Life in the Slow Lane
Greetings from San Francisco, California! It's 9:00 a.m., I've recently crawled out of bed and I'm nursing a hot cup of coffee.
I live in the United States, where the automobile is king. This is especially true here in California, where living without a car is about as rare as a clear, smogless day in Los Angeles.
Fortunately the city of San Francisco is an exception to the rule that life is virtually impossible without a car. Our city is compact and enjoys an excellent public transportation system.
I am one of those rare Californians who don't have a car. My primary means of transportation are my two feet. When my destination is just a bit too far out of range for walking I hop on my bicycle. I've recently attached a sign to the back of my bike that says "Bicycling: A Quiet Statement Against Oil Wars". When I really need to go far I can take the BART train, MUNI subway and bus system, a little cable car that goes "halfway to the stars", or a ferry across San Francisco Bay.
I wish more Californians would join in me by leaving their cars at home and finding alternative, non-polluting means of transportation. Think of the benefits! Weight loss, time to relax and read the newspaper on the way to work, a great way to view the scenery instead of the tail lights of the car ahead, and most of all the satisfaction of knowing that one isn't spewing pollution into our fragile atmosphere.
I'm taking a walk later today, followed by a fun bike ride out to the park, and finally I'll grab the subway to meet some friends later this evening. My fellow Americans, won't you join me?
I live in the United States, where the automobile is king. This is especially true here in California, where living without a car is about as rare as a clear, smogless day in Los Angeles.
Fortunately the city of San Francisco is an exception to the rule that life is virtually impossible without a car. Our city is compact and enjoys an excellent public transportation system.
I am one of those rare Californians who don't have a car. My primary means of transportation are my two feet. When my destination is just a bit too far out of range for walking I hop on my bicycle. I've recently attached a sign to the back of my bike that says "Bicycling: A Quiet Statement Against Oil Wars". When I really need to go far I can take the BART train, MUNI subway and bus system, a little cable car that goes "halfway to the stars", or a ferry across San Francisco Bay.
I wish more Californians would join in me by leaving their cars at home and finding alternative, non-polluting means of transportation. Think of the benefits! Weight loss, time to relax and read the newspaper on the way to work, a great way to view the scenery instead of the tail lights of the car ahead, and most of all the satisfaction of knowing that one isn't spewing pollution into our fragile atmosphere.
I'm taking a walk later today, followed by a fun bike ride out to the park, and finally I'll grab the subway to meet some friends later this evening. My fellow Americans, won't you join me?
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posted by Sangroncito at 5:00:00 pm
1 Comments:
That's the good thing about living in such a compact place, you can get away with not driving a car. Unfortunately, at least in Britain rural public transport is usually sparse to say the least.
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