On Not Owning a Car

After 13 years of not owning a car, I’ve found there are many resulting personal and environmental benefits that have made my life better.

If you’re living somewhere for which it’s conceivable to not own a car, here’s my experience should it help you decide if that’s a good option for you. If you’re not living somewhere that easily accommodates a carless approach, it’s still helpful to know that many are choosing that option and that it’s viable in many places.

12 Years Ago

In February 2012, I posted the following on my now inactive personal blog site.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of me living without a car. Well, not quite. The men I live with have cars and I am able to borrow them on the rare occasion I need one, but I have essentially lived without a car for a year now. It’s been an interesting experience.

The decision to live without a car was not entirely mine. I took my old 2001 Ford Escort in for an oil change about 12 months ago where they convinced me to also do a radiator flush. Unfortunately, they neglected to put any fluid back in the radiator after they flushed it. Oops! I made it home, but the next day when I tried to start the car the engine froze shortly thereafter and the car was trashed.

I was in mild shock. It marked the first time since 1981 I…