My new car!

The title of the post may seem a little odd, given the name of the blog - but my new car... is actually a big red BUS.

My wife and I (mostly me) decided we could get by with one car. Its 52km round trip for me to drive by car (over 12,000km/year). It is 14km round trip for her. With the exception of our work commute, we almost always have one car sitting unused in the driveway.

Her car is about 9 years old, and is at the point where she can probably still get a reasonable price if we sold it. We'll use that money to pay off some wedding debt we accumulated last year after getting married. It also means we don't have to pay for insurance, maintenance or gas for two cars. In exchange, it costs me about $75/month to ride the bus.

Ironically, my wife's hesitation to the change stemmed from the fact that she felt bad that I had to take the bus. She tried to convince me to take the car and drop her at work -- she could then run home. I think she understands now, that its not an inconvenience for me - and that I find it quite enjoyable. I've dusted off my iPod loaded with music I never listened to before, and I'm getting caught up on my reading (even if I have to stand). And that is just the beginning...

The stigma attached to riding the bus is unbelievable. Whenever I tell people my decision to switch, they don't really understand it. A lot of people perceive it as dirty, and full of stinky, sweaty people that only come out at night (or when the local carnival is in town), but its not true. On any given day you may sit beside a University Professor, or a Doctor or any other "professional" you can think of.

For the nay sayers... no - it is not as convenient as driving - especially when you have errands to run. The key is to plan in advance and I'm finding ways to work with the system. For instance, the bus from Kanata stops at Bayshore Shopping Center. If I need anything (clothes, booze, stereo equipment, a few groceries), I can buy them there and jump on the next bus going by.

Bottom line... taking the bus can be enjoyable and rewarding if you can plan a little bit in advance. Take the little extra time it takes to read a book, or listen to some music, or just sit and reflect on life. And it transcends social classes more than people think...