An Open Letter to my Desk Chair

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Dear Office Chair Model B4061,

I realize neither of us wanted it to come this far.  I don’t doubt that at 6:45 on Tuesday morning you would have been happy not to have awoken to me booting up my computer and proceeding to sit, squirm, perch, and recline on you with little reprieve until well after sundown. And please believe me when I say that when I finally left your company at around 10 pm on Wednesday night I was not sorry to see you go.  But considering that you and I have spent no fewer than12 hours a day in direct contact with each other for the past week, I think it is time to have The Talk.  

What I learned by giving up my car

Mercedes Benz runs ads in Southern California with the motto "Around here, you have to love what you drive." They're right. It is not unusual for Southern Californians to have an hour long commute to work. Combine that with another couple hours or so of running errands and circling parking lots trying to find a parking space, and it makes sense that people want their car to be comfortable and reflective of their personal style. 

I love cars, and always have. Even before I had a drivers license I could identify a Mercedes E-class based on the shape of the headlights, explain the difference between 4, 6, and 8 cylinder engines and spot changes in a car's body style from year to year. So when this San Diegan moved to Boston last year it was with more than a little reluctance that I gave up my car.  Cold turkey.  

I never in a million years expected that giving up my car would be one of the best things I've ever done. Here is why I love being carless:

First, I save a ton of money. 

There are obvious savings: no car payments, no insurance payments, no maintenance costs or tanks of gas to buy. 

But some savings are not so obvious. For example, I buy less stuff.  When I go shopping I'm conscious that whatever I buy I will have to carry home - a trip that involves at least one subway ride and a 7 minute walk up a hill to my house. That means that when debating whether to buy something I'm lukewarm on, be it clothes, shoes, or decor for the house, I weigh whether I really need it and if I like it enough to lug it all the way home (and potentially back to the store if I want to return it). Often, the answer is that it isn't worth the hassle.

Having to carry what I buy also means I buy fewer groceries (I can only carry about four canvas bags).  In order to focus my grocery shopping, I make a weekly menu and only buy what I need. This is a big deal for me because I am not very effective at the grocery store. Left to my own devices and with no list I wander the aisles and am likely to leave, still hungry, having only bought peanut butter, apples and ice cream. 

The list helps immensely. It also means that I don't waste as much food because I actually have a plan to eat everything I buy.  According to the Natural Resource Defense Council, Americans throw away an average of 20 pounds of food each month, at a cost of $28-$43.  Assuming I waste 80% less by only buying what I can carry, I can save $400 per year. 

I get more exercise. 

I estimate I walk an average of 4 miles per day post-car. I've always been active, but my legs were actually sore from walking during the first few weeks. From my house to the nearest subway station is just under half a mile; the nearest bust stop is only 200 yards closer.  Regardless of where I want to go or how I ultimately get there, my journey starts by walking.  

I get to enjoy my neighborhood. 

Since I'm new to the city, walking has been the perfect personal introduction. The view from the sidewalk is much different than the view from the street.  As I walk by beautiful old houses and parks nestled into the avenues, I notice details, flowers and people that I wouldn't otherwise see.  Driving those same streets requires focusing on the road, signs and lights, and it feels like another city. From a car, the human element of the city is minimized. 

I realize that not every city is all that pedestrian friendly. Southern California certainly isn't. It isn't practical for everyone to give up their car completely, and I will likely own a car again in the future.  But I'm glad I have the chance to live life without a car for now, and I encourage you to think about ways in which you can use your car less and use your legs more. You might be surprised by what you discover!