Or am I procrastinating at work? I think I might be lazy about this, but I actually rationalize it well. It does happen to be very convenient and as I was driving across downtown Chicago, on lower wacker to avoid traffic, this morning - in the pouring rain (it is 50 and raining in Chicago today - in mid December), I was very grateful for my car. Cause what would I do if my oh so real looking fake (but actually real) hair got wet? It wouldn't be good. This morning, for 14 dollars, I went from my parking garage at home to my parking garage at work, without setting foot in the pouring rain.
The thing is, I do this every day - rain, shine, snow, 20, 75. If I can get to the parking garage at work by 8, it costs me 14 dollars for the whole day. This seems really reasonable for downtown Chicago. If I can't get to the parking garage by 8, then I park across the street - and yes, walk outside, for 13 dollars. If it's raining, and after 8, I pay 23 to park under my building. I once went 3 days without ever setting foot outside in the beautiful Chicago air. It actually did happen to be beautiful these particular three days, 75 and sunny. I went to Dominicks (the grocery store), Trader Joe's, Target, my office, the hospital - all without going outside. I just went from one parking garage to another.
When I moved here I thought - how great it will be to live in a place with really good public transportation. I'll never drive. If I don't drive, then it costs me 2 dollars to take a bus to work, 2 dollars to take a train to a meeting, and then about 8 to take a cab home. I figure this way, I pay 14 dollars for the convenience of my car and I just park at the meetings - which is surprisingly easy. It costs basically the same amount and then I am not at the whim of the public transportation. I've missed meetings before waiting for trains. You probably wonder why I don't take something besides a cab home for two dollars? I'd have to take a bus and a train and in the winter it starts to get dark here at 3:45. So, for only 6 dollars more a day, I have the convenience of my car - or about 120 a month.
What this all boils down to, is that when I move next, I won't live in the West Loop. It's far more convenient to live just a little bit north where I can walk home from meetings. I would go to more meetings actually and probably never drive to work. It's much easier to take a train from Old Town - two red line stops north of my office - than it is for me to get here from where I live which is technically closer. So, am I lazy or is it just too convenient? Or am I making excuses for not going to more meetings? Anyway, I am sure people are horrified that I am currently spending 280 a month driving to work. When I look at it that way, I'm a little horrified too. Will I stop? In April probably when it warms up and doesn't get dark so early. So, until then, I'll spend about another 840 dollars on parking.
1 comment:
Hey, don't you have to pay almost that much to have a parking pass at UM? I guess it is all relative. I think I spend $20 a week on Starbucks! If it helps with stress and brightens your day, I say go for it....
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