I don’t have a car and I love it (most of the time). Living in Portland, and previously in New York, I haven’t needed a car and have utilized public transportation. More recently, I’ve been biking everywhere. I feel good about my transportation budget and my contribution to the environment.
But not too long ago, I was living in Los Angeles, where you really need a car to get around. If you have a job, and have friends, you need a car. While LA has taken strides with their public transportation, it is still a car city.
I was always lucky that I got hand-me-down cars to drive, so I never had a car payment. My parents were also pretty generous with helping out with gas and insurance in my younger years and for that I was eternally grateful.
When I got my first career job when I was 22, I was very excited, eager and motivated. I lived only 5 minutes away from my job and didn’t really need to drive to work. My boss at the time was having medical issues that prevented him from driving to work, so the staff was taking turns driving him to work. I had just started the job, so I eagerly signed up for a shift. I had only worked there for three weeks and was the “new girl”, so I wanted to show that I could be a team player. I had also been an “approved” driver as I was one of the few staff members who had a crystal clean driving record.
I left my apartment early to go pick up my boss, who lived in a much nicer, residential neighborhood. At the time, I had a lot of things on my mind; starting a new job, living in a new apartment, adjusting to living and working downtown, and a new flame. Somehow I got utterly distracted by all of these things and drove through a stop sign.
Within a second, I was hit and my car flung to the other side of the street. My heart was racing and all time stopped. The radio was still on and I couldn’t help but think:
What the hell happened?!
I got out of my car, shaken up, frantically looking around. A guy approached me and with a stern tone said, “What were you doing?! You drove through a stop sign!” The side of my car got hit, but it was 100% totally my fault.
I was three blocks away from my boss’ apartment and was mortified, terrified, and depressed. I called my boss and had to shamefully admit why I was late and confess what had happened. He took it very well and arranged a ride with someone else.
After talking to police, and getting my car towed, I managed to roll in to work a few hours later. I kept fielding questions about what happened, while simultaneously dealing with the pain and shock my body was enduring. On one hand, I was very lucky that no one was hurt. We were able to walk away from the scene.
I went home that night feeling so low and confused. How could I have let that happen? I was daydreaming and made a stupid mistake; a mistake that ultimately cost me $1,800 in deductibles and repairs (thank goodness I had an Emergency Fund then!). My insurance went up.
Two years later, I got in an even stupider accident, if you can believe it. The terrible thing about my two accidents was that they were very silly and totally preventable. At this time, I knew I was heading to New York soon and I was excited to live a life sans car. When I was in New York, I vowed to never have a car again. I don’t think I am a bad driver (contrary to what it may seem like confessing all of this), but I can be careless in the sense that I get easily distracted and stressed. It wasn’t an inability to drive well, but stress seriously affected my ability to be discerning while driving. I self-selected and took myself off the road. I didn’t want to be in this situation again, where I had to drive. I think it’s important to know if you may be a hazard to other people and really know your strengths and weaknesses. This was a painful realization for me, but I realized I was much happier not driving.
Aside from my terrible record, I spent so much money on parking tickets, parking lots, parking meters, repairs, gas, and my increased insurance. When I moved to New York and became carless, I felt free. I wouldn’t have to worry about driving, I could drink without doing something illegal and hazardous, and I had peace of mind.
Now I only drive a few times a month for work, and the occasional Car2Go ride. I am more confident now that I know not to rush, or be stressed. Deciding to be carless has been a great decision for me, and probably beneficial to others as well.
I am literally saving thousands of dollars per year being carless.
What about you? Have you been in an at-fault accident? Is your driving record costing you too much money?