askchapo

I think most people in the US don't think about it and go with the flow of "I'm an adult with a job of course I need a car", and if prompted why not try biking they just go "that seems like a pain in the ass/unsafe/not going to work in X weather". Even for ones that like biking recreationally. And I do empathize with not particularly wanting to bike commute every day in rain or snow or whatever. A lot of people have very inflexible work environments/schedules that wouldn't allow any exception for bad weather, so why take the chance (and it will be viewed especially negatively by bosses if they see it as "you're late because you choose to ride that stupid bike in instead of driving like a normal person")

And genuinely, not having a car in most US cities does limit your options geographically, economically, and socially.

• One of my friends just got denied a job (that had nothing to do with driving), for not having a car actually. It was just on the application like "Must have valid drivers license and proof of car insurance" or something like that. He did have one for a couple years but he hates driving and wants to move long distance soon so he sold it and bikes/walks everywhere (he also can still borrow a car from his housemates when needed which helps).
• I often have issues getting to things like poorly planned social events on time ("surprise! we decided to go somewhere 10 miles further away at the last minute, see you over there in 10-15 mins right?") This is just inherent to living anywhere that is saturated with cars. People literally feel bad for me and offer me rides whenever we plan something, and I have to tell them no, I'm not a helpless child (and children aren't helpless either, except that we make them so), I just need a tiny bit more notice in order to get across town on time. I enjoy getting around without a car, its one of the primary benefits of living in a city, but my social circle is 90% not on the same page. At best they think its cool in theory but never hop on a bike themselves.

I actually was a car guy from like age 16-21. I owned multiple cars, maintained them mostly myself, drove almost everywhere I went, gave people rides, etc. But day to day all that gave me was poor health, exposure to dangerous situations on the road, and a residence too far from the city center to reasonably visit any other way. It sucked. The only thing it was really good for was long distance travel, but when everyone you know still has cars that isn't as much of a factor. I wasn't doing a ton of solo road trips anyhow. I moved back into the city and kept my cars, but consciously tried to get around more and more with walking, transit, and eventually biking (due to the aforementioned poor health biking wasn't a primary way of getting around again for me until I got an ebike). I just enjoy those modes more, I feel more "in the world" that way. Eventually I realized I didn't need or particularly want the cars.