How many birders don't own a car (1 Viewer)

[nickderry]

I always stop for pedestrians, which results in the pedestrian being surprised and cars behind me getting impatient.

 

[colonelboris]

Surely that is an argument in favour of driving, rather than not. Better to be in the car squashing a pedestrian, than to be the pedestrian

Damn your Vulcan logic...

 

[Vectis Birder]

Surely that is an argument in favour of driving, rather than not. Better to be in the car squashing a pedestrian, than to be the pedestrian

Definitely logical if a shade unethical! Gave me a laugh anyway. :-O

 

[TwoDipsfromAmsterdam]

I always stop for pedestrians, which results in the pedestrian being surprised and cars behind me getting impatient.

Tell me about it. Here in Paris, as soon as the lights turn green you can guarantee someone about fourth or fifth in the line will be blasting on his (yes, it's usually "his") horn immediately. I'm convinced that when a Parisian goes to buy a new car the first thing he does is test the volume of the horn.

 

[Enji]

I feel so lucky living in a town where most people actually go by bike instead of car... I'm not that fond of cars. I'm only getting my license because my family's been bugging me about it for so long...

 

[chris butterworth]

I must admit I went for years without a car. In fact, until my ex made me get one' I could have lived out my life without one. Couldn't do without the motorbike/van combination though!!!
Chris

 

[canadagurl123]

Last year without a car I got 246 species by public transportarion since I only have a Learner's License. It's not so bad having to take it since Victoria has good busing and I can get to most birding spots by bus.

 

[Dan Brown]

A different situation

I own a car (it's in my name) and keep my license current for identification, but haven't driven (except my lawn mower) since Oct. 1982. Louisiana law states that you must go 6 months without a seizure, before you are allowed to drive and I haven't since, as I haven't ever hardly even went a month. It would not be wise anyway, considering the drunkenness and equalibrium problems from anti-seizure medications. I have been told by other epileptics that do drive (illegally) that they can feel one coming on and pull over, but I am suspicious, since I have no warning, am unaware of the seizure, and for sometime after with never a memory of the event or the time after, so my beloved drives me everywhere I need to go. I walk in the nearby deep woods (which you may call forest) frequently and have made sighting several ivory-billed and red-headed woodpeckers and I think I saw a few indigo buntings once. I can't say I don't miss driving, but I've gotten used to it.
Blessed, driving or not, Dan

 

[SiG]

Almost live in my car, would go without food before ditching the thing. Mind you without a car, I would go without food - no way to work, no way to get home.

And life would be sooooo boring... look at poster #4 "I'd not allow my lifestyle to revolve around the internal combustion engine" Then the signature "..... birder who doesn't get out much these days " Na, off to the ol'petrol station for me.

That signature's a bit out of date, I get around the country, and the planet, a fair bit again these days. I've got a job I mostly like and a house 20 miles away that's within walking distance of, and on bus routes to, one of the finest birding spots on the west coast of England and a travel pass that gets me to both of them with ease, as it does to football grounds of choice. And today got me all but the last two stops to some waxwing, which were a very short bus-ride away from a new site for me that had a couple of woodpeckers, willow tits, green sand, bittern ... it's only the twitching in this country that seems to need a car.

 

[alfmullins]

Public Transport List

I've never driven a car and never wanted to.

Does anyone else keep a public transport list. Mine currently stands at 92.

 

[brianfm]

I have not driven a car for some years and never enjoyed driving when I did. I haven't driven since I got seriously into birding and have never found it to much of a problem. I do occasionally get a little frustrated when there is a rarity out of reach, but I've never been in to twitching (what ever that is supposed to mean)

I do accept lifts when offered (I'd have to be desperate before I asked for a lift however) and I take advantage of Local Group transport which gets me to lots of different habitat. What I save on 'car costs' I've used on birding holidays to various parts of the world in recent years. I'm as happy birding on my local patch which I walk to as any where, and I'm certain that I have more knowledge of the patch than I would ever have had if I still drove. I reckon I'm a damn sight fitter too!

When I've used public transport (which I always reckon would be better without Joe public) I have always found that I see a great deal more when I get off and walk than when I have gone to the same area in mates cars. I just think that when a car is available it's natural to use it and I think that way you can miss out on a great deal.

Got to admit that where I live a car is not essential (although that doesn't stop most people having one or more). I accept that some people must have one. I'm just pleased I'm not one of them these days.

 

[Fozzybear]

Does anyone else keep a public transport list. Mine currently stands at 92.

Mine stands at 40... and also the 50, 45, 42, 31a, 31x...

Never driven or taken any lessons other than on games consoles or arcade machines. I sometimes think it would be handy as (as has already been mentioned) public transport often doesn't go where or when you want it to, but I really don't like cars and it'll take a lot to get me to have one.

A work colleague of mine is very much into wildlife and the number of birds she hasn't seen because she drives from place to place rather than walking is amazing. She does get to a lot of other places I've not been to but I think I've explored the local area a lot more than most people I know.

 

[username]

Out of interest....do any of the 'young-bloods' out there 'hitch' lifts these days? Twitching cost me buger all in 'them old days'...great fun....! No car [of yer own...required]...
Saw my first Bluethroat back in the seventies....left leicester early morning....got me thumb out...got 'me bird' in Norfolk...and was back home for lunch....'piece of p--s' as they say....

 

[TomSmith]

Out of interest....do any of the 'young-bloods' out there 'hitch' lifts these days? Twitching cost me buger all in 'them old days'...great fun....! No car [of yer own...required]...
Saw my first Bluethroat back in the seventies....left leicester early morning....got me thumb out...got 'me bird' in Norfolk...and was back home for lunch....'piece of p--s' as they say....

I've never hitched in this country. Not from being scared (I've done it in South Africa) but because it just doesn't seem worth trying - you'd never get anywhere.

And I don't own a car, either, though I did pass my test a year ago. I'm registered on my parents' one and borrow that occasionally.

 

[canadagurl123]

My own list is around 200 birds by public transport. 230 if you count ferries.

 

[Gill Osborne]

I only passed my test in January 2005 when I was 36. Before that I lived in North Tyneside where there's a bus every ten minutes AND the mtro system so getting out and about was no problem.
But since movng to rural Northumberland you NEED a car! When I lived in the hills it was a 45 minute walk to the bus stop in Powburn and then the buses were only once every two hours after 9am :smoke: That's if they bothered to turn up!!!
Its not so bad now that I'm living IN Alnwick but even so the buses are not regular AND are blooming expensive!!! Ans sometimes the drivers don't stop!!! Last August the driver failed to stop in Craster and I ended up having to walk nearly 5 miles home which combined with the few hours' I'd been out birding & walking the dog probably added up to 12+ miles :C

I don't use the car much as I do a fair bit of birding around Alnwick now but twice a week or so - when I have 3/4 hours to spare inbetween finishing work and having to cook dinner before hubby goes on nightshift - I'll jump in the car and pop along to Cresswell or Druridge.

Anyway, cars aren't the evil planet-destroying monsters that folk think they are - over-population is the biggest problem these days and I think my NOT having kids balances out my occasional use of the car :t:

 

[username]

I've never hitched in this country. Not from being scared (I've done it in South Africa) but because it just doesn't seem worth trying - you'd never get anywhere.

And I don't own a car, either, though I did pass my test a year ago. I'm registered on my parents' one and borrow that occasionally.

Thanx for you're reply Tom.
You say you wouldn't get anywhere hitching these days?...maybe you're right....i simply don't know!
The 'twitchy' branch of birders always used to get they're thumbs out when 'mega's' struck them with desperation! Twitching n hitching was the 'done thing'...if you didn't own a car..couldn't get a lift with a birdy mate....you were left with one option...hitching..![of course...another option wud be not to go for wotever bird had turned up....but that is a sin]

 

[chowchilla]

I've never driven either. Unfortunately there's not much public transport here either (lousy bus system; three trains a week), so getting about can be 'interesting'...

 

[Jos Stratford]

Out of interest....do any of the 'young-bloods' out there 'hitch' lifts these days? Twitching cost me buger all in 'them old days'...great fun....! No car [of yer own...required]...

I'd echo the comments of Username.

When I lived in Britain I never had a car - did a 'big year' which knocked up 405 species (not bad in pre-pager days) and hitch-hiked all over the place. Also did all my early trips purely by public transport - even got from the UK to South Africa (via Norway) without either driving or stepping upon a plane. I agree with the earlier posters that a car is not needed to get to all the best places ...

...but it sure makes it easier Now, I'm probably amongst the worst sinners when it comes to cars - usually do about 1000 km a week, this year more.

 

[Vectis Birder]

My car's off the road, next to no petrol in it, I've no spare money to fill it up and the MOT expires on Monday anyway, so I am a bit stuck at the moment. Public transport here can best be described as 'patchy to non-existent'.