> -----Original Message-----
> From: lbo-talk-admin at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-admin at lbo-talk.org]
On Behalf Of
> Doug Henwood
> Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 12:02 PM
> To: lbo-talk
> Subject: [lbo-talk] carless NYers
>
> Washington Post - August 19, 2003
>
>
> Licensed to Drive? Fuhgeddaboutit!
> Most New Yorkers Do Without Wheels
>
> By Michael Powell
> Washington Post Staff Writer
>
> NEW YORK -- As America has long suspected, no one here can drive.
Hopefully, this phenomenon will spread to other cities. I live in Baltimore, and was determined not to replace my old Volvo that died in 1995, but I was persuaded otherwise by my kid who felt an irresistible urge to learn how to drive. Strangely enough, soon after I purchased a Saturn, he became an urban punk and lost all interest in cars and malls. I and my wallet were very happy about that.
Fast forward to December 2002. My current wife's daughter (for not so much off idea see http://www.derfcity.com/n/newtoon2.html) had just acquired a driver's license and felt irresistible need to drive a car. Since her funds did not allow purchasing a roadworthy vehicle, that gave me an idea of getting rid of my old Saturn. In a complicated car flipping scheme, the daughter took over my wife's car cum monthly payments, and my wife took over my Saturn. Since she lives in Pennsylvania, that meant effective getting rid of the car altogether.
So for the past 9 months I was practically carless. I move around on foot, by bus or by train - including my weekly commute to Pennsylvania (where having no other choice I do ride my ex-Saturn driven by my current wife). Here is what I learned from this experience:
1. Driving car is like drug addiction (I've been through both) - while addicted you cannot imagine your life without driving or shooting up, but one you kick the habit, you learn that you can function better than before.
2. Kicking the habit is easier than one would think. All that it takes is more careful planning or your time. Baltimore has a really lousy public transit system (much worse than that in NYC or even DC) but even that provides access to all important places.
3. Not having a car reduces compulsive shopping. I got addicted to shopping soon after got off the boat in 1981, and then kicked the habit. However, I had occasional flashbacks and having a car made acting on those flashbacks possible. Since I got rid of the car, I have not visited any shopping area unless I actually needed something. I go grocery shopping on foot (about 0.6 mile one way). I do not go to suburban malls at all, which also helped me fight depression. That is perhaps why the US ruling class wants everyone to have a car.
4. Not driving enriches experience of the outside world. The city looks very much different, and much richer in experience, when you cross it on foot or on a bus, than by that dreadful polluting bubble on wheels.
5. Cars limit freedom of movement of those who cannot drive. My wife's life revolves around schlepping her kid (used to be kids before the daughter got her driver license) between school, friends, and other places of interest, because the poor creatures had no other way of moving around (bikes were too dangerous thanks to SUV drivers and the total absence of bike lanes). I remember that when I was growing up in a city, thanks to public transit I could go anywhere I wanted without my parents' permission or knowledge.
Wojtek