Cars - not time savers!
One of the ideas about cars is that they save time. You can get about quickly. But actually they don’t.
So, lets say you live one hour bicycle ride from work, but only 15 minutes by car. That means you save 90 minutes per day going by car instead of by bicycle. Sounds like a lot saved everyday. But how much does HAVING a car cost you? In the UK the average running costs are about £3,000. and even it is a USED car then it the average cost is around £9,000 to buy. So, if you have the car for 4 or 5 years thats £5,000 a year cost.
Money in: in the UK its £26,500 a year average earning for full time work (although millions of people will be on much less than that). 40 hours a week average working work, meaning roughly 2,000 hours a year. £26,500 divided into 2000 is £13.25 per hour average hourly wage, lets call is £14 per hour. I checked and that is around UK average (though again, many folk are on much less).
So if you earn £14 an hour you have to work 357 hours a year to pay for your £5,000 car costs. or about 7 hours a week, or 1.40 hours each week day (84 minutes), monday to friday. Now we already said that using the car saves you 90 min, but now we see that is COSTS you 84 min per day EXTRA work. 6 minutes saved, wow! what a deal.... and if the car was new, at much greater cost, or if you lived only 30 minutes bike ride from your work then that tiny time saving would turn into a large time loss.
And that is not taking into account the big health benefit to you that cycling everyday would bring. or the benefit to the environment, etc. or the traffic jams that slow your car, or car accidents, etc.
Cars - not time savers! Get on yer bike, son!
Extras, in answer to people who commented on this:
Large supermarkets being far away - yes, another example of the capitalism you foolishly support. creating the difficult transport system and many other negative aspects. anarchism would have lots of local shops, run collectively, that we could easily walk or bike too. better, right?
Buying the bike - i did consider it but did not write it here, as it was already long. the cost is far less than in a car, clearly, maybe at the very most 10%. in mosts case more like 1% of the cost. therefore ti does it affect the main point. after that you make a point that supports mine, so not much to reply too there, but say ‘yes!’.
Long distances - obviously some people do have to travel a LONG way. other live on mountain tops, other need to take a lot of equipment, yes. and, as i said, some make far more than the 14 an hour average. for them the car does save time, yes. or is useful otherwise. but again, that does not cancel out my main point, which talked about average UK car, time, job. the main point remains valid, oh ya.
One of the ideas about cars is that they save time. You can get about quickly. But actually they don’t.
So, lets say you live one hour bicycle ride from work, but only 15 minutes by car. That means you save 90 minutes per day going by car instead of by bicycle. Sounds like a lot saved everyday. But how much does HAVING a car cost you? In the UK the average running costs are about £3,000. and even it is a USED car then it the average cost is around £9,000 to buy. So, if you have the car for 4 or 5 years thats £5,000 a year cost.
Money in: in the UK its £26,500 a year average earning for full time work (although millions of people will be on much less than that). 40 hours a week average working work, meaning roughly 2,000 hours a year. £26,500 divided into 2000 is £13.25 per hour average hourly wage, lets call is £14 per hour. I checked and that is around UK average (though again, many folk are on much less).
So if you earn £14 an hour you have to work 357 hours a year to pay for your £5,000 car costs. or about 7 hours a week, or 1.40 hours each week day (84 minutes), monday to friday. Now we already said that using the car saves you 90 min, but now we see that is COSTS you 84 min per day EXTRA work. 6 minutes saved, wow! what a deal.... and if the car was new, at much greater cost, or if you lived only 30 minutes bike ride from your work then that tiny time saving would turn into a large time loss.
And that is not taking into account the big health benefit to you that cycling everyday would bring. or the benefit to the environment, etc. or the traffic jams that slow your car, or car accidents, etc.
Cars - not time savers! Get on yer bike, son!
Extras, in answer to people who commented on this:
Large supermarkets being far away - yes, another example of the capitalism you foolishly support. creating the difficult transport system and many other negative aspects. anarchism would have lots of local shops, run collectively, that we could easily walk or bike too. better, right?
Buying the bike - i did consider it but did not write it here, as it was already long. the cost is far less than in a car, clearly, maybe at the very most 10%. in mosts case more like 1% of the cost. therefore ti does it affect the main point. after that you make a point that supports mine, so not much to reply too there, but say ‘yes!’.
Long distances - obviously some people do have to travel a LONG way. other live on mountain tops, other need to take a lot of equipment, yes. and, as i said, some make far more than the 14 an hour average. for them the car does save time, yes. or is useful otherwise. but again, that does not cancel out my main point, which talked about average UK car, time, job. the main point remains valid, oh ya.