get out of my dreams...

Check her out!My beautiful new car! After work yesterday, I hopped on the subway to Scarborough to East Court Ford to pick up my brand new 2007 Ford Focus! Steve and I have struggled with being a one car family for more than 3 years now. It hasn't really been a big deal for Steve because he almost always has the car. I can easily take public transit to work but my darling husband, due to distance, cannot. So naturally, he always has the car. Now if we were still living in Toronto, having one car between the two of us would not be a big deal. Toronto has a fantastic (yet grossly underfunded) transit system in the TTC. Out in the 'burbs we got squat! I have attempted to take the bus in Burlington a couple of times. What a nightmare! Between the wacky schedules and convoluted routes, it's simply not practical. So when Steve is off somewhere with the car, I am virtually stranded at home.

Money has been the main factor in our being a single car couple. At one point, we had two cars that were completely paid off. Well they died within the same year and two car payments was simply not an option. We settled on a Honda Element and have loved it! For us, this vehicle has been the perfect combination of fun and practical. But after a little research, we realized we could get two automobiles from Ford for almost the same monthly payment. If we could keep the Element and get another car we would. But for monetary reasons, it was really a no-brainer. Soon our beloved Element will be replaced by a Ford Ranger pick-up for Steve. Although I'm sad to be parting with the "Ellie", the freedom of having my own wheels is euphoric.

The only aspect of this whole transaction that troubles me is the environmental one. I have some serious guilt about acquiring a second car. Ideally, I would have loved to get a couple of hybrids, but it's just not economically feasible for us at this point. I am also totally intrigued by the biodiesel vehicle. Again, not doable for us right now. The only reason I can really justify the purchase of a second car is because of how little I will actually use it. Since the Focus rates very well for fuel economy and I'll primarily be using the car for short distances, I'll probably fill up once every 3 weeks. I'll still take transit or carpool with Steve to get to work. In the grand scheme of things, my car usage will be relatively insignificant.

So if I've been slowly making changes to lessen my personal impact on the environment. Does getting a car make me hypocritical?