Week One - Week Two

Patty

Week One:

So far I haven't really taken full advantage of PhillyCarShare or public transportation as I was in town all weekend!

On Thursday, after the Walk Ride Share event, I took the green line to 30th st station to meet up with a friend after work. It was my first time using the underground system! So convenient and very fast too! Got there just in time to avoid the rain...much easier than trying to hail a cab.

I picked up a new pair of running shoes on the weekend and started my exercise program! Looking forward to getting in shape for the summer.

I will be using PhillyCarShare tonight to get some errands done that should have been completed this weekend. (it was too nice to do any work!)

The rest of the month will be very busy as I will be out of town every weekend! Looking forward to using public transit and PhillyCarShare.

Week Two:

My first full week of the Walk Ride Share challenge has been a pretty good experience. I used PhillyCarShare to get to Target to buy all of my goods needed for my new apartment. I had to fill the car up with gas and it was very simple using the credit card and pin #. It was so nice to be able to come home after 8pm and not have to worry about driving around forever trying to find a spot!

I took the 48 bus to get to El Azteca for dinner w/ some friends on Friday night. It was much cheaper than cabbing it. Not to mention it was raining so it would have been hard to get a cab.

Saturday night I had to work in Lawrenceville, NJ so I had to rely on using SEPTA and NJT. I didn't mind the train at all, but the SEPTA employees were so extremely rude, it was ridiculous!! Unfortunately I missed my connecting train and had to wait for the next one which made me late for work. A friend that I was working w/ picked me up from the station on her way into work. It all turned out ok in the end. I figured it would have cost the same amount of money in gas, but I was able to relax on a train and not have to worry about the aggravation of driving. I just have to remember to leave myself some room for error next time!

On a bad note...having my car parked on the road in front of my house to keep an eye on it while it's not being used was not a good idea. Someone side-swiped my car and did lots of damage! (of course they drove off) I was just getting ready to sell it this month too!!

Until next week....

Week Three:

Throughout the week I worked lots of hours, and I did not get much of a chance to get out and about in the city. I was ready to blow off some steam by the weekend, so I planned to go up to my parent's shore house (Plus it was my mother's birthday!).

I looked into taking a train, but the trip would have taken at least three and a half hours. Luckily my boyfriend decided to come with me, so we decided to use PhillyCarShare. It was a lovely drive, and we were able to get to the shore in just one and one half hours! The PCS was fairly expensive for the overnight trip, but the convenience was great.

We took one of PCS's Scion TCs, and the car was interesting. The stereo was tuned to HUGE amounts of bass, and we could not figure out how to make the stereo sound normal. My boyfriend is tall, and he felt a little bit cramped in the car. The car jerked quite a bit in stop and go traffic. I am looking forward to trying one of the Smart Cars this week!

Overall the trip was great, and using PCS seems like a good alternative to car ownership. I am feeling more and more convinced that I will sell my car!

Week Four:

For the holiday weekend, I took the Amtrak train to Richmond, VA. The ride was uneventful, relaxing actually! I'm not keen on driving long distances so it was great for me. The trip home however took forever because the train was delayed for almost two hours. Needless to say, I finally arrived back in Philly after midnight. It was nice to visit my cousin without having to drive so far!

Until next week...

 
Week Five:

As usual, my work week was spent walking everywhere with the boys I mind, so no car or public transportation was needed. This weekend I used one of the new smart cars...so fun! My boyfriend and I took it to the shore for the night. All of my friends and family wanted to go for a ride in it! I have to be honest though, it's not the most comfortable car for long distances if you're taller than average. I would be very tempted to get one for short trips as it's so convenient to park and just too cute!! I'm looking forward to getting the convertible for the next trip.

All in all, I've had a great experience doing the PCS challenge. It has proven to me that it is possible to get around with out owning my own vehicle. Although the overnight trips can be quite expensive, it's definitely more cost effective than owning a car and better for the environment as well. I have taken advantage of all of the terrific promotions given away and I have to say that using Amtrak to travel far distances is definitely worth the cost. It was so relaxing!!! I haven't relied on the bus system too much because the few experiences that I had were not great.

I was not able to sell my car this month, but I do plan on doing so very shortly. I have to have the damages repaired first...thanks to whoever it was that side swiped my car!!

I will see how much longer I can keep doing the challenge on my own.