Photo by Lingaraj G J, used under a Creative Commons license.Ask any number of people what they value in life and you’ll probably find time, money and peace of mind somewhere at the top of their priorities.
Yet so many of us seem willing to forfeit large amounts of these things for the supposed ease and comfort derived from our beloved cars, even if they do eat away at our finances, drive us headlong into never-ending, stress-causing traffic and suck away at our time.
Fear not though my friends, there is an alternative, and it’s name is public transport.
It sounds simple, but leaving the car behind and taking public transport could save you more than you think.
Besides the thousands you’ll initially splash out on the car itself, with tax, insurance, repairs and all that money we spend on fuel factored in, that vehicle costs us more than a pretty penny.
Add up all those expenses and work out how much your car really costs you over the course of a year. Then compare that with how much it would cost you to travel by public transport. If the latter works out cheaper, what are you waiting for?
The money you save could be invested in your long-term goals or simply saved up for a rainy day.
Unless you’re David Hasslehoff in Knight Rider, once you’re driving your hands and mind are fully occupied.
On public transport however, your time is your own. You could spend your journey reading that business management book you recently purchased, write down ideas for your next big project, put together the day’s to-do list or even get your e-mail dealt with before hitting the office.
Whatever it is you decide to do, it’s surely better than being a slave to your steering wheel for the entire journey.
Ever found yourself hunched over the steering wheel on a hot day, your heart racing, breath quickening and mind succumbing to rage and madness as an immobile sludge of traffic surrounds you from all sides and leaves you stuck in gridlock, going nowhere fast?
Try taking the bus instead.
The belligerent traffic still won’t budge, but now you have your favorite music playing on your iPod and you’re either so engrossed in that new book you’ve been dying to read, busy jotting down some great ideas for that big project of yours or taking care of any number of other things that you hardly notice the chaos beyond the bus.
All is good, you’re calm, and you arrive at your destination completely stress free and ready for a productive day.
Which one sounds better?
When you drive to work, the amount of exercise you get is minimal; a few steps from the front door to the car, then a few more from the car to your place of work.
When you take public transport on the other hand, it practically forces you to add a bit more exercise into your life as you walk (or hey, why not jog a little?) to catch the bus or train, then again once you jump off and head to work. If you’re struggling to fit exercise into your lifestyle, this is a quick and easy way to add activity into your daily routine.
Our final point is probably the most obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning.
It doesn’t take an eco-genius to figure out that the more cars there are on the road, the more emissions there are pumping junk into the atmosphere, increasing pollution and bringing the world one step closer to an untimely demise.
By leaving yours in the garage and taking public transport, you’re doing your part in bringing that pollution down and ultimately saving the world.
Chris Skoyles holds various roles in journalism, marketing, digital media and events management. Throughout all these, his one constant obsession is using technology and creative ideas not simply to get things done, but to get them done well. Chris can be found on Twitter and he also blogs about his work, projects and passions at www.chrisskoyles.co.uk
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