would you leave your car at home and find alternate transport for a month to reduce carbon emmissions?

Question

be totally free of the car and take the bus,train etc to work/school .there should be a law to enforce this, would you break this law??

Answer 1

I'd be interested to know how much my emissions would be cut. Buses are notoriously dirty vehicles, especially in comparison to my efficient new car. Buses are the only viable commuting option in my city and aren't heavily used, so I could actually increase my carbon footprint if i was to participate in the bus program.

I'm not a lawbreaker, but this won't ever become a law. Until governments can create a sufficient infrastructure to support moving thousands of people between points that they want to be moved between, it'll never happen.

Answer 2

There are far far too many people trying to run our lives for us and I think most of us are at a point at which the law is falling into disrepute because of silly laws which interfere with our innocent pursuits. I usually leave my car behind when I go into the city centre and get an empty bus and return on a half empty bus. I don't know what that does to emissions. In any event I do not think the emissions have anything or very little to do with global warming. I notice that those who shout loudest about it use the argument to raise taxes or stand to make a very good profit.

My jouney to work wa about 45 mins by car and up to 2 hours by bus.

Answer 3

This wouldn't work in my area for a few reasons:

1) The nearest bus stop to my house is 25 miles away.

2) There are a ton of farms out here, and the farmers depend on their trucks for work.

3) Of those who aren't farmers, everyone leaves for work at different times (anywhere between Midnight and 10:00AM), plus those who work afternoons or midnight shifts.

4) Personally, I start work at 5:00 AM, and that's with an hour drive on top of that. I wouldn't like having to get up at 2:00am to sit on a bus that makes stops for a three hour bus ride.

5) Emergencies. In my area, it's quicker to drive to the hospital than to call an ambulance. Getting rid of the cars is a safety hazard.

6) What about the people who live on the boundaries of bus systems? In my case, I'd have to take three different bus systems to get to work. I think not.

7) Decent public tranportation in Detroit doesn't exist, and probably never will since the auto companies are based here.

So, no, there won't be a law since too many people depend on their vehicles. And if there was a law, then put me in jail right now because there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to live with using public tranpsortation.

Answer 4

I have been mostly bicycling or walking to work since 1990 and have driven the car there 4 times this year. Saves wear and tear, parking fees and fuel.

No need to make laws, just re-zone the parking areas for office blocks, then allow the building owners to reduce the number of car parking spaces they provide, so few can find a parking space. In the meantime extend the "park and ride" parking area near the bus depot even though it was scarcely used. That's what is going on in this city.

I don't drive to work because I was careful to buy near work. With parking near work getting hard to find, the value of my house and land just keep rising. Hooray!

For those who don't like this, the thumbs down button is at the lower right.

Answer 5

For something like this to become law, public transport would have to undergo a massive improvement. I will be starting to use public transport from Monday as my job will be in the city centre, however, if I was working outside of the centre, I would be reluctant to surrender my car unless I knew I could guarantee to have a hassle free journey each day either going by bike or on public transport.

Answer 6

I would consider using public transport if I could. Where I work it would take me 2 and a half hours to ge there and that would be 2 trains and a bus. Screw that... Id rather drive the 40 mins it takes me to get there. I would break the law.

Answer 7

If there was a law for this I would have to break it. I live 17 miles from the nearest town (read any convenience) and my closest neighbor is 2 miles away (not the kind of people you ask things of). There is no alternate transport for my area so I MUST rely on my car.

Answer 8

It would be far safer if EVERYONE left their cars at home at least one day a month.

I gave up driving a few years ago due to ill health. And take my word for it, it is FAR cheaper going by bus. When I drove it would cost a MINIMUM of £70 each week by the time you had paid for fuel, parking (ALL of the companies I worked far did NOT have staff car parking), insurance, MOT and general wear and tear. Multi-journey bus tickets from my village to the nearest city are £21 for 12 single journeys.

Answer 9

I have sold one of my cars and Now I take the bus to the train station and take the train to work and Walk the rest of the way!! 22.2 miles from door to parking spot and it took 45 mins, now my commute time is 30 mins !! Thanks to public transit! Bay Area commute by car sucks! So yes I have cut down on some of the carbon emmissions!!

Answer 10

Not everybody lives near public transportation. There are no passenger trains where I live and the closest a bus comes to my house is 8 miles. If it works for you, go ahead.