"Carless Transportation" brings to mind transportation in absence of a car. A bicycle, scooter, or even a skateboard, anything other than a car. But the car itself commits no crime in operating as expected. On the contrary, vehicles outperform their designed life-expectancy on a regular basis. Why shun them?
I have nothing against cars themselves. Ours served us well when we decided to take a last-minute trip from Colorado to Kansas a few weeks ago. The freedom afforded by our well-maintained vehicle (thank you Harold) meant a great deal to my family and me at a time of some distress.
Today helped me clarify the purpose of my "carless transportation" mission. It's about conscientiously and intentionally deciding when to drive, carpool, walk, bike, etc. It's about responsibility rather than taking something for granted.
My second family and me, (as in those with whom I work) are a fairly responsible bunch. Whenever we have a common destination, say a meeting at the district office, carpooling is the norm. Our school happens to be geographically placed such that classes can and do take advantage of multiple destinations for "Walking Field Trips". And we care for one another. Today a teacher friend offered Anne and I a lift the rest of the trip home as he passed us along the way. He's practically a neighbor (we live on the same street less than a mile apart), and his kindness warmed us in more ways than one. When he stopped he asked: "Am I allowed to offer you a ride?"
So, for the anomalies in transportation I feel in the clear. I'm amenable to carpooling when we happily discover we're going to the same place at the same time, and I take advantage of public and mass transit when and where available. It's the daily trips that have me wondering: Why does it feel so easy to drive? I could try to arrange a carpool, say, with my neighbor teacher maybe? But something's stopping me. And since so few of us regularly carpool (at least in my circles of friends and acquaintances) could the same thing also be stopping others? Why are we so much more environmentally savvy handling "trips", than our daily routines?
Reflecting back on some previous blogs reminds me that there's a certain intimacy connected to having someone drop me off at home. There's the neighborhood, approximate property value, maybe the used Christmas tree on our porch, or a new vehicle displaying a recent large outlay of cash (just fantasizing) - all kinds of things a driver could judge. Not that they would. Not that I would. But it's a possibility.
Also, there's fear of imposition. Another teacher friend of mine, who also lives less than a mile away, was having car complications at the beginning of the school year. For about two weeks I gave her as many rides as she accepted. You'd have thought I was bringing her a $100 at each offering. She insisted on taking Anne one evening so Harold and I could have a date, to repay the kindness.
Then there's gas expenses, vehicle wear and tear, carpooling etiquette, farting, and the irregularities of meetings, practices - sports, theatrical, etc. There are doctor's appointments to consider. What if one of you wanted to see a therapist? It could change your schedule. How do you tell your partner in environmental stewardship that you have issues to work through, so the Wednesday schedule will change. What if you talk and reveal too much to that person with whom you share a ride? I mean, eventually it could happen. That 20 minutes you spend together in the car on a daily basis could amount to more alone time than you get with your spouse. Personal issues could come up.
Bottom line, carpooling feels pretty complex. I'd do it in a minute, commit to it for real, but you couldn't pay me to ask someone else to carpool. Damned if you do, for reasons mentioned above, and damned if you don't, for seeming like a gas-guzzling glutton. I'd never want to put someone in the position of worrying about how to refuse, or feeling pressured into accepting the offer.
Since the distance is 1.9 miles, I just feel like it's reasonable to walk, and because it's reasonable, I should walk so as not to take fuel for granted. It's non-renewable. Walking's great exercise to boot. It builds community (although the village grandfathers were absent this morning, hopefully still snoozing in their beds). Given the frigid temperatures, some are growing suspicious. Is everything OK? Are our cars working? Did we have to sell a vehicle? It seems they might be wondering why I'm walking, and taking my daughter with me. It just feels like the right thing to do. It feels so right that, despite the cold, the dark, and the snow, I'd need a pressing reason to bring our car to work.
Tomorrow several pressing reasons will see me driving, and I'm not worried about it. But the next day, that will be a test. After a few comfy trips in the car, will I continue to feel compelled by this conviction -this environmental commitment? Here's hoping so - cheers!
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