Treehugger reminds us that this Thursday is
World Carfree Day. We’ve been inundated with troubling transportation
talk these past few weeks — airline bankruptcies, skyrocketing fuel costs, Amtrak fare hikes. It is dizzying and
worrisome for travelers, commuters, businesses and consumers.
But I somehow got lucky. I probably made one of the best decisions of my adult life (thus far) when I chose to sell
my car a few months ago. I did it for a number of reasons — I was already walking to work daily, so the car/insurance
payments were just not worth it (I simply kept it for convenience); plus, I’m planning some long-term travel overseas
in the future, so selling it for the extra cash was a no-brainer; and of course, one less car polluting our planet is
something I knew I should do if I could. So I did.
A few months into it and I couldn’t be happier. Yesterday, a trip to my doctor’s office took an hour longer than it
would have if I’d driven. But two buses, some energetic walking and a free university shuttle got me there and back for
$3.20. And in that extra hour I got more money in my pocket, a quick morning workout, time to snap some photos and say
hello to a lot more folks. If you live in an urban area and can at all consider selling up for the sake of our world —
and your wallet — I urge you to think about becoming carfree.