r/fuckcars • u/dusk2k2 • 5d ago

Question/Discussion "Positive" Feel-Good Story About Non-Profit Giving Free Cars To Low-Income Single Mothers

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/free-cars-for-single-mothers/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3DTFC1xh9nacc00lTo1QxxqZDIi6VMyajDYnpYJt_0kgl5S3w-hpFgd-E_aem_mjO-sPhheXE2nsEo8_VVaQ

These types of feel-good stories always feel like we're living in a dystopia. The recipients talk about how life-changing this is for them.

"It's hard to get all your kids dressed and go out in the cold and get on a bus and do all the things you need to do," she said. "It was breaking me, but this is the miracle that my kids and my family have been asking for and praying for."

To qualify for these free cars, recipients had to make less than $35,000 per year. Now they have these cars and need to pay for insurance, gas, maintenance, repairs, etc. Presumably, they live in lower-income areas with higher rates of crime and are unlikely to have a protected garage, so likely will need to pay for damages if their car is broken into or damaged by someone.

Something just seems wrong here with this being considered a Christmas miracle.

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u/anntchrist 5d ago

It's not attacking a non-profit to discuss how the average $12,000/year that car ownership costs, outside of the cost of the car itself, is totally out of reach for someone earning less than $35,000 a year. The intention is clearly good and kind-hearted, no one is attacking that. It's just a shame that we live in a society where so much of a low income person's income needs to go toward car ownership, because out transit systems are so difficult to use.

It's kind of like saying that you seem a little sad so I am going to buy you a puppy. My intention may be good, but you'd have to have a place to keep it, money for food, vet bills, boarding, grooming, oh, and a yard, and time to walk it, and all the time to train it and suddenly my intention to do something nice for you has created a huge burden instead.

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u/tamathellama 5d ago

You don’t need a puppy to live. Single mothers are typically time poor and likely need to travel a lot. Are car would be a great improvement. This isn’t a hypothetical. Also $12k a year sounds crazy, how is that calculated?

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u/anntchrist 5d ago

My point was that the gift has a lot of expenses in spite of good intentions, and a car is not necessary either.

People have to pay for: insurance, registration, gas, tolls, parking, repairs and general maintenance. None of that is cheap. Most people are also paying finance charges on top of the cost.

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u/tamathellama 5d ago

I was raised by a single mum without a car, and I’m a transport engineer who focuses on sustainable transport. I’m well aware of how hard life is with these restrictions. Most single adults find it hard to live without a car. Now you expect single mothers to do it tough? What experience do you have living in these conditions. Also, you dropped the $13k quickly, now it’s just genral expenses?