| October is actually a month of dieting for | | | | person who does not drive a car around. These |
| some fifteen individuals who live in San | | | | would be posted on a website so that other |
| Francisco's Bay Area. And their new diet? | | | | people can see how they are doing and how |
| They call it the Low-Car Diet. Yes, you read | | | | they are living. Indeed, such is a good way |
| that right. It's Low-Car Diet, and not | | | | to learn more about life without the wheels. |
| Low-Carb Diet. | | | | |
| | | | Sure enough, most people do love having their |
| This diet fest is going to be the very first | | | | vehicles around. But what they do not |
| of its kind in the mentioned place. And this | | | | actually think about are all the hassles that |
| whole thing has been organized by Flexcar. | | | | having cars bring about. The list does even |
| Support for the event is also given out by | | | | include the high price of gas, he hard to |
| other transit providers and environmental | | | | find Saturn auto parts your car badly needed, |
| groups as well which does include the likes | | | | and the difficulty to look for a parking |
| of Amtrak, 511 Regional Rideshare Program, | | | | space. Even Dana Beard, the San Francisco |
| Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and | | | | general manager for of the Low-Car Diet |
| the San Francisco Department of the | | | | organizer, believe, "People talk about the |
| Environment. | | | | convenience of having their own car, but they |
| | | | conveniently forget the hassles, such as |
| On asked why such a event was organized, a | | | | finding parking, paying tickets, being stuck |
| spokesperson from Flexcar did say that the | | | | in traffic and making insurance and car |
| Low-Car Diet is actually a challenge for | | | | payments every month. Even as record numbers |
| people. It is a way so as to let people see | | | | of people have switched to transit for their |
| and realize that life is even easier without | | | | commute, far too many people still believe |
| a car especially in areas where transits are | | | | that giving up their cars is too much of a |
| easy to use and are safe. What the fifteen | | | | sacrifice. This event and these people will |
| participants would be doing would not be | | | | show that it's easier than we think to live |
| using their own cars for this whole month. | | | | without owning a car. I look forward to |
| Plus, they will be writing in their diaries | | | | sharing their success stories and motivating |
| about the experiences that they have had as a | | | | thousands of others to do the same. |