Going Green
We are going green.
Greener.
Jeanine's car died. Eleven years old, 150K miles on it, the transmission went and it simply makes no sense to fix it.
And who wants to be forced into making a decision about buying a car on the spot?
Mind you, with three boys in three different schools with three different needs, I am in the car all the time. It's why we bought the hybrid because at least while I'm sitting at yet another traffic light, I can feel a little better about my carbon footprint.
We live about a half mile from the T, which is what we here in Boston call the subway/trolley. Jeanie has decided she wants to try taking the T every day instead of buying a car. She has always wanted to be as green as possible, and while I agree, I'm not as dedicated.
One car family now. I'm not sure how long it will last. It's a huge commitment for a family of five living in the suburbs without very good public transportation. It helps that my sister is just down the road lest we have a drop off/pick up emergency.
As for the broken car? We're going to donate it to a charitable organization that takes junk cars. There will be a tax credit, and we'll no longer pay insurance, excise tax, and repairs- not to mention the cost of filling up.
I'm wary of how this will work out but unlike other times when Jeanine thought about taking the T instead of driving, there is no other option. No spiffy set of wheels beckons from the driveway.
Wish us luck on this new green adventure. It's not going to change the world but it is a significant step for us.
On a day where we remember the dead of 9/11, an attack rooted in our dependency and policies around oil? It feels like the right thing to do.
Greener.
Jeanine's car died. Eleven years old, 150K miles on it, the transmission went and it simply makes no sense to fix it.
And who wants to be forced into making a decision about buying a car on the spot?
Mind you, with three boys in three different schools with three different needs, I am in the car all the time. It's why we bought the hybrid because at least while I'm sitting at yet another traffic light, I can feel a little better about my carbon footprint.
We live about a half mile from the T, which is what we here in Boston call the subway/trolley. Jeanie has decided she wants to try taking the T every day instead of buying a car. She has always wanted to be as green as possible, and while I agree, I'm not as dedicated.
One car family now. I'm not sure how long it will last. It's a huge commitment for a family of five living in the suburbs without very good public transportation. It helps that my sister is just down the road lest we have a drop off/pick up emergency.
As for the broken car? We're going to donate it to a charitable organization that takes junk cars. There will be a tax credit, and we'll no longer pay insurance, excise tax, and repairs- not to mention the cost of filling up.
I'm wary of how this will work out but unlike other times when Jeanine thought about taking the T instead of driving, there is no other option. No spiffy set of wheels beckons from the driveway.
Wish us luck on this new green adventure. It's not going to change the world but it is a significant step for us.
On a day where we remember the dead of 9/11, an attack rooted in our dependency and policies around oil? It feels like the right thing to do.
posted by Sara at 9:16 AM
5 Comments:
The very best wishes to you. My father had only one car from 1946 till his vision failed around 2000. To the despair of the car dealers in Pittsburgh, he always paid cash. I love the one-car lifestyle, and if I could find a good way to free up the space my younger son's Land Shark project car takes in my garage, I'd jump on it.
My husband doesn't drive at all, so we only have one car. It's one reason we moved out of the south...we wanted better public transportation. We live 4/10 of a mile from the bus stop and he rides it to work daily--rain, snow, or shine. My daughter and I even ditch the car and take it occasionally!
I love having one car. We are able to really get what we want instead of scrimping to buy and maintain two modest cars.
When we visited friends in Boston they lived 2 blocks from the T. That was awesome!
i guess with only one car that signals the end to trips downeast for you this fall!
There's always zipcar when absolutely necessary.
donald, we're coming up columbus day!!
and we are looking into zip cars.
Post a Comment
<< Home