Pedestrian
I'm having trouble coming up with a phrase I can use to describe my lifestyle.
I walk everywhere and if I'm not walking, I'm taking public transit. This is the lifestyle everyone lives in New York, and in most large (non-US) cities around the globe, so you don't need a phrase to describe it. But here, I have trouble explaining it. I get weird looks -- the kind you give animal amputees.
Car-free sounds snobby at best and at worst, it mimics "disease-free."
Saying "I don't have a car" is a) technically untrue, because we do have a car (I can't drive stick, and Jim has it most of the time anyway) and b) sounds like I'm deprived, which is not how I feel. ("Oh, honey, you don't have a car? I'll come pick you up.")
Saying "I don't drive" is also technically untrue, because I am the proud owner of a State of Ohio drivers license. Also, it begs the question, "did you get a DUI?" Which I did NOT.
What do you think? Can you help me come up with a phrase? Something better than "public transporcitizen." (I just made that up. It's terrible.)
(ps- I don't like the word "lifestyle" either. It's also terrible. I didn't make that one up, though.)
I walk everywhere and if I'm not walking, I'm taking public transit. This is the lifestyle everyone lives in New York, and in most large (non-US) cities around the globe, so you don't need a phrase to describe it. But here, I have trouble explaining it. I get weird looks -- the kind you give animal amputees.
Car-free sounds snobby at best and at worst, it mimics "disease-free."
Saying "I don't have a car" is a) technically untrue, because we do have a car (I can't drive stick, and Jim has it most of the time anyway) and b) sounds like I'm deprived, which is not how I feel. ("Oh, honey, you don't have a car? I'll come pick you up.")
Saying "I don't drive" is also technically untrue, because I am the proud owner of a State of Ohio drivers license. Also, it begs the question, "did you get a DUI?" Which I did NOT.
What do you think? Can you help me come up with a phrase? Something better than "public transporcitizen." (I just made that up. It's terrible.)
(ps- I don't like the word "lifestyle" either. It's also terrible. I didn't make that one up, though.)
posted by Christine at 5:26 PM
12 Comments:
Oh, and "carless" makes me look like a dope who misspelled "careless."
urban ambler?
sustainable urbanite?
hippie?
hobo librarian?
ok I 'll keep thinking :-)
Hippie?? Thanks Carole.
I like urban ambler. Or maybe itinerant human? Or Footwalker? (Like Luke Skywalker)
How about sidewalker?
I use: 'I prefer not to drive' when people ask why I don't -- because it's my choice not to have a driving licence. I'm sure I could pass the test if I put my mind to it.
I like the German, fussganger (I think).
"American Fussganger" - it sounds like a movie.
There are lots of people who don't drive in England, though, aren't there?
"Car-Lite"?
I like the discussion and I, too, have struggled with what to call myself when in this situation. I was truly car-free for about 3 months when I moved back here from NYC. Buuuut, my girl's family was 3 hours away and she was an on-call doula, so we opted to have a car for certain situations. You know how that goes. We started using it more and more. I took on your role, Christine... my gf took the car to work and I rode transit/bicycle. I like car-lite... or maybe transite? Although that could easily be miscronstrued...
A doula...what an interesting career.
I hope I can last a while being car-free; I'm pretty pigheaded. And, there's really no hope of my learning how to drive stick. I only just learned how to drive, period, at age 23! OK, maybe that was a while ago now....
The RTA staff offered these labels.
"A valued customer" says GM Joe Calabrese.
"Transportationaly Independent,"
meaning "not relying on any single source of transportation."
"I'm on a low-car [low-carbon?] diet, and it feels great. You should try it."
"Ecologically aware, financially prudent, and physically fit!"
"A transportation naturalist"
A "transpedestrian"
"Independently Vehicularlyfreeness"
these are great! a valued customer... ha ha....
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