There are only so many places I regularly go, so I thought I would divide my small world (places I usually go) up into zones.
First of all, if it's within a half-mile, I'm always going to walk. Lots of the places I go -- Santa Monica Yoga, Bob's Market, The Counter, Mrs. Winston's and my acupuncturist -- are less than a half mile from my front door. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk that far, and by the time you find the keys, start the car, back out into the street, risk your life trying to enter traffic on Ocean Park Boulevard, drive to your destination, park your car and go in, you are probably over 10 minutes or at least it's a wash. So when driving won't save time, and it will increase cost, and the possibility of an accident (have you ever tried to enter Ocean Park Boulevard from one of the minor side streets where parking ALWAYS obstructs your view?), why drive? Walking is best.
Next, for those trips of more than a half mile, and less than a mile, I almost always walk. All the same arguments apply, and the fact that you probably use 10 more minutes walking a mile than driving it does not really weigh heavily in favor of unnecessarily driving. The risks and costs associated with driving simply outweigh the extra 10 or 20 minutes that I might save. If it's pouring rain or something, I might take the car. But even then, umbrellas and macintoshes are not just for school kids. Being outdoors in weather is one of the joys of childhood that adults rarely allow themselves to experience.
Finally, there is the universe out to about 3 miles from the front door -- like my office. Once again, I usually walk. It takes me around 50 minutes to walk a mile, but I am rarely in such a hurry that the extra 35 minutes makes a difference to me. I simply plan ahead and take it easy, making sure that I have enough time to get to where I need to be by taking the natural, walking, route.
More than 3 miles and the combination of time and effort involved gets me looking for a bus schedule. Unless it's a weekend appointment, and I have the leisure to take a long and usually pleasant stroll.
Walking is pleasant, much more so than driving. So I try to relax and enjoy the journey whenever I can.
First of all, if it's within a half-mile, I'm always going to walk. Lots of the places I go -- Santa Monica Yoga, Bob's Market, The Counter, Mrs. Winston's and my acupuncturist -- are less than a half mile from my front door. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk that far, and by the time you find the keys, start the car, back out into the street, risk your life trying to enter traffic on Ocean Park Boulevard, drive to your destination, park your car and go in, you are probably over 10 minutes or at least it's a wash. So when driving won't save time, and it will increase cost, and the possibility of an accident (have you ever tried to enter Ocean Park Boulevard from one of the minor side streets where parking ALWAYS obstructs your view?), why drive? Walking is best.
Next, for those trips of more than a half mile, and less than a mile, I almost always walk. All the same arguments apply, and the fact that you probably use 10 more minutes walking a mile than driving it does not really weigh heavily in favor of unnecessarily driving. The risks and costs associated with driving simply outweigh the extra 10 or 20 minutes that I might save. If it's pouring rain or something, I might take the car. But even then, umbrellas and macintoshes are not just for school kids. Being outdoors in weather is one of the joys of childhood that adults rarely allow themselves to experience.
Finally, there is the universe out to about 3 miles from the front door -- like my office. Once again, I usually walk. It takes me around 50 minutes to walk a mile, but I am rarely in such a hurry that the extra 35 minutes makes a difference to me. I simply plan ahead and take it easy, making sure that I have enough time to get to where I need to be by taking the natural, walking, route.
More than 3 miles and the combination of time and effort involved gets me looking for a bus schedule. Unless it's a weekend appointment, and I have the leisure to take a long and usually pleasant stroll.
Walking is pleasant, much more so than driving. So I try to relax and enjoy the journey whenever I can.
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