Boots are made for walking, cars are made for driving

[smittenbyu]

And we aren't driving ours enough! Our car is two years old and we haven't hit the ten thousand miles yet! It's recommended we drive at last 250 miles aweek (average). And we are at nearly 90 miles a week.

Clearly it shouldn't have been a surprise to find our battery completely drained.

So, today I set out to drive to the Indian store 15 miles away (11 miles on highway), and other stores in that area. Battery just topped up and were back to where i started when i stated my journey, because well all of Fairfax county goes grocery shopping and every thing else on a Saturday! And Saturday morning all of Arlington/DC goes away on a weekend trip, so crawling on the highway at 15-30mph Clearly didn't help!

So i guess we are in search of a battery maintainer but no idea where we would hook it up. Dang it. But you know I'd much rather have this problem than be driving 250 miles a week!

Should after all go get those cables to jump start if every needed!!

Comments

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

10,000 miles in two years? WhaAAAAaaa?!?!?!!?
B's car will be three years old in September and we've put on about 40K.

[smittenbyu]

he he.. that's the response we have been getting as a default! :) Today I drove 60 miles (at most) and that's like the longest we usually drive once or maybe twice a month (to a friend's house). The battery nicely charged up and drained again as we returned sitting idling away on the beltway! I am not sure how others keep their cars going here! sigh...

[prashanthchengi.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad to be in a country/society where one can get by perfectly well without a car! That's one of the reasons I'll probably continue to pass over opportunities to move to the US (have already done so once).

[smittenbyu]

There are many in Arlington (in metro areas of Arlington) who don't have cars... In fact, i didn't drive anywhere the first 3 years here. It's completely doable here...love it for it. Slowly some of the newer suburbs are working to make walkable towns and public transport accessibility.

Technically, I could walk to the store for groceries but since the car needs to be driven, I do. sigh.

We did consider not buying a car and just renting when we needed it.... they have these car-sharing programs (Zip Car) that would have worked great for us. But with the child lugging the car seat and installing/uninstalling is just too much of a pain.

I think if D shows an interest in Indian music/dance then we would need to use the car to get her there and back (as those are out in the suburbs)! Bummer.... absolutely detest car-dependency! grrrr....

[sistrmoon.livejournal.com]

Both my husband and I drive a ton(80k on my car in 4-4.5 years, 100k on his in the same amount of time, a lot of it for work for both of us) so it's hard to imagine not driving enough!