This is what does it for me. And a rental just doesnt cut it. My family and I enjoy road trips, even just weekend getaways, and owning a vehicle makes that possible. Also, just regular things like getting kids to rowing practice after school makes all alternatives impractical. There’s no way to get them there on time with public transit and it’s def. too far for an e-bike to get there on time.
A lot of thing are possible or the equivalent in a train oriented society.
For me living near other people and the rich human culture that comes from that is luxury. If you need a car for that you might just have made other choices in life, they are still choices.
Like a decent number of Londoners I own a car. I love my car and I love driving. But I use my car once, maybe twice a month, almost always to leave the city.
I lend it to friends when they need a car too. Many people who don’t own a car use rentals and car clubs for the same things.
So I agree, it’s great to have a car to get out to a lake, beach, or mountain or to transport stuff and people to the countryside, go camping, pick up heavy things, etc.
But that’s a tiny fraction of journeys. My contribution to traffic and pollution is minimal.
I walk or cycle 90% of my journeys within the city and use public transport for almost all of the rest. I regularly take trains to other cities and towns rather than drive.
Do I want a world no cars at all?
Of course not!
Do I want infrastructure, policies, and costs/taxation on car use to reduce the amount of totally unnecessary, selfish car use that makes the city noisier, more dangerous, more polluted, and less pleasant for everyone except the driver, even when there’s a perfectly good walking/cycling/transit alternative for that journey?
Absolutely.