Blog of the Week
By jessica.
10 October 2007
Why own when you can share?
By: Micah Learned
Cars, so many of us seem to be down on them these days. Oh! The pollution they emit. Oh! The dangers they pose to us pedestrians (when we are pedestrians.) Oh! The new roads they require. Asphalt upon our natural landscapes! Forlorn our tax dollars! Oh! The space they fill. Parking lot upon parking lot! Fields gone and buildings demolished. And the insurance, and the rising cost of fuel. Why would you even need one when you can walk, bike, take public transportation, or taxi? Better yet, why would you even want one?
Why? Well, let’s see, you have an appointment 70 miles away in an hour. You only have a three-hour block to get there, meet for 30 minutes, and be back here in time for a meeting with a new client. Understand that it is in the boondocks. No bus. No train. It is too far to bike. Certainly, you can’t walk. And, a taxi is too expensive.
Or some scenario similar to the previous, and our objections to owning an automobile slip from our consciousness. Clearly, there is a reason for having one. If your grandma still owned a car, perhaps you would borrow hers, but that old barge might not have made the trip anyway. So, you own a car. What else are you supposed to do, rent a car from Hertz at the airport every time you need to drive somewhere?
Not anymore. Now, if you live in a few, but spreading, areas of North America (U.S. and Canada) and London there appears to be a real, viable alternative: Zipcars. It is the largest car sharing company in the world. The company provides the cars (MINIs, VWs, trucks, etc.), the gas, and the insurance. And you, minus the cost of applying and $50 annual fee, pay as you go, either hourly or by the day.
Of course, it’s eco-friendly too. Zipcars boasts, “Members shed cars. Over 40% of our members decide against purchasing a car, or end up selling their car. They drive less. Car usage of individuals is reduced by as much as 50%. They use other transportation. Members use the most efficient means of transportation for the task — walking, biking, public transportation, taxi or Zipcar. With each Zipcar replacing over 20 privately-owned vehicles, we’re changing the urban landscape. Older cars are replaced with new ones that have more stringent pollution controls. Green space is preserved as fewer parking spaces are required to meet the driving needs of the same number of people. Less strain on urban parking infrastructure — saving businesses, governments, and universities money. Lower fuel consumption means fewer greenhouse gas emissions and particulates. And yes, less congestion on the roads.” (Zipcar.com)
You also get a cool card that, when swiped over a sensor on the dash below the windshield, unlocks the car. And its easy to find a car, just go to their website and type in your zip code. Presto! You know where the nearest car is. Don’t worry you can reserve it.
