Carefree, CarFree

Today marks another World Carfree Day (WCD, as some call it, ugh acronyms).  For many of us, participation in this event is hard if not impossible without calling in "carfree" from work.  Portland is absolutely a great place to walk, cycle, or use public transit to get to work.  However, in America, a relatively recently developed country, we have LOTS of infrastructure built for automobiles.  Driving and certainly parking in Europe is not nearly as easy or fun as driving in the US.  (Yes, there are some scary stories around this experience.)  Like Elaine from Seinfeld, we tend to prefer the luxury of wide lanes/ streets.  Which has always made us wonder - are insurance rates a lot higher in places with tiny, cobbled streets and kamikaze pedestrians??

For some of us lucky enough to have some flexibility in our work lives, enjoy steering clear of the hassle of driving today:  traffic, running out of gas, road rage, pesky curbs, shiny distractions.  Instead dust off the good old legs for a tune-up; it is amazing how much neglect they can take and still work.  If there isn't really a feasible way to stay away from the car today, we think picking your own day this weekend to avoid the metal beast (or tin can whatever the case may be) would be a great way to participate in CarFree Day.  Actually, creating your own personal CarFree Day might get you some sort of bonus points...

parallel parking nightmare