Invariably, when the conversation I'm having with friends, family and co-workers turns to transportation, I hear the following question, "So, when are you getting a car?" I patiently explain that I have no immediate plans to get a car. This statement is so inconceivable that they usually follow it up by either blankly repeating their question, or telling me that I can't live without a car indefinitely. They may be or may not be right - time will tell. I've so far survived three nor'easters, three snowstorms, fog, weeks of sub-freezing temperatures, flooding, and darkness. I've also survived teasing, peer pressure, animosity, loneliness, fatigue, and boredom. In return, I've lost 15 pounds, have seen over 200 sunrises, increased my health and self-confidance, and mere mortals fear and respect me. I've also gotten out of several candle parties and two baby showers.
Now that tax season is upon us, I have thought long and hard about what to do with my tax return. The car-drivers around me would like me to buy a car. I, of course, would like to treat myself to a shiny new bicycle. Why reward myself for commuting on a bicycle through the winter just to pull up in a car for the nice-weather seasons?
So, here's what a grand can get you in the NJ market of the transportation world.
Used Cars
2001 Honda Civic - "Needs Work" $850 200k miles. This one also advertises a cracked transmission.
1994 Acura Integra LS- $1200 - " motor blown...not really sure tho...it had a tiny knock at a certain rpms...and while driving something made a quick screach and it just started knocking loud and would barely move..."
200 Malibu - CHEAP!!! $600 It runs good, but overheats. I don't know whats wrong with it and i have no place to store it. I just need to get rid of it." 150+ miles
1964 El Camino - $1000. "1964 El Camino. Very ruff shape. May be better suited as a parts car. All sheet metal rusted, engine has not been run in years. Interior is as ugly as the car itself."
Okay, so I'm not making fun of these cars - someone somewhere is into restoring cars and will buy these for parts. I'm jus sayin.... what if I took my thousand dollars and showed up in that '64 El Camino? Is it better to have spent my money on something unreliable like that simply because it's a motor vehicle? How much money would it require to make any of the above pass inspection?
And let's not forget, kids, cars requiring gasoline are like the big, expensive, grown-up version of the drug-store quarter-operated horse-ride - it don't go unless you got the coin.
Rental Cars
Okay.. our next option is rental cars. What kind of transportation options can you get from your friendly car rental dealer?
I checked out the prices for the sub-compact, most fuel efficient vehicles from Budget, Hertz and Avis. The prices per day run about $30 to $50 dollars. But wait. There's more. I don't have supplimental insurance, so you'll have to add an additional 12 bucks per day in case I mow down a cyclist. Plus taxes and surcharges, yadda yadda yadda. The hertz rental, when all said and done, came to 72.56 *per day*. For a 30 minute commute twice a day, and the luxury of being able to jump in the car to get hagan daaz at a moment's notice, 24 hours a day. Oh, and let's not forget that gas is not included. For arguments' sake, 1000 bucks can get you about a week and a half cruising around in the truly decedant designs of the Chevy Cobalt.
"Pay by the Hour" Cars
Surely we could use the ZipCar, if you live in one of 4 ZipCar available cities. Or any of the other "pay by the hour" car outfits which seem to only cater to people who live walkable, bikable cities. It is we marooned in the desert of suburban sprawl who could truly benefit from something like ZipCar - not a place where you can take the bus, subway, cab, train, bike or your own two legs to get everywhere easily! New York City has got to be the easiest place to get around in! Try getting to a doctor's appointment from the middle of a 3 square mile residential subdivision connected only by six lane highways with no sidewalks or businesses.
Public Transportation
This is a great option for many people and I'm a huge fan. The only problem is, in my area, there is a lack of truly usable and affordable options. If you live where public transportation gets you where you need to go for cheap, do it! But in my particular situation, it's not the fastest or the cheapest option by far. Here's the breakdown:
My job is 12 miles away and I need to get there by 8:30. To take the bus, I would need to be standing outside my apartment at 6:20. The bus would take me 7 miles in the wrong direction to the nearest city. I would then wait at a different bus station for 40 minutes to take the 7:50 bus another 7 miles to the mall across from my job. The one-way trip will cost me $4.15 and require 2 hours. This setup would require 4 hours a day waiting for or riding on buses and cost more than 45 dollars a week.
The "Pre-Owned" option
To be absolutely fair, no one is suggesting that I buy the broken down el camino. It has been a suggestion that I put a down payment on a pre-owned good-quality car (a toyota, preferably) that will be fuel-efficient and last a long time with good maintenance. Let's do the math.
The Toyota Corolla. 2006 Kelley Blue Book Retail Value: $11,515.00
Downpayment: $2,000
5 year loan @ 6% = $206.00 per month
Full coverage car insurance: $100 per month
Gasoline: $60.00 per month
Total: $366.00 per month.
Commute to work in time: 35 minutes each way.
70 minutes of drive time per day + 1 hour of running for exercise and 10 minutes to drive to the towpath to run... = 140 minutes.
The Bicycle
For $1,000 dollars you can buy pretty much any bicycle you want, brand new. A touring bike can carry cargo. A road bike can go fast. A mountain bike travels over any terrain. The engine is the super-efficient calorie-burning human body.
Daily Commute: 24 miles = 740 calories. Cost: about 75 cents.
Monthly cost after initial investment: 0.00
Gasoline: 0.00
Insurance: 0.0
Time: 65 minutes each way. No extra exercise needed = 130 minutes.
What if I want to go on trips? Travel long distances? Well, that's where the other options come in. My daily transportation needs can be more than handled by bicycle. If I want to travel to see my mother in North Jersey, I can take the train. I can rent a car to go on vacation. I can rent a van to carry big cargo or to move. I can help defray the cost of gas if I ask my friends to give me a lift somewhere. After 6 months of biking through the harshest weather NJ has to offer, I can honestly say... I don't need a car.
I can buy something brand-spankin' new, with all the coolest accessories and clothes to fit my smokin', in-shape body or I could rock the El Camino... which would you choose?
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