Life on 2 legs

Writing something about not having a car, is a little daunting knowing that there are 2 groups of audience - those with a car and those without a car.  The likelihood is that, if you have never learned to drive, the following article will be blatantly obvious and possibly a little crazy sounding. But if on the other hand you have once had a car, it is likely that you will always have continued to have a car.  Once you've had the liberty of your own transport, you rarely go back.

Once upon a time, my brand new car - only 16 miles on the clock

From 2012, what the Mayan's forecast as the end of the world, I found myself at the end of the world as I had known it.  All our vehicles (and we had certainly got through a few) had given up the ghost, we had no money for another one and were left with no other option than the bus. Not only this, but an infrequent bus service which only goes in the town direction once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and vive-versa.  Not to mention the times when you need to go in a different direction at a different route to the bus - it was going to be tricky.

Mark's 1st landy - all purpose vehicle

The obvious bonuses of not being mobile were purely financial.  First I noticed the monthly direct debit for insurance disappeared, leaving me £40 a month better off - well, that really adds to the supermarket budget.
Next it was the lack of impending doom every 6 months when the road tax was due - our car tax always seemed due the month before Christmas - suddenly I could buy a few presents earlier and felt a lot more organised and in control of the big event.
And then of course there was the annual crisis of the MOT.  That unknown figure that lay lurking ahead, was it just windscreen wipers, or was it welding....

I really felt a huge weight off my shoulders when the monetary obligations were removed.

Mark's 2nd landy - fun, except for the repairs bill

So of course that meant I was now relying on the bus - it doesn't sound so bad? Surely?

But;

1) I get travel sick.
The way the buses on Lewis work, we have a small mini-bus with about 12 seats that runs around to all the villages in south lochs, and then connects with a coach on the main spinal route through the island.  I have many bad memories of these 1970s style coaches, with that strange smell of upholstery and the way they bounce around if you sit at the back.  I won't mention a long school trip from Essex to North Wales which pretty much sealed the travel sickness bug in me for life, but the coach hurdle was the first thing to overcome.

The main route bus from Leverburgh, Harris to Stornoway, Lewis

2) Other people are not always nice.
As well as the financially car-less, the bus also caters for people who cannot drive for other reasons - such as they are drunk. There is nothing that you can say to take away the unpleasant and lewd behaviour of a fully grown man who should know better and probably might when sober, but for now is sat in a tight space with you. Enough said <shudder>. 

3) You have to carry all your shopping around with you.
Thankfully our local supermarket operates a 'you shop we'll drop' service, whereby you can fill your trolley and they will deliver it all home for you the  next morning.  However, there are always other things you want to buy whilst in the consumer capital, and unless you have rock climbing arms and fingers, carrying the bags is an unfortunate downside to just throwing everything in the boot of the car.  

However, having outlined the worst case scenarios I can also include the following.

Bus travel is preferable to car travel because:

1) You get to meet new people.
Apart from the stinky alcoholics, bus travellers also include friendly old people.  The best way to get over any windey-road travel sickness is to have a nice chat with someone who has lived a long and full life.  After a while you get to know how to pick your seat to make the journey much more bearable.

The Stornoway to Tarbert coach passing through Aline

2) You're saving the planet.
You no longer need to feel guilty about adding to rising CO2 levels as you speed your lonely way into town.  It is far more cost effective and environmentally friendly to fill one vehicle with 20 people, than to put 1 person in 1 vehicle. No brainer.

3) You hear all the latest gossip.
Even if you're not talking to anyone, bus seats are near enough to each other to garner all the local news from your fellow travellers. Its a bit like putting your status updates on as 'Public'.

4) People get to know you too.
In a small and well established community, new comers to the bus stop are often viewed with great interest. When you whizz through the village in your car, people can only speculate.  Once you're one of the crowd, people find out exactly what you are like, and even forgive your travel sickness rudeness on occasion too. 

5) Its cheaper.
If its just you, the bus is far cheaper than a round trip in the car.  There is a lot of freedom to be had by saving money. A mark of a civilised society is one where its citizens chose to travel by public transport, not because they can't afford a car..

Small Harris bus and view

6) A bus journey is the perfect place to daydream.
As a car owner you are always the driver and rarely the passenger.  There is such a fabulous time to be had gazing out of the window of a warm bus at the beautiful scenery of Lewis.  I have solved the problems of the world while my mind is rocked soothingly.  If you step on the bus with the right attitude, it will take you to new places.

So I'm not saying I will never own a car again, but I feel I have spent too much of my life worrying about and spending money on a lump of old metal.
A car has given me freedom, but a ball and chain at the same time.

Nowadays, if Ken Kesey was to ask, I am definitely on the bus. 

Ken Kesey's bus