Car-less: Diary of an Idealist - Entry # 1 - August 30, 2005
@ 2005-08-30 - 16:04:39
Alright, so Katie Cavelier has died a painful death after years of loyal and dependable service. Kim hastened her death by pushing her to the max in the 43 degree Ottawa heat, on the way to an un-missable work engagement. Katie pulled through, delivering Kim unscathed, and then gave up the ghost and died peacefully in her sleep in the parking lot outside while Kim worked to save the world, one newcomer teenager at a time.
So, the debate raged. Buy a new car? Buy a used car? Lease? Go without? Shudder. Kim dreamed of a blissful new existance in her clean, empty, finely-tuned, fuel efficient, purring new Civic. Never again worrying about the rusty door falling off mid-slam, dreaming of door locks that actually unlocked, about signal lights that signalled with just the flick of a lever - tick tick, tick tick, tick tick - effortlessly predicting her next move to the drivers around her, of a bike-grease and firewood bark-free interior, of oil that stayed in the oil-thingy, of ever-present coolant and temperature guages that stayed in the green zone, of "service engine" lights dimmed to black while her fresh new CD player sang a pithy tune and the cool breeze of the air conditioner ruffled her coiffe.
The trigger was nearly pulled, the deed nearly done, when a fit of righteousnous and frugality overtook Kent and Kim. With heads filled with visions of trips to Australia, Singapore, and Gautemala, of clean air and a bicycle-friendly community, the duo decided that the thing to do was not to join the oil-hungry, steel-loving masses on freeway, but to join the granola-eating, bead-wearing, sveltly-muscled crazies pedalling their way around the city from organic veggie market to community garden. And so it was, that K & K joined a car co-op.
"A car when you need one, and not when you don't!" sings out the friendly man at Vrtucar ( http://www.vrtucar.com ). Kent has long-since cast off his car-dependency since the conception of Phat Moose Cycles ( http://www.phatmoosecycles.com ), and has been sporting his highly fashionable "Cars 'r' Coffins" t-shirt for months already. Due to a car-necessary job, however, Kim has found her affinity to Katie and all she offers actually growing in the past 12 months.
And so the tale will be told: will good intentions pave the road to hell? Will Kim's idealist brainwaves stand the test of sacrifice? Will she dust off her commuter bike, grease up the chain, pile on the saddlebags and ride off into the sunset (or sunrise)? Will a car "when you need it" be enough to stave off fits of temper and restlessness? Time will tell. Stay tuned.
Incentive, inspiration...
http://www.blog.ca/main/index.php/free-spirit/2005/08/19/take_the_free_bus
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