Zippity Do Dah

This whole "having a car in Toronto" thing is for the birds.

To be able to register an out-of-province vehicle, I had to have it inspected. Upon having
this inspection, I was told that I needed:

a. new tires ($600)
b. new windshield ($350)
c. new brakes ($350)

Now for those of you who don't know what I drive, I drive a 2003 Mazda Protege. A fairly new car.
The whole thing has been a bureaucratic nightmare. My sticker expired a week and a half ago, and I decided to not renew it, since my lease is up next month. I crunched some numbers, and realized to have it certified, and registered, it would be about $1500, and then I would have to buy the friggin thing out.

Sooooo, upon some serious deliberation, I decided to update the vehicle with used tires and a new windshield that would pass the lease inspection when I return it in a month. I priced these items, and bought them both for $430. I then parked my car underground in my building and bought a transit pass.

I have been using this pass now for 2 weeks and I realize that I don't REALLY need a car. I walk to work. The buses/streetcars come every 5-10 minutes and the subways are 4-5 minutes apart at their slowest period. It's a no brainer.

The idea of NOT having a car is weird for me, since I have owned one for the last 13 yrs. I thought that maybe this would be a short term solution originally...but now I think it may be more long term. Not having a car will save me almost $500 a month.

I then speculated about those times when I may miss having a car - going to see my sister and her family who live an hour south of Toronto..or seeing my Mom who lives an hour and a half north of Toronto - or seeing friends that live just outside the city where the buses are a little more tricky..

So I decided to become a Zip Car member. For those of you who have never heard of car sharing, here is the 411:

• You buy a membership for $30.
• You apply online and give them your driver's abstract.
• You purchase a monthly plan for $50, $75, $125 or $250. Or, you can waive the monthly plan and join the occasional plan which has an annual fee of $55.
• There are over 200 cars parked all over the city.
• You reserve the car for anywhere between an hour and 24 hours.
• You receive a card which you hold over the windshield and this unlocks the car and you drive away.
• If you get low on gas, there is a gas/fleet card in the car which you use to fill it up.
• You pay an hourly/daily rate which includes gas, parking, and insurance. I believe the daily max is $60-70.

Pretty cool huh?

I thought so. The cars to choose from are all under 3 years old and are fun - civics, golfs, minis, jettas, volvos, fits, prius', etc.

The best part is that you are on the insurance plan for the company, so you are gaining an insurance record. This helps down the road when you want cheap insurance rates.

So this is the new Meredith. It feels good to not contribute to the smog problem in the city as well. Back in one of my movie blog reviews (Who Killed the Electric Car?), I joked around about not having a car and becoming a granola-eating vegetarian. I guess I shouldn't have made fun, because here I am ....what's next? Birkenstocks? Dreadlocks?