(Post from July 6.)
Just paid my major repair and maintenance bill for the year for my vehicle, which is my main mode of transport besides walking. Grand total $380 + change. Sometimes even lasts two years.
Special thank you to Votran bus system. The closest bicycle shops are 7 miles away in either direction, so being able to put a bicycle onto the rack on the front of the bus and then ride the bus to the bicycle shop is a lifesaver!
(Bus route info: I take the 19 which goes north up the A1A and then across Granada bridge to the bike shop, which is on Granada across the street from Winn-Dixie. And then to get home I take the 3B down Ridgewood. Today I was able to ride my bicycle partway home down Ridgewood, before my shoulder started telling me I better grab the bus the rest of the way. My shoulder is doing great compared with last week, and I’m not going to push my luck.)
Response to questions and comments:
• Response to a fellow activist commending me for “replacing car trips,” and asking me to post more often about my bicycle riding:
Thanks!
1- I don’t actually “replace” car trips; I simply do not own a car. Nor want to. I have better things to do with $20 to 50k to buy one, plus $12,000 a year to operate one. (When there is someplace I need to go that I cannot safely get to by bicycle, and the bus does not go there, I pay a friend/neighbor to be my taxi. Usually ends up costing me a total of about $100 to $200 a year for rides. Very affordable, And I am helping a friend pay their bills.)
2- Actually too many people are aware that I get around by foot & bicycle, and it causes various issues. I don’t end up being a beneficial influence. So, in my public communications, I prefer to focus mainly on the advocacy aspect. For example, I have been making public posts inviting people to the upcoming meetup of Walkable Volusia. And, I frequently speak at city commission and citizen board meetings regarding transit-friendly zoning and planning, pedestrian-friendly downtowns, Boosting awareness of the importance of Street trees, and so on.
• To someone praising me as a role model for using bicycle and public transport:
Well, the backstory is that I do not make enough money to have both a car and a roof over my head. (Well, technically I could, but then I would have to give up too many things that I love in life, including volunteering, and donating to worthwhile causes. And, being able to spend more money with Florida farms, local businesses, instead of having to shop at big-box stores.) Never have made that much money. But I wouldn’t trade my work for anything. So it’s very fortunate for me that I genuinely do not want a car.
Some people have told me that for them it’s better to have a car if you have to choose between car and housing, because you could always live in the car. But in my experience, living in a vehicle is not all that easy. (I have only done it for very very short stints, and it was always my choice and I was not forced into it, unlike many other people.) Not because of the small space but because there are fewer and fewer places to park where a person doesn’t risk getting arrested. Plus I know so many people who are living in their vehicles and then the vehicle breaks down.
At least with a house or apartment, a person can have housemates to share the rent or mortgage. Not as easy to do that with a car.
And regarding motorcycles, I love riding them but I realized that for a person starting out at my age, it is not a smart hobby. So I took the FDOT course a couple years ago, got my motorcycle endorsement added to my license, and had a fun year of motorcycle ownership and then sold the bike.
Yes, I like not being forced to own a car! And I love being able to do better things with that money. Unfortunately, a lot of people are basically forced to own a car. It takes a huge bite out of the wallet and causes enormous amounts of stress.