Nick T @hotmail.com
wrote:
I saw your website and read through most of your
rants and I just need to ask (don't lie).....
Do you own/drive an automobile or any other vehicle powered by fossil fuels?
Signed,
Avid airshow goer and 6,700 mile a year
cyclist,
Nick
_________________________________________________________________
Dream of owning a home? Find out how in the First-time Home Buying Guide.
http://special.msn.com/home/firsthome.armx
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 09:08:53 -0800 (PST)
From: "zveRina" xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Please asnwer this one question
To: "Nick T" xxxxxxxxx@hotmail.com
I grew up in suburban car culture east of new york--the land that
robert moses built.
my 1977 chevy malibu classic set me "free" when i was 17. to work and socialize
on long island necessitated a car. no one questioned this. it was an assumption,
as automobile ownership and use continues to be for most americans.
at various times i held jobs which necessitated automobile commutes (trust
me, there were no other viable options, which is how the automobile manufacturers
wanted it). one baltimore-DC loop along I-95 was particularly hellacious,
eating at least 2 hours of my every day. i knew there had to be a better
way.
as soon as i could, i moved to NYC and sold my li'l putterbug honda civic
to the first person who looked at it. that was 1997 and i have not owned
any motor vehicle since.
ability to live without a car was my NUMBER ONE consideration when deciding
whether or not to move to seattle. through a combination of bus, bicycle,
skateboard and walking, i get by. i do accept rides in friends' vehicles
(usually work-related--construction), but most of the time i ride my bike,
even with a heavy pack of tools.
going
carfree is a
lifestyle choice. it requires a conscious decision. my rants are an attempt
to get people to consider their options.
thanks for asking.
robZ
p.s. I *love* to drive. I've logged probably close to 200,000 miles, including
driving trucks for relatives' cross-country moves. I have a current 100%
clean WA state license and I never had an accident in 17 years of driving.
But, I choose *not* to drive because it is unhealthy, antisocial, wasteful,
and polluting.
whew. sorry. i like to articulate these things.
o-s-o-i-o-g-o-n-o-a-o-t-o-u-o-r-o-e-o
Receive more messages from me!
Sign up for photo journal updates at
http://zverina.com/subscribe-pod.php |
Click
here for a movie.
No hands on a 10-speed.
Note how quiet it is.
(Except for the whoosh
of that one car passing
in the opposite direction.)
One thing I've noticed comparing
the movies I shot in Prague with
the ones I shoot in Seattle is
how much quieter Prague is,
though it's denser population-wise.
Most of outdoor Seattle is a wash
of white noise--engines and rubber
on pavement. Except for places
like Queen Anne, where this clip
was shot. You have to be rich
these days to get away from noise. |