Thought that this would be a Thought that this would be a nice poll for the piggington site. Sort of a nice mix of housing and current events.
Sometimes I feel like some of the forum are a lynch mob of poor Tony Hayward. Vast majority of people in oil industry are good, hardworking, proud people. They are your parents, neighbors, brother-in-law, etc.
Simple matter is that we all need oil, even YOU!The loudest ones probably saying “throw BP bums in jail” and holding signs saying “save the pelicans” probably drive big SUVs!
You need oil and you are not willing to walk the talk. When was the last time you took public transportation? I want an honest answer. Just answer the question please!
Hypocrites!
NSD
UCGal
June 20, 2010 @
7:39 AM
My home in suburban philly My home in suburban philly was walking distance to the Septa light rail. I didn’t work downtown – but many of my neighbors did. I used it to get to the airport and to go into the city for dinner/shows/etc. It absolutely factored into my decision.
I worked further out in the burbs… and I *DID* take the bus to work 2 days/week. It started as a dare – and I ended up liking it. It took longer to get to work by 20 minutes… but it was nice on snowy/icy days.
San Diego’s public transit sucks. I have taken the bus to work exactly twice. Both times were when we were short a car (car in the shop). It took over an hour to go less than 7 miles. When I have jury duty, I take the bus. When my husband was working onsite downtown he took the bus several days a week.
Public transit definitely has advantages for commuting to downtown – no parking charges, etc.
I can’t wait for the trolley to extend north – that should make things more convenient.
NotCranky
June 20, 2010 @
7:50 AM
Does hitching a ride with the Does hitching a ride with the Border Patrol count?
I am not neutral, just not willing to make the trade offs to be near public transportation. A good suburb with the trolly nearby, like Santee, might work. Sometimes my wife and I talk about getting rid of everything and buying a condo near public transportation but it isn’t going to happen soon.
Arraya
June 20, 2010 @
8:26 AM
SoCal is a total auto-centric SoCal is a total auto-centric design making it virtually impossible. I moved to DC metro last fall and public transportation was a factor as it is for many people in the area. Me and my significant other both take it to work.
But you are correct, America, in general, has stockholm syndrome for oil. We could have started to consciously severe the unhealthy relationship years ago. However, now we are going to get left instead of the other way around and it’s going to be ugly as it exposes many structural deficiencies.
In psychology, Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe a paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors that appear irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims.
JC
June 20, 2010 @
9:07 AM
Absolutely! Nothing wrong Absolutely! Nothing wrong with my car, but I prefer not to use it. I am actually trying to find a home that is biking and walking distance to just about everything. This is NOT as easy as I would hope in San Diego, but not impossible. 🙂
Anonymous
June 30, 2010 @
3:42 AM
Yes it is important to have a Yes it is important to have a house near a bus stop. The traffic is increasing by every passing day on the roads so there are a lot of people who are looking to use public transport so if they have a house near a stop that would not be a great benefit for them
scaredyclassic
June 30, 2010 @
6:53 AM
Bikeability is critical For Bikeability is critical For me
davelj
June 20, 2010 @
9:44 AM
I lived in downtown DC for I lived in downtown DC for two years and didn’t have a car. Then in Chicago (near the Loop) for a few years and, again, didn’t have a car. Bought a car when I moved to SD (which I don’t use that much because I live and work downtown).
SoCal – and much of the US – is not set up for public transportation. If energy prices ever REALLY spike and stay high for an extended period of time, I don’t see folks in the US clamoring for more public transportation – they’ll downsize their vehicles. More scooters, motorcycles, Honda Accords, Priuses, Smart Cars, Golfs, etc.
afx114
June 20, 2010 @
10:34 AM
Need an option for: Yes – I Need an option for: Yes – I own a car but would get rid of it if I could.
svelte
June 20, 2010 @
10:36 AM
No, it doesn’t factor in much No, it doesn’t factor in much yet. It is a nice bonus, though.
When I can take trolley/Sprinter/Coaster and get within a mile of my workplace, then it will indeed play a role.
Not that I ever plan on moving again.
blahblahblah
June 20, 2010 @
11:10 AM
I live near work and walk. I live near work and walk. We also walk to the grocery store and to most places. I drive < 5K miles per year and ride my bike a lot.
bearishgurl
June 20, 2010 @
11:23 AM
CONCHO wrote:I live near work [quote=CONCHO]I live near work and walk. We also walk to the grocery store and to most places. I drive < 5K miles per year and ride my bike a lot.[/quote]
Good for you, Concho. I also only drive 5K to 6K a year locally. Plus another 2K (at least) within CA and 3K for summer vacation (out of state).
I COULD walk to three professional offices I visit but oftentimes have too much stuff or am trying to do five errands together. We have bikes but are guilty of not using them unless we load them in friends' pickups to take to the beach - LOL.
citydweller
June 20, 2010 @
8:14 PM
I live in Mission Valley and I live in Mission Valley and take the bus to work in Hillcrest. I’m fortunate in that there is an express bus that goes from Fashion Valley transit center and stops 1 block from my office, and it only takes 10 minutes.
When I bought my condo 10 years ago, access to public transportation did not factor into my decision at all. However, a few years ago I began having irrational (or maybe not so irrational) panic attacks when I was driving on the freeways. At that point I began looking into public transit as a way to get around. I bought a monthly bus pass and began taking the bus to work. After 3 months of doing this as an experiment I took the plunge and sold my car. That was 3 years ago.
The funny thing is that I was not motivated to do this for environmental reasons, yet some people get very defensive when I mention that I no longer own a car. They think that I’m an activist environmentalist type, when the truth is that I’m actually just kinda high-strung and overly fearful of being in a car. I like the feeling of safety in riding to work in a vehicle built like a tank.
So in answer to the original question, even though my current house choice was not based on access to public transportation, that would certainly factor into any future choices.
Oh, and yes, you will meet some VERY interesting people on public transit…
bearishgurl
June 20, 2010 @
11:30 AM
I live on two Chula bus lines I live on two Chula bus lines which are less than 5 mins. to the trolley and a third (SD) bus stop is five blocks away which takes over 40 mins. to go the ten miles to dtn. SD.
The trolley takes about ten mins. to get to Trolley Tower (transfer stn. acc. from Petco Park) and abt. 12-15 mins. to the “Civic Center” stop dtn.
There is probably no excuse for me NOT to use PT but I frequently have a dolly of stuff or rolling suitcase I have to take into offices dtn. so have garage remotes and a pd. pkg. meter card. I also sometimes have to perform service of process or outlying court errands after leaving the office so need a car.
If I didn’t have a minor kid still going to school, I would most likely be living in Hillcrest, MH or Pt. Loma.
In recent years I have been mostly working from home and using about 2.5 tanks of gas per month 🙂
FormerOwner
June 20, 2010 @
10:04 PM
My wife and I went down to My wife and I went down to one car a few months ago. We were only driving about 10,000 miles/year combined across two vehicles and I was feeling like I had to drive both vehicles each week just to keep them both from siezing up, plus I was maintaining/washing/insuring them, etc. Wy wife is currently an on-line student and I walk to work most days – I can also take the trolley instead of walking on those rare rainy San Diego days. There hasn’t been a day yet where we both needed the car. If that happens, I’ll rent one. When she starts working again, we’ll most likely buy a second car.
I too have found that people get defensive when I tell them what I’ve done – kind of shows me how deeply engrained the car-culture is around here.
It’s also funny that I’m a bit of a car nut and am always thinking of buying a cool car for myself to drive on the weekends and stuff like that. It’s a waste of money though and it’s one more thing to maintain/insure/worry about so I’m sticking with the one car because it is working very well for us right now.
And, yes, public transit/walkability is a huge factor in my choice of where to live. I might also add that the vehicle I sold was a full-size pick-up and the one I kept is a sedan. When/if I get another car it will NOT be a full size pick-up – more likely it will be a Miata or Lexus hard-top convertible.
AK
June 30, 2010 @
12:04 PM
I bought within walking I bought within walking distance of a major bus line that could take me to work in less than two hours with only one transfer.
My (very economical) car has 106K miles on it and I don’t want to be forced into a “must buy” situation if and when it finally dies on me. And when my modest yet seemingly endless remodeling project finally wraps up, I might just take public transit a few days a week.
I tell people that my car is a status symbol: it shows that I know that I’m successful and I don’t need to flaunt it. Not that I wouldn’t mind having something sensible like, say, an Acura TL 🙂
poorgradstudent
June 30, 2010 @
6:57 PM
Nice to have, but would only Nice to have, but would only factor into decisions if all other things were more or less equal. We care more about the walkability of the neighborhood, since both our offices aren’t all that public-transit accessible and have ample parking. If we worked downtown or in hillcrest it would probably matter more to us.
June 20, 2010 @ 2:57 AM
Thought that this would be a
Thought that this would be a nice poll for the piggington site. Sort of a nice mix of housing and current events.
Sometimes I feel like some of the forum are a lynch mob of poor Tony Hayward. Vast majority of people in oil industry are good, hardworking, proud people. They are your parents, neighbors, brother-in-law, etc.
Simple matter is that we all need oil, even YOU!The loudest ones probably saying “throw BP bums in jail” and holding signs saying “save the pelicans” probably drive big SUVs!
You need oil and you are not willing to walk the talk. When was the last time you took public transportation? I want an honest answer. Just answer the question please!
Hypocrites!
NSD
June 20, 2010 @ 7:39 AM
My home in suburban philly
My home in suburban philly was walking distance to the Septa light rail. I didn’t work downtown – but many of my neighbors did. I used it to get to the airport and to go into the city for dinner/shows/etc. It absolutely factored into my decision.
I worked further out in the burbs… and I *DID* take the bus to work 2 days/week. It started as a dare – and I ended up liking it. It took longer to get to work by 20 minutes… but it was nice on snowy/icy days.
San Diego’s public transit sucks. I have taken the bus to work exactly twice. Both times were when we were short a car (car in the shop). It took over an hour to go less than 7 miles. When I have jury duty, I take the bus. When my husband was working onsite downtown he took the bus several days a week.
Public transit definitely has advantages for commuting to downtown – no parking charges, etc.
I can’t wait for the trolley to extend north – that should make things more convenient.
June 20, 2010 @ 7:50 AM
Does hitching a ride with the
Does hitching a ride with the Border Patrol count?
I am not neutral, just not willing to make the trade offs to be near public transportation. A good suburb with the trolly nearby, like Santee, might work. Sometimes my wife and I talk about getting rid of everything and buying a condo near public transportation but it isn’t going to happen soon.
June 20, 2010 @ 8:26 AM
SoCal is a total auto-centric
SoCal is a total auto-centric design making it virtually impossible. I moved to DC metro last fall and public transportation was a factor as it is for many people in the area. Me and my significant other both take it to work.
But you are correct, America, in general, has stockholm syndrome for oil. We could have started to consciously severe the unhealthy relationship years ago. However, now we are going to get left instead of the other way around and it’s going to be ugly as it exposes many structural deficiencies.
In psychology, Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe a paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors that appear irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims.
June 20, 2010 @ 9:07 AM
Absolutely! Nothing wrong
Absolutely! Nothing wrong with my car, but I prefer not to use it. I am actually trying to find a home that is biking and walking distance to just about everything. This is NOT as easy as I would hope in San Diego, but not impossible. 🙂
June 30, 2010 @ 3:42 AM
Yes it is important to have a
Yes it is important to have a house near a bus stop. The traffic is increasing by every passing day on the roads so there are a lot of people who are looking to use public transport so if they have a house near a stop that would not be a great benefit for them
June 30, 2010 @ 6:53 AM
Bikeability is critical For
Bikeability is critical For me
June 20, 2010 @ 9:44 AM
I lived in downtown DC for
I lived in downtown DC for two years and didn’t have a car. Then in Chicago (near the Loop) for a few years and, again, didn’t have a car. Bought a car when I moved to SD (which I don’t use that much because I live and work downtown).
SoCal – and much of the US – is not set up for public transportation. If energy prices ever REALLY spike and stay high for an extended period of time, I don’t see folks in the US clamoring for more public transportation – they’ll downsize their vehicles. More scooters, motorcycles, Honda Accords, Priuses, Smart Cars, Golfs, etc.
June 20, 2010 @ 10:34 AM
Need an option for: Yes – I
Need an option for: Yes – I own a car but would get rid of it if I could.
June 20, 2010 @ 10:36 AM
No, it doesn’t factor in much
No, it doesn’t factor in much yet. It is a nice bonus, though.
When I can take trolley/Sprinter/Coaster and get within a mile of my workplace, then it will indeed play a role.
Not that I ever plan on moving again.
June 20, 2010 @ 11:10 AM
I live near work and walk.
I live near work and walk. We also walk to the grocery store and to most places. I drive < 5K miles per year and ride my bike a lot.
June 20, 2010 @ 11:23 AM
CONCHO wrote:I live near work
[quote=CONCHO]I live near work and walk. We also walk to the grocery store and to most places. I drive < 5K miles per year and ride my bike a lot.[/quote] Good for you, Concho. I also only drive 5K to 6K a year locally. Plus another 2K (at least) within CA and 3K for summer vacation (out of state). I COULD walk to three professional offices I visit but oftentimes have too much stuff or am trying to do five errands together. We have bikes but are guilty of not using them unless we load them in friends' pickups to take to the beach - LOL.
June 20, 2010 @ 8:14 PM
I live in Mission Valley and
I live in Mission Valley and take the bus to work in Hillcrest. I’m fortunate in that there is an express bus that goes from Fashion Valley transit center and stops 1 block from my office, and it only takes 10 minutes.
When I bought my condo 10 years ago, access to public transportation did not factor into my decision at all. However, a few years ago I began having irrational (or maybe not so irrational) panic attacks when I was driving on the freeways. At that point I began looking into public transit as a way to get around. I bought a monthly bus pass and began taking the bus to work. After 3 months of doing this as an experiment I took the plunge and sold my car. That was 3 years ago.
The funny thing is that I was not motivated to do this for environmental reasons, yet some people get very defensive when I mention that I no longer own a car. They think that I’m an activist environmentalist type, when the truth is that I’m actually just kinda high-strung and overly fearful of being in a car. I like the feeling of safety in riding to work in a vehicle built like a tank.
So in answer to the original question, even though my current house choice was not based on access to public transportation, that would certainly factor into any future choices.
Oh, and yes, you will meet some VERY interesting people on public transit…
June 20, 2010 @ 11:30 AM
I live on two Chula bus lines
I live on two Chula bus lines which are less than 5 mins. to the trolley and a third (SD) bus stop is five blocks away which takes over 40 mins. to go the ten miles to dtn. SD.
The trolley takes about ten mins. to get to Trolley Tower (transfer stn. acc. from Petco Park) and abt. 12-15 mins. to the “Civic Center” stop dtn.
There is probably no excuse for me NOT to use PT but I frequently have a dolly of stuff or rolling suitcase I have to take into offices dtn. so have garage remotes and a pd. pkg. meter card. I also sometimes have to perform service of process or outlying court errands after leaving the office so need a car.
If I didn’t have a minor kid still going to school, I would most likely be living in Hillcrest, MH or Pt. Loma.
In recent years I have been mostly working from home and using about 2.5 tanks of gas per month 🙂
June 20, 2010 @ 10:04 PM
My wife and I went down to
My wife and I went down to one car a few months ago. We were only driving about 10,000 miles/year combined across two vehicles and I was feeling like I had to drive both vehicles each week just to keep them both from siezing up, plus I was maintaining/washing/insuring them, etc. Wy wife is currently an on-line student and I walk to work most days – I can also take the trolley instead of walking on those rare rainy San Diego days. There hasn’t been a day yet where we both needed the car. If that happens, I’ll rent one. When she starts working again, we’ll most likely buy a second car.
I too have found that people get defensive when I tell them what I’ve done – kind of shows me how deeply engrained the car-culture is around here.
It’s also funny that I’m a bit of a car nut and am always thinking of buying a cool car for myself to drive on the weekends and stuff like that. It’s a waste of money though and it’s one more thing to maintain/insure/worry about so I’m sticking with the one car because it is working very well for us right now.
And, yes, public transit/walkability is a huge factor in my choice of where to live. I might also add that the vehicle I sold was a full-size pick-up and the one I kept is a sedan. When/if I get another car it will NOT be a full size pick-up – more likely it will be a Miata or Lexus hard-top convertible.
June 30, 2010 @ 12:04 PM
I bought within walking
I bought within walking distance of a major bus line that could take me to work in less than two hours with only one transfer.
My (very economical) car has 106K miles on it and I don’t want to be forced into a “must buy” situation if and when it finally dies on me. And when my modest yet seemingly endless remodeling project finally wraps up, I might just take public transit a few days a week.
I tell people that my car is a status symbol: it shows that I know that I’m successful and I don’t need to flaunt it. Not that I wouldn’t mind having something sensible like, say, an Acura TL 🙂
June 30, 2010 @ 6:57 PM
Nice to have, but would only
Nice to have, but would only factor into decisions if all other things were more or less equal. We care more about the walkability of the neighborhood, since both our offices aren’t all that public-transit accessible and have ample parking. If we worked downtown or in hillcrest it would probably matter more to us.
June 30, 2010 @ 8:22 PM
I am neutral. Riding a bike
I am neutral. Riding a bike is my favorite form of transport
Love this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40cACBOaHQc&feature=related