Life Will Be Different Now
On Sunday afternoon Rose and I finally sold our car (the picture is of Rose kissing “Vernonica” goodbye). We got close to the price we wanted and we are mostly happy about it. It allows me to afford to go to school again next year and gives us a bit of a buffer if things fall a part. With insurance and gas prices, it was making less sense for us to have 2 cars.
So now I become a bike rider most of the time. We live just about a half mile from the church, so I have just a short ride to work (which will really suck when the rain arrives). I lost a little bit of my freedom today because Rose will be driving my car most of the time now.
I’ll be taking the Max to school (for you non Oregon readers, the Max is a light rail line that runs for 35 miles in Portland). So today is a bittersweet for me. While it was definitely the right thing to do, I have become more of a homebody because I can’t get around near as easily anymore.
How are you surviving the cost of driving?
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Tyler Braun.
Welcome to the way of the future. In the future people will share automobiles and rediscover lost skills like walking and bicycle riding.
I’m embracing high gas prices.
I didn’t have a car for the last 8mo i lived in Portland. It took me about 2mo to get into the idea of using the transit. Once I got the hang of it, I realized that you can go virtually anywhere in the Portland area. (and their still building more)
The max is amazing, and if you want to go to the zoo there is a stop directly under it. kinda cool…
Ooo…you’re like so behind the times! I’ve been rocking my fixie (1974 Schwinn Continental) now for a few months. It’s about a 3 mile commute for me. Then I’ll ride out to my fiance’s house then sometimes back out to downtown for beers with friends. Seriously, bikes rule. As far as rain goes, I went to my local outdoor outfitters (I would highly recommend REI) and picked up a light-weight rain jacket and pants and thew them in a stuff sack in my (www.chromebags.com)Chrome Metropolitan bag. When I was in Denver I took public trans every day to work from the ‘burbs to downtown.
yeah the max is a great thing. ill be getting on about a 15 minute walk from my place.
i am behind the times jay and ric….but i am embracing the no car thing. no longer can people just say hey come here or do this….ill say, can you pick me up? otherwise ill be there in 40 minutes instead of 10. that isn’t a bad thing i don’t think.
WTG, sounds like a good move for you. I’m looking forward to a full report when the rain comes. I’m guessing you’ll get used to it pretty quickly. Good thing the Green Room has showers!
I was trying not to think about it. Thanks dude
This will be the second month I am taking the bus to work. Nice thing is that it pretty much runs a few times every hour about 2 blocks from the house (one stops 2 houses from me, but that doesn’t come as frequent, and it takes longer to get in). We also looked at the cost of going to different places – and have been trying to double up on errands while out.
I think that living in a counry where you have to either walk or take a taxi everyhere…I have learned to appreciate even just owning a car much less being able to drive it evey day. I have leanred that though times can get frustrating such as high gas prices or what not…we have it so GOOD in the states that e forget to count our blessings. I know this is cleche…but itis true and it helps put things into perspective…
a large part of our world still transports everthin by cart and donkey or mule OR thee are busses but they are broken down vans with bar bench seats on each side filled to the TOP with women, children, stinky men who dont bathe, and anythin they are carying with them…all this in hundred degree weather. They have learned to adapt to it, shouldnt we be expected to do the same?
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