Perspectives:
Living in Houston Without a Car – Believe It or Not!
By Ken Donaldson

Ever since I moved to Houston 12 years ago, I have heard “you just can’t live here without a car.” I beg to differ.

Live without a car? And miss this?
Courtesy of GHASP.
The catalyst that convinced me to try and disprove that notion was another in a seemingly endless series of insurance rate hikes. I was 42 years old, I owned a 1989 Nissan Sentra, and had never been in an accident in my life – never even had a moving violation! I finally got sick and tired of paying hundreds of dollars a year for the privilege of driving my car. It also violated my sense of fair play that insurance is mandatory in Texas, and then they bleed you dry with these outrageous rates.

When I was in the Navy, I used public transportation to get around a lot, so I wasn’t afraid to give Metro a try. I actually found Houston’s mass transit to be quite good. In my experience, the buses usually run on time, they’re pretty clean, and you really can’t beat a dollar a trip. At the time, KRTS was located at 1600 Smith Street, and I soon got used to the daily commute.

When we moved to our present home, 4409 Montrose Boulevard, I found an apartment literally across the street from the station. Since then, I have not once missed owning a car. My bank is less than two blocks away, my grocery store is within walking distance, and I can get most anywhere else by bus.

As I’ve gotten older, I have tried to simplify my life, and getting rid of my car was a big step in that direction. I’m not a practicing Buddhist, but I believe that we’re generally better off not to tie ourselves to material possessions – and a car takes a LOT of psychic energy to operate and maintain. You would think that giving up your car would leave you feeling less independent, but as soon as I did it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. No more dealing with the maniacs on the highways! No more inspections! NO MORE OUTRAGEOUS INSURANCE RATES! I actually felt much more in control of my life – the first of many pleasant surprises.

I also believe none of us should use more of the Earth’s bounty than we really need. By using mass transportation or just plain walking, I minimize the amount of non-renewable resources I’m consuming, not to mention the amount of air pollution I’m causing.

I realize I’m in a fairly unusual situation. I’m single, so I can move pretty much at will, and I’m blessed with a job that allows me to live nearby. But I’m convinced that with effort and planning, many people could arrange to live without a car. It’s a tradeoff, sure, but what you give up in convenience (and being a slave to convenience is killing us) is made up tenfold in personal satisfaction and health – not to mention money!

Ken Donaldson is the Program Director and an announcer at KRTS, Houston’s Classical Radio Station, at 92.1FM.