Gail

Week One:

April 33, 2008

Last day of car use! I’m making lists for runs to Trader Joe’s and Target. I’ve already done Lowes and Home Depot. I’m feeling a bit anxious about carrying groceries home on the subway, considering how much I usually purchase. Guess I’ll have to go more often for smaller loads. I’m also worried about my bad feet. Hope they’ll hold out!

May 1, 2008

How motivating! The kick-off was upbeat, and it was great to meet some new people with similar desires to embrace the urban life-style of living without a car. Babette made it sound easy. I think the brave ones are the mother of the little boy and the young couple with the little girl. How are they going to manage with all the paraphernalia associated with schlepping young children everywhere? I feel light and free in comparison. I walked over to the shoe store for my new walking shoes, and was treated so well by the staff there. I got my first dose of reality walking home in my new shoes—in the rain! I just have to learn not to be intimidated by the weather. The shoes survived just fine (then again, it was a light rain!).

May 2, 2008

I clipped on my pedometer, and laced up my new Pumas (which feel like clouds on my feet). Got an early started, headed out about 6:45, not sure exactly how long it would take me to subway it into work. As I crossed Lombard, a bus pulled up, so I decided to be spontaneous and see where it would take me. It was a convenient drop off point at 34th street, so I only had to walk up to 36th to get to work. It took the same amount of time as the subway (about 20 minutes) and although there were frequent stops, it felt like a nicer ride. It was much better looking out at trees than peering down a concrete tunnel. I bit the bullet and turned over my parking card for the garage at work, since I won’t be using it.

My biggest challenge is managing my fear about my dog’s health. She was just released from the animal hospital on Wednesday night, and I’m afraid that if she has another episode like Monday (uncontrolled gastric bleeding), I’m just going to grab the car and rush back to Penn! As it was, I barely got her there in time on Monday (she was already in shock), and that was driving like a lunatic through Center City. I won’t have time to stand on the corner and flag a cab, or deal with finding a ride. I just have to hope she’ll be ok.

May 3, 2008

My first PhillyCarShare experience! The Prius was fun to drive, and was parked within an easy walk.

Week Two:

May 12, 2008

The pleasant memory of walking through Washington Square in the sunlight was quickly erased by only two days of rain and wind. However, this has been a great learning experience. I’ve learned to:

1. Go lightly. I had to replace my original old backpack with a smaller, lighter version. What was appropriate for toting across the street (from parking garage to office) was no longer do-able for hiking 7 blocks and back. I no longer carry my entire life, but have pared it down to “essentials only.”

2. Carry spare socks. My new Pumas (I’m still in love with ‘em) are not waterproof, and did not stand up to my ill-aimed leap over a 6 foot puddle of water blocking the subway stairs. This resulted in a barefoot office look while my socks dried.

3. Those $200 umbrellas may be worth it. After destroying two umbrellas in as many days, I find myself suffering from “umbrella envy” as I see fellow commuters using those heavy-duty, expensive “wind proof” ones.

4. Grabbing the bus to get to the subway is a viable alternative to walking in the rain!

5. Keep a sense of humor. My disgruntled discomfort was replaced by the wonder of watching a subway passenger expertly apply coat after coat of mascara while the car was moving! Amazing show of hand-eye coordination!

Week Three:

May 19, 2008

This week was more of a challenge to me than previous weeks, mainly because of the terrible weather, and having four house guests from out of town. On Friday, I was so happy to be able to walk the 4 blocks to the Italian Market to get everything I needed for dinner (including snacks). I felt very urban schlepping around 6 pounds of chicken, 3 pounds of shrimp, and assorted cheeses, sausage, fruit and veggies. And, of course, fresh Italian bread from Sarcones. However, the deluge began shortly before my journey home. I was soaked from my knees down, but managed to keep the bread dry (under my raincoat). The wetter I got, the heavier my bag seemed. I did feel a sense of accomplishment having survived without calling a cab or a friend! Fortunately, two of my visitors drove up from D.C., and we were all able to fit into her car to go to New Hope for some sight-seeing on Saturday. My friends from the Midwest were amazed to think I could give up my car for a month and survive. It would be very difficult to do so where they live. Philadelphia has so many good options for getting around.

I had a great time using the Smart Car from PhillyCarShare to run errands this past week. It was adorable, and so much fun to drive!

The next big challenge I face is the fact that my state inspection expires this month. This will involve driving my car somewhere. Fortunately, a good friend has offered to take care of this task (we’ll see!) so that I don’t have to. I don’t want to get a ticket, but then again, I don’t want to drive, either!

Week Four:

May 26, 2008

The holiday was less of a challenge than I expected! I used a PhillyCarShare Prius to make a run to Cherry Hill. I’m really liking the Prius now that I’ve stopped freaking out about it going silent occasionally. My biggest worry (getting my car inspected) was solved thanks to my good friend Barry, who drove it up to the mechanic for me. I did back it out of the parking space, and I felt a pang of guilt in neglecting it for a month. I’ve had that car since 1989, and it’s almost like a part of me. Funny how emotionally attached I get to a hunk of dependable, reliable, fun-to-drive metal. Even without air conditioning…

The big day is Friday. I turn the big Five Oh. Been busy with plans for the party, with a lot of help from good friends. I’ve met most of my goals; while I’m not as svelte as I would have liked to have been, at least I’ve dropped 11 pounds, and kept my promise to PhillyCarShare to stop driving my car. I’ve also learned quite a bit about navigating the public transportation. I just need to work on that gym membership I’ve neglected!! Still 3 days to go, so maybe I’ll slip a few work-outs in!

Week Five:

I made it! My concerns about my inspection for my car (done by a friend), and giving a party without a car to purchase stuff (using PhillyCarShare) were unfounded. The party was a great success; in fact, my 81 year old mom surprised me by coming up from St. Louis for it. We managed to get around this weekend without using my car at all, despite Mom’s problems ambulating. One of my friends praised me for my email invitation to the party, because under “parking” (always a challenge in my neighborhood), the first option I gave was to take public transportation, and I gave all the bus and subway routes and stops. Something I would have not thought of doing before starting this challenge!

I’ve learned so much this month about navigating my newly adopted city. I feel more confident about getting around, and I’ve even decided that going car free is now my first choice! In fact, I took the subway to work anyway, even though it’s June, and technically I could have driven my poor, neglected, lonely Miata. This new-found love of public transportation and walking may extend the life of the car!

Thanks, PhillyCarShare, for choosing me for your experiment. It’s improved my quality of life tremendously, and I feel good about choosing alternatives to driving. I’ll miss reading all the blogs (especially Dennis’!).