Yeah this story does not line up with my experience of living car-free in Atlanta. I lived within walking distance of both North Ave and Midtown. It wasn't a short walk, but you can do it.

The only places you could get to by train were downtown or the airport. I was poor, I didn't have money for a plane ticket, and I didn't have a job downtown. Everywhere else was a bus.

Buses in Atlanta run maybe every 30 minutes at night, sometimes 45. Ever been on the side of the road at night, maybe in the wind or rain, waiting for half an hour for a bus? It sucks. When a relative finally gave me a beater to drive, I was so happy I cried.

This was a long time ago and maybe if I had a job where I had a flexible schedule or worked at home, and I didn't have any kids that had to be driven around, maybe I would try living without a car. But I'd probably just buy a car anyway.