I definitely got a lot of weird looks and even now at work, I get lots of "Well, how do you get anywhere?" My family is very car-centered lol. My grandpa would trade in his car every 3 years for a new one (RIP). My grandma is pushing 90 now and refuses to give up her car even though she is literally going blind and has already hit 2 parked cars (and yes, we've asked her doctor to help us take the keys/license, but apparently they don't do that anymore).

But honestly, for as Republican and car-centric as my family is they can be pretty open-minded to new viewpoints or perspectives they might not have considered before and are generally supportive. Once I explained how the bus system and cycling works for me, it was like they now understand why it's important to support transit even if you don't take it yourself. I have also gone on many (probably too much) tangents about how our city and voters are actively cutting transit funding at its knees and how neglect of pedestrians equates to traffic violence. I have even shared the many instances of the city's neglect in cycling infrastructure and framed it more as "if you're not supporting transit or alternative modes of transportation then you're actively voting against my interest" and I think once I put it like that, it's like a lightbulb went off haha. I have also found it generally helpful to frame public transit as a net positive for both riders and drivers. What's the one thing everybody hates? Traffic! What reduces traffic? Getting more people to ride transit! How do we do that? We need to increase funding and frequency of transit services!

I live in the US and I honestly think most people are just so ingrained in car-culture they take everything for granted. Once you show them the reality of life for people who don't drive, it's like Neo "waking up" from the Matrix. But as I said, I am very lucky my family is willing to listen and understand other perspectives. I have some friends who could care less and just tell me I need to "grow up and get a car already."

Lol I have a good one

My parents were freaked when I told them I didn’t want a car and was going to get an ebike to get around as my own personal vehicle (exclusively). I have multiple bikes, electric and not which I use to get around all year. The initial reaction was to nearly kick me out (which I don’t think the actually would have but what a weird threat in hindsight) and insisting that I wouldn’t be able to do anything, that it was super unsafe and I would get injured or die, and that it was just entirely unrealistic.

Skip two years later, got my father interested in ebikes, scooters, normal bikes, (he now owns more than me which is like 4+) and nobody questions my decision because it’s extremely cost effective, saves money, and just actually works. Ive gotten a lot of my friends to replace some of their trips with other means as well (transit or cycling). When people ask why I don’t own a car, I simply say it’s a decision on principle and leave it at that unless they want to hear more. Usually more respected that way, and I get the chance to shit on cars if they push for more information.

They were strongly opposed and brought up the usual car-brained arguments. Once they saw that I was still capable of living a full life without a car and how stubborn I am when I know I'm right, they started to accept it.

They see that I show up to work 30 km away using transit on time while saving a fortune on car ownership/parking, I have a wife so their 'no car = no girlfriend' argument is invalid, and more.

I honestly find it hilarious countering their arguments they haven't thought through very well. 'Stop wasting money on bicycles'. My secondhand bicycle costs less than just one of your monthly insurance payments lol

When my relatives from abroad visit, it starts back up again, though.

You simply ought to get a license now while you have the time, it's going to get more expensive over the years too.

Well, you might be okay now while you're studying in the city, but when you get a job and move you should get a car.

Okay, so that worked out, but when you get a kid, you really need a car, no question about it.

I see it's working out somehow, but when the kid starts with school and activities, there's really no other option.

Etc.

I've been getting around by cycling or walking since 2009. My mom still offers to buy me a car at least once every few months. They don't understand not doing something because it is harmful to others.

I'm not car-free but my family often freaks out knowing that I take public transit regularly.

"There are crazy homeless people! You're going to get stabbed!"

Full disclosure: I am car-light, not car free. I primarily get around by e-bike, bicycle, walking, and transit, but my household has a car primarily driven by my wife, or by me when we are both going somewhere together.

I’m well into middle age, and my now elderly mother is STILL very concerned about my safety when getting around by bicycle instead of in a car. She professes to be happy that I am happy, but I think she still doesn’t fully understand or accept my transportation choices.

Amongst my friends and acquaintances, they are all very supportive, though at least some of them think I’m quirky and doing something that “normal” people can’t or won’t do. Many of them express gratitude for my advocacy for alternative transportation, and I’ve influenced at least some of them to get an e-bike for transportation.

Ive told my mom I ride my bike to work everyday on three espérate occasions throughout the past few years and every time the conversation is the exact same amount of surprise and disbelief. Idk why but I feel like at christmas I’ll have to tell her again lol

In France we are definitely not as car-centric as in the US, my father is big on cycling, and I never felt I "decided" to be car-free, more that I found out that with minor adjustments having a bike was way simpler and cheaper than a car and so ended up never buying one (the atmospheric pollution, particle pollutions, noise, poor urbanism and danger sealed the deal). Still, I've had the classical "it's working for now but eventually you'll have to" (never happened) and "it's unsafe" (yes, because of cars).

Again recently, I was talking with an uncle I hadn't seen in a long time and he was telling me how privileged I am to only have to cycle 20 minutes to go to work and that he had recently done the math of how long he had spent in his car for his 1h commute in his 35 years career. I'm always amazed how some people appear to do things without taking a full second to think about it because it's the "normal" thing to do and then realize years later how many thousands of hours of life they wasted.

"But what do you do when it rains?"

"Uuh. Still ride my bike?"