Simple Solution
One year ago this week I sold my car. To commemorate that, I wanted to reflect on my former commuting life, and how sometimes there is a “simpler” solution right under our nose. But it takes an open mind to *see* it. And take the leap and figure it out.
There’s nothing wrong with cars, they’re very useful. But they’re not the tool for every job. With Boston being ranked as 19th for congestion (and my former home city of Los Angeles as 1st) I’ve found I can get more done on two wheels, while enjoying life much more.
I’ve discovered that I have a very selective tolerance for traffic and time spent commuting.
A 2.5 hour commute by train? No problem!
A 1.25 commute by car, with 15 minutes of stop-and-go traffic? I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW WHEN I GET TO RIDE THE TRAIN INSTEAD!
The more you drive, the less intelligent you are.
I had to drive in yesterday – my normal bike commute home is about 40 minutes mostly on a separate path – although – if there’s no traffic I can drive home in 25-30 minutes (which is usually a weekend or at 2am)… but yesterday it took OVER AN HOUR! ugh – couldn’t wait to get back on the bike today.
I actually love driving if there aren’t any other cars (especially going fast on all the windy new england roads), but I hate sitting in traffic more than anything. biking just makes more sense day-to-day getting around in Boston. Just wish we had better bike infrastructure.
Exactly! My hassle factor quotient is so much higher now for driving than for biking (http://bikestylespokane.com/2011/08/20/hassle-factor-biking-vs-driving/) and if I’m not biking I’m taking transit (http://bikestylespokane.com/2011/10/21/car-bike-bus-3-transportation-perspectives/).
Convenience is in the eye of the beholder but you can change how you see things if you can exercise a little mental flexibility.