checkmatechamp13 Posted June 7, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 7, 2011 I've been meaning to make this post for a while. Our mass transit system is one of the best in the nation, and as a result, we have the highest percentage of autoless households of any major U.S. city. So out of curiosity, out of the members here, who owns a car? If not, do you plan on getting one, or have you ever owned one? I'm 16 and I plan on getting my drivers' license, but I plan on having it just in case the need to drive ever comes up (if a relative suddenly needs to get somewhere fast, like God-forbid a hospital). However, once I live on my own, the only thing I could picture realistically using it for is if, for some reason I need it for employment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 7, 2011 Share #2 Posted June 7, 2011 I don't own one, but I've been tinkling with the idea. The thing is even when I lived in Europe, I could walk everywhere since Florence is a pretty small city. I was a 20 minute walk from Downtown and if I really wanted to go up in the hills somewhere, then I could just jump on the bus for 1€. I've thought about getting a car but I spend most of my time in Manhattan, so it would basically just get me to and from the express bus and with me planning to move soon, it may not even be necessary. My thinking has been that if I had a car, it would limit me in terms of which express buses I had access to, unless I parked in an area where I could catch a large percentage of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Up Front Posted June 7, 2011 Share #3 Posted June 7, 2011 I have 19 of them... in Need for Speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
553 Bridgeton Posted June 7, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 7, 2011 I have a Lincoln LS. I bought it back in 2007 at a dealership along Jerome Av. It had 34,000 miles on it and it currently has 197,000miles. I worked hard for it. I got tired of dealing with the subway/bus and wanted a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted June 7, 2011 Right now, my family splits 1 car between 6 people. I remember having a car when we lived in Brighton Beach, but now that I think about it, we didn't really use it that much. My dad used it for work and that was about it. Maybe we would've used it more if it were more convenient (we parked it in Sheepshead Bay, so we needed to take a 20-30 minute walk or take the B49 bus to access it, so it was easier to just walk or take the bus or train directly from our apartment to where we needed to go). I remember my family having 3 cars in my lifetime: A 1988 Oldsmobile (from 1998-2004), a car from 2000 (I forget the make, as I'm not good with car models) from 2004-2007, and a 2006 Pontiac G6 from 2007 until now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 7, 2011 Share #6 Posted June 7, 2011 you're only 16? As of now, yes I own a car... come october/november I wont; about to sell it to a (friend of a) family friend.... Hardly use it anymore, it's just sittin in the driveway.... Too many repairs that have to be done on it.... To be honest, I want a new ride anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forest Glen Posted June 7, 2011 Share #7 Posted June 7, 2011 I have a learner's permit. Every week, my old man has been showing me how to drive. I plan on taking the road test in August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shortline Bus Posted June 7, 2011 Share #8 Posted June 7, 2011 Little secret guys. Had to sell my '95 Chevy Lumina last month(May)as transmission got blown out. Got only $400 for the parts though selling it through craigslist. Would have costed me at $2,500 (or more)to fix it, more than the total value of the car that about $1,000 in 'descent' condition. No doubt after owning it for 3-plus years the brutal winter of 2011 was a big factor why she died. Right now using car pools to work(my last day of school year is June 20 unless I get called for graduation) the Dutchess County Loop, Metro North and of course local overpriced taxis up here. During July4th and maybe a weekend in August plan to rent a car. About to save up again and get another 'baby' hopefully by end of summer. Looking at mid size cars w/ at most 100g in mileage like Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata or a Buick Century from say '99-2004 in the $2-3,000 grand range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadcruiser1 Posted June 7, 2011 Share #9 Posted June 7, 2011 No, and I most likely won't get a drivers license until I get my LASEK. My eyesight is so bad they won't hand one over to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmazz77 Posted June 7, 2011 Share #10 Posted June 7, 2011 I have two cars. They are nice and convenient to have, but expensive in this city. Both cars are used, one is a 2006 and one is a 1998. I maintain my own vehicles, so my maintenance costs are parts only. But between insurance, my payment on the '06, gas & tolls, they cost me $800/mo. That's rent for a 1bd apt. When I am able to get back to working in brooklyn and not having to commute, the 1998 is getting sold and will save me roughly $300/mo plus I won't be paying tolls to go back n forth to the bronx. Plus next year my kids will be going to school a couple of blocks away so no more driving them to school which will cut my gas cost in half on the '06. So hopefully next year I will be saving a bunch of money. Anyway, b4 you get set on buying a car, new or used, price insurance b/c it's crazy in nyc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shortline Bus Posted June 7, 2011 Share #11 Posted June 7, 2011 I have two cars. They are nice and convenient to have, but expensive in this city. Both cars are used, one is a 2006 and one is a 1998. I maintain my own vehicles, so my maintenance costs are parts only. But between insurance, my payment on the '06, gas & tolls, they cost me $800/mo. That's rent for a 1bd apt. When I am able to get back to working in brooklyn and not having to commute, the 1998 is getting sold and will save me roughly $300/mo plus I won't be paying tolls to go back n forth to the bronx. Plus next year my kids will be going to school a couple of blocks away so no more driving them to school which will cut my gas cost in half on the '06. So hopefully next year I will be saving a bunch of money. Anyway, b4 you get set on buying a car, new or used, price insurance b/c it's crazy in nyc. Before I recently gave up my chevy I was paying w/ Allstate only about $75 a month. Not a misprint. Remember too I am in my late 30's age wise so that a factor. And Jmazz what you doing owning 2 cars in the '5' boros? Unless you have a wife/family sorry to sound blunt its kind of a waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted June 7, 2011 you're only 16? As of now, yes I own a car... come october/november I wont; about to sell it to a (friend of a) family friend.... Hardly use it anymore, it's just sittin in the driveway.... Too many repairs that have to be done on it.... To be honest, I want a new ride anyway... Yeah, I just turned 16 a little over a month ago. So how old is the car you currently own? I have two cars. They are nice and convenient to have, but expensive in this city. Both cars are used, one is a 2006 and one is a 1998. I maintain my own vehicles, so my maintenance costs are parts only. But between insurance, my payment on the '06, gas & tolls, they cost me $800/mo. That's rent for a 1bd apt. When I am able to get back to working in brooklyn and not having to commute, the 1998 is getting sold and will save me roughly $300/mo plus I won't be paying tolls to go back n forth to the bronx. Plus next year my kids will be going to school a couple of blocks away so no more driving them to school which will cut my gas cost in half on the '06. So hopefully next year I will be saving a bunch of money. Anyway, b4 you get set on buying a car, new or used, price insurance b/c it's crazy in nyc. I remember that, when we moved to Staten Island, my dad was happy that the price of insurance went down from $3,000 per year to about $1,200 per year. Part of the thing about owning a car is that there are a lot of little costs that add up. A few years ago, I was under the impression that we were saving money (over using mass transit) by having everybody use 1 car, but the insurance costs are close to the price of a monthly MetroCard, and adding on variables such as gas and maintainance, mean that transit is still cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amtrak7 Posted June 7, 2011 Share #13 Posted June 7, 2011 Remember: Driving costs roughly 50 cents a mile. So if your car is only for your commute, a one-way distance more than ~5 miles makes it more economical to pay $104 for the monthly. That doesn't count tolls or off-street parking. Of course if you use that monthly to go shopping, etc. it'll save you a lot more money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted June 7, 2011 Remember: Driving costs roughly 50 cents a mile. So if your car is only for your commute, a one-way distance more than ~5 miles makes it more economical to pay $104 for the monthly. That doesn't count tolls or off-street parking. Of course if you use that monthly to go shopping, etc. it'll save you a lot more money. My relatives in NYC do the opposite—commute by subway, but use the car for everything else. The commute is about 3 miles, and it is possible for it to be done by bus (the S59/S89 to the S74), but the problem is that it takes too long. I remember once, after a snow storm, it took my dad 40 minutes to get to work to avoid the risk of getting stuck in the snow (I went with him). We later learned that the buses were actually running pretty close to schedule, so that means that the car cuts the 40 minute transit commute to a 15 minute drive. The problem is that work starts fairly early, when the buses run infrequently. If work started at, say 9AM, there is a chance that my family would get rid of the car. Another problem is that we live in a relatively car-dependant area (compared to the rest of NYC), so while it is possible to do day-to-day activities walking and using transit, a car makes it a lot easier. When we lived in Brighton Beach, it would be possible to commute by transit, but, again the locations were in isolated areas that would be pretty hard to reach by transit (Red Hook (Brooklyn), Maspeth (Queens), and eastern Yonkers) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan05979 Posted June 7, 2011 Share #15 Posted June 7, 2011 Before I recently gave up my chevy I was paying w/ Allstate only about $75 a month. Not a misprint. Remember too I am in my late 30's age wise so that a factor. And Jmazz what you doing owning 2 cars in the '5' boros? Unless you have a wife/family sorry to sound blunt its kind of a waste. You paid $75 a month because no one cares about a boring lumina, its the most non threatning car in the world, an old bag drives one to go to her bingo games at the local senior center and then pick up her meds at the local pharmacy. And your in your late 30's but you act like your in your late 60's looking for a 99 century, I bet you put both hand on the steering wheel when your driving right? unreal. And I own 2 cars in the 5 boro's so what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmazz77 Posted June 8, 2011 Share #16 Posted June 8, 2011 Yes, I own two cars because right now we need to cars. My kids' school is 9 miles from where we live. We moved during the school year, and their zoned school had no openings. So we left them where they were for the remainder of the year. So my wife drives them back n forth everyday. And sorry, but I'm not sending my 5 & 6yr old on public transportation.. lol Right now, I live in Brooklyn and work in the bronx. Takes too long to go to and fro by train.. Over 2hrs each way. So I drive into Whitestone,Queens, park and take the bus over the bridge right to my depot. Only time I drive into work is Sundays b/c I clear too late to catch the bus. So it saves me toll money taking the bus 4 days/wk. Hopefully I can get into Gleason or Ulmer Park come January. Gleason is walking distance. U.P. is 30-45min commute by bus. So one car will be gone. Anyone interested in a 1998 Chrysler Cirrus??? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shortline Bus Posted June 8, 2011 Share #17 Posted June 8, 2011 Yes, I own two cars because right now we need to cars. My kids' school is 9 miles from where we live. We moved during the school year, and their zoned school had no openings. So we left them where they were for the remainder of the year. So my wife drives them back n forth everyday. And sorry, but I'm not sending my 5 & 6yr old on public transportation.. lol Right now, I live in Brooklyn and work in the bronx. Takes too long to go to and fro by train.. Over 2hrs each way. So I drive into Whitestone,Queens, park and take the bus over the bridge right to my depot. Only time I drive into work is Sundays b/c I clear too late to catch the bus. So it saves me toll money taking the bus 4 days/wk. Hopefully I can get into Gleason or Ulmer Park come January. Gleason is walking distance. U.P. is 30-45min commute by bus. So one car will be gone. Anyone interested in a 1998 Chrysler Cirrus??? lol Sorry I thought you were single LOL. In your case that different since you have a family.:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KNIGHTRIDER3:16 Posted June 8, 2011 Share #18 Posted June 8, 2011 This is me and KITT This is my V10 Excursion 6.8 L And this is GOLIATH...A V10 6.8 L Monster I have a family but nobody drives my trucks but me . My Pontiac as some members already knows has blown up...tranny and engine went so I do not have KITT no more but I found a great replacement. I got 3 kids and a wife so I need a something to do ....know what I mean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 8, 2011 Share #19 Posted June 8, 2011 Right now, my family splits 1 car between 6 people. I remember having a car when we lived in Brighton Beach, but now that I think about it, we didn't really use it that much. My dad used it for work and that was about it. Maybe we would've used it more if it were more convenient (we parked it in Sheepshead Bay, so we needed to take a 20-30 minute walk or take the B49 bus to access it, so it was easier to just walk or take the bus or train directly from our apartment to where we needed to go). I remember my family having 3 cars in my lifetime: A 1988 Oldsmobile (from 1998-2004), a car from 2000 (I forget the make, as I'm not good with car models) from 2004-2007, and a 2006 Pontiac G6 from 2007 until now. lol @parking in Sheepshead Bay. It's ironic that you'd park there because for years Sheepshead Bay despite being a relatively safe area had a very high car theft rate, so a lot of people would park their cars in garages. When I lived back there, once I was going for a walk one night down Sheepshead Bay Road and we see a car taking off and shortly after a guy comes running out of a store after the car. The car stopped and a kid was apparently in the back. The kid was removed from the car and then the car took off again. It was like something out of a movie. :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fresh Pond Posted June 8, 2011 Share #20 Posted June 8, 2011 Right now, my car is the and my car key is my unlimited metrocard that I have to replace every week But in all seriousness, I'm working on getting one. By the end of the summer, I should have my license and all that crap and I'm saving up for one Yes, I own two cars because right now we need to cars. My kids' school is 9 miles from where we live. We moved during the school year, and their zoned school had no openings. So we left them where they were for the remainder of the year. So my wife drives them back n forth everyday. And sorry, but I'm not sending my 5 & 6yr old on public transportation.. lol Right now, I live in Brooklyn and work in the bronx. Takes too long to go to and fro by train.. Over 2hrs each way. So I drive into Whitestone,Queens, park and take the bus over the bridge right to my depot. Only time I drive into work is Sundays b/c I clear too late to catch the bus. So it saves me toll money taking the bus 4 days/wk. Hopefully I can get into Gleason or Ulmer Park come January. Gleason is walking distance. U.P. is 30-45min commute by bus. So one car will be gone. Anyone interested in a 1998 Chrysler Cirrus??? lol How much you willing to sell it for lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share #21 Posted June 8, 2011 lol @parking in Sheepshead Bay. It's ironic that you'd park there because for years Sheepshead Bay despite being a relatively safe area had a very high car theft rate, so a lot of people would park their cars in garages. When I lived back there, once I was going for a walk one night down Sheepshead Bay Road and we see a car taking off and shortly after a guy comes running out of a store after the car. The car stopped and a kid was apparently in the back. The kid was removed from the car and then the car took off again. It was like something out of a movie. :eek: That's what we did: We parked in a garage. That's the good thing about Staten Island: Parking is easy, since we have a driveway. My dad used to go from Staten Island to Bay Ridge every couple of weeks and park in a garage there. But after one incident in which some people broke into cars in the garage (luckily, the only thing they took from our car were some quarters we keep for the meters), he decided to park in Arrochar and take public transit. Not only did he save on an hour or two's charges in a parking garage, he saved on the toll as well, so rather than pay $5.76 + $4 parking + gas, he just paid $2.10 and took the opposite bus back to use the transfer (usually it, was the S53 to Brooklyn and the S79 back) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princelex Posted June 8, 2011 Share #22 Posted June 8, 2011 I own a car. I have a 1999 Toyota Camry that I brought back in 2002 when I lived in California. When it was time to leave Cali, I had to drive that thing across the country to NY and it was a cool little trip and my car did a fantastic job on the road. Since having the car here in the city, I don't drive it half as much as a I used to but I use it some weekends if relatives need to go to NJ or Westchester or if I just feel like driving. I'm glad that I kept my car cause I might need it for a job I could be getting in the near future. It's cool that all forms of transportation are there for me when I need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted June 8, 2011 Share #23 Posted June 8, 2011 The only people that own cars in my immediate family are my cousins and their parents. In 2008, they had three cars but lost one due to transmission issues, and the other due to an accident. Now they're only down to one and they live by the Belmont Racetrack in Nassau. One of them said they want to move to Brooklyn before the year ends...hopefully he does so he won't have to deal with the new privatized LIB system. As for me, I don't have a car and my mom and stepdad don't either. They did say they wanted to get one and train me to use it but I honestly have no need for one at all. I live by two bus lines and a heavily-used line under Fulton Street and it's honestly a waste of money to me to deal with gas prices, paying off a car note, insurance, maintenance, parking, and a lot of other nonsense, whereas paying $104 a month for subway/bus is way cheaper. If anything I'll get a permit and junior license afterwards just to have it. But I really could care less about a car, especially since we live in a transit-dependent city. You paid $75 a month because no one cares about a boring lumina, its the most non threatning car in the world, an old bag drives one to go to her bingo games at the local senior center and then pick up her meds at the local pharmacy. And your in your late 30's but you act like your in your late 60's looking for a 99 century, I bet you put both hand on the steering wheel when your driving right? unreal. And I own 2 cars in the 5 boro's so what? LOL awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Up Front Posted June 8, 2011 Share #24 Posted June 8, 2011 If Roach USA will take it over, I doubt running three MCIs down Merrick Road/Boulevard and Hempstead Turnpike a day will solve anything. I have a 2003 Toyota Camry sitting in the driveway right now. I don't know about my 17 year old sister and if she wants to get into the driving business, because my dad "hinted" at getting lessons for the two of us if she got her permit. I at least had the basics down the first driving lesson I had, besides me not knowing how to turn the wheel normally. I know what it's like to NOT have a car in suburbia, and know what it's like to have to rely on buses as well... but I don't support what this ass of a County Ex wants to do, and feel for the riders who really are stuck with buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacemak3r Posted June 8, 2011 Share #25 Posted June 8, 2011 I've owned a '95 Nissan 240sx for some time then sold it. Now I own a 2000 Lincoln LSV8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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