Cars are discretionary, phones are not.
By Lloyd Alter, Treehugger.
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For most Gen Y buyers, also known as Millennials, skipping a vehicle purchase is preferable to forgoing technology. Smartphones, laptops and tablet devices compete for their dollars and are higher priorities than vehicle purchases, said Joe Vitale, an automotive consultant with Deloitte. Financing, parking, servicing and insuring a vehicle all add up to a commitment that cash-strapped Millennials aren’t ready to make, he said. “A vehicle is really a discretionary purchase and a secondary need versus an iPhone, mobile phone or personal computer,” Vitale said.
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Driving isn't fun anymore.
Finally, it has to be pointed out that driving just isn't as much fun as it used to be. The roads are clogged, the parking is hard to find, you don't pick people up by cruising down Main Street anymore, you can't fiddle with your car because they have turned into computers. To get all anecdotal, I used to take my Volkswagen Beetles apart on the side of the road if I had to fix something. I used to drive everywhere and never had trouble finding parking. I still have a sports car (an 89 Miata) but I never use it in the city, I bike everywhere year round. It's faster, cheaper, good exercise and frankly, a lot more fun than driving in downtown Toronto. When we go anywhere now, I let my wife drive so that I can look at my iPad and catch up on my reading.
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© The Atlantic
http://www.treehugger.com/cars/its-not-economy-stupid-young-people-really-are-turning-their-backs-cars.html
[B' Spokes: I'll note that now I am driving a bit I find using my bike routes a lot more pleasant then the typical car route. Being a cyclist has more benefits then what first meets the eye. ;) ]
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