I live in the heart of a large and busy city. Since I’ve moved here, I’ve run into all kinds of problems with my car: it’s hard to find parking near my home, in summer I have to remember to move it from one side of the street to the other on specific days for street cleaning, and in winter, I have to watch for the signs that let me know it’s time to move it for snowplowing. Failure to move it for either of those reasons results in fines. I forget to move it or to check for the signs more often than I’d like. Sometimes I even forget where I’ve parked it and have to wander around my neighbourhood to find it again, only to discover I was supposed to have moved it a day or two ago and so a new ticket has been stuck under the wiper blade.
And it’s not all that convenient. Most places I go to don’t have much in the way of parking spaces. I find I walk most places, taxi some, and on very rare occasions, use the crowded public transit system.
Today, a new car issue surfaced. Last week, when moving my car from one side of the street to the other for snow removal, I noticed that my car was making a rasping grinding sound I recognized. Last time I heard that noise was in October when I had to replace the rear brake pads and discs. How could I be having the same problem so quickly?
I took it in to the auto centre this morning, and after checking the brakes, the mechanic looked at the mileage on the vehicle and said, “lady, what’re you doing with this car? You need to either drive it, or sell it to someone who will! You can’t leave a car parked on the street all the time, use it only once in a blue moon, and then expect it to run okay!”
Well. That makes a certain sense, doesn’t it? Cars are made to be used, not to sit idle, and so they aren’t built to handle long periods of sitting unused in dirty wet salted snowy streets. All that gucky stuff builds up, stuff rusts, car doesn’t work as it should, and you either fix it over and over again, or … or a worthy mechanic throws his hands up and says “Lady, what are you doing!!! ”
so, I think I just sold my car. to someone who will use it everyday. A few more details to be ironed out, and then the car will likely change hands very soon.
Which means that now I’m not just on a clothes diet. I’m also on a car diet. Looks like 2010 is going to be the year when I think about what things I really need and what things I only think I need.
I’ll have to find new ways of getting around. Some errands, some social events, my outdoor adventures, are all going to become something I have to plan out a little more than I’ve had to in the past. Just as I’ll have to get more creative about how I get to point A and Point B on some days, I’ll also have to start thinking about how to make my existing wardrobe work, make it fun. It is so much easier to feel good about myself by buying something that looks good, feels good… so much easier to decide to join friends when I don’t need to think about how I’m going to get there. Will I regret the diet? Regret having sold the car (even though I have complained about parking rather steadily the couple of years!) What other things might this diet and carless lifestyle prompt me to think about next? An issue that’s been hovering in the back of my mind is water — how much I use, what I use it for, how much others in less fortunate countries get, how much I take it for granted, how my usage might be affecting the larger picture…
Yikes. Kinda exciting. Kinda scary too …
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Sharon, This sounds like a huge challenge! How is it going?
Hi Amy,
I actually only lose my car tomorrow, but I’ve been getting most places I want/need to go without it for a couple years now (which is the whole problem, since leaving a car idle tends to cause mechanical issues — who knew!).
Still, it will be a challenge. I’m going to have to carpool to weekend hikes and biking trips (I’ve been one of the regular drivers up until now), and I’ll have to take a train when I go visit my daugher and grandson where they live (a two hour car drive away) and I’m not sure yet where the train is relative to where she lives. That’ll be the toughest I think.
but it won’t affect my daily life at all. There are several little family-run groceries in my neighbourhood (In Montreal, the pricing at the small places is very competitive with the larger chains) and since they are so close by, I tend to buy what i need as I need it instead of doing large orders all at once.
I also never use my car to go to work. It’s a 40 minute walk, or a 20 minute bus ride (including the wait at the bus stop) or a 20-30 minute drive with all the traffic (there are special lanes for buses and taxis so they get you to where you’re going faster than your car) and the cost of parking downtown Montreal is crazy so that’s another disincentive for driving.
I rarely take my car when I go out in the evening. Usually I’m going someplace downtown and again, the whole parking/traffic issue makes that so unappealing I either walk or taxi.
so, it would work out, but we shall see.
What I suspect is that it’ll help me with my efforts to reduce consumption. It’ll definitely be harder to get to my favourite shopping spots (for example, as a hiker/bicyclist/camping enthusiast, i tend to shop for gear at sports stores that are a little out of the way, but really and truly, do i need all the latest and greatest?).
We shall see.. .I’ll keep you posted!