We've got a car now, so what should we do in the next week to "test drive" our new lifestyle?
March 8, 2012 7:54 PM Subscribe
We've got a car now, so what should we do in the next week to "test drive" our new lifestyle?
My boyfriend and I (late twenties) just got a car, a first for both of us. This obviously makes a big difference in the operation of our household, and the types of things we can do in our spare time. We are really, really used to not having a car. Not having a car all these years has meant that we have ingrained ideas about what is possible to do in x amount of time, or where we can go, what we can bring when we go somewhere, etc. I am writing to ask for ideas or recommendations for how to use our car in the next week that will use the full potential of this crazy turn of events. While I'm sure that these will seem like they should be obvious "You mean you can't think of ways a car will improve your life?", I don't want to stand there, keys in hand, saying "what do you want to do? Well, what do you want to do?" Both errands and fun times ideas are welcome. We live in a medium sized city where it is not very warm yet and we don't have a lot of money. I have my beginners, he has his full license. I have the next week off, and he works during the evenings with weekends off. Thanks!
My boyfriend and I (late twenties) just got a car, a first for both of us. This obviously makes a big difference in the operation of our household, and the types of things we can do in our spare time. We are really, really used to not having a car. Not having a car all these years has meant that we have ingrained ideas about what is possible to do in x amount of time, or where we can go, what we can bring when we go somewhere, etc. I am writing to ask for ideas or recommendations for how to use our car in the next week that will use the full potential of this crazy turn of events. While I'm sure that these will seem like they should be obvious "You mean you can't think of ways a car will improve your life?", I don't want to stand there, keys in hand, saying "what do you want to do? Well, what do you want to do?" Both errands and fun times ideas are welcome. We live in a medium sized city where it is not very warm yet and we don't have a lot of money. I have my beginners, he has his full license. I have the next week off, and he works during the evenings with weekends off. Thanks!
What city do you live in? What is nearby?
When I acquired a car in Manhattan (a HUGE luxury) parking it properly was an issue. You don't want your vehicle on the street where it can be easily stolen or broken into.
At that time, we used our car to drive into the mountains for hiking, or to the Hamptons, or Cape Cod. Or the Vineyard, parking our car at the ferry. We did NOT use our car to drive to our folk's house in Connecticut except, for the one time we were transporting our friend's cat for adoption.
We also used our car to drive to the grocery store called Fairway on the Upper East Side - a very special place! We did not ever use our car to go to clubs or restaurants, even when the car was in a parking lot only a half block away from our apartment - too much trouble.
In short, we used our car only for excursions or necessary errands.
I still live this way, and I live in West Hollywood, in the greater city of Los Angeles. If I can walk there, I do. Public transport is not similar to NYC, but I am familiar with it.
If I lived in the suburbs, I would use my car all the time. Your situation defines your usage.
posted by jbenben at 8:09 PM on March 8, 2012
When I acquired a car in Manhattan (a HUGE luxury) parking it properly was an issue. You don't want your vehicle on the street where it can be easily stolen or broken into.
At that time, we used our car to drive into the mountains for hiking, or to the Hamptons, or Cape Cod. Or the Vineyard, parking our car at the ferry. We did NOT use our car to drive to our folk's house in Connecticut except, for the one time we were transporting our friend's cat for adoption.
We also used our car to drive to the grocery store called Fairway on the Upper East Side - a very special place! We did not ever use our car to go to clubs or restaurants, even when the car was in a parking lot only a half block away from our apartment - too much trouble.
In short, we used our car only for excursions or necessary errands.
I still live this way, and I live in West Hollywood, in the greater city of Los Angeles. If I can walk there, I do. Public transport is not similar to NYC, but I am familiar with it.
If I lived in the suburbs, I would use my car all the time. Your situation defines your usage.
posted by jbenben at 8:09 PM on March 8, 2012
If one is close to you and you haven't been, go to Ikea. Walk around, have lunch, maybe get something from the as-is section since you can actually take it home. It falls somewhere between 'errand' and 'fun time'.
Seriously, Ikea.
posted by true at 8:11 PM on March 8, 2012
Seriously, Ikea.
posted by true at 8:11 PM on March 8, 2012
Go for a picnic in a lovely park or botanic garden somewhere too far away to consider public transport.
Drive out of the city and go camping for a night.
Go to the beach and bring an eski and drinks and all the things that are impractical with public transport.
Go to a drive through bottle-o (or drive through anything, really) just because you can.
Go to a drive in movie if one still operates near you. Or not near you! You can drive!
posted by twirlypen at 8:38 PM on March 8, 2012
Drive out of the city and go camping for a night.
Go to the beach and bring an eski and drinks and all the things that are impractical with public transport.
Go to a drive through bottle-o (or drive through anything, really) just because you can.
Go to a drive in movie if one still operates near you. Or not near you! You can drive!
posted by twirlypen at 8:38 PM on March 8, 2012
Promise each other that you will work together and practice as often as necessary to master the art of good car sex.
posted by buggzzee23 at 8:45 PM on March 8, 2012
posted by buggzzee23 at 8:45 PM on March 8, 2012
Run a whole bunch of errands at once, then revel in your ability to not ride the damn bus.
posted by Madamina at 8:50 PM on March 8, 2012
posted by Madamina at 8:50 PM on March 8, 2012
I don't know where you live, so I obviously can't make any specific recommendation. But I love love love my road trips and cars are a kinda important part of that.
So, this weekend or next, check surrounding towns and see if there's anything worth going to, such as festivals or such. You can restrict yourself distancewise, say 60 miles or whatever you want. But it's often nice to get a change of scenery and just go somewhere.
Enjoy. And wherever you go, drive safely.
posted by azpenguin at 9:51 PM on March 8, 2012
So, this weekend or next, check surrounding towns and see if there's anything worth going to, such as festivals or such. You can restrict yourself distancewise, say 60 miles or whatever you want. But it's often nice to get a change of scenery and just go somewhere.
Enjoy. And wherever you go, drive safely.
posted by azpenguin at 9:51 PM on March 8, 2012
First, some practical stuff. Are you in the US? If so, then you know that they'll give anyone with a pulse and a signature a driver's license. So beware! The roads are filled with morons, ALL OF WHOM are drunk, on their way back from the eye doctor, taking their unrestrained Bernese Mountain Dog to the vet, changing a diaper, reading a map, and singing along to Def Leppard while playing air guitar at 85 miles per hour in a school zone. Simultaneously. And uninsured. In an SUV. So drive defensively.
Also, take some time to Learn Some Things. How to change a tire. How to change an air filter. How to add wiper fluid and change your wiper blades. Maybe even learn how to change your own oil!
And then get in your ride, blast some tunes, and head out for Parts Unknown! Go eat lunch in a town FIFTY MILES AWAY. Or maybe, you know that road near your place that you've always wondered where it goes but you've never bothered to find out? Drive down it!
Fill the tank and hit the road, with no destination in mind!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:11 PM on March 8, 2012 [4 favorites]
Also, take some time to Learn Some Things. How to change a tire. How to change an air filter. How to add wiper fluid and change your wiper blades. Maybe even learn how to change your own oil!
And then get in your ride, blast some tunes, and head out for Parts Unknown! Go eat lunch in a town FIFTY MILES AWAY. Or maybe, you know that road near your place that you've always wondered where it goes but you've never bothered to find out? Drive down it!
Fill the tank and hit the road, with no destination in mind!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:11 PM on March 8, 2012 [4 favorites]
I agree with BitterOldPunk. Learn how the machine functions. Read the owner's manual. Check the tread on your tires, and make sure the air pressure is within a pound or two of what's recommended. Check the oil, and the cooling system. Top up your wiper reservoir. Get an air pressure gauge, some paper towels, a picnic kit, and a blanket.
Make three spare car keys, assuming you've been given two. These blanks will get you inside the car in an emergency, even if they aren't coded to drive the vehicle. Each driver gets a spare, which they separate from their main key-set. I carry mine in my wallet, women I know tend to carry them in a purse.(This is a bad idea, as the circumstances which lead to keys getting locked inside vehicles often includes forgotten purses.)The third extra key is stashed in a magnetic-holder or false-rock somewhere outside your home-base, that a friend, or parent, when called at 3 am, can access.
Consider a traveling bag; filled with water, food, candles, a lighter, flashlight, etc., which gives you the freedom to roam without some completely predictable incident bringing the whole thing to a crashing halt.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:23 AM on March 9, 2012
Make three spare car keys, assuming you've been given two. These blanks will get you inside the car in an emergency, even if they aren't coded to drive the vehicle. Each driver gets a spare, which they separate from their main key-set. I carry mine in my wallet, women I know tend to carry them in a purse.(This is a bad idea, as the circumstances which lead to keys getting locked inside vehicles often includes forgotten purses.)The third extra key is stashed in a magnetic-holder or false-rock somewhere outside your home-base, that a friend, or parent, when called at 3 am, can access.
Consider a traveling bag; filled with water, food, candles, a lighter, flashlight, etc., which gives you the freedom to roam without some completely predictable incident bringing the whole thing to a crashing halt.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:23 AM on March 9, 2012
Here's what my best friend and her boyfriend did when they got THEIR first car and were in your shoes.
They were trying to think of something to do with their "yaynewcar" and my friend noticed that they were out of soda, so she proposed "let's go get some soda." "But the store's only a block away," her boyfriend said. "So let's go to another town for some soda at least. We'll just....go for a drive, stop in a convenience store when we get there, pick up some soda and turn around and come home."
So they drove to Canada. From Eastern Connecticut. Just got in the car, kept driving, and when they crossed the border, they got a 2-liter bottle of Coke (which my friend was excited to see was labeled "Coca-Cola Classique") and then turned right around and came home. It was about a 28-hour non-stop drive, but they had a ball, and kept the empty bottle of Coke Classique in a place of honor in their apartment for a while. A week later, they drove to Asbury Park, NJ for another home errand.
Cars can be practical, but they can also facilitate spontaneous, wild adventures like this. This is also what you want to remind yourself of. It's the biggest reason I want a car myself.
Have fun.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:35 AM on March 9, 2012 [3 favorites]
They were trying to think of something to do with their "yaynewcar" and my friend noticed that they were out of soda, so she proposed "let's go get some soda." "But the store's only a block away," her boyfriend said. "So let's go to another town for some soda at least. We'll just....go for a drive, stop in a convenience store when we get there, pick up some soda and turn around and come home."
So they drove to Canada. From Eastern Connecticut. Just got in the car, kept driving, and when they crossed the border, they got a 2-liter bottle of Coke (which my friend was excited to see was labeled "Coca-Cola Classique") and then turned right around and came home. It was about a 28-hour non-stop drive, but they had a ball, and kept the empty bottle of Coke Classique in a place of honor in their apartment for a while. A week later, they drove to Asbury Park, NJ for another home errand.
Cars can be practical, but they can also facilitate spontaneous, wild adventures like this. This is also what you want to remind yourself of. It's the biggest reason I want a car myself.
Have fun.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:35 AM on March 9, 2012 [3 favorites]
Oh -- and make a "road trip" mix tape. And if you're looking for inspiration for the Road Trip mindset, check out this. (It's targeted to the single woman, but the spirit of adventure therein is good for all.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:37 AM on March 9, 2012
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:37 AM on March 9, 2012
You absolutely must own one of three things: a smartphone with Google maps, a GPS device, or a multipage detailed map book of your area. You think you know where you're going because you've been living in whatever city that is for a while, but you really don't. I have (simultaneously fond and embarassing) memories of borrowing a friend's car while living in Seattle and having to follow the bus routes because I didn't know where the freeways went or where the entrance ramps were.
What do I do with my car? I go from my house to a friend's house without having to go into the center of the city to change trains. I stay places as late as I want and don't have to leave concerts 10 minutes early to catch the last train. I run 5 minutes behind schedule without missing a bus and arriving 30 minutes late. I go for 2 weeks living out of the pantry supplies then buy so many groceries it takes me 4 fully loaded trips to bring it all in from the driveway. I go to places outside the public transportation radius, like state parks or You-Pick farms or ski areas (while there might be *one* of each category with bus service, now you have a choice!). I buy furniture off Craigslist, do favors for my friends, offer rides (karma repayment)... so many small pleasures, thanks for reminding me of all the things I take for granted these days!
You should throw a party. First step, go to the grocery store and come home with (simultaneously) several 2-liters of soda, some mixers, some liquor, nx12 beer, a 6-pack of paper towels, bags of chips that don't get crushed by shoving them into the bicycle panniers, as well as whatever other food you want (specializing in heavy, bulky, and fragile things, of course). Then have all your friends over, and show them the car.
posted by aimedwander at 6:55 AM on March 9, 2012
What do I do with my car? I go from my house to a friend's house without having to go into the center of the city to change trains. I stay places as late as I want and don't have to leave concerts 10 minutes early to catch the last train. I run 5 minutes behind schedule without missing a bus and arriving 30 minutes late. I go for 2 weeks living out of the pantry supplies then buy so many groceries it takes me 4 fully loaded trips to bring it all in from the driveway. I go to places outside the public transportation radius, like state parks or You-Pick farms or ski areas (while there might be *one* of each category with bus service, now you have a choice!). I buy furniture off Craigslist, do favors for my friends, offer rides (karma repayment)... so many small pleasures, thanks for reminding me of all the things I take for granted these days!
You should throw a party. First step, go to the grocery store and come home with (simultaneously) several 2-liters of soda, some mixers, some liquor, nx12 beer, a 6-pack of paper towels, bags of chips that don't get crushed by shoving them into the bicycle panniers, as well as whatever other food you want (specializing in heavy, bulky, and fragile things, of course). Then have all your friends over, and show them the car.
posted by aimedwander at 6:55 AM on March 9, 2012
Go everywhere that public transport won't take you. Think of everything you wish you could have done but didn't have a car. Go to out of town festivals. Hell, go camping.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:26 PM on March 9, 2012
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:26 PM on March 9, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
- Hiking areas that are harder to get to with via public transport
posted by mulligan at 8:08 PM on March 8, 2012 [1 favorite]