Every time I am sick of being crammed in a bus or on the subway, I dream of owning a car; every time I cannot get a taxi in the rain, I think of owning a car; every time I fight to buy a train ticket to my parents' in nearby Changzhou at double the normal price, I am desperate to own a car. But to buy a car or not to buy? That is the question, which pains me and those like me in Shanghai.

First, the high price of a licence plate in Shanghai makes me shy away. Although automobiles are becoming increasingly affordable, to own a car in Shanghai is not that cheap. The latest record of a successful bid for a plate in this city was a shocking 40,000 yuan (US$4,800). The auction system was designed by the Municipal Government to limit the number of private cars and ease traffic headaches.

For this amount of money, one can easily buy a locally made compact car. If the car is under 100,000 yuan, the better alternative is to get a plate from nearby cities such as Suzhou or Hangzhou for a price that is a small fraction of that in Shanghai. But the constraints imposed by the outside plate - such as being banned on highways during peak hours - are really inconvenient. So, if I still want to have a Shanghai plate, I have to wait either for the government to loosen the limit or wait for my income to rise to afford a less cheap car. Apparently the first wish will never come true.

Then, even if I can find a fairly expensive car with a decent Shanghai plate, I have to consider the parking expenditure. Lately, the city has raised the fees and 10 yuan an hour is common in busy districts. How can one dare to leave a car in these money-eater's mouths for long periods?

And many experiences such as shopping would become tense rather than enjoyable. What's more, the fixed cost of a space at home would cost dearly as well. It is reported that some shrewd people have bought a lot of parking space for newly established apartments as investments. One would have to pay at least three times the original price to buy it back. To buy a car has become a luxury decision.

Other than the financial concerns, car owners have to worry about traffic congestion. In this notoriously busy city, traffic jams are not unusual. The driving experience would become sour, without any fun. I guess the time spent on driving to work would not be strikingly less than taking public transport.

Given all the negative factors influencing my purchase decision, I still want to have my own car. I've started attending driving school now. And I am not alone as an obsessed auto buyer, one of those who are tortured by the question of buying or not. Can the government help to solve the problem? Do consumers have any bargaining power? Probably the answers to all questions are, "No". The best way is to live in a city other than Shanghai.

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