I'm sure everyone at some point has known what it's like to be without a car of their own. Here is a list of things that most everyone knows if they were that friend who didn't have a car.
1. You have to rely on other people to get you places.
In a lot of cities you can’t just walk everywhere. If you have a job, it can be difficult to be on time or even take shifts when you’re not totally sure you’ll have a ride there or a ride home. It’s not like you can just take yourself places when you don’t have a car and don’t have anyone to borrow a car from.
2. You get tired of asking people for rides.
It can be exhausting to always have to ask your friends and coworkers for rides. It would just be a lot better for you and everyone else if you had a car. Then you wouldn’t have to keep asking around for a ride.
3. You feel like your friends are tired of giving you rides places.
Sometimes you might even feel like you’re a burden to those who regularly give you rides to work or to school because they have to rearrange their schedule to make sure you get where you need to be. Maybe your friends don’t get tired of it, but you still feel bad that they’re going out of their way just for you.
4. You can’t wait to have your own car, but you really can wait for all of the extra costs that come with having a car.
All you’ve wanted since before you were old enough to drive was your own car, but you’re really not at a time in your life when you can afford a car. If you could, then you’d already have a car. Tags aren’t expensive, but car insurance is. You also may not have the means to keep gas in your car either. You throw out a little gas money here and there for your friends, but that’s not a regular expense that you have to deal with, and you’re okay with that.
5. You can’t just make a quick trip to the store if you need something.
Whether you run out of toothpaste, toilet paper, or notecards to study for your next test, unless you have Uber or a good friend, you’re just out of luck. It can be frustrating not be able to bring yourself to pick up whatever it is you need whenever you need it. Planning ahead is now something you have to do on a daily basis.
6. You can’t just get up and go wherever whenever you feel like it.
If you feel like just getting out of the house/dorm/apartment for a bit, you best be walking just around the neighborhood because you won’t get very far without a car. You can’t just hop in your car and go for a drive when you feel like it because, once again, you’re reminded you don’t have one.
7. If you miss the bus to school, you have to wait for the next one.
Oh what a wonderful feeling it is when you walk out of your apartment as the bus you were planning to get on is driving away. You then have no other choice but to wait for the next bus and possibly be late to your next class. The bright side of riding the bus to school is that you don’t have to fight for a parking spot once you get there.
8. You could do a whole lot more if you had a car.
Imagine a world where you had the ability to drive wherever you wanted at whatever time of day you wanted to. Can you? I can’t! You could go on those trips you always wanted to, you could drive down to see your family every other weekend if you really wanted to. You wouldn’t have to ask people for rides anymore because you would be your own ride.
9. You wish more than anything you could be the one to give your friends rides.
If the roles were reversed you would gladly give your friends a ride wherever they needed to go if you were free to. It wouldn’t matter to you if they had gas money to give you because they gave you more rides than you can count and didn’t once ask for it.
10. You’ve survived this long without a car and are actually okay with going a little longer.
While it can be frustrating and embarrassing to not have a car, you’re really okay with it. You’ve lived this long without your own car, so what’s a little longer without one? You still aren’t paying car insurance and you still don’t have to worry about how much gas is in your tank. Enjoy the free rides while you can.
