Car-Free

I sold my truck today.  I was expecting to be extremely happy, as I’ve been working toward this for a while.  In reality, I was a bit sad to see it go, and I’m a little worried about the future.

I first got a car when I was 16.  It was a $250 beater – a 1974 AMC Hornet.  I went through a lot of cars.  Cheap cars and hard use meant I was always buying another car.  I’ve (mostly) owned a car for a quarter century.  How much did that cost?

In the late 1990s I went without a car for a few weeks.  I walked about a mile to get to work.  I was offered a job 25 miles away, and bought another cheap car.

In April 2009 I went without a car for a couple of weeks when my old Kia finally died.  That’s when I bought the truck.  Living in Charlestown wasn’t really conducive to living without a car.  Now that I live in town and rarely drive, it was time.

My “trial” started right after leaving Carmax, where I sold the truck.  I had to ride on Hurstbourne Parkway for a short distance before heading west (north?) on Taylorsville Rd.  These are busy roads and it was dark.  I was riding the single-speed and have dyno-lights, plus a blinky.  I was also wearing a reflective vest.  I had surprisingly few issues.

I stopped at Za’s Pizza on the way home to celebrate.  Pizza is a much tastier fuel than gasoline.

I intend to be car-free for the rest of my life.  That may change, but it’s unlikely.  I’m not anti-car.  I’ll still rent one on occasion, once or twice a year, to travel to Michigan and visit family.