I live and work downtown, so I rarely drive. In the past, it was never primarily a money issue that led to my car staying in the garage. It’s just that, if I can do it reasonably conveniently, I prefer walking and taking the subway to driving. The former, walking, forces me to get some much needed exercise. The latter, public transit, provides the bonus of, in addition to the exercise I get walking to and from the subway stops, affording me the much appreciated opportunity to practice not getting caught ogling women in a crowded space.

Personal preference used to be my sole reason for choosing foot power over the internal combustion engine, but, with the price of gas soaring, money has increasingly become a factor. Now, on the rare occasions when I do use my car, to conserve fuel I try to travel only downhill. By coasting, I don’t need to burn any fuel, but it does introduce a bit of a problem. It’s very difficult to get back home in time for dinner as I have to wait for the occurrence of a major, propitious shift in the underlying tectonic plate before I can return.