Chasing Affluence

My first career job was in the auto industry. Well OK, I wasn't really 'in' the industry, I worked at a car dealership. It was a large dealership and it was owned by a family that owned many dealerships but still, it was just a car store. But I liked to say I was in the auto industry as that sounded better than working at a car dealer. One of the benefits of working at a dealership was that you got to drive a new car all the time. While you didn't always end up with a top of the line car, more often than not, you had a very nice set of wheels. After leaving the car business, I finally had to look after my own transportation needs. That was quite a rude awakening. The cars I was used to driving were now well beyond my means. I had to take what seemed to me a large step down the affluence ladder. My friends were used to seeing me in brand new SUV's or sports cars. Showing up one day in a 2 year old compact sedan was embarrassing for me. As soon as I could afford to move a little more upscale, I did. I bough a used SUV that was in great shape and had all the luxury do-dads that I had gotten used to. I leased that used SUV. When that lease ended I took another step up the "look at my ride" ladder. I bought (OK leased) my first brand new vehicle. Another big bad SUV. I got it with leather seats, moon roof, a kick ass stereo. I added every available option save the GPS navigation which I just couldn't justify in my mind. I mostly drive to and from work and rarely drive anywhere that I haven't been a million times before. (wow do I sound boring).

It was during the final year of the lease on my beautiful luxury SUV that I became aware of global warming and then the issue of our future energy challenges. I started riding to work most days and eventually grew to be almost ashamed to drive my SUV around. If I was going out of town, I would try to arrange to carpool, either in my vehicle or someone else's. The vehicle that I was so proud to finally have when I first got it was now more shameful to me than the used sedan I had after leaving the car business.

During the first month after I left the auto industry, I spent a few weeks without any vehicle. I was interviewing and had lots of other things going on at the time so being without personal transportation seemed a huge inconvenience. I borrowed my Mom's vehicle when I could and took taxis and (oh my god) I even took the bus once. At the end of my lease on my luxury SUV, I considered not getting another vehicle. It was the memory of living without a vehicle for just a few weeks that convinced me to get another vehicle. I bought (yes bought) a used compact sedan. It gets 100% better gas mileage than my SUV did. I can't carry around half my worldly possessions in it like I could (and most of the time did) with my SUV. I still ride to work when I can and I've started walking when I have the time.

I honestly believe that my current vehicle's odometer will never make it past 100,000km (currently around 35,000km). Not because it breaks down or gets written off in a car accident. I believe I, or perhaps the next owner, will just park it in their driveway one day and never drive it again. Not because there's no gas to be had but because gas is so expensive and the alternatives to driving make more sense.

I plan to get back into the car business one day in the future. But instead of helping to put more cars on the road, my career will be as an auto recycler, finding a way to use all those rusting vehicles that will never be burning gas again. Maybe I'll get that GPS unit after all.

velomobility