Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Sans Car in SoCal

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE!
Wagga has located Casey Serin's cubicle.


Car racing-3 by ~matreshka-girls

Hat tip to Wagga for this find:
As of Saturday evening, my kid brother is the proud new owner of my 2002 Ford Focus. I'm not entirely sure what possessed me to sell it, since I JUST PAID IT OFF, but it's sold. I was a crazy hippy before, but now I'm an EXTRA crazy hippy. Because Southern Californians have cars. WE JUST DO. And SoCal natives are very attached to their cars, in the way most humans might be attached to a pet, or a child, or a limb. But the car and I never REALLY got along anyway, so perhaps it's for the best that I finally let go -- and now, the car is in a relationship with someone who really LOVES HIM.

Having joined the ranks of the transportationally challenged, Sunday was a very eventful adventure in figuring out how to do things without a car. Things like running errands, which just became exponentially more complicated.
More at Sanctimony
I hope she continues to report on a car-less experience in SoCal. Living without a car in my area can present a number of challenges, but Southern California is quite a bit more complicated.

In other news, for those who missed it the bizarre Laura Richardson foreclosure drama continues.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bum a ride. HAHAHAHA!!

Ogg the Caveman said...

SoCal strikes me as a tough place to get along without a car.

Akubi said...

Hmmm, perhaps I should blog about the trials, tribulations and sweet win-win’s of a car-less life.

Akubi said...

Loved this comment:
and I'm scared stiff of public transportation without a legitimate reason.
Why?
@Ogg,
Don't know about San Diego, but in downtown L.A. it is as do-able as Marin - yet the buses aren't quite as nice. However, that - of course - is a tiny piece of the huge L.A. octopus of suburbs and exurbs and other shit without high speed rail.

Akubi said...

Currently watching Frontline on Darfur and was wondering if anyone can confirm whether the narrator is the guy in the BMW commercials...
Yes, everyone has to make a living, but anything involving gas and car insanity pisses me off.

Peripheral Visionary said...

Living without a car in Washington isn't much by way of trials or tribulations. Ride the bus to work, ride the metro to social activities, walk to the store. The only problem is getting to IKEA for the best low-quality furniture ever made, why did they have to build it in Booneysville Maryland? I occasionally end up renting a car if I need to go to somewhere out of the way.

Public transportation can occasionally be annoying, like when someone spends five minutes arguing with the bus driver over an expired transfer, and there are occasional delays when the trains get backed up, but compared to the stress of driving and the very regular traffic jams in Washington, it's not so bad.

Akubi said...

@PV,
I’m envious. D.C. has excellent public transportation.
The only problem is getting to IKEA for the best low-quality furniture ever made, why did they have to build it in Booneysville Maryland?
Maybe they like to build in places with a "ville" suffix. The closest one to me is in Emeryville.

Completely OT (what else is new) but I had a disturbing dream that this evil Sarah Jessica Parker demon made me go shopping and deplete my savings buying a bunch of overpriced crap I didn’t need. When I told her I did not want a bottle of some Christian Dior perfume, she exclaimed "But it's such a deal – and you can where it as a dress too!" Her dress then morphed into a large bottle of perfume emitting a headache producing fragrance. Very strange.

Speaking of savings, I’m curious how much others set aside (if any) in savings and/or retirement accounts, reasonably sane investments (thinking of Casey here), etc. Generally I try to put away 25% or so, but even without driving I've been finding that more and more difficult with the rising cost of living, i.e. outrageous homeowners dues, marked increase in grocery prices, etc.

Anonymous said...

Americans took 10.3 billion trips on public transportation last year, marking the highest ridership level since 1957, according to a new study.

Casey Serin said...

My cubicle? You're kidding, right? I haven't worked, let alone stepped foot in an office, in my entire life!! Mommy and Daddy have to work double-time to take care of their precious Snowflake. :-)

Anonymous said...

KC sleeps in his short bus cubicle. There were rumors at a former job about someone like that. Pillow and blanket under the desk was the scuttlebutt.

As for savings, take the attitude of the woodchuck. When asked how much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood, the answer invariably comes back:

A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

akubi, it sounds like you can chuck wood quite well. :D

Akubi said...

akubi, it sounds like you can chuck wood quite well. :D
Actually, I have a friend who sets aside over 50% of her paycheck.
However, she lives off of Special K breakfast cereal and I just couldn't go that far.

Anonymous said...

There is such a thing as taking austerity too far. There was this homeless guy who dies in NYC many years ago. He saved every penny from his job, yes, he was employed at the post office or something. Anyway, his estate, all cash, was over $350k or some such number. That was back when $350k meant much more than it does now. Life is for the living. I sacrifice things I wouldn't miss anyway. A desert here, or trinket there. I keep it simple. Everything is a balance.

Akubi said...

There was this homeless guy who dies in NYC many years ago. He saved every penny from his job, yes, he was employed at the post office or something.
I remember hearing that story, but can't recall where.
Actually, while eating nothing but Special K cereal might sound extreme, my friend isn't a completely insane extremist. She loves to travel and has been practically everywhere in the world, so some of the money she sets aside is for her next trip. Oh, I also appreciate her fiscal restraint when it comes to ugly bridesmaids’ dresses. Somehow she managed to find some POS powder blue dresses none of us will ever wear again on sale for only $20.

NotAnOptimist said...

Back when I had a looser W-2, I put away maybe 40% of my gross salary. It was nice to have a hefty paycheck.

Akubi said...

Back when I had a looser W-2, I put away maybe 40% of my gross salary.
Wow, that's pretty impressive.

Anonymous said...

As far as bridesmaid dreeses, the bride should just give her maids burlap potato sacks to wear.