These absolutist arguments are not helpful. If one lives in a dense urban area, a car is just a nuisance most of the time. Avoiding car ownership and using a rental for an occasional trip likely makes more sense. If one can afford keeping it parked and insured most of the time, having a car available on short notice is convenient but not essential. On the other hand, I live in a sparsely populated region and I couldn't even go to the grocery without a car.

Any arguments relating to transportation are kind of pointless if not put within the right framework.