A few days ago, I had to take my car to the dealer to fix a faulty window switch. For me, the nearest car dealership is located over 20 miles away by freeway in any direction. In an attempt to reduce my carbon footprint, I planned the repairs around transportation from friends and family who would be in the area when I needed to be there.
The car was supposed to be in the shop for one day; I figured 24 hours without my car wouldn’t be a major problem. I live within walking distance of some places I had to go. However, just an hour before I was to pick up the car, I was contacted by the service department. They had to tell me the bad news; there was a shipping problem. The part didn’t arrive as expected, so it would be another 24 hours before I would get my car back. They offered me a loaner for the inconvenience so I took them up on the offer. I never realized how dependent I have become on my car.
Activities while I had the loaner:
- Drove to a meeting.
- Picked up supplies for repairing a bicycle.
- Used an electric pump powered by the car.
- Drove to the store.
Things I learned from this experience:
- If you need to leave your car in the shop, plan on being without your car for 48 hours.
- Allow for extra time when you’re walking, plan on taking twice as long as you think you’ll need.
- I depend on my car way too much
Eye-opening questions:
- Would you be able to get to work or school without your car?
- What if your car were in the shop 2 or 3 days?
- Do you have alternate transportation?
- Do you have friends who would help you with your traveling needs?
- How do other people handle transportation challenges?
At this point in my life, I don’t know what I would do for an extended period of time without a car. I know of some people who have managed to do it for a while. It definitely takes some extra effort.
What would you do?
