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One Less Car

Tales of an Auto-free Family

By Jonathon Allen

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Ironically, many drivers see their automobile as a necessary component to their freedom, when in reality they spend much of their lives in bondage to it. Working to afford a car so they can drive to work, pouring every available cent into keeping it running and insured, dreading the inevitable moment when it makes contact with another vehicle or leaves them stranded on the side of the road at the mercy of the nearest mechanic.

Location Matters
Of course, if you decide to go auto-free – especially with kids – one of the first things to consider is where to live. Obviously, cities like Los Angeles – the freeway-feuding car-driving capital of the world – and any place that experiences extreme weather, like Montana, are off the list.

My wife and I chose Portland, Or., to begin our car-free odyssey because it has relatively mild weather, an extensive mass transit system and a maze of bike lanes. When my wife's mother found out we were pregnant with our first child she said, "So, now are you going to get a car?"

"No," we replied, much to her dismay. Instead, we opted to get a bike trailer and mov to a smaller community where everything essential for modern living is within walking distance. It's easy to forget that this is how a majority of the planet's population lives.


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