30 days without a car: week 1

It is Sunday, and I've survived the first week of a bold and decidedly un-Californian experiment: to go 30 days without driving a car in Los Angeles.

This latest experiment was precipated by the fact that truck is on its last legs. I need to buy a new one, but, I don't have the money for it yet. The truck is not completely dead: a new gasket kit a couple of days work will probably get it back on the road again this time, but, it will probably never pass smog again.

The toughest bit it the daily commute: 30 miles from Crenshaw to Fullerton on work days. The fastest route is the OCTA 721. I bike straight down Exposition Blvd and then wait at the most unpleasant bus stop in the world, in the middle of the 110 freeway, at rush hour. The noise of thousands of cars, fume-clogged air, and sad homeless people abound. The 721 then drops me off at the Fullerton Park and Ride, not too far from MegaTech. Another quick hop on the bike, and I'm there. About 90 minutes end to end.



The return journey is worse. Usually, I'll be out of work too late for the OCTA 721, which leaves the MTA 460. It is slower, dirtier than the OCTA bus. Not all busses have bike racks, and those that do are often full. I actually ride out of my way to be nearer to the beginning of the route, to try to ensure that I have a spot for the bike, but that trick doesn't always work. Best case: 105 minutes end to end.

Food is tough, because going to the supermarket isn't really feasible. The close supermarket is Smart and Final, and I don't really want to walk home with the enormous boxes and jars sold at the warehouse store. I've tried ordering food online from albertsons.com, but, the klunky interface and the need to have it ordered well in advance, have stopped me so far. Mostly I either eat El Pollo Loco, Yoshinoya, or hoof it to the small Mexican market nearby. That market is crazy expensive, though, and its food is often fairly close to its expiration date.

If I did buy all my food from the Mexican market, it would mean that my cooking would be limited to a fairly simple palette of available ingredients. This is a somewhat profound idea for me: without a car, I will have to change how I cook and what I eat.



Thursday, I saw Tool at the Staples center (taking the 37 bus to and fro). Musically they are amazing, and they are just as good live as on their CDs. The stage setup and the lighting were okay, but, a bit dwarfed by the size of Staples. What can I say about Tool? The complex rythmns and musical patterns, the atmosphere, the biology-themed videos for each song projected on the backdrop, often synchronized to the music. There is true artistry there. Art metal? Can there be such a category?

If set A is the people that see Tool (Anglo and with 75 bucks to spend on a ticket) and set B is the people that ride busses to northern South Central, the intersection of set A and set B is, well, just me.

Saturday night, I decided I was going to go out to get a beer. I planned to do some serious drinking, so I didn't want to ride the bike or walk too far. The places around here are frankly depressing except for Fais Do Do, and I wanted to end up in a place that played music I didn't hate. Because of the music criteria, this meant that I has to go to a mostly Anglo bar, which limited me to downtown, Hollywood, or the west side. The bus needed to run at 24 hours, so I wouldn't have to leave early.

As it turns out, there is only one good option: I can easily get to downtown on the 37, which runs all night. Hollywood would either require a bus transfer or a longish 2 mile walk past the Adams Blvd prostitutes to the West LA Transit center to catch the 217, which also runs all night.

I tried out the Golden Gopher on 8th and Hill, and Bar 107 on 4th and Main. The Gopher was a classy joint, and almost comically dark. I'm glad I chose to wear black, since it appeared de rigeur. It wasn't crowded enough, it was conspicious that I was drinking alone, so I bailed for 107. Bar 107 was much better, lively, fun. I didn't manage to strike up a conversation with anyone cool, so I left about midnight back to the house.