I'm in Love with My...VTA Pass?
So, yes. It's been a little bit since my last entry, and on this one, I think I'm going to stay away from the pop culture stuff and go with the personal.
My name is Kai. I'm 32 years old, and I. Don't. Drive.
When I tell people this, they automatically assume that I'm not physically able to. I tell them that I am; I can see perfectly well with glasses and contacts, and, despite my 4'11" frame, I can indeed reach the pedals. And that's when I get "But driving is a life skill! How could you not know how to drive at your age?"
First of all, driving isn't the life skill; getting around independently is the life skill through which getting one's driver's license is attained. There are lots of other ways to accomplish this, whether walking on foot, driving a car, using public transit (my preferred method), or using a bicycle. I'm proud to say that with the combination of shoe-leather, train track, and bus-tire rubber, I can visit people, I can get my groceries, I can go to work, and accomplish everything I need to do during my day.
But why rely on someone else's schedule when I could just learn to drive, save up for my own wheels, and be on my own?
Well, that gets much more into the personal reasons for not driving. The first reason is, that, thanks to noggin-wiring provided by the good doctor Henry Turner, I'm just not suited to it. I have poor visuo-spatial skills. This means I have a very hard time looking down the road and anticipating the moves I'll need to make safe lane changes, safe turns, and safe traffic lights. These things are so, so crucial to safe driving, and if I can't be counted on to keep everyone (including myself) safe on the road, then it's best I don't get on the road at all.
The second is just temperament. I get very, very panicky behind the wheel. Now, maybe with enough driver's training my panic will subside, but do you wanna take that bet? I know I don't!
Next, driving is a very expensive proposition. Other than the car itself, there's insurance, there's gas (which is getting more and more expensive by the day), there's maintenance, the list goes on! I'd much rather pay my seventy bucks a month, get my VTA pass that allows me to use the VTA's trains and buses as necessary, and put the extra money towards my own place, for book-shopping excursions, clothes, coffee, and whatever else I want or need.
And as an added bonus, taking public transit is just better for the environment! Nifty, huh? How often have you seen cars on packed freeways with only one person in them? How much less clogged would they be if people were more willing to take public transit or took part in their school or office carpool? How much better would our air quality be?
Now, I realize that the decision to not drive isn't for everyone, so I'm not intending this post to be an "I'm better than you" type thing. Driving is intricately linked to our human idea of independence and is a rite of passage for so many that I'd never denigrate it. Also, there are places in this country where not driving is Just Not An Option. For example, I'd never be able to survive in my old Southern California home without a valid license. All I'm saying in this entry is that driving is a privilege, and with that privilege comes a lot of responsibilities. The responsibility to keep other motorists safe, the responsibility to keep your vehicle maintained, etc. For those (like myself) who don't feel they can take on those responsibilities, then not driving at all is not only a valid choice, but the best choice.
Love and Cheers,
Kai
My name is Kai. I'm 32 years old, and I. Don't. Drive.
When I tell people this, they automatically assume that I'm not physically able to. I tell them that I am; I can see perfectly well with glasses and contacts, and, despite my 4'11" frame, I can indeed reach the pedals. And that's when I get "But driving is a life skill! How could you not know how to drive at your age?"
First of all, driving isn't the life skill; getting around independently is the life skill through which getting one's driver's license is attained. There are lots of other ways to accomplish this, whether walking on foot, driving a car, using public transit (my preferred method), or using a bicycle. I'm proud to say that with the combination of shoe-leather, train track, and bus-tire rubber, I can visit people, I can get my groceries, I can go to work, and accomplish everything I need to do during my day.
But why rely on someone else's schedule when I could just learn to drive, save up for my own wheels, and be on my own?
Well, that gets much more into the personal reasons for not driving. The first reason is, that, thanks to noggin-wiring provided by the good doctor Henry Turner, I'm just not suited to it. I have poor visuo-spatial skills. This means I have a very hard time looking down the road and anticipating the moves I'll need to make safe lane changes, safe turns, and safe traffic lights. These things are so, so crucial to safe driving, and if I can't be counted on to keep everyone (including myself) safe on the road, then it's best I don't get on the road at all.
The second is just temperament. I get very, very panicky behind the wheel. Now, maybe with enough driver's training my panic will subside, but do you wanna take that bet? I know I don't!
Next, driving is a very expensive proposition. Other than the car itself, there's insurance, there's gas (which is getting more and more expensive by the day), there's maintenance, the list goes on! I'd much rather pay my seventy bucks a month, get my VTA pass that allows me to use the VTA's trains and buses as necessary, and put the extra money towards my own place, for book-shopping excursions, clothes, coffee, and whatever else I want or need.
And as an added bonus, taking public transit is just better for the environment! Nifty, huh? How often have you seen cars on packed freeways with only one person in them? How much less clogged would they be if people were more willing to take public transit or took part in their school or office carpool? How much better would our air quality be?
Now, I realize that the decision to not drive isn't for everyone, so I'm not intending this post to be an "I'm better than you" type thing. Driving is intricately linked to our human idea of independence and is a rite of passage for so many that I'd never denigrate it. Also, there are places in this country where not driving is Just Not An Option. For example, I'd never be able to survive in my old Southern California home without a valid license. All I'm saying in this entry is that driving is a privilege, and with that privilege comes a lot of responsibilities. The responsibility to keep other motorists safe, the responsibility to keep your vehicle maintained, etc. For those (like myself) who don't feel they can take on those responsibilities, then not driving at all is not only a valid choice, but the best choice.
Love and Cheers,
Kai