Turning in the keys of an adorable 2004 Honda Civic for a plain paper bus pass, I'm going to embrace Car-Free Day wholeheartedly.
But while Mississauga celebrates the reduction of car dependence on Sunday at City Centre, I'm going to kick it up a notch, leaving my car in the garage for a week from tomorrow to next Friday.
I'm curious to see how realistic it is for me to live without a car in Mississauga.
A big part of this stems from my guilt of adding to the pollution and smog problem.
And while I've taken steps to become eco-friendly in the past few years — incorporating the green bin into my daily life, car pooling and even buying sustainable clothing, for instance — I have yet to strip myself of my wheels.
It was hard enough getting rid of my rustic baby blue 1990 Honda Civic hatchback back in April. It had saved me from hour-long trips on the bus just to get to Square One when I was 17, and supported my need to maximize my time, allowing me to do several errands in a day, quickly and efficiently.
But these days, I'm paying the price: I recently coughed up $260 for a tune-up and another $150 or so for my monthly car insurance payment.
Then there's the rising gas prices. My wallet is sick and tired of taking the hefty hit from the gouging prices at the pumps.
So while I'm a bit leery about public transportation, especially given a reporter's erratic schedule and destinations, I'm anxious to see if I can actually adopt a life without my own wheels.
But, hey, if 87-year-old Mayor Hazel McCallion can ride her bike to work (which she will be doing on Monday), God help me if I can't survive without my car for only a week.
jle@mississauga.net
