Photo by Daniel Y

Okay, at least one less car?

We currently own two cars, a 2000 Honda Civic and a 2003 Toyota Matrix. And we’ve been thinking about ditching one. And eventually trading the other for a van (we’re thinking about the future family  additions here.) We’re thinking less car maintenance, less gas, less of everything. But of course it also means more of something. Before I became a mama, going completely carless would not be  unthinkable. I like public transportation and appreciate the long down times I have to think, watch and observe people around me. But now that we have a baby (yes, she’s still a baby to me), it seems a bit less practical. At first glance.

Roadblocks to Going Car-Less (With A Baby)

We live in Seattle, where the transportation is arguably getting better but not yet up to par with the likes of say, New York, San Francisco or Shanghai (where I lived before and loved the mass commute, sorta). We’re 14h on the list of cities with highest transit ridership in the U.S., at least according to Wiki-pedia. We don’t have subway lines, but our buses are not too shabby, and there’s now the Sound Transit Light Rail and the Orca pass to make the traveling a bit easier. The means to get to places is there. It’s having a little child in tow that makes public transportation seem more daunting.  Why? Here are some perceived roadblocks:

• Lack of control over how long it takes to get somewhere. Or it just takes longer to get somewhere period.
• Lack of privacy if they have to nurse, or get into an embarrassing temper tantrum.
• Requires more thoughtful planning and preparation and makes it harder to go somewhere on a whim, like a run to the grocery store.
• Limited stuff you can bring with you, assuming you can’t fit everything you need in a diaper bag.
• Exposure to more “germs” during the flu season.

I’m sure there’s more I can add to the list, but I’ll stop here.

A Different Take on Public Transportation Roadblocks

Let’s take a more careful look at each of these reasons and see if we can make it work for us, by seeing it through a different lens. Instead, let’s think opportunities.

• Lack of control over how long it takes to get somewhere, etcetera. Instead, how about gaining freedom from constraints of being “in control” for a change? It can mean less stress. Riding the bus can also free up some time since you are no longer behind the wheel. Think of the time you gain to spend with your little one.
• Lack of privacy if they have to nurse, or get into an embarrassing temper tantrum or crying fits. There’s always a nursing cover (which I never used but still managed to remain discreet when riding the bus.) And you can always think of it as a way to increase awareness that breastfeeding rocks!  The tantrum part, is a bit trickier, but we all know that there is a good reason for the tantrum. Whether a physical one (tired, hungry, overstimulated) or emotional one. It’s no different from any other “public mothering” opportunities we run into from time to time. It can be stressful and the key is to be prepared. Which is our next point.
• Requires more thoughtful planning and preparation and makes it harder to go somewhere on a whim, like a run to the grocery store. Well, then. An opportunity to expand our scheduled rhythms. Or for prepared spontaneity. How’s that? It can be just what we need to simplify our lives even more. If we are going to only have one car, then possibly I can only use it on the weekends which would mean I would have to do all my grocery shopping then. Which also means I have to plan our week so that whatever we do would be more “local” and within our community or somewhere accessible by mass transit. It gives me limits, which can be an opportunity for creativity and flexibility. The irony, huh?
• Limited stuff you can bring with you, assuming you can’t fit everything you need in a diaper bag. Okay, so you know what I’m going to say: opportunity for simplicity. It’s a much needed exercise in traveling light and thinking about our minimal needs as possible. A simple backpack does the trick for me, just for the essentials. Snack, water, a couple of diapers, a book, my wallet, a camera, a sling and my phone. The less you pack, the more room you have for taking home stuff with you, like the pinecones your little one insists on taking back with her. Memories.
• Exposure to more “germs” during the flu season. This is where my hubby gets worried about the most, especially because we don’t get the flu vaccine (I’ll have to write about that one later.) But as I keep reminding him, pay attention more to taking care of your immune system than worrying about all the stuff “out there” that can potentially get you sick. Here, we can instead think of opportunities for exposure to other people, different kinds of people. An opportunity to interact with strangers, observe, see the world in slow motion.

What about you? What do you think about going car-less? Can you add more to this list? I’ll update some more when we get closer to our goal of moving towards a one car less family.