Brainfart Part II

[DirtRagArt]

Ok, so if you've read my recent Brainfart (http://www.dirtragmag.com/articles/page-farts.php?ID=79) you'll understand the following anecdote...

Yesterday I received a notice in the mail from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation informing me that due to a recent lapse of insurance coverage (I let it go for about 32 days during late April/early May), I've earned a three-month suspension of my vehicle's registration.

Furthermore, credit for which does not begin until the DOT receives my license plates. There's also an appeal process, but it's enough of a pain just getting a driver's license photo taken... Besides, I’m opposed to the notion of going to court to fight for my right to drive—something that seems to cause nothing but frustration.

Life, however, seems to be uncompromisingly fair. The following day the garage calls with cheerful news—my clutch just needed a little hydraulic fluid. The repairs came out to just under $90 US, whereas a clutch job might otherwise run $500-750.

So here's the situation at hand. I have a good running vehicle worth $2000 at most. I can't drive it for at least three months, however it's illegal to drive or park a car on the street without a license plate.

One choice is to go car free—I can sell the car, cancel the insurance and use the money to buy a really nice bike.

Another is to sit on the car, cancel the insurance and stay "virtually car free" while hoping my car doesn't rust away over the fall/winter.

Either way, it looks like I'll be doing a lot of riding.

[hairygrump]

Sometimes I wish I had a pickup truck, but this is a healthy thing to want sometimes and never have... like world peace or true love.

Ditch it.

The question, it seems to me, is whether you have a place you can store the car for free and for safety. If yes (like a family member's garage or what have you), then you might as well hang on to the useless hunk of metal in hopes that it'll never become useful again. If no, might as well be rid of the thing.

[kennbenny667]

If you do decide to get rid of your car, consider donating it to a charity like IMBA, or the League of American Bicyclists. You won't get the money for another bike, but the donation is tax deductible and it will help to further promote the benefits of cycling.

[wooglin]

I used to leave my car sitting for 3 months at a time every year when I'd leave the country for fieldwork. I'd come back, maybe charge up the battery, and start it right up and drive off. Leave the tank full to combat condensation--water in the gas is a pain.

The worst that ever happened was a seal on the vent leaked water into the car over the summer. It got a little moldy, and there was a deluge on my foot when I took off, but other than that....

[DancingBear]

If you do decide to stick with the car, beware of high insurance rates after a lapse in coverage. My girly went car/insurance free for a year and the insurance companies thanked her with a %70 rate hike (all in liability) when she started driving again.

Live the dream, stay car free. You'll be my hero (as all dedicated commuters are).:)

[denali1]

Hey Jeff, I have been car free too, since March 1 when I opened up
my bike shop. Granted I do not have as long a ride as you do but
I have adapted nicely. The produce is always fresh because I make
more frequent trips to the grocery store. I have noticed too, that I
spend less and I am eating better, do to what I can carry. Penndot is
satan when comes to lapses in your registration and insurance, During
the late 90's I had my license suspended due to a bounced check,
then I got a DUI, so I lost it for 3years total!!! My fault but when I finally
got everything squared away it cost close to 4000.00 in fines and reinstatement fees and I was in insurance hell for 2 years after that!!
This winter notwithstanding, it is not too bad to ride year round in the
westernPa area!!! Try it you will like it!!!

[Battlescars]

Jeff,

I'm up here on the Cape and can tell you That I survived a nasty season of commutting last winter. It's not as bad as people sometimes think. Actually it gave me a good excuse to up grade to disc brakes.

Go for the good life. Just stock up on wool socks and polypro's!

[crazyGoNuts]

when I was car-less I found it to be liberating and a pain in the tail at the same time

I was in the best shape of my life commuting everywhere I went. Being outside everyday was great for my mental health too. And not having all of those bills hanging over your head is great. Living on that bleeding edge where one flat (car) tire will break the bank is not a good feeling. Not having to fret about parknig was also nice.

On the downside - the grocery store was as bad experience, so was that feeling i got when cooped up in the city for too long - sometimes you just gotta get out of town and it is not very easy to do on a bike. But if ya got good friends and a fun job that shouldnt be much of a problem.

Dancing Bear is right about those new rates rates after a lapse - mine doubled after I let my insurance lapse but it goes back to normal after six months or so.

Also, certian companies make it a point to turn in their lists of lapsed accounts to PDOT. They screwed a co-worker of mine in a bad way because of one late insurance payment (on his white and blue ford exploder).

My suggestion - lend the car to somebody who really needs it and can't bike - a freind with a long commute or a family. Maybe they are having car troubles, or just drive a gas hog. Save em some gas mileage for 3 months driving the geo - and you don't have to worry about storage.

[bikertrash]

I usually will many months without using my car, but come winter when the temp drops below 20 F I'm driving. I like to commute and ride my bike but strictly for me, no moral stand on my part. I know if I ever change jobs I'm going to be driving, it's pure luck I live as close to work as I do. I'm a mechanic, and right now I only have two miles to work, so I often take a long way home after work. The only other jobs are ten miles away, and pulling a tranny from a mack truck won't be as fun after a ten mile ride. Get your car back if you can afford it, you just never know if you'll have a family emergency or such and need it. Plus you'll be able to load up your ride and get out of town. Screw riding in the snow, I like riding, but I'm not nuts.
By the way, my car only cost 600dollars. Everything works but the radio. If anyone is looking for a cheap car, keep your eyes out for an older stationwagon. They're not cool, but they're cheap, and they'll get you where you're going.

[jonassterling]

Rock on bikertrash. Car payments are for chumps.

[DirtRagArt]

Hmmm... yeah, I own my car outright, and since it runs, I'm going to hang on to it and drive again when I'm legal (sometime in December).

I got another letter stating that I'll also have to pay PennDOT a $50 reinstatement fee after the three-months is up. Great, eh?