hTTi

Kerfuffle wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:56 am ... and hopefully less bureaucracy.

Forget that - at least in Germany. Bureaucracy is far too embedded in their DNA here.

HEM wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2025 10:52 am

Kerfuffle wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2025 8:56 am ... and hopefully less bureaucracy.

Forget that - at least in Germany. Bureaucracy is far too embedded in their DNA here.

Especially when it comes to already paid for but repeating tickets for the same reason (TÜV overdue for more than 4 but less than 6 months; 25 €). And normal and yellow letters. We replied to those, too.
Finally got a letter a few days ago saying that all charges were dropped.
Must have cost us taxpayers hundreds of €s at least.

And it's not embedded in my DNA (Swabian/Lower Bavarian; born and raised here in Munich, Germany).

We’re heartbroken that our sweet Nelly died today. Super loving until her last moment……

So sorry, emkay. Beautiful photo.

bramble wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2025 5:52 pm So sorry, emkay. Beautiful photo.

Thank you bramble. When we still lived in the UK, we went to the RSPCA to adopt a cat when kiddo was 6. We were shocked that they said that people didn’t want black cats. The reason supposedly being that they aren’t photogenic for selfies, ruined light coloured furniture etc. We of course immediately adopted two black kitties….we didn’t care about furniture.

Here in Germany, we adopted 3 more blackies at 3 weeks old, abandoned by their mother. Our 2 old ladies we brought over from the UK are still fine though all 3 German babies died from 1-10 years of age. The vet said that they likely had genetic problems. We’re all so very sad.

My crappy car failed the TUV. Not a surprise actually. But I didn't expect the cost estimate to get it sorted, to be as high as the current 2k eur bill.
I drive 3k km/yr and seriously thinking of staying without car. Although for the few trips I do use it, it is really nice to have....

Who else here was hesitant to give up their car, and after ditching it has actually no regret?

I crashed ours back in 2011 and it took us 18 months to replace.

I was fine without it and have some regrets about having one again.

If you really use it so rarely, surely hiring is the way to go, or car share if you live in an area where that is an option.

@ Alberto
- my "Gemeinde" has an electric car hire service that they operate for locals.
Not sure exactly where you live, but maybe there is something similar in your region? ...

Personally, I couldn´t live without a car at the moment - when I have early shift, I have to be at work at 5.15am, and the first train would get me there for 6am!!!

2k for a car doesn't sound like the world will end.

Neither does a train ride to Munich to meet me.

The USA's stock market is crashing so badly, it's almost as if the country is being run by someone who went bankrupt 6 times!

Alberto wrote: ↑Fri Mar 07, 2025 7:54 am Who else here was hesitant to give up their car, and after ditching it has actually no regret?

I was. I tried public transport and found it good enough. Sure, you have to calculate a bit more time sometimes. One of my friends lives in a village with bad public transport so instead of visiting them, they come to me or we meet at a cafe or a restaurant.

Shame on me.

I instructed the workshops to do all repairs necessary for passing the TUV (my car failed it last week).
it really sucks that I use it so little, and yet certain fix costs are simply fix, they do not scale with usage.
Next time around, in 2yr time, I will try to have more gut.

For the record, here my average car cost since I bought it at Xmas 2013:

including all sort of repairs, tires, fuel, tax, insurance, motorways (the few times I drove to Italy), parking, and speeding tickets:
126eur / month

and including also purchase:
183 / eur