Guilty Pleasure

[brightlywoven]

For the first time ever...
...I own a car!

Now I firmly believe in living the minimal life - eschewing consumerism and avoiding the trap of expanding the cost of your lifestyle to fit your means. I love my little bike (which has now paid for itself in work transport alone - by cylcing everyday I have saved the bike's capital cost in bus fares, plus had the satisfaction of climbing that damn hill).

But...

My new job will require me to have car mobility - to be able to zip up to Banbury mid morning, and be back at the JR at lunchtime. So I have investigated, read AA reviews, scoured advertisments and last night we took the epic trip to Swindon [1] and I bought a (cheap, second hand) little green car.

And I love it.

It is so fun to drive it, and now my brain is concocting little plans like 'let's drive to Cornwall and see the coast' or 'Let's drive to Hidcote in autumn to see the gardens' and other bad things.

I fervently hope not to become a naughty bad car addicted CO2 emitting person.

[1] yes, we went around the magic roundabout, no, I didn't drive round it myself

Comments

[footnotetoplato.livejournal.com]

Given that you have to have a car, it seems completely sensible to enjoy it as much as possible. Take pleasure in driving when driving is sensible, but still enjoy cycling or public transport when they make more sense.

Have you switched your license over to a UK one?

[footnotetoplato.livejournal.com]

Sorry, that comment doesn't quite have the tone I was aiming for.

I wanted to say 'cool!' but it got lost somewhere along the way.

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

That's OK - because the comments popped up in gmail, I read the second one first!
It does seem there is a sensible way to use a car, it's just I know so many people who fall into the trap of 'oh, but I've got the car and it's quicker...' Luckily, I live in Oxford, where driving a car into the centre of town is rarely quicker.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Warning: Cornwall is a long way from Oxford! ;-)

And, well done you for not having a car for so long. As footnotetoplato says, do enjoy the car now you've got it; as long as you don't use it just for nipping into town, or going round the corner to the shops, you'll still be doing your bit for the environment.

/preach

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

Oh You English people and your sense of distance. I scoff - HA - in the face of a mere (goes to Google maps) - 220 miles! (For several months had to travel this distance weekly to work my place of work!) In fact. I think I might drive to Cornwall right now. Mwah hah. Mwah hahahahahahahah.

/environmental sense back on.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

You're not used to British roads yet, are you? ;-)

"In Britain, they think 200 miles is a long way. In America, they thing 50 years is a long time."

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

Yes, I thought I'd play up the antipodean stereotype a little.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

Well done on the car - a necessity really, as you say. There are worse places to drive through than rural Oxfordshire.

As for excessive pleasure trips, the price of petrol can be a great deterrent!

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

Certainly is a pretty part of the world. Although our bike ride to Woodstock last Saturday has convinced me that cycling is a marvellous way to see the countryside. If it's not raining. (Also convinced us that Woodstock is one of the loveliest places in Oxfordshire.)

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I regret moving out here - but there are definitely attractions, such as space, fresh air, the countryside on two sides of my flat, and pheasants and the occasional deer crossing the road.

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, the pheasants! We were so excited by these (I wanted to go poaching, and carry a brace of birds home over my shoulder, but I thought The Duke might take exception)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Speaking as a gamekeeper's son, I advise you to be very careful what you say around here ... ;-)

(Besides, with poached pheasant, you have to pluck and gut them yourself ;-) )

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but then you get to turn those beautiful tail feathers into quill pens ;)

(Honest sir, I weren't doin' nuthin'. The birds just fell on them bullets)

[elleblue.livejournal.com]

My flatmate has just done the same thing, guilt and all. I'm a bit excited about the possibility of the odd trip out to the giant Tescoses beyond the ring road, or maybe even a big garden centre to look at all the plants. I can definitely vouch for the prettiness of the Cornwall cost, too,! Sadly I don't think my flatmate's car wants to go that way any time soon :-(

[dr-biscuit.livejournal.com]

The thought of giant Tescoes gives me nasty palpitations. but it would be nice to buy 2 months worth of canned/dry goods and bring them home without being crippled.

[elleblue.livejournal.com]

And so much loo roll :-P Plus they often stock less-common ingredients (like maize flour for making cornbread) that I haven't seen in town-centre shops. I'll happily admit that the supermarkets are really not the most pleasant of locations, but I'm very keen on the food ;-)

[shanith.livejournal.com]

Wow thats so exciting - I think I'd be going through exactly the same emotions - I'm very proud about my non-consumarist, environmentally friendly non-carness, however, thats because I can manage quite well without it. If I had to have one then I'd be so excited tand love it to bits! I'm just a tad envious! I want to go off on car adventures!!!