First of all, I’m lucky to live in an area of Washington, D.C. that has a walk score of 88 (out of 100). I live within walking distance of 2 Metro stations, at least 6 Metro bus lines and the DC Circulator. I can get to all three major airports rather easily by public transportation. I’ve been to Japan; Denver, CO; Charleston, SC; New York City, and several other places all without using my own car (though I did use a cab once and a friend took me to the airport near his place another time). Incidentally, I don’t recommend the overnight Amtrak train to South Carolina. I can also get close enough to my friends’ houses that I can walk the rest of the way or they don’t mind picking me up. This little experiment would not be possible in many U.S. cities and in most of the suburbs in this country. So, with the understanding that I’ve got it relatively good when it comes to public transportation options, here are a few thoughts about not having a car.

Definitely easier on the wallet.
Getting rid of parking fees (and a few fines), parking permits and license plate fees, maintenance costs, gasoline, and insurance has helped out the budget. Is it worth the inconvenience of not having a car? In my case, yes. The city provides decent, cheap, and fairly reliable transportation options. I’ve also been walking more and don’t complain about walking longer distances now that my perception of distance is “carless”.

Miss it for shopping and weekends.
Walking the ten minutes from the nearest grocery stores with several bags of groceries can be tiring, especially in this summer heat. But I mostly did that when I had the car, too. What I miss having the car for are those big grocery shopping trips or the occasional trip to a bigger, better, or different super market – none of which are within walking distance. As for trips to buy furniture or big items purchases, it’s either use ZipCar (which I actually haven’t tried yet) or borrow/go with a friend’s car (something I have done). It’s also nice to be able to jump in the car and be off to wherever you want on the weekends. I could and have rented cars for longer trips to places like North Carolina, but that is definitely a hassle compared to just taking off from outside your front door.

One less thing to worry about.
Having a fairly expensive possession to worry about and take care of isn’t a huge headache, especially when the object is as convenient and useful as a car can be. However, I’ve noticed that since I got rid of my car it’s been a little bit of a weight off my shoulders. I don’t have to worry about it getting stolen, broken into, hit by a parallel parker, bombed on by birds, or snowed in during the winter. As mentioned earlier, there are also fewer bills which cuts down on legitimate mail and general clutter. The amount of junk mail I receive has also thinned out because of less car related advertisements, coupons, and all the other automobile industry mail detritus.

Overall: I don’t really miss it.
I’ve always loved the freedom that comes with owning a car and I will certainly own another one sooner rather than later. In one to three years I’ll likely purchase a new car. I’m excited to see the changes that are taking place throughout the car industry as we start the shift to plug-ins and hybrids. I will definitely buy a hybrid of some kind; hopefully a plug-in if the infrastructure wherever I’m living can support it. I’ll be off on cross country adventures in my new ride and enjoying all the independence and possibility that four wheels affords us in this sprawling country. But I’ll be doing it using less oil and giving off less pollution. For now, though, the Metro and the bus; walking and the odd cab; a gracious friend or parent and a rental car every once in a while will do just fine.