Friday, August 19, 2005
Free at last!
My eight-and-a-half-year trist with JAU-mobile II is coming to an end.
(The JAU-mobile II got it name from being the second shoebox to bear the license license plate "JAU 220." JAU-mobile I was an '88 Ford Escort wagon that decided to blow its head gasket on New Year's Day, 1997.)
Oh, my beloved cherry-red (now fading to pink) Mazda 323 has seen me through 3 career changes, four cities, and 6 residences, it lost a window to a thief in Garfield Park and has lugged my entire life halfway across the state.
Just one week after I spent $340 for 2/3rds of a new exhaust system, the transmission started slipping. Then I thought, " I could spend $1200 to rebuild the transmission, $140 for an the annual city parking permit, and another $400 for a year's insurance. . .or I can rid myself of this money-sucker once and for all."
Seeing that my travel is 80% by bike, bus, or foot, I figured I should finally join the few, the proud: the carless.
Let's see, what to do about that other 20%?
I have those nerdy baskets on my bike, so I can just bike to the grocery store--which I should have done more of anyway.
To get back and forth to the city/suburbs, there's the train, and even better, there's a couple van sevices that are pretty cheap on weekends.
When I go out for a loal night on the town, other people usually drive anyway. If not, the bus, late night ride service and cabs are plentiful enough around here.
But. . . the question remains: which one of you guys can give me a ride to the laundromat?
