Q&A with Time's Brad Tuttle

The more people ask me about not getting into a car for a year, the more I realize how much there is to say about the experiment. Funny, really, for something so ordinary. As a friend says, it says something (unflattering, I imagine) that someone not riding in a car for a year is news. Perhaps sometime soon it won't be.

Anyway, recently, I had a great Q&A with Time's Brad Tuttle. This was the material used for my brief mention in Time Magazine recently. Here's the Q&A...

Since the experiment has ended, have you gotten into a car? If so, what was it like? How did you feel?

I have not gotten into a car since the experiment ended. I was open to the idea but when push came to shove it didn't feel right. This year, I want to expand the experiment and see if I can do more, move heavier things around, and travel further than in 2009. As a next step, together with a few other people, I've bought the biggest bicycle trailer I could find - it's capable of pulling sofas.

What are some of the craziest comments/feedback you've gotten regarding the experiment?

The majority of reactions to my experiment were highly positive. The most rewarding feedback was someone who discovered my blog and tried a car-free February herself and found the experience enlightening. The craziest and most caustic comments I received were undoubtedly posted on the San Francisco Chronicle website but my friends and supporters told me not to read the comments, so I didn't. From what I hear, some comments were to the tune of "Go back to your own country" [I'm originally from the UK] and "What a self-righteous idiot". Not exactly constructive feedback!

And I think I asked you some variation of this before, but what were some of the toughest/most surprising moments for you in the course of the experiment. I think you've said that it wasn't really that hard for you, so maybe focus on what surprised you, or what seemed strange and unexpected about the experience.

There were many surprising moments:

- I was stunned at how much stuff can be pulled on a bicycle trailer. Once you get going, the trailer actually pushes you forward. It's like driving a bus, versus a car.

- It was a relief that destinations I'd always presumed would be hard to reach were actually surprisingly doable, especially with a mixture of bicycle and public transit. Those journeys often took me longer but were more exciting and adventurous.

- The toughest moments were when I visited other places and had to learn the quirks of their transportation networks. Marin County's bus stops are often tucked away in odd places and London, England is a nightmare to navigate by bicycle.

- Other tough moments were when I didn't plan ahead or didn't have access to the right gear. For instance, on my visit to the UK, I had to bicycle with 2 weeks of gear on my back, instead of in panniers or a bike rack. So I got really sweaty and steered like a drunken bear.

- Another hard element was that although I was able to move around by bicycle well, many of my friends are not so bicycle-savvy and public transit does not go everywhere. That limited the things I could do. In the long run, however, things are changing and bicycling and public transit are becoming more mainstream.

- I was pleasantly surprised at how understanding people were, even those who almost exclusively drive, about my experiment. Once I pointed out that I was doing it as a thought-provoker, not to preach or tell others what to do, people were very sympathetic to me.

- The most surprising realization the experiment taught me was that I don't need to travel far to see new and exciting things. Traveling without a car makes journeys more interesting and adventurous, meaning I don't have to go as far to enjoy myself.