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Comment by afavour | Hacker News Reader

Man, that’s just not true. I live in NYC and the number of things accessible to me and my family via public transit or bike is mind boggling. Then, when we want to leave the city for a few days we rent a car. Costs less than car insurance would be over a year, let alone maintainence, upfront cost, etc.

Everyone can live their life in the way of their own choosing, I don’t begrudge anyone who owns a car or anything like that. But I assure you it’s very, very possible to be free without owning a car.

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New York is really the only exception in the US to this - world class public transportation system both within downtown areas and out to the suburbs and beyond (Acella is what all of AmTrak should have been like).

Even here in San Francisco you need a car to get around efficiently (or use Uber which comes to a point where you might as well pay for a car), plus it's impossible to fully enjoy the natural beauty further afield without a car.

Well, I wouldn't go that far. The Acella sucks if you have to depend on it. As does Amtrak. It's expensive and crappy. Public transportation is designed for getting people from the boroughs into the city center, not the other way around. If you use public trans for leaving the city it's very difficult to get from the train station to your final destination, there's just so few options.

I live in NYC (Upper East Side in Manhattan) and I don't think I could live without a car. It's just so nice to be able to leave whenever you want. On your schedule, in your own private space. I don't drive around in the city - driving here is stressful and a huge drag. But if you ever want to go hiking or biking outside the city, or leave for any reason, having your own car is a blessing.

I'm not saying you'll save money by owning a car here, that's definitely not true. It's a luxury item in this city. But it is very nice to have one at your disposal.

Groceries for a household with 4+ people I imagine is impossible to take home for 1 person by public transport

Most places deliver for free (or a minimal charge), so this isn't a big deal.

It's not true in general because you happen to live in the one place in the US that it's not true?

Everyone can live their life in the way of their own choosing,

cool, thanks

it’s very, very possible to be free without owning a car.

If you live in one specific place and stay there.

But I don’t “happen” to live in NYC. I wasn’t even born here, I chose to live here. While NYC is pretty rare in the US a walkable dense city isn’t rare worldwide.

My point is that freedom can come in different forms. A car is one route to one form of freedom but counter to the OPs assertion I’m absolutely not missing out not owning a car. I’ve just taken a different path, one that’s available to others too.

I chose to live here.

Congratulations, but this doesn't have anything to do with what they said.

My point is that freedom can come in different forms.

No one said anything about this.

They just said cars give people freedom of movement which is true. You're anecdotes about riding the subway doesn't impact this in one way or the other. I think you're making the common blunder of someone pointing out an effect and then misunderstanding that to mean only that thing has that effect.

OP said that I’m missing out by not having a car, my point was simply that I know I’m not missing out. I’m honestly kind of amazed we’re now four posts deep in what was a not particularly important comment chain, perhaps I should expected a snark-filled response when I invoked the dreaded letters “NYC”, I should have known better.

I think you should have expected something when you thought you taking a subway means there is no point to anyone being able to drive anywhere they want.

Strange because that’s very obviously not close to what I said. But you’ve clearly started at a conclusion then worked backwards from there, so who am I to correct a work of fiction?

They made a general statement, you said it isn't true because it doesn't apply to you. I'm not sure what else you expected.

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