(Confessions of a Carless Mom)
Even before I was laid off from my job, my husband and I decided to downsize a vehicle. That vehicle was mine, and when I say downsize, I mean it went bye-bye. I even volunteered it for the axe. Yup, it was my idea, even though my husband asked me if I was sure. Why would I DO such a crazy thing?
Basically, I figured that if I couldn’t find a way to deal without a car, no one could.
I made a list of pros and cons.
Pros: Easy cheap transit. I live in a city, just a house over from a bus stop. I’m also a leisurely 15 minute stroll down a paved sidewalk from a large mall block complete with Target and grocery store.
Cons: I have to deal with people on public transit.
Pros: My car cost $300 a month, and I get to save whatever I don’t spend on transportation.
Cons: I can’t just hop in my car and go somewhere.
Yup, the big downside of being carless boiled down to a little inconvenience. The other “cons” had a bonus flipside. I have to walk more, but I was too sedentary in my former life anyway. I don’t have the luxury of loading up a car when I go shopping, so I have to go more frequently and be more conscious of spending. After all, I only can buy what I can carry.
I’m saving money, and I can say I am being a greener human being. Win-win.
What I didn’t expect when I considered pros and cons was the negative perception that accompanied my decision to be carless. There was this mix of pity, smug superiority and disbelief, as if I were suddenly dispossessed and living on the streets. The reaction from my dad was the worst:
Are you okay financially?
Do you need us to give you some money? You do, don’t you? Just tell us.
We have Grandpa’s old car still; we can sign the registration over to you.
Wait, what? My car had been paid off for years, and that’s the part that really blew people’s minds. It’s okay to escape a car payment, but getting rid of a car I owned outright? It was somehow tantamount to volunteering for house arrest, or at least deliberately stranding myself on a desert island. I was chided. I was asked if I were sure I really wanted to give up my freedom.
Freedom? Please. Stop. There’s no need to don a kilt and some war paint and go all Mel Gibson-crazy.
I was even told I was being irresponsible as a parent by not having a car. How would I foster my son’s extracurricular activities! Worse, oh em gee! What if my son got sick at school!? Uh, I guess I’ll call a cab? Or maybe I’ll call an ambulance. You know, whatever circumstances merit.
Winter is coming. Big deal! I’ve got a nice coat and warm boots. You smirk and probably think I’ll regret being carless. I know I live in Canada, but no, it’s not likely I’ll fall into a snowbank alongside a two lane highway and freeze to death, alone and unnoticed. When I’ve got places to go, the snow is blowing, and sleet glazes everything to make a winter wonderland of frozen car-sicles, I’ll hop into a warm bus or cab that I didn’t have to dig out of a snowbank, cursing all the way.
You have fun driving in it!
Anne Radcliffe
