Yesterday the pod was picked up, so the neighbor had to come and watch and have manly discussions with Gary. It's interesting to watch the very clever mechanics of one man loading a massive box onto a truck
Meanwhile I was pursuing AAA options for my battery situation, and found they were so pressed because of conditions that they were attending mainly people actually stranded, but anyone home or in a parking spot would get low priority, and batteries might not be available.
Meanwhile Gary decided to take care of it himself, took the car, which amazingly started, to the local battery dealer. They had no Honda batteries in stock. So he went to another who could only offer a three-year (same as AAA, they do only three year batteries) at $285. He decided this was ridiculous, and wouldn't spend my money that way!
Meanwhile again, he had them test the battery, they said it may not need replacing, but definitely needed charging.
So he brought it home, and here it is charging next door, the stepstools warning walkers not to trip on the cord. Soooo we'll see. The cold is abating a bit, which will probably help.
Breaking news: Gary just came by -- the battery was down to 60% last night, is now 100%. He has a smart charger. So I seem to be in business again.
The saga goes on. Once again I'm wondering about options if I give up the car. It would save one lot of expenses, but would be awkward in other ways. Spontaneous errands wouldn't be possible. I think I'll keep track of my trips and see what they amount to in reality and if I'm holding onto assumptions that aren't accurate to what I'm actually doing these days.
There is no, zero, public transportation in the directions I need to go, so that's not an option, in case you wondered!
Happy day, everyone, one thing at a time, bird by bird.
I love those pods and how they become the trucks. No one would ever know it's a box that sat by itself in the street. Ah yes, bird by bird.
ReplyDeleteThat's the great thing -- I've seen them, thought they were just trucks, but until I saw one delivered, didn't recognize them as the pods I'd seen in the street.
DeleteWhat does Gary use the pods for? I have a truck with two batteries. They should be replaced but the cost is a house payment, so we just charge it before using it. It's rarely used, so that works. Eventually we will need to bite the bullet. It sounds like your only choices are getting a ride from someone or Uber or a taxi.
ReplyDeleteThis pod held downstairs furniture while his floor was refinished. Yes, around here it's friends or uber, no local taxi service.
DeleteYou'd think those men were children watching the elephants unload from a circus train.
ReplyDeleteI know that the thought of giving up a car has got to be incredibly disturbing. It's your independence we're talking about here! Public transportation would be such a boon to many people who can't or don't want to have a car. Are there any taxi services available? I know that where I live there isn't.
Nearest taxi is at the train station, one town over. There's uber, and Handsome Son and friends, but I don't want to impose. Also they have busy lives. I'm looking for other possible options, if they exist.
DeleteThe annual upkeep of a car (insurance, gas, repairs) can pay for a lot of taxi rides. But it's nice to have the availability of your own car at the ready, I know.
ReplyDeleteThat's the thing. I'm so used to spontaneity that having to plan and book would be a different life.
DeleteNo public transportation in this town, but they say they are working on it. There was a little bit before C. I think taxis here have a flat rate of $11 anywhere within town. That's $22 to go anywhere, but you can get groceries delivered now -- for a few, of course. It's actually easier, but not pain free, to be car-less in a city with its public transit.
ReplyDeleteI do get food delivered, and order online a lot of things I used to shop for in person. It's the things I need to show up for that I'm thinking about.
Deletegiving up your car means not being able to go to your knitting groups or the library or get to doctor's appointments or anywhere you may want to go without getting an uber both ways which can add up or imposing on others which may be fine at first but tiresome after a while. I would feel trapped. and without that outside stimulation, decline may come faster. were it me, as long as I felt I could safely drive I'd keep the car.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty much along the lines I've been thinking, too.
DeleteYour neighbour is such a treasure! He is fortunate to have you too!
ReplyDeleteThere is no reliable bus system here which would make life without a vehicle difficult and costly. It would be worth studying though to see the actual costs of life with and without a vehicle.
It's costly to run a car, and it might be worth comparing how much Uber I could get with the same outlay. Insurance, registration, inspection, gas, checkups, maintenance all add up.
DeleteSome people drive to very old age, but not in congested areas like this one, where you need your reactions sharp.
No public transport at all is bad. I my country, if you're over 75 you even go for free on any public means of transport, and that's great financially and logistically!
ReplyDeleteMany consider driving a car - 'black work', and don't mind to give up 'spontaneity'.
It's a blessing to have public transportation. this country is so huge that only a few cities have it, most people living outside its reach. The main reason we're so dependent on cars and highways is the push of the automobile industry in the thirties, destroying a lot of rail systems and getting the gov to prioritize highways over rail and bus. It's no accident. Henry Ford profited largely, and other early auto manufacturers.
DeleteWith no public transport. Just like where I live. You would become very depended on others Yes a journal would help you keep track of how often you use your car. Remember your in winter and to adjust to summer conditions. You’ll probably use your car more then I’d say.
ReplyDeleteI may make a point of using it more, to keep the battery happy!
DeleteGary is a gem! It will be interesting to see what you come up with. of anything.
ReplyDeleteI've had a couple of ideas but I'm not sure how viable they are.
DeleteI just replaced a battery. The car dealer I go to for repairs send a man and a truck over to replace my battery. It, plus installation, came to about $250.
ReplyDeleteHandy to have home service.
DeleteLiz, you bring up a very important issue - transportation as we get older and less able or desiring to drive. You caused me to google if there are any services in my area. I came across this in my county:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.jcseniorservices.org/services
I don't mean to be annoying, suggesting you haven't already looked into something like this, but I thought I'd mention it just in case. I have no idea how good the service is, but you've made me immensely curious about it.
I'm aware of certain paratransport options but they're limited here and don't cross county lines. I couldn't use them for any of my medical practitioners, or the library out of town. Some areas are much better for this.
DeleteUgh. Good point. You make me think of our situation. All of our doctoring takes place in the county north of us... It's not a difficult (or long) drive for us now, but paying someone in the future could get pricey. Well, thanks for the heads up to give this some thought.
DeleteYou're wise to start tracking your car travels/costs to compare with Uber rides (sounds like that's the only real alternative for you). The independence/spontaneity part is SO important. Keeping up your social outings (knitting groups, libraries, etc), the occasional shopping foray, and getting to appointments are all Important Things. It could turn out that Uber is financially feasible, and then, like hiring a housecleaner, it would be a matter of getting your head around a different way of getting the job done.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, it might not pencil out either financially or psychologically, in which case the issue becomes keeping the darn battery charged. Knowing you, you'll come up with a good solution.
Chris from Boise
This sums up the situation. Keeping the car running is not the main issue, so much as physically and mentally driving safely. It's an anxious thing for me, and I'm forcing myself to keep driving regularly, so as to keep the anxiety at a reasonable level.
DeleteI'm happy to hear your battery situation has worked out! Gary is one great neighbor! I'm hoping I can continue driving for quite a while as I am a bit of an independent person. Tom stopped driving this past year due to all his health issues so it's me or no one now.
ReplyDeleteI was the sole driver for many years, too, so I hear you!
DeleteI know of a couple of people who have relinquished car ownership and they say that taxis don’t come close to what they used to spend on insurance, maintenance, gas etc. Not as convenient as owning a vehicle perhaps, but less expensive it seems.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting point, David. I'll bear it in mind.
DeleteIt's a shame public transportation isn't more widely available. One of the happiest aspects of our lives here in London is not owning a car!
ReplyDeleteYes, that works for you very well. So much simpler to get around without the headaches of parking in the city, aside from the other issues.
DeleteGlad that your battery only needed a recharge, Boud, as unfortunately I was in a similar situation last month with a dead battery. We got the car started and drove it to a local auto facility and were told that if it only needed a recharge the cost would be much less than a new battery. That wasn't the case as the battery had gone dead because the alternator was overcharging and could potentially damage other car parts. The solution was to replace the battery and the alternator, a more costly outcome than first expected 😟
ReplyDeleteThey always manage to find something $$ to do!
DeleteWe're fortunate to live in a town that seems to have ample public transportation which will serve us well when the time comes when neither of us is able to drive. Resident Chef is talking about giving his license up when his birthday rolls around in July which will leave me as the only driver. It's not something I look forward to but the day has come. We have a 'Community Care' organization that has volunteer drivers that will take you places, at a cost; as well as buses and taxis. I know there's an Uber presence here too. Maybe you have Uber in your area?
ReplyDeleteWe have uber, yes. It's expensive, but might be offset by not having the expense of a car.
DeleteExactly! Cars are expensive to maintain and I figure even one trip out each week using some form of public transportation has to be cheaper overall than keeping a car on the road. Guess at some point I'll be putting that theory to the test.
Delete