I’m not someone who refused to learn to drive, but I have made pointed efforts to avoid driving but for rare exceptions that usually involve driving other people to appointments. For reference, it’s cold as shit, rainy, and more often snowy where I live 7-8 months out of the year. Our biking infrastructure isn’t great, but it’s better than most of the US.

I hate traffic and everything surrounding car-centric culture and I’m lucky enough to live close enough to work that I can easily walk or ride my bike if I don’t want to take a bus. The grocery store is a bit harder to manage, but usually something I can do on the bike. I repair everything on my own and ride a bike that’s 40+ years old and the joy I get from riding it is a stark contrast to the experience of driving the same route.

Sure, the narcissistic behavior of drivers, the exhaust and other fumes, and the stress of are all factors that make me hate driving, but the single thing that bugs me most about cars whether I’m driving, walking, biking, or just sitting on my couch with all of the windows closed is the NOISE of cars. Engine noise is annoying, honking is annoying, but the tire noise above ~20 mph is a constant assault on my senses.

That’s why the bike trails are nice, not because I don’t have to breathe exhaust or worry about getting hit by a car, but because they are the only quiet and peaceful places in our city. They are the only place cars can’t go.