Maria

Week One:

So….week one. I would be lying if I say it has been easy. Some of it has, but I am used to not planning anything ahead and jumping into my car when I am ready to leave. I am now on the Septa web site more often than I care to remember.

I took a subway to my brother’s house right after the ceremony (still bummed that I hadn’t won a bike) and he drove me home later because it was on his way to where he was headed. That and he was afraid that I would die on the subway at night.

My job for the past two weeks has been packing my father’s house of 30 years for his move this week. Friday morning I shared a ride with my boyfriend because he was headed to my dad’s neighborhood. Not having a car and helping with a move has made things extremely difficult but I’ve survived thus far.

Saturday and Sunday I took the train to my father’s. I love swiping that Septa pass. I know I saved a lot by having that. However, both days I had to run like a maniac to catch the train. The first time I ended up on the wrong track and the next day I was running late because my bus was late getting me there. Lesson here- don’t take a Septa vehicle that leaves you very little time to make your connection. I will walk next time to burn the calories and ensure I am on time. The woman twice my age at the bus stop told me to “thumb it” when I started to get antsy so that gave me a laugh. What gave me a cry was when the child next to me sneezed a mountain of mucus onto her father’s hand. I am a total germophobe so this was not a happy moment for me.

Today, I shared another ride but things are getting hairy. My dad’s neighborhood does not allow for easy public transportation and I am feeling the need for a car more and more. I need to get groceries for him, etc… I may try to plan ahead for a Philly car share in the next day or so but there aren’t any around his old house and I can never be sure when the movers, cable company, phone company, etc… will arrive.

I will just have to soldier on and see how it goes. Until next week…..

Week Two:

I must say that trying to move an entire house without the convenience of a car is next to impossible. Getting there is not too difficult because I can take the bus to the train without a problem. It’s what happens after you are there and realize that you need to run to the storage space or need more tape or boxes, etc…. This may not have been the best month for me to do this. Luckily I have many people helping so I have been able to ask others to do the running on the way to the house.

On the other hand, I have done a lot more walking, riding, and sharing than ever before. I now know how to take Septa to work and have learned from co-workers that taking Septa home after 11 p.m. on a Sunday isn’t exactly a great plan. I am pretty much forced to take a taxi home. However, I feel okay about that since my safety is important and that taxi would be on the road with or without me.

This week my goal is to get my new sneaks and do better planning and even more walking. I can take the subway to and from school but anything else is still a challenge. When will I learn that you can not count on the bus to arrive in a timely fashion? I will need my new shoes so I can continue to run for my connections. I suppose I can actually leave earlier so I don’t have to go through this all the time leaving me more time to read. I’m happy to say that I am on my second book thus far.

I think this week may be the easiest so far and plan to reserve a car in advance one day soon. I have yet to drive one of the PhillyCarShare cars and am looking forward to my test drive.

Week Three:

I have found a real bummer to be rain and not owning a car….. This past week I had to go to school in the pouring rain and, by the time I arrived, was soaked. I had to sit in air conditioning for the next four hours while drying off. Not a happy day.

I have also learned something new regarding PhillyCarShare. Don’t even think that you might get an answer if you call on a rainy day. Admittedly, it is my fault for not having planned ahead. Also, I know the computer is an option. However, it was my first time booking a car and I just wanted a human to help me in the process. I had questions and I had little time. I’m sure once I get the hang of this, it will be much easier but, until then, I sure wish they had more operators on.

The PhillyCarShare thing turned out pretty well. I had to extend my time and that wasn’t a problem since there was no one waiting for it next. It was nice to drive a car with great brakes that was in good condition and had none of my junk floating around inside.

I am feeling good about not adding to global warming and have been encouraging others to do the same. I never thought I would be encouraging people to use public transportation but, as I become more familiar with Septa routes, it really is nice not to have to park or deal with traffic. All I do is sit there and read or study. It is the “me time” that I never would have been able to carve out in the past. My friends know about Walk Ride Share and, while I don’t know if any are ready to make the jump, I think they are giving the idea more consideration. A few people have asked me about PhillyCarShare and how it all works.

This week I vow to make it to pick up my sneakers. I have been doing so much walking I feel I deserve them. The best part is I have lost 4 and a half pounds so far. I am trying still to be a better planner so I can utilize other means of transportation to keep my life flowing. This has certainly cut down on how much food shopping I used to do. Maybe that’s the real reason why I am losing weight.

Either way, so far so good. I am planning ahead to use PhillyCarShare later this week for running errands. Other than that things should be pretty easy. I have my routine down with Septa and school and it actually keeps me on track. I now have no excuses to waste time or gas. I go to school, do my work, study, and go home. No parking, no screaming, no paying for parking or gas. I look forward to an easy, hassle-free week.

 
Week Four:

So I have finally gotten around to getting my new Pumas. They are awesome- super comfy and have great stability. Also, the people at Philadelphia Runner are very knowledgeable and nice -Kate, in particular. I will definitely go back for another pair of shoes at some point.

Things have gotten a bit easier in my adjustment to not driving as long as nothing throws a wrench into my plans. I still have not completely gotten the hang of planning ahead with my travel. I have, however, gotten quite used to Septa to and from school and work. It is a million times easier than dealing with parking in Philly and makes me wonder why I ever would have done that to myself before.

I’m not so sure how great I will feel about public transportation in the winter but we will see how it goes. A friend told me that he had read something about this being one of the worst Mays weather-wise that Philly has ever had. So far I have definitely been grumbling a lot about taking Septa in the cold and rain. I always have an umbrella in my bag these days. At least I have learned to plan for that.

Another nice thing that has come about is that people tend to offer me rides since they know I am no longer driving. One of the people I work with passed me at the bus stop and now I hitch a ride with him one day a week.

I used PhillyCarShare this week to get some errands done. I will miss those PhillyCarShare credits when they are gone. I don’t know yet if I am completely able to give up the car but this has made me really want to try harder. I don’t know how I can ever go back to driving a vehicle that isn’t a hybrid. I really have considered where I am driving, how many things I can consolidate, how many things I can do within walking or Septa distance, and just generally how to use less fuel.

Well, we are coming up to the end of the challenge so I have a Prius reserved for today and I am very excited to use that. Maybe, just maybe, at the very least, I will trade in my old car for something a little more environmentally friendly.

 
Week Five:

Well it has certainly been eye opening to be part of this promotion. I am sure that I will continue to use Septa more often than not. I have already bought my tokens. I LOVE not having to park and not dealing with my uncontrollable road rage on a daily basis. The drawbacks to Septa are dealing with bad weather and not feeling safe alone at night on it or waiting for it to arrive. I did have a bus driver blow right past me last week and my rage then may have equaled the level of my road rage. However, overall I will really miss my Transpass.

As for PhillyCarShare, it has been great. I don’t think I am ready yet to turn in my own car. Not because I don’t want to but my life and the people in it don’t always enable planning ahead. Also I must do a great deal of traveling very soon for nursing school and I don’t see myself counting on public to get me far away by 7 a.m. The good news is that I am seriously considering trading in my car for a Prius. I know it isn’t the best answer but it is a good compromise for me.

I have lost 6 pounds so far and intend to keep going. I have chosen walking over public when I can and I think my lifestyle definitely has and will change for the better. I can see that my car may very well not be driven unless it is truly a necessity (and for picking up groceries which I consider a necessity).

I am happy to have the opportunity to participate in this and I do believe that it will change my negative impact on the environment. When I have a more regular schedule I can definitely see giving up my car and using PhillyCarShare instead. By then there can only be more cars and locations so I look forward to it.