perspectives
Doing the L.A. Unthinkable
An LMU professor discovered the deeper joys of mobility when she gave up her car in Los Angeles
By Diane Meyer
Dutch writer Cees Nooteboom, in a 1973 essay titled “Autopia,” referred to Los Angeles as a “city in which movement, freedom of movement, is a strong promise of life.” Given this, I made the least Los Angeles-like decision possible and willingly got rid of my car.
Initially, I wondered if I had acted impulsively. That day marked the arrival of a January storm that brought eight days of rain, proving misguided my assumption that I could get anywhere, at anytime, by bike. I expected to be able to rely on a car-sharing company, but that was thwarted when, on the very day I got rid of my car, the company shut down.
But soon I started to feel relief about “de-car-ing.” No longer do I have to wake up early to move my car for street-cleaning, or buy gas, change the oil, sit in traffic or take someone to the airport for a 6 a.m. departure. I’m enjoying the financial savings and health benefits of cycling and walking, and I have most appreciated the ways I’ve come to rediscover the city.
Now, I regularly attend eastside events via the Wilshire Rapid Metro bus, and I can use the time to catch up on reading. And the fare is just $1.25 — compare that to the cost of a downtown parking spot, if you can find one. Walking, riding the bus and biking has changed my relationship to the city. I can see the subtle transitions between neighborhoods that are impossible to detect in a car. I interact with other Angelenos as never before, and the scale of L.A. has shrunk.
Of course, lacking wheels isn’t always ideal. More than once I’ve waited patiently on a bus-stop bench before determining that it was, in fact, just a bench. L.A.’s buses are not always reliable, clearly marked or user-friendly. Going anywhere in Orange County, or most of the San Fernando Valley, is pretty much out of the question. Needless to say, no IKEA trips.
Although I originally saw de-car-ing as an experiment, I now feel car-free rather than car-less. And I recently received a grant from the California Council for the Humanities to interview and photograph 100 car-free Los Angeles residents. So far, I have interviewed writers, professors, urban planners, a woman in her ’70s who bikes from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica, and a single mom with two children who gave up the family car to help pay for her Ph.D. studies.
I realize most Angelenos can’t get rid of their cars, but the notion that one must own a car here reflects a psychological dependence more than an actual one. Finding an alternative means of motion, even for only one or two days a month, is a worthwhile experiment for anyone. Despite the challenges, being car-free in Los Angeles is much easier than I ever imagined.
Diane Meyer is assistant professor in the Department of Art and Art History in the College of Communication and Fine Arts. She teaches photography studio courses and the history of photography.