car free living in Los AngelesApril 4, 2008 9:34 am
Car Free Living in Los Angeles
If I am going to live in LA without a car, I need to get information on it. This category will have articles relating to car free living in Los Angles.
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Ooh, thanks for the link. I will definitely take a listen!
Comment by arduous — April 4, 2008 @ 12:21 pm
I thought he was a little over the top with his car use: driving down the driveway to get to his mailbox? That’s craziness!
On askmefi everyone seems to think that its this giant difficulty to live in LA without a car. I am not entirely sure that’s true…so I am curious to see other people’s POV.
Comment by Beany — April 4, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
I will be able to comment more at the end of April when I am done with this challenge. However, now that I’ve had to bite the proverbial bullet, I am actually surprised at how much LESS onerous the public transport system is. Oh, I could write an epic poem about how much I hate buses, and I probably will, but the point is, I am really starting to feel like I could survive without a car as long as I was a member of Flexcar or Zipcar or some similar car sharing service.
But like I said, I’ll be able to contribute more at the end of April.
Comment by arduous — April 4, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
LA without a car? Huge props to you and your husband if it works.
I was in LA a few years ago - staying near the Millenium Hotel (couch surfing) for a job fair. I took public transit to the Wiltern in Beverly Hills that night to see Interpol. Going there was a bit of a hassle but coming back was a nightmare. The subway before arriving at the transfer station (Union) took a short break which arrived a minute late so I missed the connecting subway to get back. I got on three different buses and got home around 4am. It was the worst experience I’ve had. The bus drivers were ill-informed on the schedules/routes which made it terrible and hellish.
On an unrelated note- I’d be wary of Mexican tomatoes even if organic. Even organic Haas avocadoes have pesticide issues - http://www.strtrade.com/wti/2008/april/04/aphis_avocados.txt
That little bit mentions fruit flys and containing pests. Just FYI
Comment by sfordinarygirl — April 4, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
Yeah buses suck. Bus I can make the same argument over any mode of transporation. I prefer a train over a bus, but…I can’t have everything I want.
We have similar problems to LA bus drivers…unhelpful/rude/talking on cellphone while driving etc, etc. But that’s part of the package. I think I would be a bit nicer to have such a cushy job with a transit authority though.
I am a member of Philly’s car share service and I like them over zipcar/flexcar because I only pay when I use the car unlike the monthly fine that flexcar has. I haven’t driven since last June. So I do have a backup if I need to get somewhere by car, but now I’ve learned to just ask my car owning friends for a ride. Maybe I’ll join flexcar when I get to LA. We’ll see how it works out.
SF: you experience sounds just like the one we had in Atlanta. It was hell. In fact nowadays because of my 10 hour shifts, I often wind up taking transit before or after rush hour and I’m always missing the connecting lines. A book and some music really helps so I don’t mind it. I have to plan a bit extra when I have to get to my book club or meet friends, but its fine. My expectations are in the toilet, so I am always pleasantly surprised.
Thanks for the tip on fruit flies. I read the article you linked to. We originally quit eating bananas not because of exploited island workers but because of fruit flies. They are a real pest and our compost bin was a nightmare. I have not purchased any organic mexican produce since I last posted about it. We’re going without it.
Comment by Beany — April 5, 2008 @ 5:04 pm