Round, round, get around

I've been thinking a lot lately about my car. It's a reliable vehicle thus far - it's almost over the hill (100,000 miles) and it's endured some of the roughest weather and terrain this state has to offer. Though I treat my car very well (tune-up's, obsessively-regular oil changes, transmission flushes, tire rotations, etc) I still have every reason to be thankful that the little American-made four-banger turns over in sub-zero temperatures. It never fails to get from point A to B and for that I give it a little tap on the trunk and occasionally clean all the empty water bottles and gum wrappers from its floorboards.

The problem is - I'm not sure I want to drive a car anymore. Some of you might be thinking "So don't, what's the big deal?" Unfortunately there is a big deal and it's larger than my singular progressive forward-thinking self can sometimes fathom. The issue is a social stigma that may very well be quite sweeping, but in my experience is very concentrated in the midwest - particularly Michigan and even more so, this "Motor City" I love so much.

Growing up in Southwest Detroit had very few advantages. Living blocks away from a huge steel mill in one of the most crime-infested areas in the entire nation was not an ideal situation - but it was the best that my mother and stepfather could provide. The environment always gave me one strong feeling - the need to escape, to explore, to expand - and the easiest way to achieve this was to get a license and car as quick as humanly possible.

On top of the escapism built the pressures of adolescence and being "cool." Everyone in high school wanted to have a car. Never once was there talk of walking (that's what people without CARS do, DUH) or riding a bike (That's what kids do, DUH) or taking the bus (That's what poor people and bums do, DUH!) Alternative transportation didn't exist in my world and I have a feeling my experience wasn't too far from that of many others.

This nasty stigma around pooling, biking, and mass transit is a large reason why it's so difficult to actually participate in any of those activities in the state of Michigan. 3 months of brutal cold and heavy snow make it nearly impossible to bike - but it doesn't rule out hoping on a bus. Even in the warmer months, the lack of bike lanes also makes the two-wheeled commute challenging and dangerous at times. To add insult, every time I chain my bike outside of an establishment, people stare at me with a facial expression that reads "Wow, she must have more than a couple DUIs."

I'm not sure what I'll do when my current vehicle finally kicks the proverbial bucket. Perhaps I'll be in another state by then or maybe I'll live closer to all point B's of great necessity. Either way - I'm over 4 wheels.

I need a fuckin' revolution.