A growing number of americans say they can't afford a car. They are struggling with rising vehicle prices, auto loan interest rates, and insurance and maintenance costs
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/business/car-ownership-prices-interest-rates.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TlA.gSpt.GiQ8aiGVLXRD
135 points · 18 comments · view on lemmy.world
18 Comments
HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works · 63 pts · 150d
Too bad the entire country was built to accommodate for private vehicle transportation. Now people will be stranded in their never-ending suburbs, without public transportation, bike lanes, nor even sidewalks
Flying_Penguin@lemmy.zip · 24 pts · 150d
Look on the bright side, all they walking will help us loose weight. That and not being able to afford food.
spencerwi@feddit.org · 52 pts · 150d
Can't afford a home, can't afford a car, might get randomly shot by either the cops or a nutjob or an edgy schoolkid, what an American dream
IntrovertTurtle@lemmy.zip · 29 pts · 150d
I just saw the community name. Why is this mildly interesting? This is at best, pretty depressing.
zout@fedia.io · 9 pts · 150d
I think it's mildly interesting. I'm not American, so maybe that's why.
PunnyName@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 149d
That which is depressing can also be interesting.
nate3d@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 150d
Oh and now gas costs!
sturmblast@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 149d
We can't afford shit
_haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 150d
Stop on by !micromobility@lemmy.world - I commute almost every day on a bike or e-bike (sometimes I even skate).
SuiXi3D@fedia.io · 10 pts · 150d
Tell that to someone in the burbs that works across town. They’re already tired from work, they don’t want to have to bike for two hours one way, dodging maniacs that want them dead because they’re on a bike.
I say this as someone that spent nearly $2k on an e-bike for it to sit in the garage collecting dust because everything is too far apart to bother using the damn thing.
Naich@piefed.world · 10 pts · 150d
I don't know why every time someone mentions cycling or walking, someone has to reply "what about people who drive 2 hours to work across the desert with a safe in the back of the car"? Yeah, not everyone can, but that doesn't stop those who could. I cycle 16 miles a day to work and back, and I'm a lazy overweight 58 year old. If I can, most people who travel the same distance could.
SuiXi3D@fedia.io · 5 pts · 150d
Because even if I could, the infrastructure here in Austin won't let me bike to work, not that I would anyway simply because people here drive like idiots and there's no way I'm biking on the same roads as them.
Naich@piefed.world · 5 pts · 150d
Again, I'm not saying that you personally have to cycle, just that for many people there is actually a very low bar for them to do it. The examples of impossible situations every time cycling is suggested aren't relevant, and just as pointless as someone saying everyone should be compelled to cycle.
starlinguk@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 149d
Move? Why do people live 2 hours away from work?
STUNT_GRANNY@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 149d
Can't afford housing close to the current job, any jobs close to home don't pay a living wage.
In my small town's case, if you want to live and work here, your options are fast food, a truck stop, or the police. And the latter two are not hiring.
So for me, I commute to the nearest city, which is luckily only ~40-60 minutes depending on the time of day.
_haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 150d
That's me, and I commute on cheap entry level bikes and e-bikes. Sometimes I even skateboard or walk! It's not without risks, but you're statistically more likely to die from living a sedentary lifestyle: In fact, even mountain biking is statistically beneficial to your health, despite the risks of serious injury. People really underestimate how bad sitting around in a car for huge chunks of our lives is.
edit: lmao at the downvote, really???
DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth · 1 pts · 150d
I live in the burbs and work across town: Ride my bike to work, to get groceries, go to the movies, whatever.
Seems crazy to me that you apparently have a nice ebike and don't ride it, but that's up to you. Don't shit on other people for trying to encourage others to ride.
I don't have bike lanes or even live in a city, but I still ride: Don't tell me it can't be done.
SuiXi3D@fedia.io · 4 pts · 150d
Not trying to shit on anyone, just sharing my experience.