I was talking to a friend and complaining that the nearest grocery store is 3km from me, he says that Europeans consider that a reasonable distance to the store and I’m just being lazy.

I don’t have a car, I don’t have a bike, and the bus only comes by every four hours. Am I being unreasonable for not wanting to carry groceries 3km in 30C weather, or is my friend full of shit? Neither of us have been to Europe.

  • JASN_DE
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    3512 days ago

    400m, or 500 in the other direction.

    BUT: no one around here would walk 3km. Hell, most people won’t even walk the 500m.

  • @[email protected]
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    6312 days ago

    For me it’s either 600m to a small corner shop or about 1.1km to a larger store.

    I do 3km periodically for another store, but I wouldn’t do it in 30c weather. I’m barely willing to exercise in 25c weather.

    • @[email protected]OP
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      2712 days ago

      The next closest store is 16km away 😭

      Good to know my friend is full of shit about this being the same for y’all.

      • @[email protected]
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        1212 days ago

        I have three stores within 200 m, one of which is open 24/7, another of which has a massive selection in fresh cheese, meats, fish, and baking goods.

        Sorry, but I was in the US last summer, and I really feel bad for you guys regarding the whole food and walk-/bikeability situation.

  • DasFaultier
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    812 days ago

    Eastern part of Germany here. The closest grocery stores are about 2,5km away from my home, but we live a little more rural than most of the people in the thread. I don’t walk that distance for groceries, because they don’t allow dogs in, but one of the supermarkets has a DIY store right next to it, and I do walk there to get smaller items and have a nice walk with my doggo.

  • @[email protected]
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    1012 days ago

    I live out in the countryside. The nearest store is about 2.8km away. Put on some good music, get an ice cream for the second half of the trip, it’s a lovely walk. I could catch a bus back, there’s a stop right by the shop, but my timing is generally shite. If I’d be halfway home by the time the bus comes, I’d rather just walk.

  • @[email protected]
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    912 days ago

    When I was in a similar situation, I wish I thought of “one way”. I realized after the fact that many people were walking one way to the store but taking a taxi back with their load of groceries. However I have no idea whether it was actually affordable or if that was their only choice.

    You should look into that. How affordable is a taxi if you only take it one direction?

  • @[email protected]
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    1311 days ago

    In Norway. Technically in a city, but it’s very rural. About 30 minutes of walking with a descent of ~150 meters. Carrying groceries back up that hill is a big test of stamina, so we very rarely do it. We mostly drive to the store.

    Your friend is full of shit. 3km is a very long distance for walking to get groceries, and I can imagine that you have to deprioritize heavier groceries all the time due to that distance. I’d recommend getting a bike or electic scooter or something to cover that distance. Basically no one in Norway would have 3km to their nearest store with walking as their only option.

  • @[email protected]
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    1412 days ago

    We have two supermarkets within five minutes walking distance, if you make it ten minutes, it’s four.

    Also within ten minutes walking distance are two middle schools, a primary school, and two kindergardens, several doctors and apothecaries, several shops, and the central bus station.

    The latter is a bit of an disappointment, as not only the bus service is low frequency, and it takes an hour+ to the city.

  • @[email protected]
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    812 days ago

    Around 2.2km at the moment, according to google maps :3

    Most places I lived before were significantly closer to the store tho… 3km is still walking distance for groceries I’d say, but anything further than that and I’d definitely be considering a different transport method, just cause of the bags

  • Iron Lynx
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    1311 days ago

    Even fairly rural Europeans will consider that to be at least cycling distance.

    I have four supermarkets in a radius of about 500 metres. Not only do I regularly walk, I pretty much buy only what I need for a few days, safe in the knowledge that if I need something now, I can be out & back in under half an hour, also knowing that most supermarkets here are reliably stocked with just what I need.

  • @[email protected]
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    1811 days ago

    500 meters. If the store were at 3km I’d bike there, not walk. I feel like 500m is still an okay walking distance, but at some point I regularly went to a store 800m away and I already preferred to bike there. Walking 3km is definitely a bit of a time investment

  • @[email protected]
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    812 days ago

    I live in a very small town, the closest one is 300m, it’s a rather small grocery store good enough for daily stuff. Once a week or two I take the car to a bigger store 10km away for stuff that I can’t find in the small store or is cheaper there.

    I draw the line of the unladen (not for leisure) walking distance at 25 minutes. That can be reevaluated in case of necessity.

  • Humanius
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    12 days ago

    My closest supermarket is 400m away, and the next supermarket over is 1.1km. I walk there daily, sometimes multiple times a day. 3km is quite far and I would not consider that walking distance.

    It’s certainly possible to walk that distance once every (couple of) months, if I did not have my bike available for whatever reason? But I would consider regularly walking 40 minutes one way every other day to be far too much. That distance is cycling distance, not walking distance.

    On a side-note. Did you just say that the bus arrives only once every four hours? My lord… It might as well basically not exist at that point.

    • 𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍
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      12 days ago

      I lived in NYC and now in Canada. Your distances seem about accurate with my limits, though NYers are infamous for walking everywhere, including up and down 6 flights of stairs. It’s certainly not the norm in the US.

      Did you just say that the bus arrives only once every four hours? My lord… It might as well basically not exist at that point.

      This is a great time to introduce you to the American public transit system.

  • @[email protected]
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    811 days ago

    I’m not really a European but I’m close enough I guess (Turkish). The closest supermarket to me is less than a hundred meters away, with 3 others available in a 250m radius around my home.

    3km walk in this weather sounds like hell to be honest. You could use a grocery delivery service though if you have one available in your country.