In 2003 I ditched my car and relied on walking, tech start-ups, my Genuine Buddy scooter, and the bus to maneuver around Seattle, WA. Making this decision was scary, but it turned out to be a character building experience. In a world that runs on cars and a driving mentality this is not an easy thing to do. If you have the chance to try it though, go for it!
https://httpsimage.com/img/walkingsign9.jpg
**THE DECISION**
Living in downtown Seattle and finding a parking place was a nightmare. Getting up at 6 a.m. every weekday to move the car to the appropriate side of the street and crossing my fingers that no one would break into it was taxing. My car usage was decreasing from my previous location, a smaller population of 50k that required driving due to lack of public transportation. I found that I was doing most everything within a 10 block radius - shopping at the market, live music, coffee shops, post office, library etc. Time to ditch the car and go all in with simple city living - car free. In 2003 Seattle did not have light rail, Uber, or Car2Go, creativity and adaptability were a must.
**FIRST WEEK**
Having a car since the age of 16 I became addicted to using one for everything. If you were seen walking where I grew up it meant that you were in some sort of financial trouble or that you were weird. Breaking free from car addiction was a bit more complicated that I thought it would be, I think I even cried once. The day after the car was gone I needed to go to the market, by instinct I went looking for the car and realized that I was going to either walk or take the bus. The market was 10 blocks, I put on my backpack and headphones and walked to the market. Loading a weeks worth of groceries in a backpack is interesting, but turned out to be a great workout. I was feeling empty though, something was missing. You feel a bit stranded in a way, the luxury of hopping in the car and going wherever you want now takes some planning. During the first week I started using the bus and getting to know all of the places in the city I could go. It was challenging - there were smelly people, cramped conditions, and it took forever to get somewhere. By the end of the week I felt more comfortable and stopped looking for my car.
https://httpsimage.com/img/carfree.jpg
My Genuine Buddy, Space Needle behind (lived half of my car-free life without it)
**BENEFITS**
**Freedom** - It did not take long, maybe 6 months, to begin feeling a true sense of freedom. I was glad the car was gone for many reasons. Of course financially you are no longer bogged down with car payments, licensing fees, gas, maintenance and insurance but there is so much more. Pure FREEDOM. Coming home after work or a night out and not wondering what is going on with the car was amazing. Having drinks at a bar and letting the bus driver worry about getting me home was great too. It was just no longer a part of my consciousness.
**Exercise** - Seattle is a city of steep hills and I walked up and down all of them, sometimes caring groceries. After a day of not much activity it was beneficial to walk home after work, sometimes a couple miles.
**Character Building** - In the US people define themselves and others based on what kind of car they drive. Well I had no car, perhaps no identity…wait, I was a walker. As I said above, in my hometown this would have mean I had failed in life or something, insane but true. This mentality is not as prevalent in a city but I still had no car and learned not to care. Being a pedestrian and bus rider also takes patience and that is something I needed to learn.
**CREATIVITY REQUIRED**
- Tops would be putting a Christmas tree on the back of my Buddy Scooter and driving through downtown Seattle. People looked at me like I was insane but the tree made it.
- Using a carryon luggage to haul mulch and soil up to my apartment for my balcony garden.
- Using a skateboard to move furniture a few blocks, this actually works.
- Taking Flexcar to the mountains and Sasquatch Musical festival outside of Seattle.
- Accidentally getting on the I-5 freeway with my Buddy and flooring it to 55mph to nearest exit to live another day.
- Driving 200 monthly newsletters north of the city for distribution, all in my back pack and seat pack of the Buddy.
https://httpsimage.com/img/Seattle_car2go_Official-724x481.jpg
**Many New Options**
Since I started my car free journey there are many options to make this possible in Seattle and many cities in the US, UK and beyond.
- I was one of the first in Seattle to sign-up for [ZipCar](http://www.zipcar.com/) back when it was Flexcar before the buyout, a Seattle start-up. This was incredible at the time, you simply swipe a card on the windshield, the car unlocks, and it is all yours for the time you reserved.
- [Car2Go](https://www.car2go.com/US/en/), an Austin start-up, appeared about 4 years ago and is even more amazing than Flexcar because you rent it by the minute. It is like a video game, you spot them on your app on a map, get in the car and drive it where you want to and abandon it where you end. You are lucky if the car is still in the same spot when you return to leave. This is high-octane car sharing but super fun!
- Uber of course.
https://httpsimage.com/img/bicycle222.jpg
**Summary**
Since moving back to a smaller population I have to rely on cars again and I actually own one, the horror! Whenever possible I walk or use a bicycle - weather depending. Having a car is a pain, being back in the driving world I find that it is faster paced and impatience can easily set in. I ran over a squirrel a couple weeks ago and have not really recovered, I knew this would not have happened if I was a pedestrian. Luckily, due to my experience of being car free, I do not suffer from road rage and fully appreciate my responsibility as a driver. In retirement I would like to move back to a higher population where walking everywhere is possible again.
https://httpsimage.com/img/mecarfreez.jpg
photocredit - pedestrian sign & scooter taken by me
[photocredit - Car2Go](http://www.benzinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Seattle_car2go_Official-724x481.jpg)
[photocredit - bicycle](http://morguefile.com/creative/Melodi2/1/all)
#life #carfree