Clearly, traffic is a growing problem at Lakeside, especially as more and more expats choose to call Lakeside their home. Some will choose to use cars as their main mode of transportation; others will opt to ditch their cars and find other ways to get around. Those who choose the car-free route receive the benefit of not having to maneuver through the clogged streets or circle endlessly in search of a parking space. But they also lose out on all the positive aspects of having a car at one’s disposal.
Choosing to be car-free is more than simply not having a car; it’s a lifestyle. Martin Green, Ron Berry, Amy Nicholson and Justine Bertram are four Ajijic residents who have chosen this lifestyle. They candidly discuss the benefits and challenges of being car-free, along with ideas on how to better get around Lakeside sans vehicle.
Before moving to Ajijic, Green was living in a small town near Boston, Massachusetts, and driving 45,000 miles a year for his job. Spending all that time on the road fueled his desire to move away from car dependency to enjoy a simpler life. “I’ve been car-free for two and a half years. Giving up my car didn’t feel like a sacrifice. I’ve tried to create a life where everything I needed was in walking or biking distance to where I lived.”
Bertram and her husband, also from Massachusetts, drove their cars only when the weather was bad or they were in a big rush or were hauling heavy things. She says, “We found it easy to walk where we needed to go.” They made the decision to come to Mexico without cars, knowing that Ajijic was a walkable town. “If we want to go to the coast, we’ll rent a car.”
One month ago, Berry left Portland, Oregon, where he has been car-free for 15 years. “Having a car in Ajijic would bring on problems that I don’t need, like dealing with insurance, traffic, and the possibility of getting in an accident. If I want to go out of town for the weekend, I’ll simply rent a car.”
Nicholson and her partner lived in Hawaii, Europe and New York City before arriving in Ajijic four years ago. She hasn’t had a car since 2005. “I found that wherever I lived, I would seek out doctors and services that I could easily walk to.”
Since acquiring her dog Paco, Nicholson walks about six miles a day from her west Ajijic home to get Paco’s daily walks in. “Usually, I’m not motivated to walk to the plaza or to a friend’s house once I’ve already walked to the lake multiple times. I realize I can take the bus, but it’s frustrating not knowing when the bus will arrive. I recently had health problems and was tired much of the time, making it difficult for me to walk.”
As much as Nicholson would like to remain car-free, she has decided to buy a car. “It will free me up to visit friends and explore new areas. I don’t plan to use it often, maybe a few times a week. I hate running errands and I don’t go to Walmart unless I absolutely have to.”
“I can see where having a car could come in handy,” adds Bertram. “Buses don’t run late and after 8 p.m. I need to call ahead for a taxi. I would like to see bus schedules posted at bus stops to avoid spending 20 minutes standing on a corner waiting for a bus, especially in the rain. When I had an infection and had to go to a clinic in Riberas del Pilar every day, I wished I had a car.”
One thing that changed for Bertram when becoming car-free was her routine. “Normally, I would get up and go for a run and then do my day. Now that I’m walking 4 to 7 miles a day, I don’t need to run as much.”
When my son got married, I gave him my car,” says Berry. “Every town I’ve lived in had some kind of transit system. I would walk, take a bus, walk some more and manage to get all my errands done. It probably took me longer to get places than for someone with a car, but that never bothered me.”
In almost every place he’s been in, Berry noticed during rush hour traffic how people were honking, stressed out and seemingly miserable. “Why would I want to be part of that mess? I decided years ago that I didn’t want to be involved with the whole car culture thing.”
Being an avid walker and bicyclist, Green strives for a healthier lifestyle. “I live close to the center of town and enjoy being self-propelled, using my own body rather than depending on a car to get around. When you’re car-free, walking grows on you. When you own a car, you get in the habit of driving everywhere.”
Bertram agrees. “We know people who live the same short distance to a patisserie as we do, and they chose to drive there, where we chose to walk. I believe that when one has a car, one tends to get into that driving mentality.”
Berry is a hiker and is used to walking 25 miles a day. “When I’m walking in a forest by myself, I smell the foliage and earth; I hear the birds. When I get in a car, I can see what a huge loss that is, passing everything by. Walking the streets of Ajijic, I meet many people and it feels uplifting, life affirming. Walking adds to my life rather than distracts from it.”
Berry encourages those who want to stay mobile in their older years to get out and walk every day. “You don’t have to get in your car. Simply walk and let everything in your body move. When I get to the point where I can no longer be mobile, there’s nothing left for me.”
One idea that was discussed was that those without cars could wear some kind of tag around their necks while standing in front of Walmart or Super Lake with their packages, alerting drivers that they would like a ride. Says Green, “This kind of gesture could really help us out, since we’re doing our part in keeping more cars off the road. I would like to see people reaching out and helping one another in this way.”
Says Bertram, “The more options that are available for those of us without cars, such ride sharing, Zip cars, Uber and reliable bus schedules, the easier it will be for us to remain car-free.”