While most people in America are scrambling to buy a car, I am struggling to give up mine. Six months ago (May 2006) I made the decision to quit my addiction to my car. Yet in that time, I haven’t made much progress. Maybe 43things will help me focus!
First, the catalysts: why give up the vehicle?
1- I despise taking care of my car. The oil changes, the cleanings, filling up the gas tank, insurance, car payments, etc. This object drains too much from me.
2- I feel disconnected from the city. Instead of living an urban lifestyle, I spend far too much of my time in a little metal box.
3- The environment. There has been plenty of literature on this topic that I don’t need to get into it here, but needless to say it weighs on my mind.
So why am I having trouble kicking this habit?
I’ve owned a car for over 15 years, and it has become fully integrated in how I live my life, how I structure my time, etc. In a very real sense, my car is what connects me to the rest of the world… and I do not like that. I feel this will be a bit of a struggle, but I’m going to do it. I’m going to give up my car.
