In places where having a car is crucial to getting around, what are alternative options for transport without relying on friends or family to drive you?

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Floater439@reddit

Uber, but that gets expensive, so would try to minimize that. I do a lot of errands around my town in my bike, or I walk. I do have a car, but prefer to get there by bike or feet when I can.

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Tomj_Oad@reddit

I have a legal class 3 trike it works well for transportation and I like it

I have spinal issues that ruin my dexterity and leg strength

The Triker from Velotric is my choice

I'm so happy with it!

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If I did not have a car where I live...walk and risk death by car. Maybe 4x4 or dirt bike I guess, also ridk death by car. I've seen someone take a lawn mower to the gas station 2 miles away, death by car also possible. No cars, no friends or family to drive you, no clue. You cannot take public transport. It doesnt come here. Uber will for a steep price...maybe...if they feel like it

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meatinmybriefs@reddit

Walk 2-3 miles on the shoulder of a 50 mph road, hoping you don't die.

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TwoOfCups22@reddit

I live in a resort/rural area in the mountains. We have a county transport system. You would call ahead of time to make a reservation and it would cost anywhere from $5 to $12 round-trip. Some people have standing reservations to pick up groceries or go to job. It's used a lot for doctor appointments.

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shelwood46@reddit

There's a similar thing in my area. The big difference between disabled/elderly and able-bodied riders (aside from the fair, which is discounted for the disabled/elderly) is that able-bodied people need to meet the bus at fixed bus stops on the route, while they run a smaller bus for disabled/elderly folks that comes right to their houses to pick them up.

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Building_a_life@reddit

If you don't have easy access to a car and someone to drive it, you don't lead a lifestyle where you "need to run multiple errands in a day to places that are both a bit far from your home and far from each other." It's not in the realm of possibility for somebody in your circumstances.

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Johnnys-In-America@reddit

Sure it is! Use rental/borrow apps. And it's perfectly plausible that someone only runs their errands maybe twice a month or whatever. Elderly folks, maybe, who also use things like Doordash and Instacart to have things delivered to them.

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Building_a_life@reddit

OP asked about people "unable to drive for any reason." I was in that situation for a couple of years when I was disabled. Relatives, friends, and neighbors gave me rides to things like doctor appointments, but I would never ask them to chauffeur me around all day. Almost everything I bought came from Amazon, DoorDash or Instacart.

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Adorable-Growth-6551@reddit

I live very rural. There is a taxi service that mostly caters to the elderly and sick. Beyond that you just must ask friends and family for help, if you cannot you just must move. Actually friend just asked me to take her to ER because she threw her back out and was in to much pain to wait.

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Mountain_Air1544@reddit

I'm in a pretty rural area but I'm just outside of town where I live there's a lot of Amish they all either ride bicycles e-bikes or horses and buggies lots of people just take their horses places

I have seen many a horse going through the McDonald's drive-thru

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Johnnys-In-America@reddit

No way! All that would probably give me culture shock and a half. But a horse in drive-thru is goodies.

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Mountain_Air1544@reddit

The Walmart next to the McDonald's also has parking for people to tie out their horses and park their buggies

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KatrynaTheElf@reddit

Walk, bus, metro, taxi, Uber, Lyft

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bananapanqueques@reddit

In places with a metro, having a car wouldn’t be crucial.

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KatrynaTheElf@reddit

Without a car, many in the suburbs would need to take the bus (or an Uber) to get to the metro.

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Username43241@reddit

Most places have buses and other public transportation like taxis. Nowadays theres rideshare everywhere, people walk and rude bikes. Ebikes have grown in popularity as well.

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elisabethofaustria@reddit

Taxis are not public transit, and I wouldn’t say most places have buses.

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Username43241@reddit

Every town I have ever lived or visited has had public transportation buses.

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elisabethofaustria@reddit

Really, every town? We’re talking about towns and not large cities, right?

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bananapanqueques@reddit

Yeah this smells like bullshit.

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ground__contro1@reddit

Have you ever tried to use them to run several errands in a row

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IPreferDiamonds@reddit

OP said suburbs.

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bananapanqueques@reddit

“Most places”

I don’t know where to start with this but it’s false. I didn’t have buses in my corner of Texas, Idaho, Oregon, and many of the parts of Utah I lived in. I’ve genuinely only had bus service here in Seattle and in the SLC burb I lived in last.

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Agitated-Gift1498@reddit

In my suburb I see the occasional golf cart on the road but the vast majority of people use ride share services if they don't own a car but also not owning a car is very rare. It's hard to imagine someone choosing to live in a suburb without a car as it's extremely impractical.

My area has no public transportation and no bike lanes so I do see people on bikes occasionally but it's not very often as many Texas drivers are assholes and really hate bicyclists for some reason making the roads not a safe place for them. With how everything is spaced in Texas walking isn't really realistic in my area for example if I wanted to walk to the nearest store from my house it would take an hour to get there and I would have to somehow cross a highway and multiple major roads that have no infrastructure for pedestrians.

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Dave_A480@reddit

There is usually a 'paratransit' service (Dial-a-Lift) provided by county government for the truly disabled... You have to be eligible, and they will get to you when they can (Scheduled in advance) with a van....

If you aren't disabled, there's Uber/Lyft/taxicabs - be prepared to pay....

But for the most part, you just have a car unless you medically cannot drive. It's part of being a responsible adult when you don't live somewhere like NYC.

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Gertrude_D@reddit

Illegal e-bike? I'm curious about this. I don't have a bike so don't know what you're talking about. I also suspect this is a state by state thing?

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Dave_A480@reddit

It is a state by state thing, but generally if it can do freeway speeds it's an unlicensed/non-DOT-compliant electric motorcycle.

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Gertrude_D@reddit

Ah, ok, the power distinction makes sense.

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perryspotsider@reddit

You walk or ride a bike. My dad calls inexpensive bicycles Deweys because you only see old dudes riding them when they have a DUI.

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Curious_Matter_3358@reddit

😂 Our neighbor drives his riding mower. A Dewey that cuts the strip between the sidewalk and street on his way to the liquor store.

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Johnnys-In-America@reddit

Genius!

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Maybeitsmeraving@reddit

This made me Crazy when I was bike commuting because it was cheap when I was super broke. People asked me point blank all the time when I got my DUI.

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perryspotsider@reddit

Awww I'm sorry.

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Maybeitsmeraving@reddit

Mostly i just hated how thoroughly it damaged my employment opportunities. Id usually try to figure out how to hide riding my bike for the first 60 days at a new employer, so they couldn't fire me and pretend that wasn't why. The stigma against non drivers is so strong, I finally moved to a major city where its more normal.

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Particular_Bet_5466@reddit

That’s too funny. I lived in the suburbs and there was this old guy that was kind of known who lost his license from DUIs that we always saw riding some cheap bike across town, and we knew why.

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ground__contro1@reddit

In many places you’d be SOL. There are areas that have bus service but unless you’re lucky that route isn’t going to help you that much. Maybe you can do one errand a day but trying to connect over multiple routes your gonna have logistics issues, waiting at bus stops for 30+ minutes.

These days most towns at least have some rideshare presence, before that there were taxis but that was an expensive way to run errands believe me.

You just, made sure you had people in your life with cars, generally wasn’t that hard but it still means you gotta do your stuff on their schedule

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EmploymentEmpty5871@reddit

A schwinn, small scooter, motorcycle. Very common in Europe. However their infrastructure supports that. Bike lanes with their own signals, bike, walking, jogging paths paved no less out in the middle of nowhere. But their way of thinking about that is totally different than in the US.

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Johnnys-In-America@reddit

There's a new thing out here in Vegas and probably other bigger cities that you can "rent" an electric car and pay by the minute. The car gets driven to driverless by remote, and you just hop in and do your thing! When the car sits idle it charges way less per minute, so the total price for a few hours would be pretty low.

Also can borrow a car from an app called Turo. You pay up front and then go collect whatever car the owner rents out (could be anything, you can pick which one you want). Pretty fun. Had a Turo for 10 days last year and it was a seamless process so I'm glad that exists, because Uber and Lyft and taxis will definitely cost more. And car rental places always want some money down on an actual credit card, so phooey on that, lol

Normally since I don't have a car here currently, I pretty much bus it everywhere. The buses kinda suck out here, there's just not enough out there. But it's still better than the alternatives as far as saving money.

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Hoopajoops@reddit

The closest bus stop for me is about 2 miles away, that would be my best choice. However, if I just lost my car for a few weeks because it broke down I would probably just use Uber. That would get expensive if it was long term.

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TopperMadeline@reddit

City buses

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PrimusDCE@reddit

I live in DC, but we're one of the better American cities in this regard. We have the metro and metro buses in the suburbs. Taxis and the ride apps are also an option.

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rileyoneill@reddit

You can walk, ride a bike, and use the bus for some things, when only a car will do, you can use Uber and if you live in some places you can summon a RoboTaxi like Waymo, but its still limited and expensive. Usually you just plan your life affordingly and keep everything you need fairly close. E-Bikes and other mobility devices like scooters are getting way more popular and you can cover a lot of ground on one.

Services like Amazon actually make it much easier because most trips involve you going to get something and bringing it back home, where Amazon can just bring it to you. Costco online ordering also makes it pretty easy since you can have your groceries delivered.

Regional trains work alright for going longer distances.

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IPreferDiamonds@reddit

If you live in my area, you would need to rely on family or friends to drive you. We do not have public transportation in my suburb. Or you could call uber.

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pikkdogs@reddit

If you are disabled communities usually have a bus service that will pick you up. It’s usually a locally subsidized service

It’s annoying because you have to schedule each trip, but at least it allows some travel

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Excellent_Squirrel86@reddit

Our local cab company offers a car service. You get a driver and a car for a set number of hours and they drive you wherever.

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Spiritual_Being5845@reddit

I live in a rural area, I use a car to get around. I recently found out that our county has a free bus service between towns that runs on weekdays. It is available for anyone ages 12 or older. My teenage son has been using this to get to places and to meet up with friends.

The county also supplies free door to door service for doctor’s visits and other appointments.

Unfortunately our county is probably unique in offering this service at no charge.

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Sergio_Poduno@reddit

Walk.

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MunchkinGal@reddit

Most cities have a bus service, but you may not be near a pick up station.

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helloitsmejenkem@reddit

Electric (and non) scooters are legal on sidewalks I guess because you are in the standing position but I see them a lot here, many young people use them and I know for a fact some are making ~5 mile round trips daily. There are bycicles and electric motorcycles that dont require a liscense that can get out on roads. I myself have a moped because there is a stretch of road with 55 mph speed limit I commute 3 miles one way to work, I use it 90% of the time and it gets 70mpg. Also have an old car for rainy days and grocery runs. Public transport exists, we have a bus system but idk how to use it or how to find out I guess if I needed to I would just walk on one with some cash and ask, there is no website maybe city hall would have an informative packet but they do run here, our small town has 4 or 5 running all the time. We also have Lyft and Uber, and a local taxi service which I have used. They do $10 rides home from bars on Friday and Saturday nights but they won't stop like if you wanted to grab a Gatorade from the gas station they tell you no but we use them quite a bit they also allow ride share but just drop at one point. But my friends can walk to their houses from mine and same for me. You call the number and then the driver text you when they are outside and they take you home for $10 so no DUI.

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notsosecretshipper@reddit

There's really nothing. I don't currently own a car. Mine broke down last February, so it's been a little over a year. I'm currently borrowing my FIL's second truck, but it's got a lot of issues and it's not highway-safe, so I'm limited.

I live 1.5 miles from the closest gas station/convenience store, 2.5 miles from the closest grocery store (which, I'm surprised, I thought it was further), 3 miles from my kids school, 3.1 miles to the doctor's office, 19 miles to my kids debtist, etc. There are no sidewalks, no streetlights for most of that, not even a shoulder on many stretches of the road. People around here really frown on bicycles as well. My town has no public transportation except for an express bus that comes a few times a day to take people to the city (20 miles from the closest stop to me, to the first stop in the city).

I had groceries delivered until I got use of the truck, which isn't great because it was more expensive. I had to arrange my visits to stores around appointments that I had to get rides for, and fry to make it as quick as I could in order to not annoy whoever I was out with. I had to order more things from Amazon or Walmart delivery than I previously was, and I had to do things like have parent-teacher conferences by email or telephone instead of in-person. I also lost all of my side income and my husband was no longer able to take on and side jobs. He works with his father who comes and picks him up for regular work, but essentially we lost a quarter of our income.

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W3inerSchnitze1@reddit

I met a student to be a doctor in Houston and he said he didn’t have a car. Said he can probably get from downtown to a suburb on bike and bus. I laughed

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wpascarelli@reddit

In the US, most places where people live, outside of major metropolitan areas, do not have much extensive mass transit. Most suburbs and rural areas have no mass transit at all. There isnt really a good way to consistently get around without a car, unless you are able to ride a bike/scooter but in some of your example cases that might be difficult for that person, and its also not very practical for running errands or transporting other people like children. If its just a temporary or one-off type of scenario, you can take an Uber but even that might not be a great option in a rural area. And thats too expensive if its something you have to do all the time. If you know that you wont be driving, you should probably try to live as short of a walk as possible from a shopping area or at least from a strip of stores with a grocery store and some restaurants. If its an age or disability thing then maybe theres other options like a special community designed for elderly or handicapped people, and that community should be able to have ways of transporting you individually or in groups to places that you need to go.

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myOEburner@reddit

I took a bus with one of my kids recently. Just a few stops. They thought it was fun, but if I had to actually use it to get anywhere, I'd be in trouble. Most people use bikes (pedal or electric), or scooters if they can't drive. They're faster than a bus or the rail options.

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Accomplished_Cell768@reddit

Walk, bike, scooter, Uber/Lyft. Bus might be an option, but it is so inconvenient in the suburbs and they are mostly intended to move people from one city to the next, not really provide stops all throughout the city for things like errands.

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Maybeitsmeraving@reddit

Uber, if it's available and you can afford it. If not you just don't go places. If you live alone and your pantry is completely empty maybe you'll walk to the nearest convenience store and buy some thing to eat. Otherwise you'll just sit at home til you can get someone to drive you around.

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LavenderGwendolyn@reddit

I live in a suburb and one of the reasons I chose my house is because I can walk or bike to the grocery store, hardware store, library, and the rest of our “downtown” if I need to. There’s a lot of suburb beyond me where that’s just not possible, and if those people were carless for a few days, they’d have to get a cab of some ilk to get anywhere.

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Lingo2009@reddit

Where I live a majority of the people use scooters or take horse and buggy. And when I say scooters, I mean the ones they have where you have to push with your feet and stand.

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SopaDeKaiba@reddit

Depends upon how much money you have. Here they are in descending order:

Uber & taxis.

Public transportation, but in my area you're going to have a lot of walking to get to the bus/train, and a l9t of walking once you get to your stop.

Bicycle.

Walk.

You're not getting picked up as a hitchhiker here. So it's one of the above.

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thirdeyefish@reddit

The thing about America is, there's a lot of it. Which means there will be variance from one place to another. Both in terms of population density and in local government. Two similar towns in different states are going to approach things differently, but the town itself could be the determining factor. The county where I grew up had something called 'Dial-a-ride'. It was public transit but it was run like a taxi service. Worst of both worlds, you had to call and schedule your ride at least 24 hours in advance. Great when you know you have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, less so when your doctor gives you a new prescription you need to fill today.

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AdelleDeWitt@reddit

Lyft

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Everryy_littlethingg@reddit

If I took a Lyft to town from my house it would cost at least 50 bucks

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Bulky-Passenger8735@reddit

I think a lot of people bypass running errands by getting delivery. Patient at hospital just told nurse that it’s cheaper for her to get her groceries delivered than it is to uber/waymo to shop in person.

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Everryy_littlethingg@reddit

It's 30+ minutes to get just places from where I live. Luckily, we do have a couple of stores, dentist, and doctor within walking distance but I have a bunch of specialists and groceries are expensive so getting to the city is important. That being said, there is no public transportation from where I live to the city. That means having a car or someone willing to drive you.

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Meekanado@reddit

Uber

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leftielefterson@reddit

My town is too small for a regular transit bus, so our city busses are similar to Uber. You call or book online with a time and address. They need at least 24 hours notice, but they'll take you anywhere within a certain mileage.

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BeneficialShame8408@reddit

uber or lyft to a bus stop? we don't have good infrastructure here.

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99UsernamesTaken@reddit

I live in a suburban area that has a few bus, train, and trolley lines but that's significantly more than most places. Most people are basically screwed if they don't have a car and it's borderline impossible to go to certain places unless you want to spend a few hours walking on roads with no sidewalks.

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grayjey@reddit

Man I wish I could live near a streetcar line. It’d be so nice not having to drive everywhere

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procrasstinating@reddit

I’ve driven friends to and from doctors appointments. Lots of people are zipping around my suburb on e-bikes these days. Or you could have pretty much anything delivered to your house.

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Inside-Run785@reddit

A bus? Honestly, most cities have a bus system, regardless of what you read online.

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Bulky-Passenger8735@reddit

When it’s over 110°F it bad for everyone. Every year we get fatalities here in Az with heat related deaths. I see paramedics stopped at bus stops all the time during summer months, which is about now until November.

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OldBlueKat@reddit

Not smaller ones. It really gets ugly for poor and disabled and elderly people.

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DieHardAmerican95@reddit

We have a public transportation system in my town. It’s not as extensive as what you might find in a major city, but it will take you to all the local businesses that you need.

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wangus_angus@reddit

In many places, there might not be one. As others noted, if it's for a medical reason or you're an older adult, you may have access to social services that will provide transportation. For everyone else, though, you're either relying on some kind of taxi or the generosity of friends and family.

I knew some people in this position growing up, and that's basically what they needed to do--call a cab company or work something out with others. Some people need to do this for work, and sometimes people lose their job because they lose reliable transportation.

Uber and Lyft weren't around then, and those services might help close the gap a bit, but places with this problem are usually places with low population densities, which would also have fewer (if any) Uber/Lyft drivers. The bottom line is that in most places in the US, life without a car is difficult.

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ColoradoWeasel@reddit

Suburban bus schedules are sporadic. You may need to wait an hour or two or walk to a busier area. They are just not as frequent in the burbs. Taxi, Uber and Lyft are an option. Bike and e-bike are also options. Finally just walk everywhere.

The best answer is not to put your license in jeopardy. Buy your own car and work extra hours to pay for it. Even if you need a second job.

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ShadyBurrito127@reddit

Grand Theft Auto

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Mobile-Fill2163@reddit

I have not taken public transport in a while but it seem to remember bike racks for people who need to take a bike to the bus.
Public transport from downtown to then suburbs where I live in the Midwest can take 4x the amount of time it would with a car. Uber and lyft are very helpful for most people I know, but it does get expensive especially with gas prices on a never ending upward trajectory.
This country is built for the rich these days, public transport is inconvenient.

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missmeatloafthief@reddit

I have two friends who cannot drive for disability reasons and they uber/lyft if we can’t get them but it does get very expensive

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PassoverDream@reddit

When I was in this situation: bike, bus, and finally friends with cars. In fact, I purchased a bike with side panniers so I could grocery shop on my own.

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PipPopAnonymous@reddit

A lot of people have mopeds for longer distances, they are cheaper than a car and you don’t need a license. Regular bikes are popular. If you’re reeeeally lucky you can walk to civilization but I’ll note that there are plenty of rural places that have a 20-30min drive to town so that’s hours worth of walking if you’re in the sticks.

Where I live we are so poor and so rural the state set us up with free public transit. There’s a few little busses that run regular routes all up and down the shore. I’ve never seen a place that offers such comprehensive free transit but it’s really just that bad out here. We’re also disconnected from the mainland by a 20 mile tunnel bridge too so expecting anyone to do anything back and forth across that thing regularly is unrealistic, so thanks VA for hooking us up.

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Eccentric-Elf@reddit

Walking, biking or Lyft / Uber. Have a couple of coworkers who could only Uber to work. Wasn’t worth it in the end. You pretty much need a car if you’re working or need to get someplace.

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floofienewfie@reddit

👍

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PurpleLilyEsq@reddit

Where I live uber/lyft would be the only option. Infiny even know where the closest bus stop might be. As for having to do multiple errands, a lot of things can be delivered via Instacart, Amazon, etc. so you don’t actually have to go out.

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sneezhousing@reddit

Taxi,/lyft/ Uber

You just don't get done what you need done

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OldBlueKat@reddit

Outside of major cities even those are a bit limited.

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blimmyblammy@reddit

🚶🏽‍♀️

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dmazzoni@reddit

I didn’t own a car for years while I was younger. I walked or rode my bike almost everywhere, often took the bus.

When I wanted to buy furniture I’d ask a friend who owned a truck to help out and I’d pay them some money for gas and buy them dinner.

Every once in a while I’d rent a car for a few days, which isn’t that expensive if you do it only on occasion.

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bachintheforest@reddit

If you can’t get to a bus stop and family/friends aren’t available… pretty much Uber then.

If there are other circumstances you may get some limited additional help. An older lady I know can get taxi vouchers for being disabled. I think they’re only one way though. If you need to get to a medical appointment there are transportation services here and there. Again they’re really only for old or disabled or low-income people. As a 30-something if I were to be without a car for some reason… uber.

My car broke down a couple months ago and I did have to do without. My partner could drive me a couple times but she has her own things to do too and indeed I needed to go back and forth. We actually live on a main road and there are bus stops. But to get to some destinations I’d still have to take multiple buses or end up walking a half hour once I got to the general area I needed to go to. Ended up just calling uber several times. Spent like $70 that day just on getting around.

(And yes I know walking 30 minutes doesn’t sound like a lot but it sure feels like it when it’s uphill in the sun in the ol concrete jungle).

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TTHS_Ed@reddit

People in the States don't move to the suburbs if they don't have a car.

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seatownquilt-N-plant@reddit

zero.

I grew up poor in a car dependent area. Keeping the cars running took priority over other things; phone service and oil heat would be curtailed if the cars needed the cash instead. If you did not have a running automobile you were marooned. This was the 1990s so the internet was not in the average home yet.

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Yeahboyeah@reddit

Mass transit

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izlude7027@reddit

Walk, bike, bus, hitchhike.

Maybe kayak.

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