I used to have a car. He was wonderful. His name was Borris and he was a double yellow, 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle and he was mine. I've always loved Beetles. Always. :) I did not bring Borris to Denver for several reasons:
1. I couldn't afford insurance and gas on my current budget.
2. I couldn't take all of my housemates in my car (it only fit 4 and there are 5 of us)
**and the most traumatic and realistic reason**
3. One week before moving to Denver, my car was caught in a hail storm and suffered 40 different hail dings, 2 cracks in the windshield, a broken headlight and a cracked taillight. It was a very sad day. On the upside, insurance paid for my car and relieved me of the worry of what to do with Borris while I was in Denver.
One thing I still struggle to grasp is the fact that I am no longer a car owner. Though I don't know the specific stats, I imagine a great majority of American's do own a car and I am no longer among that unidentified stat. *sigh*
Instead of driving, I can walk, ride my bike or take the bus. It's a lot cheaper, healthier (in 2 out of 3 options) and better for the environment. I mostly use the bus for transportation around the city. The bus is effective but not efficient. It has a different and more sparse schedule on the weekend than the week day, subject to the weather and not always dependable. If your first bus is late, even by 2 minutes, it can cause you to miss your transfer bus. Then you have to wait for the next one to come and in the end, you may be 15 minutes or more late to your intended goal. Going anywhere in the city requires planning ahead, scheduling and usually about and hour. I'm not going to lie, sometimes on weekends the thought of riding the bus to something (even something super cool) is too much and I choose just not to go. In order to get to work by 8:30, I usually catch the 7:20 bus. In order to make it it to my 6:15 spin class, I have to be sure to be on the 5:12 bus. It takes a while to get anywhere on the bus
Besides just being an inconvenience, depending on the bus can be bad on the work life as well. Two of my housemates have had the misfortune of sleeping past their alarm. Trust me, I am not judging. This could have very well been a story about me. The first one to oversleep fortunately has her own car and was able to drive to work and arrive in time. The other housemate that overslept the day after we received our community vehicle. Because of the good timing of this unfortunate incident, he was able to drive to work and arrive on time. But the question needs to be asked ... "What if we didn't have a vehicle?" Missing the bus in these circumstances could cost a person hourly wages, a bad review or even the job.
Having a car is a luxury in very basic ways. It allows us to go to two different grocery stores to find cheaper prices and better selection. It allows us to drive to the mountains for the day to "get out of town". It allows us to travel at our own time, on our own schedule and our with our own agenda. I do not miss paying for gas or insurance, but I do miss the independence and freedom.
1. I couldn't afford insurance and gas on my current budget.
2. I couldn't take all of my housemates in my car (it only fit 4 and there are 5 of us)
**and the most traumatic and realistic reason**
3. One week before moving to Denver, my car was caught in a hail storm and suffered 40 different hail dings, 2 cracks in the windshield, a broken headlight and a cracked taillight. It was a very sad day. On the upside, insurance paid for my car and relieved me of the worry of what to do with Borris while I was in Denver.
One thing I still struggle to grasp is the fact that I am no longer a car owner. Though I don't know the specific stats, I imagine a great majority of American's do own a car and I am no longer among that unidentified stat. *sigh*
Instead of driving, I can walk, ride my bike or take the bus. It's a lot cheaper, healthier (in 2 out of 3 options) and better for the environment. I mostly use the bus for transportation around the city. The bus is effective but not efficient. It has a different and more sparse schedule on the weekend than the week day, subject to the weather and not always dependable. If your first bus is late, even by 2 minutes, it can cause you to miss your transfer bus. Then you have to wait for the next one to come and in the end, you may be 15 minutes or more late to your intended goal. Going anywhere in the city requires planning ahead, scheduling and usually about and hour. I'm not going to lie, sometimes on weekends the thought of riding the bus to something (even something super cool) is too much and I choose just not to go. In order to get to work by 8:30, I usually catch the 7:20 bus. In order to make it it to my 6:15 spin class, I have to be sure to be on the 5:12 bus. It takes a while to get anywhere on the bus
Besides just being an inconvenience, depending on the bus can be bad on the work life as well. Two of my housemates have had the misfortune of sleeping past their alarm. Trust me, I am not judging. This could have very well been a story about me. The first one to oversleep fortunately has her own car and was able to drive to work and arrive in time. The other housemate that overslept the day after we received our community vehicle. Because of the good timing of this unfortunate incident, he was able to drive to work and arrive on time. But the question needs to be asked ... "What if we didn't have a vehicle?" Missing the bus in these circumstances could cost a person hourly wages, a bad review or even the job.
Having a car is a luxury in very basic ways. It allows us to go to two different grocery stores to find cheaper prices and better selection. It allows us to drive to the mountains for the day to "get out of town". It allows us to travel at our own time, on our own schedule and our with our own agenda. I do not miss paying for gas or insurance, but I do miss the independence and freedom.
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