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Of my single-occupancy trips, 100%.

The important distinction is that a car is a "place for my stuff."[1] I carry tools[1], erythritol, and emergency[2] preparedness items, at the very least. My largest car carries enough of a subset of my home that it's even a comfortable place to sleep, if need be.

I could certainly do without, but, having done so in the past, it's not worth it. Similarly, carrying a large enough subset on a bike, bus, or both, as I've done when I bike commuted, was a constant annoyance. Routinely/exclusively bicycling also requires additional cargo in the form of lights, locks, and minor repair tools.

[1] cf the late, great George Carlin

[2] As with my usage of "cargo," this is general, including such things as laptop.

[3] In California, we call them "earthquake"




In other words, you have a ton of stuff permanently in your car? It's not stuff that you need to transport from A to B.

Lights and locks are mounted on a bike, and minor repair tools can be as well (it's not necessary; the last time I got a flat tire is 4 years ago using a bike every day). I do nearly all trips on a bike, some with a bag of books & laptop or with a bag of groceries. The number of times I need to carry items that are too large or heavy to transport on a bike is very small. You can carry more with a bike than without a bike...

> I could certainly do without, but, having done so in the past, it's not worth it. Similarly, carrying a large enough subset on a bike, bus, or both, as I've done when I bike commuted, was a constant annoyance.

I don't understand what you were carrying. Can you elaborate on this?


In other words, you have a ton of stuff permanently in your car?

Both "permanently" and "ton" are exaggerations, but, aside from that, yes. I value preparedness and independence.

It's not stuff that you need to transport from A to B

I'm not sure what you're trying to assert here, but "to each according to need" echos a bit of socialism. I may not, strictly, need, but I most certainly want. Telling people just to "do without" doesn't, historically, seem to be an effective solution.

I don't understand what you were carrying. Can you elaborate on this?

I think you understand the nature of what I was carrying, but we merely disagree on the necessity or desirability of carrying it and, perhaps, definition, such as where it's carried (paniers, backpack, or mounted[1]).

[1] None of which even remotely approach the privacy and security of an automobile. Is a firearm part of ones disaster preparedness kit? Nothing doing if the kit has to be in a backpack carried with one everywhere.




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