Having No Car means Having to Ask for Help

Yesterday we had to take a trip outside the reach of public transit. Our house group Bible study was to meet at a home of one of the members. Arriving at their house requires taking the Toronto TTC Subway to the "end of the line", then catch a bus to the cross street nearest the home, then walk about 5 minutes to arrive. A 5 minute walk is not a big deal, but transferring to the city bus can take some time, especially during rush hour.

We were ready and willing to do that, but it occurred to me early in the day that this is a great opportunity to learn a new skill of asking for some assistance. I am coming to realize through this adventure that one of the drawbacks of always having a car available is a self-reliance that tends to forget about the blessings that can come from allowing others to get involved in your life. There is fine line, I know, between "accepting help" from others and "taking advantage" of others. But both of those situations involve relationship while, conversely, choosing to do everything on my own pushes relationship to the background. So my "relationship antennae" are up, and need to stay up, evaluating whether my requests for assistance go too far. I think that is always a good thing for relationships. Monitoring relationship is much a better place to be than rejecting relationship in favor of self-reliance.

So this adventure of life-without-a-car is forcing me to get back in the habit of expanding relationships with others. That is not always easy. Especially for me.

The end of the story? Within minutes of sending an email to my group asking if someone could pick us up at the subway stop, I had TWO offers from friends that would "love" to meet us there. WooHoo!

BTW the meeting was great! We shared a delicious meal of "taco soup", bread, olives, and dessert. The fellowship was warm, welcoming, and wonderful. And as we discussed Genesis 3 and the challenges of resisting temptation, we learned things about one another and ourselves that deepened our relationships as fellow disciples of Jesus Christ. (And we even got a ride back to the subway!)

Why no car?

We made the decision to go without a car for a number of reasons.

• First, the car we were using wasn't officially ours. It belonged to my dad. When we returned to the USA in February 2009, we had lived in Spain for the better part of 12 years.My father loaned us the car until we were established in the States.
• The second reason is our location. We now live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada near the downtown corridor, close to the subway line. Grocery stores are within walking distance. Many of our job-related visits are close to public transportation stops.
• A third reason is cost. Insurance rates in Canada are outrageous for "new" drivers. Although I have been driving since I was 17 and have a near perfect driving record, I am considered a new driver, and high-risk, to Canadian auto insurance companies. More about that in a later post.
• Fourth, I have access to a car when I need it. My job requires visits to some remote places outside the city. My employer has a two "mission vehicles" that are at my disposal when we need it. Plus, for personal trips, there are a number of rental companies with reasonable weekend rental rates.

There are some other reasons, but those four are the primary ones. 

Our decision to go without a car is not so altruistic, like saving the earth or reducing our carbon footprint. Nor is it for scandalous reasons like drunk driving violations or capital offenses. No, it is just because events entered our life and we are trying to make the right choice. But that choice is bringing some interesting changes into our lives and it is documenting those changes that is the subject of this blog.  We would love to hear your comments. Have you faced a similar choice? What did you decide?

Snow!

Snow...and I don't have to drive in it! We are getting a snowstorm today in Toronto. They are predicting 5cm (2 inches) which is just enough to make the morning commute pretty messy.
The snow is also the reason I came home yesterday, instead of today. I drove the car to Syracuse on Wednesday afternoon with plans to return on Friday. As I drove through Buffalo I heard that a winter storm watch was announced for Friday morning, so I considered the early return. That planning process is something new. When one has a car available, trips are more spontaneous. Now without a car, I had to spend more time planning my return to Toronto. I chose to take a bus scheduled 20 hours earlier in order to beat the snow. And I made it home just in time!
So I have a second reason to see the positives of life without a car. No worries about a snow-caused accident.

The Journey Begins

Today the adventure begins! I am officially without a car in Toronto. That doesn't make me unique in this metropolis where tens of thousands of others who get around without wheels, but for me, after 34 years of access to an automobile, it is a very strange feeling indeed.

So I thought I would write about the things I learn, struggle with, and-- alas, enjoy! --about life without a car.

Here's my first celebration: It is 11pm as I write this and I *don't* have to run out in the cold and move the car from off the street before I go to bed! Ha! No car! Since our house has no private driveway and overnight street parking is illegal in our neighborhood I have had to park the car in the driveway of the church next door. (With permission, of course, since they are our landlords.) That was especially difficult on weekends because various congregations use the church facilities and often extend their worship services past 11pm. I had to wait until the last person left so I wouldn't block them in the driveway.

Once, earlier in the year, I forgot to move the car and was hit with a parking ticket. Thirty-five dollars in the city coffers later, I decided it was better to plan a later bedtime than get poor on parking tickets.

So, I am looking on the bright side on this day number 1. There are advantages to being without an automobile in Toronto.