I don't own a car, and I don't want one. Church board members have proposed leasing a car for us. People have tried to give us a used car. We have always politely declined. We simply don't need a car in Korea.
First of all, we walk almost everywhere.
Secondly, Korea's public transportation system is GREAT! We can get almost anywhere in Cheonan by bus or subway. Usually, it only takes 10-20 minutes to get where I'm going. Every now and then, we venture out of Cheonan - either by bus, train, or subway - and all of these are excellent and cheap.
On rare occasions, we need to go somewhere not easily accessible by regular public transportation. We might pay between $10 and $20 for a long taxi ride to an out-of-the-way place. Although it hurts dishing out that cash all in one pop, I am comforted by the reminder of the expenses of maintaining a car. (Even if the car and the gas were free, insurance alone would cost around $1,000 a year. That's a whole heap of taxi rides!)
Another big bonus of Korea's system is that we don't have to buy tickets for city buses or subways. I simply hold my credit card up to a machine at the gate or door, and the charge comes out of my account. No fumbling for cash. No waiting in line. No worrying about having the correct change. Quick and easy. And one more reason why I love Korea.
2 comments:
well in america chances are you will want a car again. public transportation, i've heard, can be not so nice.
Yeah, I expect that one of the 100 things I'll love about America is being able to get into a car and go wherever I want whenever I want. But I am also sure I'll flinch every time I buy gas or take my car to the mechanic. But public transportation can be very high quality. The two most important factors are government investment and high usage rates.
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