Car-Free No More?

My car-free status in Los Angeles may be threatened in the somewhat near future. Last night I received an email from my partner that she wants us to buy a Prius after the field portion of her research is done. I honestly don't know when that will be, but it looks like it might be happening before the end of calendar year 2008. This would be a huge change for me, mostly because I would actually be a part of the car-owning masses once again. At the moment the only vehicle under my name is my little scooter, the Kymco People 150.


Partner has a gas-guzzling truck for research purposes that I occasionally use when I visit my parents or when the two of us go on backpacking trips. (Edit: Partner has just informed me that at 25mpg, the truck is not a gas-guzzler. My apologies.) But it isn't my truck (hence the title of this blog!) and it has never felt that way. I don't know how to park it well, I only drive it when I have to, and if I had my druthers I would never have to use it. A car-free existence for me is a happy existence. It is from this perspective that the somewhat imminent purchase of the Prius forces me to pause. Will this be a life-altering purchase? Will I rejoin the LA car-culture once again (complete with regular complaints of traffic, parking, and rising gas prices), or will the Prius maintain the status of the truck: a rarely used necessity mostly for trips that won't suffice on two wheels. I guess we shall see. Maybe I'll rebel and purchase a high-end electric scooter. We shall see.