Transportation Practice 2

Carpool: Think about this: if every person in your town carpooled with one other person, it would cut rush hour traffic in half. If every person carpooled with two other people, you’d have one third of the cars you have to sit in line with each morning to get to work. That’s appealing enough on its own for many, but you also cut out pollution, so the air in your city is cleaner, and you probably cut down on auto accidents in your town too.

And, here is the spiritual component of this practice: you will be forming a community. It will, no doubt, take some coordination. You may have to look for people who work in the same vicinity as you that live in your neighborhood. Or, you may have to pick some people up in different neighborhoods. It will not always be easy—some will run late, some will be grumpy, some will talk on and on about things you don’t care about (I’m really selling this, right?). But you will also have a few more people to share your life with. People who you can talk to after a long day to help you cool down before getting home. You could say a prayer together each morning for a safe and productive day. For me especially, my urges tell me to look for ways to isolate myself. I do enjoy driving alone, getting to listen to what I want to listen to on the radio. But, some of the best conversations of my life have been had with people in a car.

We have cars that normally at least have seats for 4-5 people. Doesn’t it seem like a shame that there are lines of these cars with just one person? So, look around you and find out who from your place of business lives nearby. Also, see who from your neighborhood works near you. Coordinate a carpool, even if it’s just one day a week at first. As with most environmental practices, this will save you money. Just imagine the cool things you can do if you cut your gasoline bill in half this month.