Determining if You Need a Car

Many of us made it through four years of college without a four-wheeled parasite sucking at our financial lifeblood. And those of us who did have a car usually didn’t have to pay for it. But what about now that you’re a big-shot post-grad with money to burn and homies to roll with? Well let’s break it down. A typical month can easily cost over $1000: car loan or lease payment ($350), four gas fill-ups ($200), insurance payment ($150), oil-change and maintenance (boatload). In many popular cities for recent grads, it’s $1000 you can easily save while still participating in our favorite activities.

Whether you’re commuting to work or trolling the strip mall for fro-yo, you have a wide array of transportation options to get you out of this environment-killing, wallet-thinning hell. So throw a “For Sale” sign on that Jetta and read our suggestions on how to navigate a car-free life.

Commuting to Work

Take a Hike

The easiest, and most obvious, way to get around without a car is under your own power—via walking, cycling, rollerblading, or human-pulled rickshaw. All these options will not only get you from point A to point B, but also provide a little exercise and produce zero pollution. Whatever mode of transportation you choose, it’s important to get the right gear. Walkers will need a good umbrella, comfortable shoes, and maybe an old-school handcart for taking home big loads from the grocery store. Cyclists will benefit from a practical messenger bag, safety lights, and a well-fitting helmet. Transit riders may want a can of mace for the lunatic claiming to be “Mahatma Jesus.”

Unfortunately, there is more to it than just rolling up your pant leg and hopping on a ten-speed. If you want to get to work under your own power, you probably have to live within a few miles from work—Lance Armstrong, Floyd Landis, and Jake Gyllenhaal excepted. Also, you’ll need a backup plan for when the heavens open and walking to work will actually make you look like you swam there. Find some valuable tips on bicycle commuting here. Ride the City maps out bike-friendly routes in NYC.

Carpools

Zipping around in diamond lanes, reading the paper, sipping lattes—talk about the life. Websites like iCarpool and CarpoolConnect, match commuters with compatible routes and schedules with one another. Less official but still viable are Casual Carpools, an intriguing idea that is becoming more common in the United States, particularly in cities like Washington D.C. Basically, it’s like Craigslist’s “Casual Encounters,” but instead of sexual deviance, complete strangers offer a ride in their car so they can use the carpool lane. The drivers are called "body snatchers" and the passengers are called "slugs." Here are the unofficial Casual Carpool Rules, as well as a map of "slug line" locations in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area.