Non-driving Catch Up

I've been remiss in posting the amount of car travel I'm taking and the reasoning for it. I'm proud to say that I have still not driven a car this month and that car trips have been kept to a minimum.

For those of you who don't recall, after commuting by car a few too many times at the end of last month, I made a pledge for Bicycle Month to not drive at all and to justify any car trips I take.

Since I last updated I've taken these car trips.

The first weekend in May Em and I drove up to Orange County for a wedding and to celebrate her birthday with her parents. I do not have the ability or equipment to make the 100 mile journey in a reasonable amount of time, much less show up presentable for a wedding. Besides, my wife would have driven anyway.

The following weekend we drove up to Palomar to celebrate her birthday with my family and stopped by the Wild Animal Park on the way home to celebrate Mother's Day with both sets of folks. Same reasons as above, but not wedding. And instead of 100 miles it is 50 miles with 5000 ft of elevation gain.

That week I took a trip to lunch with my boss. Probably could have done without that trip, but he was making the trek anyway.

On BTWD last Friday Emily drove me up to REI to drop off my tire so they could fix my broken spoke. I did not have a bicycle all weekend.

This weekend we went to an alumni event at UCLA (where Em graduated from) on Saturday. Use the same reasons as above except 150 miles.

Then yesterday we went to a house warming party for one of Em's coworkers. This trip we had planned on cycling, but I was without a bicycle and Emily wasn't feeling great. So we drove.

That is all the riding in cars I've been doing. I'm not sure I'm going to keep it up the entire month. I feel like I've made a proof of concept that I can get by without a car of my own. Not really planning on selling my car just yet since I just paid registration and insurance. Also, Emily is not conviced I can make it an entire winter without it. Besides, chauffering me around everywhere is getting Em angry and for the sake of marital harmony I might just have to give up and drive occasionally.

I just remembered one more but it really doesn't count. I had to move my car to a different parking spot because the cops had chalked it (I was on the street) and if I hadn't it would've been towed.

-Matt




Direct link to REI Cycling store