Pero Explícame Por Qué ... Tell Me Why

Sitting in front of my computer at work, the idea just crept in: what happens if I give up my car for a month in Los Angeles?

As an article titled  LA by Bus mentioned [...]the city of Los Angeles -- which is 19th-century Spanish for "the land where men walk on four wheels" [...]. this is a city made for cars. Still, the idea of being carless in Los Angeles excited me. Even when compared to the East Coast and Europe, public transportation in Los Angeles is a joke and bike trails in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area laugh at the bike trails in this city.

When I started announcing my idea to friends they pointed out the ridiculous distances I travel on a daily basis. Someone called it "social suicide."Another friend pronounced the words "Mi'ja Dios te Bendiga," while a co-worker just shook his head and said "not worth it."

The activities I am involved with have me all over the place. I travel 16 miles south of Los Angeles to Carson in order to get to work (one way). Working in a 24/7 manufacturing environment requires me to be available at odd hours. Language lessons have me traveling to Beverly Hills once a week, while a new project I got involved in has me reaching Santa Monica on Mondays. My friends are all over the place from Studio City to Long Beach and my family lives in the South Bay.

So, why do I want to do this experiment when besides only riding the metro Red Line to Hollywood a few times, I didn't even own a bicycle! 

Differing from CarLess in L.A. the movie, I am not hoping to save the environment by giving up my car. (At least that's what I read on the website, I still need to see the movie.) And unlike the Carless in L.A. blog, my car is still functioning.

Maybe I am bored and tired of driving. Maybe I think I need a bit more interaction with the outside world. Maybe I want a more defined "work/life balance" by forcing myself to stricter and shorter work hours rather than getting to work at 4am one day, at 8am another and staying in the office for up 10 or 12 hrs -- yes, there were also few times when I was stuck at work for 16hrs. Or maybe my mother was right by saying I like to complicate my life, although I would disagree :)

I think my main reason is looking for a new way to save money without having to give up living in downtown LA.

So this is a test.

flat tires, fallen chain, engulfed in rust to the point lock won't open

It involves:
1. Obtaining a beautiful but beat up bike from a family member -- completed today 5/23
2. Fixing up the bike before the end of this weekend
3. Conducting proper planning for transportation routes
4. Doing a week trial -- yes, I am that weak!
5. Upon completion of the week trial I will drop my car off at my family's house -- proving commitment to the experiment
6. If I survive for a month AND save money -- I'll push the experiment for another month until I can determine if I should sell the car

Again, this is just a test...