There are so many reasons to own a car, and just as many not-to. Cars carry multiple people and a whole lot of luggage. You can use them on your own time and they represent a kind of personal freedom hard to come by; but they are also expensive to operate and maintain, and they have a really large environmental footprint.
I live minutes from the downtown centre and my preferred way to get around the city is my bicycle. However there are many occasions where cycling is a bit of a drag. Can you picture yourself lugging heavy things on your bike in the rain?
For the urban city-dweller, a membership to a car-sharing company may be the answer. That means cars when you need them without the financial and environmental stress. I recently became a Zipcar member and have already taken out two vehicles in my first week. What did I need them for?
One Person’s Trash…
A couple of days ago I came across a charming wooden wardrobe left curbside for whomever to claim. It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it has all the makings of a fun, restoration project. The wardrobe was just a couple of doors down from where I was headed, so I booked a pick-up truck located two blocks away, and with the help of a dear friend got it home within the hour. The whole transaction cost me $11!
Escaping the City
My first adventure was to see if I could get a glimpse of the Northern Lights that were appearing across parts of southern Canada two weeks ago. In order to increase my chances I needed to travel outside the city limits to escape the light pollution of Toronto. I hung out lakeside in Keswick and didn’t see the Aurora Borealis, but caught two shooting stars!
Without my car membership, I would have missed out on opportunities to appreciate the natural world and salvage second hand furniture. Still think driving isn’t green?
If you’re ready to roll, try these car-sharing companies where you live:
Montreal, Sherbrooke, Gatineau, QC
CommunAuto
Vancouver, BC
Co-operative Auto Network
Victoria, BC
Nelson, Kaslo, Fernie, Revelstoke, Kimberley and Golden, BC
Toronto, ON
Ottawa, ON
Waterloo region, ON
Grand River/Kitchner-Waterloo/Cambridge/Hamilton, ON
Grand River/Hamilton Car Share
Edmonton, AB
Halifax, NS
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