“For some, Baltimore life is sweeter with no car” – with quotes from yours truly

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/bs-md-car-free-baltimore-20110726,0,7106792,full.story

A few minor notes:

1.) I’ve been car-free for 3 years, not 2;

2.) I began grad school in 2008, not 2009;

3.) I took pains to emphasize to Michael Dresser that, while I am concerned about the environment and wanted (at least on some level) to “make a statement” about our car-centric culture, the decision to sell my car was mostly an economic one. I simply could not afford it at the time, whatever my other, higher-minded reasons were.

Today, I probably could afford a car, but why bother? The only thing I wish I could do that I currently can’t do is go to my Mom’s house whenever I want and stay as long as I want. Fortunately, I have a wonderful and understanding mother who doesn’t mind driving a mile to pick me up from the bus stop. (Sometimes I bike that extra mile. And sometimes, she comes to me and spends money in the city. Being car-less means it’s harder to do anything – among them, spending money – outside the range of public transit. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing.)

Really, think about it: What are the things that you currently do that you have to drive to? And are those things all that important? For me, they really weren’t. And I think a lot of people, were they to ask themselves that question, would reach the same conclusion.