Michael Gravel Edmonton Writer

New Wheels

There comes a time in every bus rider’s life when they wish ardently for a set of wheels; their own vehicle to escape the unforgiving, inconvenient, and time-consuming edge of the bus schedule. A new vehicle has been in the mail for the past year or so and the time is finally right. I bought a 1991 Buick Century Sedan. I purchased it from my mother, who has owned it since it was new. I actually drove this vehicle for a few months as a young man before I got my own set of wheels, so it’s a “homecoming” of sorts. It’s been immaculately cared for. The interior is in mint condition, and I have a maintenance record back to 1999. I also have the original owner’s manual, the original box and remote for the Astro Start, and even the original keychain from the dealership. Here’s the best part of all, and I swear I’m not making this up: 99,000 km on the odometer. Ninety-nine thousand. Can you believe it? The sucker should have over three times that.

The only thing I have to do is throw in a new deck. The ‘ol factory auto reverse cassette deck, as charmingly ancient as it is with Dolby B and all, just doesn’t cut it these days. It’s very tempting to do this rig up right with a deck, an amp or two, a pair of tens and some separates. Back in the old days I spent a shitload of money on car audio gear: Electronic crossover, CD changer, two amps, 10” subs, gold wiring, and even a 1 farad 20V capacitor (truly gratuitous and unnecessary, but I was young with money to burn). Installed it mostly myself and it worked amazingly. These days, I can’t imagine spending that kind of time and money or a car stereo. For the new Buick, I bought a modest Sony head unit with iPod control. $250.00, all in.

In a way it’s tough to say goodbye to my transit commute. I spent six years on the scows. My daily journeys were fodder for some of my writing, not the least of which was Streetrag.com, a writing project I am very proud of and one that would not have existed had I not been a bus rider. Poems were birthed while riding the rigs, and I maintain that public transit is the key to seeing how people truly live and operate in this city. Although my commute approached 90 minutes on each end, I rarely felt the time was wasted. While riding I often pulled out my notebook and wrote, and I got in many hours of listening time. All of that aside, it’s awfully nice to be able to go somewhere without having to leave an hour ahead of time. And it’s nice to get home from work in a half hour. With an increasingly busy home life, time is the reason I am now a driver. Owning a car is a bit of a mixed blessing. While obviously nice for getting around, there are the added headaches of traffic and parking. There is added expense as well, but the increase in auto insurance premiums is offset nicely by not needing a bus pass (a $74.00 monthly touch). Gas is a factor, an extra $200.00 per month. And there’s a niggle in the back of my head about being a two-car family.

After spending six years years on the buses, I have to say that it would be very difficult to rely on Edmonton Transit as one’s sole mode of transportation. Of course, this conclusion is contingent upon one’s geography and situation. If you are lucky enough to live on a bus route that takes you directly to work, that’s awesome. That is not the case for the majority of riders, I expect. The city has grown much and transit / basic roadway infrastructure has struggled to keep up. Add to that the headaches and delays of winter weather and a short road construction season, and you’ve got a public system more frustrating than effective. A comprehensive, far-reaching LRT system is what is really required to get the public excited about transit, and to use it willingly. Optimistic boosterism and hyperbolic predictions of future service aside, a truly inclusive and usable train system is probably a good fifty years away.

Riding the bus has a romantic edge if you look at it the right way, but cars are (or were) the romantic accoutrement. The open road tugs mightily at our hearts and identities. Attitudes towards cars have shifted considerably in the past twenty years, maybe for the better. Despite recent happenings – an economic meltdown and the decline of The Big Three; a general trend towards fuel efficiency – the automobile retains its romantic appeal, albeit with an asterisk. Slowly but surely, it has become socially despicable to drive large, gas-guzzling vehicles. There’s even a website that features people giving Hummer H2 SUVs the finger (here it is, called FUH2.com). Along with other titanic SUV’s, The Hummer is an easy target. But it’s not far off to apply the same tactics to other, less acknowledged gas-guzzlers: Minivans, Jeeps, and big sedans like the Chrysler 300 and anything from Cadillac. There’s also a new crop of super-sexy retro-muscle machines: The Challenger, the Camaro, and the Mustang. All of them look super hot, and who wouldn’t want to buy one and immediately embark on a coast to coast road trip, but no matter how you wrap them and spin the fuel economy specs they’re all gas guzzlers with only two doors. With automakers trying to weather the biggest shitstorm of their lives, this latest crop of retro inspired vehicles feels like a last-ditch attempt to capture the romance, edge, and credibility of days past. Time will tell if they do, but the future isn’t bright for vehicles like this.

While I say goodbye to public transit and embrace vehicle ownership once again, it isn’t without a bit of hedging. Increased expense is one thing, but increased footprint is another. We’re now a two car family, something that we wanted to avoid but now it seems inevitable. Like I said, it all comes down to time. With a vehicle, I’m saving a couple hours a day and increasing my mobility by a large factor. I’ve come to the conclusion that the savings in time is worth more than anything. Time is short, and there’s much to do.

Entry #109 · July 1, 2009 in