How Dumping My Car Changed My Life

I dumped my car. It was one of the hardest and best decisions of my life.

He was really cute, a little Honda Civic Coupe in a bright shade of blue. I named him Azraq, after the Arabic word for blue that I had learned from my friends while playing Uno. He fit two just perfectly, four in a pinch. I gave him a nice "tramp stamp" bumper sticker of the Wonder Woman logo. It made people smile.

I dumped Azraq at the end of February 2018. You see, he was really necessary from August 2017 – January 2018. I first got him when I had a job over an hour away, and then I kept him when I quit the job and worked part-time through the dead of winter. I even used Azraq to drive UberEats to get the last bit for my rent (most months). But then something changed.

I got a job in the Big City, a place where public transit actually existed. And I moved to a spot that had a bus stop. I started making lists of how much time I was actually spending with Azraq, and it was dwindling as I started cheating on him with Metro. I realized that the time I was spending with him could actually be spent on a bus or in an Uber. And, he was quite more expensive than both of those options.

It was hard at first, the thought of giving Azraq up. My friends even tried to convince me that it would be impossible; that I couldn't do life without him.

For a long time, I had felt that he was something I could depend on, which I knew in my heart wasn’t true; he could break or get in an accident at any time. I also had to think about all the money I was throwing at a mode of transport I don’t even believe in; public transit is much more sustainable for our planet (#climatechange). So, I made the hard decision and cut off all ties to him.

It has now been almost 2 1/2 years. And do I miss him?

Nah.

I now get to close my eyes and sleep on my commute if I want. Or I can listen to a podcast or music and daydream out the window. I have had really cool conversations with my Uber drivers, from discussing vegan recipes to hearing a driver’s stand-up comedy act. I don’t have the worries associated with owning something expensive. As a paraphrase of Henry Thoreau, I don’t have much thus I don’t have much to lose.

Taking public transit has also opened up my life to relationships I might not have had otherwise. I mix with people outside of my industry, outside of my social class, while standing at bus stops or waiting for the train. Many of these people have become really great friends. My life is richer because I'm able to learn more about their lives, their perspectives. I've grown.

Does this sound tempting? Are you getting close to a break-up of your own?

Do a trial run. It's easy. Leave your car at home for 1 week (better yet, hand your keys over to a friend or lock them away). Try out the different ways to get places besides using your personal vehicle. Can you walk or bike to the grocery store? Do you have a bus near your home, or do you have a coworker you can carpool with? Does your area have a vanpool system? Could you perhaps swap your car out for a motorcycle or motor scooter to save on gas (and have more fun)?

Granted, the decision to go car-less will be a much more feasible choice if you live in a city with public transit. So, if you do the research and find that your area does not have robust public transit, make sure to write to your county and ask about it - chances are, there are a lot of other people who would ride the bus as well if it existed. Your county or city is likely just waiting for people (like you) to ask.

So go ahead, take the leap! You might realize that your car relationship is one that you are better off without.