Time to Ditch your Personal Car

By the time you’re 18, you probably already own – or at least use your parent’s – car. The feeling of driving by yourself, with the windows down while you listen to The National’s About Today on your way to work, school, or anything else, makes this moment, well – independent. 

But, what is independent? Is it the feeling that you’ll feel road rage as traffic makes a 10-minute commute home turn into a 40-minute one? Or that you’ll have to stop-and-go all the way home? No. 

Being independent means making decisions that are best for you. Deciding to take care of yourself by taking public transport, and avoiding all the negativity of driving is a great first step. I’m sure you’ve been wanting to finish that book you’ve put off for a while, and now is your chance. Or maybe you want to finally get into This American Story from NPR – check it out if you haven’t done so. 

My point is this. Our planet can’t take it anymore. Imagine someone stuck in a closet, with a generator on. They would be suffocating, and our planet is too. And what does “our planet mean” exactly? Well, it certainly doesn’t mean this imaginary thing we forget about. Our planet is everything. You, me, him, her, your cat, your dog, your tomato plant in your backyard. You get the idea. 

So why is your personal car so important to this discussion? If you haven’t figured it out by now, please play attention. There are too many cars out there producing too much pollution – whether it is noise, air, or car accidents. The fact of the matter is, that we have to use what’s already around us. We can’t wait for the next “big thing” to appear and save us all. 

The Guardian recently said that “self-driving cars” won’t save us, and why? Because they’re still cars at the end of the day. So my message to you is this. 

Look up your public transport system in your city. Use your bike. Walk. Share your vehicle. You’ll be surprised with what you didn’t know is around you, and how much closer you’ll feel to your home. And if the public transport system isn’t great. Well, then make it. Ok, maybe you can’t ditch your own car, but at make the effort to use it less, much less. YOU have the power to change our system. YOU have the power to make it better. YOU have the power to decide.