After reading my sister's blog on great money saving ideas from immigrants and the painful process of being rejected on registering the car, I decided that we should try living without a car to see if we could do it. I figured that I could start walking with Kumquat to campus (Stephen usually rides his bike anyway), only visit friends within walking distance, and mooch a ride with my obliging landlady (with good looking posterity) to the grocery store.
I think it only lasted a day before I realized that it's a little tougher than I thought when you've got an adorable fellow not quite 11 lbs, you and he are sick, you hate the cold, and you live on a ridiculous hill. Not that this is any excuse, but let's just say I'm not going to be putting a for sale sign on the not-passing car any time soon, though I am definitely going to be walking more once this cough goes away just to spite the automobile mechanics with seeming absolute power.
My question: Do you think if more people rode their bikes there would be more or less sick days? Would there be more because people wouldn't be able to ride their bikes because they were so sick, or would that mean that people wouldn't spread around so many germs because they wouldn't be at school/work anyway?
p.s. Who are the overachievers who actually register their car on time? Sheesh.
4 comments:
You totally should have studied public health! I've been walking to school 3 or 4 days a week, and it's been working out alright. And yes, I think the germs wouldn't spread as easily. Good luck with the no car experiment!
I enjoyed reading your sister's blog post, lots of good ideas.
It's hard for us spoiled Americans to give up our cars. At one point, we had more vehicles than people (a car, a truck, and motorcycle, before George was born). I think I'm going to try and walk to the grocery store one of these days. I guess biking would be easier (if I had a bike trailer).
I do think there would be less sick days if people really rode bikes more. Maybe more biking riding=more healthy people, less likely to get sick.
P.S. I'm one of those overachievers. Sorry.
I think one car per household has almost become a necessity in our society--unless you live somewhere with good public transportation (like D.C., New York, or Europe). That said, every so often I see an old man who lives near us walking home from Costco carrying his two gallons of milk. I think he is
too old to drive, but he is still making it work.
You know, it seems like cars are more or less a necessity. But when I think of that tiny 70-year old lady on my mission, who at her old age still worked full time as a cleaning lady, and then would come home late at night and hike up to her apartment on the 7th floor (no elevator), to take care of her lazy 40 year old daughter and kid...and she does that 6 days a week...Well, it seems like we could walk/bike somewhere even with a kid. I think it'd be great if you did. You'll get in awesome shape, and your baby will be a real healthy, tough little guy. But, that's coming from the one who hasn't set a foot outside in weeks due to snow and cold. :)
p.s. I have walked/biked to the grocery stores though, even with baby.
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