One thing I've noticed since leaving urban life and transitioning to Garden City is that DES, Drive Everywhere Syndrome, is rampant. Even those suburbanites who've left city life and say they miss walking everywhere have fallen victim. This could be for a variety of reasons- convenience, things are naturally more spread out in the burbs, comfort, the euphoria of having ample parking, etc.
I am definitely a culprit of this. I've succumbed to DES on numerous occasions. I've driven when my destination was just a few blocks away but I was short on time. I would never have done that in Hoboken. I would have just walked faster. I've also caught myself jumping into the car simply because it's there. It's becoming the default (plus I now have a driveway which makes parking a lot easier). However, I'm going to stop DES now, while there's still hope for me. I am committing myself to walking to at least two places this week, within reason. I'm not going to lie- You won't see me lugging my groceries home by foot just to make a point. But maybe by taking baby steps every day, I can avoid DES and help some of my neighbors to do the same.
I encourage all suburbanites to accept the challenge- step out of the comfort of your car just two times this week and walk or bike instead. Who knows what you might find, who you might run into, and you may just actually enjoy it.
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