CNN staffer goes car-free

[emily_in_nc]

I am trying to go car-lite, but car-free just isn't an option here. Too much urban sprawl and dangerous roads that aren't conducive to bikes. I do what I can- got a job 3 miles away instead of 26 miles away and live within 2 miles of my bank, grocery store, library, pharmacy, etc. Baby steps, right?

Absolutely! Too many people just never think about not hopping into their car for every little thing. We live less than a quarter mile from a grocery store, liquor store, bank, etc., and yet we see people in our complex hopping in their car to go virtually across the street to these places all the time. Why not walk!? Sure, if you're going to get 5 bags of groceries, that's one thing, but dollars to donuts most of those trips are for just a few items.

I did see an elderly lady in the grocery store this weekend with a rolling cart. As I was walking back to our apt with my one bag of groceries, I saw her rolling her cart down the sidewalk over to the "elder" condo complex nearby. Was so nice to see someone else walking! But the sad thing is, you rarely see the 20-somethings doing that.