I am a passenger, and I ride and I ride...
Reflecting on the no-car lifestyle of my mother.
Reading this entry got me reflecting on life without a car. And the perfect example of that is my mom. My mom has never own a car in her life. If fact, I don't think she's ever own a permit.
Some would say owning a permit is definitely a perk, as there's nothing like being able to offer to drive on long trips for example. Driving confidence is another story I suppose: when you don't drive for a while, you may feel like an incompetent driver...but most car owner will understand those details I would think.
My mom has been a total city gal all her life, where 'metros' and buses run every 10 minutes and groceries are within 15 minutes' walk. She doesn't feel the need for a car. She wants to go xc-skiing: she goes to the local park. When going to family reunions out of town, she carpools or takes the bus. On rare 'travels', she goes on bus tours, takes trains, or...carpools again with happy drivers, and offers to pay for all the petrol.
Having lived and even travelled with my dear mom I would say I admire the way she has all the bus routes and schedules memorized, even the 'stat holidays' irregularities. She's learned organization, as missing the boat suckes.
One of the skills a non-driver has to keep exercising - which can be quite challenging after a while of being out of the driving loop - is being co-navigators. Passangers it seems, rarely can help you find your way through a sea of one-ways; looking at road maps hardly materializes into "you need to take the next exit dear". Oh, and forget about parking spots scouting abilities.
But, non-drivers do make up for it with conversation, which, most experienced passangers excel at.
And now, the secret weapon all passanger should carry will car-pooling: drivers-empathy. There is nothing like a passanger offering to pay for petrole, for a nice restaurant meal or a simple coffee. Drivers will be just more willing to repeat the process.
Reading this entry got me reflecting on life without a car. And the perfect example of that is my mom. My mom has never own a car in her life. If fact, I don't think she's ever own a permit.
Some would say owning a permit is definitely a perk, as there's nothing like being able to offer to drive on long trips for example. Driving confidence is another story I suppose: when you don't drive for a while, you may feel like an incompetent driver...but most car owner will understand those details I would think.
My mom has been a total city gal all her life, where 'metros' and buses run every 10 minutes and groceries are within 15 minutes' walk. She doesn't feel the need for a car. She wants to go xc-skiing: she goes to the local park. When going to family reunions out of town, she carpools or takes the bus. On rare 'travels', she goes on bus tours, takes trains, or...carpools again with happy drivers, and offers to pay for all the petrol.
Having lived and even travelled with my dear mom I would say I admire the way she has all the bus routes and schedules memorized, even the 'stat holidays' irregularities. She's learned organization, as missing the boat suckes.
One of the skills a non-driver has to keep exercising - which can be quite challenging after a while of being out of the driving loop - is being co-navigators. Passangers it seems, rarely can help you find your way through a sea of one-ways; looking at road maps hardly materializes into "you need to take the next exit dear". Oh, and forget about parking spots scouting abilities.
But, non-drivers do make up for it with conversation, which, most experienced passangers excel at.
And now, the secret weapon all passanger should carry will car-pooling: drivers-empathy. There is nothing like a passanger offering to pay for petrole, for a nice restaurant meal or a simple coffee. Drivers will be just more willing to repeat the process.
posted by minetto at 10:41 AM
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