I am car-free (involuntarily in the beginning) since my car was stolen in September. While waiting to decide what I wanted to do in the way of a replacement, I started walking and biking and taking mass transit everywhere, which is unusual in Los Angeles because it’s such a car-oriented city.
It hasn’t been difficult, since I live a short walk from three major bus lines, and my office is within biking/walking distance should I be in the mood to do that. I have only needed a friend to drive me on errands once, to pick up a few months’ supply of cat litter at a big box store and get a few other heavy/bulky items for home and the office.
I ride my bike to the Sunday farmer’s market, walk to one of 3 groceries that are near home or work, and manage to get my shopping done without a major fuss. And the BIG up-side is, I have lost 15 lb in the process. I also sleep much better at night.
I feel completely in charge of my situation – if I absolutely had to have a car, I suppose I could rent one. But pretending like I live in Paris is working out pretty well for now.
This post was submitted by G. Robison.
I’m also another one who found themselves car-less a few years ago, in my case, due to a breakdown. After a hard nosed economic look at the situation, as well as wanting to do more for the planet, I decided not to fix the car, and go greener. The car got sold to a friend who does have a genuine need for one. Now, I cycle for most trips less than 10km (6 miles), and for very short trips, just walk. For longer trips, I take the train, and often use a combination of bicycle and train for more flexibility.
All this exercise has been incorporated into my general fitness work. Cycling is much more relaxing, and in this area, there are many bike paths, which allow me to avoid traffic as well. I still have no plans to replace the car in the short term. Longer term, I am considering a few transport options. As my partner is not able to cycle, due to problems with depth perception, a tandem bike is one option. However, that still leaves significant areas out of reach, so we may have to consider a small, economical car. Car sharing hasn’t yet got this far out of the city. If it does, that’s yet another option, and one that’s far cheaper than owning a car.
Comment by Tony L — December 20, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
I like to think of my car, as my other large appliances as “for emergencies only”. It’s rather easy for me to get away with since I work from home. I thought about getting rid of it, but at this point it costs much less than a buss pass and since I only use it about once every few weeks, I figure it’s OK. It’s a 1990 Honda civic with 80K miles on it, still runs great, gets over 30mpg in the city and gets driven less than 1000 miles per year. My plan is to keep it running until solar-powered electric cars become the norm, and at that point I might replace it!
Comment by Rebecca — January 27, 2010 @ 11:49 pm