Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Friday, May 6, 2016

Cars


I've never gotten too excited over cars. We bought this one new in 2003. It has 97,000 miles on it, still looks good when it's washed, and it's dependable. Who could ask for more?

I'm counting on this car to last a while longer. Bob drives very little these days. I've never enjoyed driving. It is my hope not to get another car when this one is gone, but that may be a problem.

I've always wanted to live where I could use public transportation and not have to own a car. In Texas that wasn't possible. I was excited moving to Portland, Oregon because they do have public transportation.

There are a few things I've learned about public transportation.  Trains and buses do not run up and down neighborhood streets. You have to find a way to get to the bus stop or train station. If you're young it's not so bad. You can bundle up and walk. If you're old, walking may be a problem. I've also learned it isn't cheap to ride public transportation.

I'm trying to figure out my options but nothing is exactly right. I can have groceries delivered. We seldom use a drug store for prescriptions, using mail order instead. If we can get to the bus stop a bus makes a loop through town and we can get on and off at any of the medical offices we use, but first we have to get to the bus stop.

Our days of riding a bicycle are over. You can get motorized carts but what do you do with them if you want to get on a bus? I see people riding them up and down sidewalks here with a tall pole and a flag waving.

I was in a doctor's parking lot one day and a 90 year old woman came whipping into the lot in a decorated golf cart, flag flying. Said she didn't drive anymore but could get around in her neighborhood with that. It was very cute but wouldn't work for where we live. Streets around us are far too busy.

Our daughter flies up about every 6 weeks to check on her dad. She would need a car to drive to do errands for us. Perhaps it would be cheaper to rent a car when she's here.

Do you think I'm stuck with having to buy another car before I die?

What do old people do when they can no longer want to drive?

Do you ever think about this kind of stuff?

20 comments:

  1. No, I don't think about this because I live in Texas!!! I will drive as long as I possibly can! Our car is a 2010 Ford Fusion and when we buy a new one - it will have to be one that seats EIGHT! Life is different here, as you know! When we spent a month in Aberdeen, Scotland in 2010, we saw first hand how you CAN live without a car! But Scotland and Texas are worlds apart!!!

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    1. Yes, dear Texan, I fully understand why you have to keep driving in Texas. As the grandmother of 4 yr old quadruplets I also understand your need for a bigger car. I hope you're healthy and able to drive for a very long time.

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  2. I worry about when I can't drive anymore. I will hang on to my license and car until I don't feel safe anymore. I'm not fond of driving but I like my independence. Public transportation is miles away from my house. We do have GoBus service for older people that will pick you up at your door but it picks up and drops off other people too, so to go anywhere you're riding around or waiting a lot and wasting a day. Plus it's quite costly. Uber rides is another option.

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    1. I would gladly turn in my keys tomorrow and stop driving if I could think of a way to get where we need to go without driving. It's very difficult for older people when it's no longer safe for them to drive. Independence is the main reason people continue to drive when they shouldn't. Even though I don't have a lot to do I'm spoiled and don't like waiting. There's always a Taxi, which I've never used in my life. I've not looked into that but I suspect that's also expensive. I haven't put pencil to paper yet to see how much I'd have to spend on taxi's and other forms to transportation to be more than the cost of operating a car. I suppose that would be one thing I should do.

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  3. I do think about this. My mom, 86 years old, finally gave up driving 6 months ago. She lives in a small rural village. I think she went about a year beyond when she should have stopped. She lives in an apartment about 40 minutes away from nearest family member (me) who can help her or drive her places, and is not interested in moving closer. The loss of this independence was the hardest for her.

    Access to transportation, medical care, shopping, age-friendly housing and social activities are all high on my list when I think about where to settle as I lose my ability to be independent. Not there yet, but it doesn't hurt to be thinking about it.

    Thanks Linda for another through provoking post!

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    1. Absolutely. The best time to think about these kinds of things is before you need them, while you can perhaps have choices. I think about this a lot because if I'm left alone I will make very different choices than the ones we're making now that mostly accommodate Bob's wishes.

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  4. I remember trying to explain to someone in Belgium that the only public transportation in my suburban town was a bus that came through only twice a day. Even though we live outside of a middlingly large city, nothing is within walking distance, complicated by the small mountain I live on.
    Wouldn't it be neat to have a neighborhood car to share?

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    1. A neighborhood car is a splendid idea. That could work well in a small town as well as suburban neighborhoods. If I moved into Portland proper I might have more choices but I'd have to give up a feeling of space around me and parks to walk through. I'm still thinking. There is a service in Portland that allows you to rent a car for a few hours. The issue there is I'd need to drive it and I don't like to drive. I'm not giving up on this issue.

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  5. Since I don't drive anymore, I'll tell you this. Keep a car as long as you can drive. Not being able to do what you want when you want, is harder on a person than you can imagine. It about pains me to know we have all these vehicles and yet I am stuck here when he goes out of town to work. If I run out of something, that's just too bad. Even though people say to call if I need something, they don't sincerely mean it.

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    1. That must be very frustrating for you. Your situation has got to be very hard.

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  6. I dread the day I hang up my keys. I love the independence a car gives me. We have no public transportation here so I would have to move to town within walking distance to shopping. I have a 2003 with 145,000 but it runs perfectly and has never needed any major repairs, just maintenance. This is my last vehicle and I hope we go out on the same day.

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    1. Patti, I hear you. I think it often leads to further decline when a person has to give up their independence and depend on others. I've thought a lot about this situation and, like others, have found no answers. I just know it makes me feel sad. I can easily move anywhere but even then it presents a challenge. If you're an older person with walking issues it's even a bigger challenge. Perhaps we should have moved to big cities years ago. Many people there never have a drivers license and are used to walking long distances.

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  7. Yes, I have thought about this. When I can no longer drive I will also not be able to walk to the train station. We will probably not be in our house by then either, so we will need to think about access to transportation where we live next. So far, we have just put of thinking much about it.

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    1. It's easy to put off thinking about this kind of thing. It's just always fascinated me since we've been in the Portland metroplex so see if I could figure out a workable solution.

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  8. I've always enjoyed driving and will continue doing so as long as possible. I would think Portland would have active Senior Services through the city or other. Our city has three different systems for Seniors -- Get About, Dial-A-Ride, and Community Connections Volunteer Driver Program -- all inexpensive & some assist disabilities. There is public transportation, too, but it's more for city to city and not to go about in our town. I suppose you know about Uber and Lyft competing with taxicab services.

    Depending on what kind of car you have and how many miles you drive a year would determine if your car will last. My husband, when he was living, and I discussed this which influenced the car I have and will keep. I thot about all this stuff, as you say, years ago in conjunction with determining I wanted to "live in place" if possible. I assessed what was available to me if I stayed here, and could I. What if one or the other of us became incapacitated, or "kicked the bucket"? Leave no subject off limits! (-; I'm a widow now. I've been finding out these years later how this is all working out. -- also noting changes from what was available and determining how to adapt. I think wise to think about all this and explore your community before you may need some services. Children would welcome me to each of their respective sates, but I prefer my So Cal weather.

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    1. Sometimes people are fortunate enough to be able to "live in place." That's nice when it happens. I have two choices, I can go into Portland and live or I can stay here in Hillsboro. I prefer the latter. I actually may have a third choice. We've watched a planned city develop near us over the 12 years we've been in Oregon. Amazing and totally interesting to watch. I'm pretty sure it's far enough along now that I could live there and be independent without a car. I need to drive over in all those new buildings and look around but from what I've read I think it's going to pretty much meet my needs if I should be the one left alone. For now we will stay where we are. Bob could not stand a move, it would be too emotionally traumatic for him. I'm still driving so we're okay for now. Some time I'll strike out alone and drive through Orenco Station to see all the new things they've added, maybe get some apartment information etc.

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  9. I have thought about not having a car because my car is old but I haven't thought about what it would be like when I couldn't get around. Hum. I'm going to have to consider this from a totally different angle.

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    1. I don't know where you live in Houston but suspect it would be pretty difficult without a car. I don't know what people do there without a car. In the summer it's too hot to walk any distance. I suppose there are city buses. I don't think Texas, with all its wide open spaces, has thought about building their cities to be conducive to public transportation. I don't enjoy driving and I find car expense a real pain but I may have to hang in there. Perhaps someday they'll have cars that drive themselves. Even so they'd be too expensive for my budget.

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  10. Oh yes. I think about this kind of stuff all the time because I don't drive. If something were to happen to my husband, I'd be lost.

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    1. I had almost stopped driving when Bob's health last summer forced me to be the main driver in our household. I still don't like it but I can do it. Perhaps it would be that way for you.

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