Thoughts about being car-free...

Day 11:

Last week was interesting, it being Holy Week, and a lot going on at church (7 miles from my house)- but I found that the evening schedule for the bus got me to the Mall (1.5 miles from the church) in plenty of time for me to unload my bike and pedal to the church in time for a 7pm service. Trip home was a reverse, since it was late, dark and with the new construction I didn't want to find myself with no where to ride on a busy highway! Easter Sunday, Luke and I met up with Jamie at the bus stop, and we used all 3 racks for our bikes (note to self- if time is an issue, and all 3 of us need to get to the church, we should meet at the transfer center and get our bikes on the racks before the bus starts its' route).

So far, my natural laziness is working to my advantage- instead of making the rounds of shopping destinations this weekend, I stayed close to home. Worked on some projects, went on a bike ride, etc. Restful and uneventful.

I have been pondering how to park my bike at private homes- most people do not provide bike racks, and would not welcome my bike in their house. What is the ettiquette surrounding this? I probably need to get a cable lock, so that I can get creative. I am hoping with our new Administration group at work, we may actually see some indoor bike parking! That would rock!
Took my dog, Pecos, to the vet this morning. Transport via my bike panniers. Poo loves to go on a bike ride, so you just toss him in and off we go the 1 mile to the vets' office- easy-peasy!

Stopped at Safeway last night after work to pick up a few things. As I was leaving, a fellow about 55 rolled up on a fully loaded touring bike. Turns out, he was from Silver City, NM on his way to Seattle. The 400 miles he had covered so far had taken him 6 days of "easy" riding- my calc says an average of 65 miles per day! Wow! He admired my bike (Mariah) and asked if I rode her a lot? I told him that I had recently sold my car, and would be riding more than ever. He told me that he had gone car-free in 1991, and encouraged me to give it a full year to see how viable it was for me- that things that seem to be a challenge in the beginning would work themselves out over time.

That is just what I had been thinking- don't commit to "forever"- that is pretty scary! But a year is very doable, and then go from there. I know that circumstances are really very favorable for me to do this right now, and I need to make adjustments and choices about how to shop, transport, and recreate close to home.

Hooray for the DMV!

My daughter Jamie just returned from a spring break visit to my parents in California. She informed me that my step-dad, Norte, was going to have to go to the DMV and take a physical and a driving test. Because of his recent health issues, he isn't suspicious that anyone actually REQUESTED that he be called in and tested. This is good for keeping peace in the family, since I was the one who asked the DMV to intervene.
Norte still has a feeding tube in his stomache and a trachia tube in his neck (since late December). He cannot turn his head because of the trach. His hearing is terrible, and his vision and reflexes almost non-existant. He has some paperwork that his doctor has to fill out, so I hope she has a conversation with him around this issue. It is just too scary to think of him driving. So I am in a hope and pray mode around this.

Officially Car Free!

Wow, it has been awhile since I've posted! Life keeps me very busy, and work is insane. Time is flying, and spring is here! Current happenings:

I SOLD MY CAR!

Yep, I did it- I am officially "car-free" since last Sunday. Kinda scary, but a good excuse to splurge on a few upgrades for my bikes (like Brooks saddle, custom wood fenders, etc) and a new sweet bike trailer . To keep myself honest, I will start an online posting of my transportation costs, ie. what I spend on cabs, the bus, and treating friends to lunch/dinner/events in lieu of cash for gas, parking, etc.

My first expenditure was this morning- needed a cab to the Flagstaff Food Kitchen to make sandwiches. Since I have the keys, and the bus doesn't run early enough (and it is still cold here in the am) I called a cab to take Luke and I at 6:10am. Cost: $10 ($8 + tip). Since a delivery was made to Catholic Charities (1 block from our house), Luke and I caught a ride back and walked a block to our house. I then grabbed my bike and went to work. I plan on biking to the Kitchen with my trailer in the future, and doing the downtown deliveries by bike. Getting the logistics worked out :)

I am excited and scared too. I got my licence in June of 1976, and have pretty much owned a car continually ever since. The times that I didn't wasn't by choice! One more thing that I will pledge to do for the next year- not purchase any type of motor powered transportation (ie- a scooter, motorcycle, electric cart, etc.) Anything that has a motor requires that it be driven/stored/insured and that defeats the purpose of this experiment. I will, however, rent or borrow a vehicle from time to time and take public transit or ride my bike. Just no ownership.

To my friends who are providing moral support and rides- thank you! By helping someone go car-free, you are doing your part too! Not everyone can or should give up their cars- but some of us are lucky enough that we are at a point in our lives where we can at least try. I am lucky to be in that place right now.