Living car-free

Back from winter break - spent three weeks with limited internet and am therefore sitting on the computer like a lump, soaking up all the blog posts and comics I've been missing. Hehe. This has to stop once classes start, which is on Tuesday for me, since I don't have any classes on Monday.

Looks like this semester will be research seminar on 19th century something, methods class in American legal history research, comparative slavery course, and French for reading. Wheee!

But what I really wanted to write about this time around was living car-free. My decision to live car free at graduate school was influenced by two things : 1) my experience bike commuting in Oregon and 2) my distinct lack of money to pay for said car and the insurance. I had a great time bike commuting in Oregon, and although I could scrimp for a car here at school, insurance would be ungodly expensive (I live in a relatively high-crime area, most of which are muggings and car thefts...) for something I drive only to the grocery store.

After a semester of doing this, I have some observations:

1. Biking is a great way to get to campus/work, even if the east coast is not as bike friendly as the west coast.

I rode my bike almost every day to class last semester and found it to be the most time-saving and convenient method. Walking took half an hour and often left me sweaty or wind-burnt. Taking the shuttle meant leaving earlier than necessary to wait for an unpredictable shuttle and arriving on campus too soon. (I did take the shuttle when I had a lot of stuff to carry or it was raining/snowing, and it wasn't too bad. I will elaborate later.)

I would suggest getting a cheap helmet (if you have a nice one) and a good lock. I know many people who have gotten their bikes stolen, and helmets are another popular target. My "actual riding" helmet (purchased for its stylish good looks - ha - and its many vents and light weight) cost over $100 and I would not like to replace it so soon. When I eventually get my cheap helmet, I can lock it to my bike and not worry about it so much and then not have to carry around my helmet all day like I do now.

Get a good backpack or messenger bag for your books. Get fenders or a rack to prevent the butt-stripe of wet riding (advice I should take myself...) Always have front and rear lights just in case you get caught at the library late. Carry a pump and spare tube and know how to fix a flat.

Also, regular bike commuting tips apply: ride on the road, not the sidewalk and be a careful but confident rider. Signal your turns. Don't put yourself in unsafe situations. I've found a route that is pretty bike friendly. Sad to say, grad school life and east coast drivers have combined forces to prevent me from getting out on a real cycling road ride - I haven't found a safe route out of town yet thanks to limited time and nasty motorists preventing use of some main arteries. But I haven't let that stop me from quickly and safely getting to class and home again on my trust new single-speed.

2. The big question: groceries.

Without a car or excellent public transit, getting groceries is a big challenge. especially in my town of over 100,000 which only has one major grocery store (No, I am not kidding.). I now use a combination of methods to get my sustenance. First, I bum along whenever a friend with a car offers a ride to the grocery story. This has occurred about once a month. I stock up on heavy things, nonperishable items, and paper goods.

If I'm running low on this stuff and no ride appears imminent and I don't want to impose, I use Peapod, a grocery delivery service. If you order over $100 - easy enough to do if you stock up - and choose a more flexible delivery time, it's only $5 for delivery. Granted, they might hike up the prices a bit - but it's far less than renting a car or taking a cab everytime you need to shop.

For milk, produce, and some meats I shop locally at small markets in my neighborhood (this may not be an option for everyone.) There, I can find excellent quality, more likely to be locally produced (especially dairy products and some fruits), and I can make frequent trips to buy small amounts rather than having a ton of stuff go bad from a chain store. This last bit is especially important as I'm only cooking for myself.

3. One word: Zipcar

Living in a town-with-a-university (wouldn't go so far as to say university town...) I have the great option of Zipcar, a short-term rental car outfit with cars parked all over towns and campuses across the nation. I signed up online and got my card two days later. I have just reserved a cute Prius to pick Aaron up from the airport when he gets here next Friday (yay!). I rented it for 2.5 hours at $8.50 an hour - with gas and insurance included - which is way less than a one-way shuttle from the airport. Plus, I get to be all mooshy and pick him up with a kiss!

4. Internet is the new Target
Even though it's sometimes hard to time deliveries right, I have started ordering more regular stuff online from Target or wherever. I'm thinking I'll buy a winter coat from Lands End, some new underwear from Victoria's Secret, pick up some stuff using my Christmas gift card to REI - and have it all placed on my doorstep. It's probably a bit more expensive, but there is the additional plus of not having the Target phenomenon where you go in for one thing and come out with six - forgetting the original thing you went for.


5. I (usually) heart campus transport

My university is exceptional, I think, but most large places probably have some sort of commuter support or student transportation. We have shuttle buses most days that run regular routes through student neighborhoods. After 7, there is door-to-door campus to home service so you don't have to walk home from a stop in the dark. All of these buses have bike racks on the front, so I can ride in and bus home if I'd like.

6. This is building character! (Thanks to my father and Calvin's father).

Sometimes it's difficult for me to remember why I want to do this, especially on nights like tonight where I want to go to a party about a mile away and don't want to walk alone. But really, life isn't that hard without a car. I have many options to get the places I want to go, and not being able to get up and go to Target whenever I want makes me really think about the things I buy. I'm frequenting local businesses. I'm not polluting as much with my daily travel (which makes up for my monthly flights to Michigan...right? Right?). I get a solid 20 minutes of cardio if I ride my bike to and from classes - and I usually hit the gym, too! Don't have to worry about parking, getting my car stolen or broken into, oil changes, flat tires (of the four-wheeled variety!) or moving my car for street cleaning every 3rd Tuesday or whatever.

Plus, I can get major sympathy points for it. Just like when Aaron and I slept on the floor in Oregon for six months after our inflatable bed deflated...I get a lot of mileage out of that one!