Falling Out of Love With Driving
There was a time when I used the car for everything I did, from scuba diving to climbing, to walking and more. Over a period of five years I weaned myself off of the car. I weaned myself to such a degree that I use the car twice a week when I am not forced to do things. I drive for the shops, and that’s it.
I could walk, and I do walk that way regularly. The reason I take the car for shopping is two-fold. The first is weight. Shopping for three or four days at a time weighs something. This is especially true when transporting drinks that are not coffee or tea. Coffee and tea usually come without water.
I’m writing this, sitting in a car, by the lake. I could be eating breakfast with people but have chosen not to. We are still in a pandemic and I do not want to risk falling sick with Long COVID. I can deal with solitude if I can go for daily walks and bike rides. I will not survive if I lose the strongest aspect of my character.
An Old Habit
I used to love driving, but now I find it a nuissance. As I walked and waited this morning I thought about how primal cars are in Switzerland. Some villages have no pavements. Some villages have no roads, in or out of the village, that do not require walking on roads. Switzerland might be known for it’s mountain walks, but if you’re by the Léman you will need to be lucky to walk, without being stuck on roads.
Since the pandemic I cannot stand cars and drivers. I am a car driver, but that doesn’t mean that I need to use it.
Becoming Local
Over the years I learned about the walks, bike rides and running routes that I can enjoy from home. I learned to detach my sporting habits from my driving habit. I prefer life like this. To some extent I am living in a different age as a result of this habit.
Not Mobilité Douce Friendly
It is the reason for which I notice how depdendant on car Switzerland has become. During the pandemic the motorway and roads were empty, so we could walk along them. As soon as lockdown ended the disease of car driving came back, and people use their cars all the time again. This is a great shame because car driving is an addiction.
Car Addiction and Social Media
People love to speak about Social Media as addiction, but without cars we would have no need for social media, because without cars we could walk to people and say hello, rather than depend on telephones. Cars are the reason we need social media, so if we want to cure “social media addiction” we need to eliminate cars, buses and trains. We need to get back to a world where we cycle, walk, and run to see friends. It is absurd that we rely so heavily on cars. Our reliance on cars forces our reliance on social media. If you want to cure a child’s addiction to social media, eliminate the need for cars.
I drove for half an hour this morning. Now I’m blogging from a parcked car
And Finally
Cars are great for scuba diving, and to travel long distances to do weekend sports but I think that commuting should be phased out, by car. Cycling to Geneva is as as fast by bike, as on a train. We need to wean away from being transported by machines, especially cars.
