Rossana Woo
In the fast-paced world of the San Fernando Valley, it’s hard to picture a Pierce College student sans a car.
Driving to school, work, social activities or the occasional shopping spree, a car is as much a necessity as a cell phone.
Well, I’ve got a shocking confession to make: I don’t have a car.
Okay, so it’s not much of a confession if you know me.
I’m the friend who bums rides off anybody feeling slightly generous.
If you’ve got a car and I need a ride, I’m the nicest person you’ll have met that whole day.
I have a driver’s license and possess the ability to maneuver an automobile, but I just don’t have a car.
Most people who learn this about me are surprised.
Who wouldn’t be? I’m 19 years old and have had my license for almost three years now.
“How do you get to school?” they ask.
My main mode of transportation is somebody I like to call “Mommy.” Similar to the good old days of elementary, middle and high school, my mom drops me off and picks me up from school everyday.
I like to think of her as my personal chauffeur.
If I have errands to run at school, I ask her to give me a ride.
If I have to stay late or if my class lets out early, Mommy is on her way.
Does it suck that I don’t have my own car to use at my own discretion? Yes-and no.
I’m sure I’m not the only student at Pierce College who doesn’t have a car (or at least I hope I’m not,) so I’m sure a lot of people understand the pros and cons of not having a car.
Let’s start with the pros.
A car is an expensive piece of machinery. If the initial cost of a car won’t kill you, the insurance surely will.
As a person with no ties to any monthly insurance premiums, I’ve got money left to spend on more important things-like shoes.
What if I get into an accident? It would be very unlikely if my car survived with just a scratch.
Even a scratch costs money to fix.
Then there are maintenance fees.
A car is like a puppy that needs to be taken care of. It needs to be fed gasoline, have its oil changed, tires rotated, transmission checked and a whole bunch of other things I don’t have the time or money to do.
Finally, the best thing about not having to drive to school is parking. Trying to find parking before a 9:35 a.m. class is like hunting down a wild boar in the jungle.
That is stress I can leave out of my life.
As for the cons of not having a car, the only con I can think of is not having the same amount of freedom as those with cars.
I can’t do the random trips to Dairy Queen when I get a craving and I can’t sneak off to a guy’s house late at night. If something comes up, my number one priority is getting a ride.
There are other alternatives other than my Mommy.
I’ve done the whole carpool-with-a-friend thing and that worked out fine. However, carpooling leaves me feeling guilty most of the time.
Whoever I’m carpooling with usually has class the same time I do. That means that he/she must wake up at least 20 to 30 minutes earlier just to make time to pick me up, find a parking spot and make it to class on time.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my two years at Pierce about my fellow students it’s that they are not morning people.
Then there’s public transportation. I’m not going to lie to you, I’m terrified of it. In my 19 years of living on this planet, I’ve only been on a public bus twice-both times with two other friends.
So why don’t I have a car? It seems like every person, from those still in high school to those who seem to be a few cents short of a dollar, has a car.
I just happen to be in a unique situation where having my own car would only cause more problems that it would fix.
I live in a townhouse with a two-car garage. My parents’ cars take up garage space. I can’t park outside, thanks to my brother.
When he got his own car (at age 17, I might add) he parked it in the guest parking lot. His radio was stolen twice. Since then, I’m not so keen on parking any car outside.
Maybe living in the San Fernando Valley is wrong for me. I should move to a place where driving and owning a car is not the norm.
How much do taxis cost in New York?
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