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Thursday
February 26, 2004

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Nick T @hotmail.com wrote:
I saw your website and read through most of your rants and I just need to ask (don't lie).....

Do you own/drive an automobile or any other vehicle powered by fossil fuels?

Signed,

Avid airshow goer and 6,700 mile a year cyclist,

Nick

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Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 09:08:53 -0800 (PST)
From: "zveRina" xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Please asnwer this one question
To: "Nick T" xxxxxxxxx@hotmail.com

I grew up in suburban car culture east of new york--the land that robert moses built. my 1977 chevy malibu classic set me "free" when i was 17. to work and socialize on long island necessitated a car. no one questioned this. it was an assumption, as automobile ownership and use continues to be for most americans.

at various times i held jobs which necessitated automobile commutes (trust me, there were no other viable options, which is how the automobile manufacturers wanted it). one baltimore-DC loop along I-95 was particularly hellacious, eating at least 2 hours of my every day. i knew there had to be a better way.

as soon as i could, i moved to NYC and sold my li'l putterbug honda civic to the first person who looked at it. that was 1997 and i have not owned any motor vehicle since.

ability to live without a car was my NUMBER ONE consideration when deciding whether or not to move to seattle. through a combination of bus, bicycle, skateboard and walking, i get by. i do accept rides in friends' vehicles (usually work-related--construction), but most of the time i ride my bike, even with a heavy pack of tools.

going carfree is a lifestyle choice. it requires a conscious decision. my rants are an attempt to get people to consider their options.

thanks for asking.

robZ

p.s. I *love* to drive. I've logged probably close to 200,000 miles, including driving trucks for relatives' cross-country moves. I have a current 100% clean WA state license and I never had an accident in 17 years of driving. But, I choose *not* to drive because it is unhealthy, antisocial, wasteful, and polluting.

whew. sorry. i like to articulate these things.

o-s-o-i-o-g-o-n-o-a-o-t-o-u-o-r-o-e-o

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look, no hands
Click here for a movie.
No hands on a 10-speed.
Note how quiet it is.
(Except for the whoosh
of that one car passing
in the opposite direction.)

One thing I've noticed comparing
the movies I shot in Prague with
the ones I shoot in Seattle is
how much quieter Prague is,
though it's denser population-wise.

Most of outdoor Seattle is a wash
of white noise--engines and rubber
on pavement. Except for places
like Queen Anne, where this clip
was shot. You have to be rich
these days to get away from noise.