Carless in Canary Wharf
Apr. 28th, 2008 11:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
major_clangerFor the first time in twenty years, I don't have a car.
To be pedantic, that's not quite true. There have been times before when I've been without a car of my own, such as when my Astra was stolen and torched back in 1993. And I still legally own my PT Cruiser; it's just in the care of my brother whilst he tries to sell it for me. But I'm not expecting to drive it again, and nor will I be replacing it. My new flat doesn't have a parking space, and seeing as how I plan to be studying or working in London for the foreseeable future there's little call for me to drive regularly. If I do need a vehicle - to move something bulky, for instance - I can always hire one.
So, no more petrol bills. Also, no more MOT fees (or the repairs that usually go with them, even for a generally well-preserved eight-year-old car), no more parking permits, no more road tax and no more car insurance. The total cost of ownership of a car soon adds up.
But I'll still miss my last car. I did like the PT Cruiser: it was distinctive, roomy, comfortable and very reliable, even if it did have the turning circle of a supertanker. Oh well, I've still got my scale model.
To be pedantic, that's not quite true. There have been times before when I've been without a car of my own, such as when my Astra was stolen and torched back in 1993. And I still legally own my PT Cruiser; it's just in the care of my brother whilst he tries to sell it for me. But I'm not expecting to drive it again, and nor will I be replacing it. My new flat doesn't have a parking space, and seeing as how I plan to be studying or working in London for the foreseeable future there's little call for me to drive regularly. If I do need a vehicle - to move something bulky, for instance - I can always hire one.
So, no more petrol bills. Also, no more MOT fees (or the repairs that usually go with them, even for a generally well-preserved eight-year-old car), no more parking permits, no more road tax and no more car insurance. The total cost of ownership of a car soon adds up.
But I'll still miss my last car. I did like the PT Cruiser: it was distinctive, roomy, comfortable and very reliable, even if it did have the turning circle of a supertanker. Oh well, I've still got my scale model.
