Car Free

After months of trying, I finally sold my car this past Friday.

For all the hassles of selling one’s car privately it went pretty well, though it baffles me that the bank I had my car loan with (BB&T) had no facilities to transfer a newly lien-free title expediently. What buyer is going to be comfortable handing over a chunk of cash and then waiting around for 10+ days for the new title to show up? Honestly. Banks.

It’s a burden lifted not to be saddled with car payments, insurance payments, ever-higher gas prices, and the general feeling of anchorage imposed by large and costly personal property. That’s less an indictment of owning cars than of taking on debt to own a largely impractical car.

As largely impractical cars go, though, the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS I owned was nothing but pleasant. It had no mechanical problems in the year I owned it, accommodated a couple of improbable loads in its time, and always offered its absurd stereo system to maximum bass advantage. I bought it to make my daily commute – when I had one – more bearable, and that it did.

In the years previous to the Eclipse I drove a hand-me-down Honda Civic. My future cars will undoubtedly tend back towards that practical end of the vehicle spectrum. I’ll miss the perception afforded you on the road when you drive a sportier car: I found that fellow motorists are more likely to give you a wide berth and yield the fast lane. It’s a convenience, but not one worth the expense of a sporty car.

For the time being I can walk, bike, and Metro most everywhere I need to go. When we return from London I’ll probably sign up for Zipcar for weekend Trader Joe’s runs and such, but I intend to put off owning a car again for as long as possible. Until the auto industry can deliver to US consumers practicality, design, post-petroleum fuel efficiency, and low environmental impact in an affordable package, I’m simply not interested.