I know. Apples and oranges.

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"That she bear children is not a woman's significance. But that she bear herself that is her supreme and risky fate." - D.H. Lawrence

Why? I don't get why everyone thinks the second you have a kid you have to buy a minivan or SUV. My mom schlepped my sister and I around in a POS '76 Chevy Malibu, followed by an '82 Ford Escort, followed by a POS '88 Toyota Tercel hatchback. We survived.

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Grumpy velociraptor

My friend has 3 kids - 4 yo twins and a 2 yo - and seems to manage to schlep them and the double stroller around in her Jetta quite nicely - 3 kid seats across the back seat. My Dad used to have a station wagon and I used to ride in the back with the dog more often than not - only way I could get away from my older brother...

I have a love-hate relationship with Minivans... As a vehicle, they're absolutely terrifying. Unwieldy, nebulous steering, grossly underpowered and awful brakes (at least the ones we've rented were like that). On the plus side, they're easy to spot in the parking lot so you can avoid them. I make it a rule never to park next to anyone with a baby seat or obvious kiddy stuff. The "family" stickers really help with that...

Haven't seen the Victoria-Beckham Special Edition Evoque yet *shudder*. Not many Evoques around here yet; haven't seen one in the flesh, and I'm pretty good at spotting the new stuff. Not many Volts either, but they won't do well here because our electricity is too freakin' expensive and you HAVE to run AC...

Disdain of children? You betcha. I prefer children weren't seen and heard.

I rarely talk about my CFness with strangers, but when it does come up, I keep the conversation about brats brief. No, I do not have kids and no, I do not need them. No, I do not want to talk about this. End of. I switch the conversation to something a little pleasant. Music. Dogs. Sleep. If the person can't get with me, I head out. I understand the need for dialogue, but I suck at dialogue!

My favorite 'stick figure family' was of a single guy with a little dog and a sticker of NASCAR on the back of a Ford Taurus. I guess they didn't have a sticker of a car or anything like that. I wouldn't have those stick figures on the back of my car. I'd have a FSM symbol and a sports team logo, though.

Here's my vehicle



It's a bit unsuitable to schlep children around.

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No pleasure endures unseasoned by variety.

I saw a couple getting into their car that had a man, women and three cat stickers. I was overjoyed.

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http://childfreewe.wordpress.com/

Sweet bike, Falling! I've always wanted to learn to ride one of those, but I'd be too chicken to take it on the highways out here. People can get really crazy with their driving.

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"I don't hate kids."
"You don't want to have them."
"I like sports cars, but I don't want to push a Ferrari through my vagina."

Highways are hardly a problem - in fact, they're probably the safest roads. Straight, constant speed, fairly quick traffic flow even here in Europe, let alone in car-crazy USA. I try to avoid them whenever possible, even if it takes me a bit longer to get somewhere as a result - they're mind-numbingly boring.

Riding on normal roads is a far more demanding test of skill (and of luck, and of natural selection). Speed varies, there are crossroads and tight bends everywhere, and traffic can be a problem - although riding a bike can give you serious satisfaction when you overtake enormous lines of cars by fitting in spaces where a car wouldn't. If you apply caution and logic you can usually avoid serious problems. Most bike accidents are a result of the rider going too fast for the situation; too few people realize that a bike contacts the road on two very small patches of rubber, and when you're braking hard one of them effectively ceases to be of any significant consequence.

I highly suggest you give it a go, it really is an experience like no other. Well, it is if you're not a jet fighter pilot, or something

Go to a dealership and ask to try an easy bike - something like a Versys or a Transalp. If you're not tall enough for those, try a 250cc, or a lower 650 like my own. Do not start with a crotch rocket - that's the fastest way to kill yourself; crotch rockets are not forgiving.

When you've gotten comfortable with keeping the bike upright find yourself a stretch of empty road and see what happens when you open the throttle. You don't need to actually go very fast, but you do want to get a taste of the acceleration - you can easily stop accelerating when you reach the speed limit. When I did that the first time I had a smile on my face that just wouldn't go away.

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No pleasure endures unseasoned by variety.

Love the cartoons posted.

I don't hate kids I just don't want any. I enjoy spending time with kids in my family.
Have zero patience for noisy kids.
I don't feel a need to display my choice but if a glossy magazine has an article on women living child free and content I will e-mail that magazine as there should be more in the media about how having children is a choice.

There was an article in some british glossy with Cameron Diaz, single, no kids.

I was thinking of a "CF" tattoo somewhere on my body. Just trying to figure out where..

No kids on this, either!
In fact, being CF is the reason I could afford it!!