We're down to one car between the two of us, with no plans to replace the deceased. My old commute was driving 15 minutes to park at the DC Metro station and taking the train to work. Kira's office isn't conveniently Metro accessible, so now she takes my car and I ride the bus to the train station. It takes maybe 5 minutes longer with all the stops, and it only comes every 25 minutes, but in spite of those minor inconveniences, so far I'm actually preferring things this way. All that driving time is now replaced by reading, and we're saving on gas and parking (it costs $1.60 round trip to ride the bus, compared to a $4 parking fee plus gas), and insurance ($130 every 6 months).
Not having to drive also reduces stress. I used to love driving. I imagine it is just the sudden freedom that comes from getting your license and having semi-regular access to a car. My high school was a 45 minute drive from my house, so I did a LOT of driving back then, and greatly enjoyed it. But now I avoid driving as much as possible. I dislike almost everything about the experience of going somewhere in a car, and I find I'm more relaxed when I'm not driving. I've even let go of the imaginary gender role nonsense where driving was equated with masculinity. Kira can drive me anywhere she wants.
I would love for us to not need a car at all, but I also don't really want to live in a big city, so I'm not sure how that would work out. Maybe we'll end up some place where some combination of public transportation and bicycles are all we need to get around, but where I still have some open space and trees near by. The biggest challenge I envision with that would be grocery shopping. But there are grocery delivery services that might work.
Aside from all that, I feel guilty about driving, in terms of the environmental effects. If we do ever buy another car, it will be the most environmentally-friendly vehicle we can afford.
6 comments:
"it will be the most environmentally-friendly vehicle we can afford"
And there's the crux of the problem. When I bought my car over 3 years ago I wanted to buy a Prius, even though they're god-awful looking (back then especially). Unfortunately it was well outside of my price range, and considering how little I drive (20,000 miles) the savings I would've garnered from the tax breaks and better efficiency would have ended up not offsetting the additional cost of the hybrid by a good amount. That's not to mention what happens when your fancy hybrid car breaks down.
Just an observation.
P.S. I hate the word verification.
Why is a majority of our population so concerned with how a car looks?
I applaud you on your outlook, adspar. With generous research and advice I would be more than willing to pay up for a more 'responsible' car, a more healthful diet, or a less wasteful home. There's tons of crap I throw my money at these days.
Want to know yourself? Figure out on what you spend your time and money.
"Why is a majority of our population so concerned with how a car looks?"
I think the answer to this question is that the majority of our population takes driving for granted. We think of it as our unalienable right to get in a car and don't think at all about burning gasoline and polluting the atmosphere. Cars are our way of life, and so we care about appearances just like we care about the appearance of our houses and clothing, regardless of their functionality. We're so entrenched in that way of thinking, that no amount of science and politics and screaming can make us stop and realize what we're doing to our futures when we drive a car.
There's no reason why environmentally friendly cars have to be so ass ugly. What's under the hood doesn't really have to affect the aesthetics, that much, does it? See: Tesla Motors. Those cars are really expensive, but I assume it's because of the technology involved, not the way it looks.
Anyway, people are concerned about how a car looks because people are concerned about how everything looks. The food we eat, the people we date, the furniture we sit in...people like to surround themselves with things that are pleasing to the eye. If the Prius looked like a Lotus Elise but smelled like ball sweat, you wouldn't be asking why people are so concerned with how their car smells, would you?
The difference being that what people think of car appearances is subjective, but offensive odors are pretty much hard-wired.
What the hell is wrong with you people? I said I'd buy it "even though they're god-awful looking." The point is that I valued the car's efficiency over its terrible appearence.
And I thank Walt for adding some reason to this. There is no reason the Prius needs to be so ugly, except that some loud sanctimonius people want to make sure everyone notices that they've made a socially conscientious decision and they think everyone else didn't. Either that, or it costs a lot more money to design a car that looks sexy, and that cost would come out of your designer GAP jeans.
Further, the majority of the population is probably just as concerned with safety and reliability, which are two reasons why one should think before buying a hybrid (especially reliability).
Lastly, since the majority of Americans are not mechanical or electrical engineers, it's somewhat difficult to tell how good a car really is, since you're not allowed to take a car apart on the lot and examine each piece in detail. Appearance is an easy shortcut. I don't argue that it's sound reasoning, but that's why people buy Jaguars still even though they're Ford Taurus' with a new shell.
P.S. Fuck you and your word verification. Seriously. Take 3.
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