The Return of the Well Cultured Anonymous/Owning a Car

If you live in an area where public transportation is readily available, then getting a car may be an unnecessary financial burden. However, in a rural area, owning a car is a bare necessity.

The matters of learning to drive and getting your drivers' license are dependent on local laws.

If you go to buy a car, and you are not mechanically inclined, you should bring a friend or family member who knows something about cars. This will prevent you from getting screwed. If you have no one you can bring and you are worried about making a poor decision, you can always have the car you intend to buy inspected by a professional mechanic before you buy it.

Make sure you have enough money. You not only have to pay for the car itself, but for car insurance, and you need to have enough money that if your car should break down at any time, you would be able to have it repaired.

Make sure you stay on top of your insurance, car inspection, vehicle registration, etc. Failing to do so will possibly bring on the wrath of law enforcement officials.

You MUST have your oil changed regularly. (The usual recommendation is to have it changed every 3000 miles.) This is not optional. Your car will stop working eventually if you don't do this. It's also a good idea to wash your car regularly to keep it from getting rusty, and to make sure your tires are filled. (Gas stations sometimes have coin operated air pumps that you can use for filling tires if you don't own a pump.)

Wear your seatbelt. It's rare for someone who is wearing a seatbelt to be killed or seriously injured in a car accident.

If you do live in a town but are too cheap to pay for transportation, you should invest in a bike. It is a bit annoying to keep up, but you will save a lot of time in transportation. I get to university almost thrice as fast riding my bike than when I take public transportation. If done properly, it can give you a superhero's legs, and you can even work out your arms, so if you don't want to keep your lazy nerd habits, you should definitely ride a bike.