A couple of distinct threads have made me aware of how dependent on cars we are in the U.S. I live in California, where good public transportation is all but non-existent, and while we aren't quite Southern California (I'm thinking of the scene in L.A. Story where Steve Martin gets in his car to drive to visit his next door neighbor), cars are the first things we think of when it comes to getting from point A to point B. I am reminded of when one of my sons came home from a semester in Vienna. He wanted to visit a friend who lived less than half a mile away, and no one was available to drive him when he wanted to go. He ended up walking (in a bit of a huff, as I recall, about his cruel parents). When he came back, he said "That was closer than from my apartment to my subway stop in Vienna. Why did you ever drive me there? What were you thinking?" I have to admit, I had no good answer for him, other than "Wait till you have a teenager trying to wear you down."
The first episode that has me thinking about how dependent we are on our cars is that my trainer had an epileptic episode, and he isn't allowed to drive until everything is resolved. He, of course, did not choose his apartment with public transportation in mind, and his hours don't mesh well with what little there is. I believe his brother brings him to work, and he takes the train part way home and walks the last several miles. Running errands in the middle of the day is now a major challenge. He's hopeful this is just temporary, but if he does not get his driving privileges back, it's going to impact all of his life -- where he lives, where he works, etc.
The second is that, since I presumably have more time, I've been trying to walk and cycle places. (I will eventually try to become familiar with our local bus system, but I suspect it will be a minor part of my transportation planning). The first two weeks, I only thought "Oh, I could have biked there" after the fact. Today has been my first attempt. It has threatened to rain all day, bringing out the weather wimp in me. My initial task was to take my car in to get some recall remedies done; the dealer is about 3 miles away (on a very flat route). I drove there and biked back. I suspect that it cost me not more than 5 minutes of extra time. I'll bike back there when they call me to pick up the car (assuming the rain isn't too hard and it's not dark. I am also a darkness wimp.). Then I needed to mail a package. I could have used the overpriced UPS licensee a block from my house, but I remembered that there is a post office about a mile away. I decided to walk, since the package was too big and bulky to fit in my bike bag or in a back pack (I may have to invest in panniers, if I do this often). It was a nice walk; took a little less than an hour, which is probably 45 minutes more than just walking to the UPS store, but it was very enjoyable. However, I would certainly never have done this if I were working; I would have considered my time too precious, both because I could do more interesting things with it, and because I made a lot more an hour than the $5 I probably saved.
While walking to the post office, I remembered that I need some oranges for a cake I plan to bake tomorrow for my book club. I made a mental note to walk to the grocery store tomorrow morning (it's less than a quarter mile from my house). Luckily, I realized on my walk that there is a grocery store next door to the post office. I'm not used to thinking about what other stores are around and what other errands I need to do, so that I can maximize the value of my trips.
Using alternatives to the car takes more effort, both mental and physical, and more time. On the other hand, it made me feel like I was living life at a different pace, which is certainly one of my goals for retirement. I think in the end, it's a definite net win.
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