Gas Prices ZZZZZ

I miss the freedom of owning a car. Me Myself and I, in the car, singing the songs on the radio. I miss getting lost and the rewards of discovering new community in the valley. It’s been nearly three years since my car was totaled. I was devastated, when my insurance company pronounced my beloved Hyundai dead. For the first time in 40 years. I was without a car. I took the check and significantly reduced my debt. The good news, I live downtown Sacramento where public transportation is plentiful and convenient. The downside, my job is in Natomas, not close to a bus route.

Not owning a car, I walk more. I’ve discovered the quiet beauty of downtown and I made new acquaintances as I walk around the different neighborhoods. Connections one could never make driving twenty five miles and hour through a neighborhood. Stopping by small shops and restaurants off the grid and the people who own them.

I have gained another person, since moving to Sacramento twenty plus years ago. In most of San Francisco, I walked a minimum of a mile a day. In Sacramento, I walked in the area malls. Car less, no late night runs to fast food drive thru’s ,no late night donuts runs to Marie’s on Freeport. As a result, Ive lost weight during Covid.

I spend a lot of money on Uber and considered replacing my car. Life has changed a lot in the last couple of years. Groceries, and nearly everything imaginable is delivered to my home at my convenience, negating the need for a car.

Yesterday, I visited a restaurant in Tahoe Park that didn’t offer delivery. The sign across the street at the Seven/11 was sobering.

As was my wait for the 38 bus on Broadway. Downtown, I’ve never waited more than 30 minute for a bus or light rail. In Tahoe Park, I watched the sunset and after an hour in darkness and the cold, I summoned an Uber.

Later in a meeting with friends in midtown, the conversation was gas prices and how much they have risen in the last few days. One friend, the owner of a SUV said it cost him nearly $140 to fill his vechicle. I noticed half the group was complaining and the other half were listening. The listeners own Electric cars, one drives his to Redwood City every day, and he wasn’t complaining.

I’m not sure if a car is in my future. My job in Natomas ends this summer. I dream of a new car with a manual transmission. My monthly debt would increase five hundred dollars.

Should I purchase a car, the question becomes, do I want the volatility of gas prices or the calm of zzzzzzzzzzz? Or should I keep my hard earned Rubles, in my bank account.

CityFella