a commuter bus that dropped me a block from where I worked. Now I'm in Albuquerque which is the WORST city for driving I've ever lived in and their public transportation is horrifying. The only light rail they have doesn't go anywhere anyone needs to go unless you work downtown. I"m only here temporarily and I can't wait to move to a small city with excellent public transportation. Please leave your suggestions here!!!!!! (I'm going back to the midwest...)
I also really resent the fact that I have to have a car! I'd rather just not have one and then rent one for the occasional trip out to the middle of nowhere.

[Jay20]

sometimes, liberalism goes too far, and this is one of those times. Honestly, if you wanna make cars more fuel efficient, absolutely, I'm all for it. If you wanna mandate diesels and hybrids, hell yes. But to tell people that they should never drive at all? Not a way to win votes, I'll tell you for sure. What happens when the cities get too crowded.

[magicmary]

When cities get too crowded where are we going to go with all the cars? What about changing the way we work? Why NOT telecommute 2-3 days a week and drive in 2-3 days a week? We buy these fancy laptops and what do we do with them? Play games and blog on Huffpo! We could be using them to lower stress and save the environment.

[jvarga]

Can't telecommute to the lab, sadly :(

[alkamm]

Part of the attraction of driving cars is the thrill of it. After a long days work, many liberals and conservatives alike enjoy tearing about in their more or less sporty cars. The ride home is not a simple move from point a to point b, but an adventure wherein we attack the road and stimulate our imaginations.

It's like boating. Few boat owners use them to commute. Those who do are lucky. They can speed to work splashing and dodging each other and higher gas prices will simply be part of the price of the amusement.

Those who see driving as mere transportation have to realize that it's not only NASCAR fans that live to drive, or Harley fans who live to ride, but many of us who use driving as a relatively inexpensive way to take the edge off of the quotidian world of commercial concerns.

All that being said, I think that we need high speed rail so that we can ride hundreds of miles an hour and work or play quietly on our computers. They might provide some solace for the otherwise mind-numbing culture corporations and other employers enforce on their minions.

[RememberTheAlamo]

Hi Jay20,

Well expressed!

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Dont worry the cattle cars aren't rolling yet. But the reality is the cost of cars is going to rise and eventually become a luxury item. You cant base a society on eating caviar.

[Sean-Paul Kelley - Huffpost Blogger]

I defy you to tell me where I say, "people shouldn't drive at all." I never said it. It was never implied. What I am exploring here are the true costs to car ownership. Let's not sweep them under the rug.

What happens when the cities get to crowded? Obviously you have never, ever been to Asia and have absolutely no concept what a truly crowded city is like.

Again, typical of Americans who've never left the country and think the only right way to do things is the American way.

America has a great deal to offer the world, and we have offered the world many great things. But, when it comes to critical infrastructure investments such as muni-wifi and healthcare and world class transportation and education the United States is falling behind. I see it every day.

And people can make the excuse that it's easy for Singapore because they are so small.

But jeez! What happen to Yankee ingenuity and American can do spirit?

We've grown fat and lazy on easy credit, unhealthy food and cheap gas. It's time to pay the piper.

[AnneOlivia]

It's very simple: the car has replaced the horse, and represents an American's independence and freedom to strike out in any direction we want at any time we want. It's the modern-day equivalent to the covered wagon. I think we will be much better off when we make the adjustment to using our body energy to move ourselves around: walking, cycling, etc. as well as adjusting our living/work-styles to reduce the distances we have to go to meet our needs.

I was terrified to get my first car. All of my friends who had cars were constantly broke from taking care of their cars, or borrowing money from their parents to get their car fixed. So, I'm with you there.

[smokepole]

I am not sure which Americans you are referring to here, but I don’t think many would agree with this statement. You are basically making an argument for “city living” which has never been part of the American dream or historical narrative. Europeans may like cities, but Americans in general don’t. Despite what you see on TV (Friends, Seinfeld, Sex in the City, etc) most Americans think cities are dirty, crowded, soulless, crime-ridden, and full of rude and wretched people. Most Americans don’t like being urinated on by some bum only to get mugged by some criminal.
The reason why many city dwellers have cars is so they can leave the city. Americans do not dream of skyscrapers and penthouse apartments, they dream of white picket fences, yards their kids can play in, and having a garden. Most people that live in or commute to cities do so because they have to for work. Due to cities economic impacts they also offer some centrally located entertainment such as sports or the arts, but then leave when the event is over. With a few exceptions (NYC, LA, Chicago) no one goes to a city to experience “the city.” Ask most Americans where they want to raise their children, the answer will not be “the city.”

[RememberTheAlamo]

Excellent response!

[MajorKong]

This is the typical "The liberals want to make me live in Manhattan!" response. Presumably in some grim, Soviet-style apartment complex.

We used to have small towns where work, retail, and residential were all fairly close together. You didn't have to drive 10 miles to the Super WalMart to buy your groceries. I'm talking about old-fashioned small-town America.

The 4,000 square foot house on a 5-acre lot 30 miles from downtown is hardly an American tradition. It's a relatively new phenomenon that started after WWII.

[Bobzmcishl]

Intellectually I agree with your arguments; emotionally, I am a car fanatic, although I hate SUV's. I love my 66 Mustang convertible, which gives me a huge lift when I drive it on occasional weekends. The other cars I could do without if we had a transportation system like Europe - we have nothing close to their Metro/Underground light rail and their long distance trains are luxurious and run on time. Even their taxi's are better than ours - why is that? The SF Bay Area has BART which is excellent but limited in routes, due to the shortsightedness of citizens in the 60's. My plan is to keep my nostalgia car and get something like a Prius for everyday driving.

[smokepole]

"another bonus spend more time in closer quarters with your fellow Americans, building communities, making new friends, the chance meetings of people reading the same book on the metro or bus?"

I am not sure which Americans you are referring to here, but I don’t think many would agree with this statement. You are basically making an argument for “city living” which has never been part of the American dream or historical narrative. Europeans may like cities, but Americans in general don’t. Despite what you see on TV (Friends, Seinfeld, Sex in the City, etc) most Americans think cities are dirty, crowded, soulless, crime-ridden, and full of rude and wretched people. Most Americans don’t like being urinated on by some bum only to get mugged by some criminal.
The reason why many city dwellers have cars is so they can leave the city. Americans do not dream of skyscrapers and penthouse apartments, they dream of white picket fences, yards their kids can play in, and having a garden. Most people that live in or commute to cities do so because they have to for work. Due to cities economic impacts they also offer some centrally located entertainment such as sports or the arts, but then leave when the event is over. With a few exceptions (NYC, LA, Chicago) no one goes to a city to experience “the city.” Ask most Americans where they want to raise their children, the answer will not be “the city.”

[JennyJay]

The $10,000. spent on my car is not just buying me a way to get to work or to the super market.
That 10K buys me the freedom to move, to see, to experience new things - being in my car gives me the "high" of my life, it makes me bigger than the little box that is my real world. If I did not have my
wonderful, wonderful car I would never see peaks covered in snow, or waves crashing on rocks in the ocean, or Disneyland. My car buys me the ability to see, enjoy, and love this planet so much more, and worth every dang dime of that 10K, and then some.

[magicmary]

I saw more of the US than most people before I owned a car (gangs of us piled into someones old beater) and after I got a car and a career suddenly oh my yes it became a ball and chain. The way I see it, give me excellent public transportation for my everyday work life, maybe a very small car for shopping and visiting into the evenings and if I want to see the purple mountains majesty or buy a large antique, I'll rent a RAV or Forester or something like that. Why not break it up?
It's too bad hitch-hiking is so dangerous in our violent country but I did alot of that too when I was in my 20's.

[RememberTheAlamo]

Well said!

[kiki1966]

Sean-Paul,

Thank you for this-I do see a change here in Austin. We are finally getting a really terrific, well-designed light rail sytem that will head from the suburbs to downtown and to the East Side. Mayor Wynn has been pushing downtown living for years and condos are going up all over the central business district in anticipation of tens of thousands of eventual downtown residents. Additionally, all city fleet vehicles will be hybrids by 2020, I believe. (Or is it 2012?)

Even Houston's light rail has heavy usage, but Houston has so many problems that it will take centuries to clean up that city.

When we moved here from Baltimore, I mourned the lack of public transportation (compared to the Baltimore/DC region, which has the amazing MARC commuter rail, Amtrak and the Washington Metro, which is truly a fantastic system) and insisted that we live close to downtown so our driving would be reduced. We have two cars (paid for) but are buying a scooter for short distances and errands that don't involve our son.

My friends tell me "it's only 15 minutes to downtown" from their suburban McMansion but I think that is a rationalization to assuage their guilt for living on the aquifer. I would much rather spend more on a central home and less on gas.

Anyway, thanks for letting me ramble a bit-just wanted you to know that there are some good things happening here in Austin.

[Sean-Paul Kelley - Huffpost Blogger]

I just relocated to Singapore from Austin. So, yeah, I know what you are talking about. Believe me, I don't miss traffic on Mopac at all. And I look forward to the day when I might, just might be able to afford a condo downtown and walk to and from work as I do here in Singapore. There are good things happening in Austin, indeed. But Houston and San Antonio and Dallas need lots of help. Lots.

[feo]

My memory of Singapore (circa 1970) is that the taxi drivers there were among the most dangerous, pointlessly reckless human beings on this planet. Quite a bit of fun, as I recall.