Hello, my name is Jonathan. I live in Oakland, CA. I do a lot of driving but care deeply about the effect that this is having on the planet and have always felt conflicted by this. I've heard about bio-diesel and Waste Vegie Oil cars as well as electric cars yet I still drive a car that takes fossil fuels. (2000 Toyota Corolla, 145,000 miles!!) Im trying to lessen my impact on the planet despite the driving. I compost, I (try) to grow food and shop at the farmers markets, I recycle and I operate a computer consulting business where my goal is to repair computers instead of having people just buy new ones. Less consumption = less waste. (I was inspired when I saw thestoryofstuff.com).
When I met my partner I wondered how he ever lived without a car, yet the more time we spent together the more I started to realize that he didnt need a car. There is no parking where he lives and he is a 5 minute bike ride from his office. During the times he seldom needs a car, he utilizes Zipcar.
I wondered if I could follow his lead. Could I still operate my business, do my laundry, go grocery shopping and run the day to day errands that I depended on my car for doing? I decided to do an experiment! Im going to pretend like I don't own a car, join Zipcar and ride my bike and take public transportation for a month.
This all started when my brakes started to go. I had to invest about $1000 to fix my car and I have been thinking that instead of repairing my car, I would invest in a VW TDI Golf and convert it to run on Waste Oil. I had wanted to do this about year ago and was thinking about converting a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but I balked when I heard from my cousin that it was more difficult than I thought. This past weekend I attended the Green Festival in San Francisco. I decided I would join Zipcar and see if instead of buying a car and converting it, I could do without a car.
Today is the end of day 1. I woke up in San Francisco and rode my bike to the Bart station and got home around 9:45am. I had to deal with a plumbing problem and wanted to get to the Tool Lending Library to get a sewer snake. I rode my bike to the library but found the snake was to large and had to walk my bike and the snake back home. After futzing around trying to unclog the drain and getting brown water all over my clothes, I decided this wasnt something for me to do, and went to Angieslist to find a plumber. After the plumber came and was unsuccessful at clearing the drain, I walked back with the snake to the library and then walked back home. I threw all my clothes into my back packing backpack and got on my bike and rode to the laundromat. On the way I stopped at the Cartridge World and got two refilled cartridges and then headed to the laundromat. Surprisingly I got it all done with relative ease. I think it was due to the fact it was such a nice day. Had it pouring rain, it would have been a different story.
I came back home and did some work. I hopped back on my bike and went to the gym. I just got back. Its the end of day one and I feel like it was a relative success.
Im including maps showing each trip.
From SF-Oak
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From my house to the library:
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My house to the laundramat:
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About Me
- Jondabomb
- Self-employed computer repair technician in the East Bay. Trying to determine if it makes sense to ditch my car and join Zipcar or buy a diesel and convert to run on veggie oil, or just stick to gas.
4 comments:
it's been six years since i sold my car to a friend when i moved overseas for a while. the car is long-gone now, and i still can't imagine the expense of owning a car again. and expense was my main motivation.
of course, i live in the city, where parking sucks and it's at least $100 a month in parking tickets on top of all the other costs.
i've been a member of citycarshare for five years (zipcar is the new kid on that block), and my bill last month was a hundred bucks, which is higher than average, because it included a business meeting near the airport. really, i only need a car for big grocery shopping, treks to appointments off the bus line, and if i'm going out at night alone -- but after 10 pm, it's just a dollar an hour, so my citycarshare costs about half of taking taxis at night.
so welcome to the club, jonathan, looking forward to seeing how it goes for you!
Great experiment, I'm guessing you'll become attached to the car-free lifestyle after discovering the joys of giving up the auto. I haven't had a car since moving to the Bay Area in '96, moving around primarily by bike and the occasional trip on public transport. My advice: get a bike rack if you don't have one already. I purchased one last year and it is now indispensable. I can carry medium loads in my pannier, or tie larger loads to the rack with a bungee cord (I always keep a few in my bag). I've even strapped a large box to the back, with no troubles. You'll be saving money, lessening your footprint, and enjoying a healthier lifestyle. Plus being car-free is much more social, as it's much easier to meet people or just say hello when you're on foot, two-wheels, or public transport.
Best of luck, can't wait to hear how it goes.
I don't have a car either. I joined Zipcar last year and love it.
You're doing the right thing!
Welcome to the world of the carless! I do the quadruple mode commute everyday - bike, bart, bus, walk. Sometimes feels like a drag, but it sure beats being stuck in traffic - I get to read, people watch, breathe fresh air, get a little exercise, and feel pretty good about myself! :)
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