I don't know about you, but I have a huge dislike for driving. I have three registered cars(yes, you heard correctly) but I still take Septa to work most days. I hate traffic and the fear of someone crashing into me(in 2002, I had THREE no-fault accidents caused by people rear-ending me when I was at a stop!). I avoid driving in risky situations -- e.g., snow, foul weather, when I'm sleepy, or after I've had a drink or two. I especially hate the ever increasing gas prices. I can afford to drive but I choose not to on most days(although admittedly the money I save is kinda nice). Therefore, I choose to take Septa to work and downtown. The recent gas price hikes have prompted me to further reduce my driving. I like having my cars available in case I need them, but I do not feel the need to rely on them for daily commutes. I've convinced some of my friends to do the same thing.

Just curious, are there any other people out there that have cars and CAN drive, but choose not to?

I realize that Septa can be an annoying screw-up at times, but I am hoping that more people decide to take Septa in the near future. The more people that take Septa, the more funding Septa will have, and the better chances that Septa might expand service. (You might be pessimistically thinking, "Septa expand services? Ha yeah right" but it has already happened in small ways. For example, the opening of the Philadelphia Park Casino has already prompted Septa to expand services, e.g. introducing the Bus 50 and expanding the route of the Bus 1 to the casino.) This will also help the environment and decrease our consumption of fossil fuels.

Anyone else happy to opt for Septa over driving?

I've been commuting regularly with SEPTA for ten years & am very happy with the trip. It's a half hour from door to door, Fairmount to Penn. Even with the occasional glitch - the unexpected detour, the missed bus, the unusual overcrowding - it's still a smooth trip maybe 90 percent of the time.

I made sure to pick out a location to live where bus service is excellent. And it is where I live... the 66 shows up faster than the subway does most of the time.

And there are enough vehicles running on Frankford Ave, that if there is an overcrowded bus I will let it pass... and within a couple minutes a less-empty bus will be right behind it.

When there are idiots on the EL, like today there was a thug who was talking to some ho at the top of his lungs, I just got up and changed train cars. I've always had to do that, even before I moved to the NE. Maybe about 1/10 times I get on the EL there is someone annoying enough on it that I'll switch cars.

I also bike, which is a bit of a stress reliever and I've been losing weight. I've also gotten to see some more of Kensington where I've been keeping an eye on it towards the idea of maybe buying a large house there if the gentrification keeps up.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

BTW I still have my sports car, but it's got moth balls. And it's gonna go bye bye soon. I'm dropping the insurance on it now b/c it's a waste of money. I use PhillyCarShare to get large vehicles for hauling on the rare occasion I need the flexibility of a car--and with PCS you don't buy the gas or the insurance.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!

Riding this cancels out everything you said.




Good gas milage too.

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Learn the truth about Danny Faulkners
murder and his murderer here:

http://www.danielfaulkner.com/

I read that the steep hike in gas prices has actually been good for SEPTA in that the increased ridership has more than offset the higher cost of fuel.

I own a car and have been using it less and less in favor of public trans. whenever doable. I'm seriously thinking about unloading the car altogether and signing up with Philly Car Share.

I kept my old trucks longer than was logical, and I kept putting off needed repairs because the trucks continued to run. Over the past year and a half I have been getting them rebuilt (spa treatments), and have been using my bike and PT more and more. I bought a new truck three years ago and it now has 23,500 miles on it, but I took it to Quebec City, then Sanibel Island, then Chicago, then the Hamptons. That was when gas was cheap; I doubt I drive the new truck 3,000 miles per year now. Anyway, I was picking up one of my trucks from the shop yesterday after getting the cab properly attached to the frame (before it was just sort of resting there, held down by gravity) when I encountered a maelstrom of traffic. I had to drive around in a spiral to avoid the closed stretch of Henry Avenue. My bike was in the back of the truck, and I kept reminding myself that that was why I rarely drive anymore. I would have been home much earlier if I were riding my bike

You should consider getting rid of all three vehicles and use PhillyCarShare. For a minimum of $15.00 per month membership you have use of one of their many varieties of vehicles including a pickup truck. The fee is about $5.00 per hour which includes gas, registration, inspection, insurance and maintenance. The vehicles are located throughout the city. Their requirements are you return the vehicle clean. No smoking is allowed in the vehicle which ensures if the next person has any allergies they won't be affected.
If the vehicle needs gas you are requested to fill the tank send them the reciept and they refund you. Their inventory includes hybrids which are environmentally friendly.
http://www.phillycarshare.org/

We hardly ever drove our two cars (I don't love driving myself), so we finally got rid of them last fall. I currently purchase a monthly Transpass to commute to the burbs, and it's great! The cost of the pass covers my commute, so any extra bus or subway riding I do later in the evenings or on the weekends is basically FREE. It's awesome to be able to jump on the bus, and not have to worry about dishing out a bunch of cash for cabs. The A/C usually works better on the bus, too.