If this is your first time reading this blog I recommend you start with the first one .
** Disclaimer – I’m probably a lot crazier than most people as I tend to walk/bike all over the place and distances don’t really phase me. As such, many things I find common and easy to do could very likely be tough and inconvenient for others. This is clearly not a “how to” for going car-less but rather “how I” manage to do it .**
Holidays are here and get-togethers are starting to pile up. Time is becoming more and more precious as my schedule gets busier. Back in my “car” days I could get anywhere in town in about 20 minutes. This meant I could leave last minute for parties or gatherings. Forget something and be fashionably late. Now, I don’t have that option. Depending where I go in town it could take 1 hour by bus and forgetting something is just out of the question. There is the option of a taxi and now that I’m car-free the money I’m saving could easily cover the one or two taxi rides I might take but I still can’t make that connection in my head. I mean paying $30 to go across town just doesn’t seem financially responsible.
So as a result of my car freedom I’m left to the bus, my own two feet or the kindness of friends. As it stands I do live very near to many of my friends so it’s not too much of an inconvenience for them to swing by. It’s quite different travelling by car now as I’m always a passenger where for the past 15 years I was the driver. A person’s driving habits, car cleanliness, mechanical stability and punctuality all come front and centre. You really do get to know your friends when you ride in their car.
With most parties starting later in the evening I do have time to take the bus to get around. I just have to remain conscious of the “last” bus of the night or be prepared for a long walk home. I have to race home, eat quickly and leave almost right away to get somewhere for 7pm where others get to relax for an hour before heading out. As a result I’ve noticed my “me” time has decreased. I now spend more of the time I’m at home catching up on chores or cooking with less time for relaxing, working out, playing games or watching a movie. The challenge of getting around town is really starting to become, well, challenging.
Catch-ya-later
Deke
Page last updated on Wednesday, March 02, 2011
