Exclusive | Ive lived in LA 19 years without a car. Heres the secrets Ive learned and how much Ive saved

There was a constant refrain I heard when I started telling people I was moving to Los Angeles: “You have to have a car.”It was seemingly non-negotiable.You just had to have a car.

Period.I didn’t listen.I moved here without a car almost 19 years ago and I’ve never owned one since, relying largely on public transportation to get around — and I’m not even a ‘transit baddie’ influencer.

A conservative estimate indicates I’ve saved roughly $1,750 a year, or upwards of $33,000 over my tenure in the City of Angels.And I could have saved a LOT more.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Why? One: I was broke, moving out here for what I thought was a great job that wasn’t going to pay me a ton of money.Two: I’m incredibly stubborn and I love proving people wrong.I was never a car guy.

The Corvette is the lone exception.If I ever win the lottery, sell a screenplay or marry a sugar mama, it’s among my first purchases.But driving itself started annoying me well into my 20s, partly because of the cost, partly because of my Irish temper, which flared up more in the driver’s seat than anywhere else.Every cut-off, every slow driver in the left lane, every person who backs into a parking spot like they’re preparing for a quick getaway from Target irked me.

Every time.And that was in Minnesota, which pales in comparison to LA traffic.A car here would have been a dreadful daily experience, riddled with mild rage and anxiety I wanted no part of.I hadn’t owned a car in roughly five years when I made the move.

I rented a Penske truck and drove west with a friend.That 1,600-mile trip in January 2008 was the last time I was behind the wheel, and I don’t miss it one bit.The job I moved here for, writing for an entertainment news website called MovieWeb...