Pull up to my bumper, baby

This has become an issue as of late and I suppose it's time to comment on it. While I agree that cars may be one of the great inventions of the modern world, I would be a miserable soul if I had to get everywhere by car when the rest of the entire world is driving as well.

Case in point numero uno: Daisy and I were on our way via C-Train to Kensington to go watch Bollywood Hollywood Friday nite. aqua angel thought she'd be a dear and join us in our lil outing but offered to pick us up. Unfortunately, due to traffic she was unable to pick us up from the train station until fifteen minutes prior to the movie. After driving down there even more time was eaten up trying to find a parking space. While this was all going on I couldn't help but contemplate the pros and cons of car-dom and how it pertained to this particular situation. I figured if Daisy and I had stayed on the train we would have made it to the movie in due time, not to mention we would have had the opportunity to window shop at all the kitschy Kensington stores along the way to the theatre. Despite the larger size of my ass (or in keeping with the car theme, "having more junk in my trunk") I would not have had to worry about finding a parking space for my ass, let alone paying for parking my ass. Mind you, then aqua angel would have had difficulties meeting us for the movie 'cuz she would've still been driving. But that's all in the past. Daisy and I will try to catch Bollywood Hollywood again this Friday.

Case in point deux: Several times when my dad would be so kind as to drive me to work traffic on Macleod is completely unbearable at the entrance to Chinook. It was all I could do not to jump out of the van and just walk in between the cars and make my way to the mall solo. In a similar vein, a girl who used to work with us during the last Christmas season would always end up 45 minutes late and in a foul mood due to her tribulations securing a parking stall amongst all the Christmas shoppers. First of all, if she had parked at Metro (like The Bay had arranged for their employees) and then simply taken the shuttle over to the mall she would have made it to work on time and in a better mood/capacity to be welcoming to customers. She was a blonde in the truest sense of the stereotype. She inspires me to write a whole blog entry on her, but I'll save that for another day.

A similar scenario as numero uno occurred yesterday morning. I bummed a ride with my brother to Heritage station. He kept scouting around for a parking spot until he finally gave up and let me hop off to catch the train. He ended up having to drive all the way to the university where most likely he would have to battle it out again for a parking spot once he got there.

Then there are the places where it just doesn't suit "the style" to drive. Examples are Kensington, as previously mentioned, Banff Ave, and Uptown. While there are people who will show their cars off coasting along 17th or Kensington, I think that they are missing out on a lot of that particular street's vibe. The people, the sounds, the smells of the trendy cafes. The only experience they get are the sights, and that's only briefly and not up close. Yonge Street in Toronto is like that as well. Actually, I think I would rather experience the world's finest cities on foot. That's the way they reccommend it for New York. A huge undertaking, I know, but it's the best way to get a "feel" for the place. Besides, if Daisy can do it in London, then I can most certainly do it in NYC.