Driving makes me feel like I'm a machine

[MattHanson1990]

Ever since I was in Mexico for nearly a month this past summer, I have really shown a dislike towards driving. But in America, unless you live in New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., or Chicago, you have to drive almost everywhere you go, particularly in the suburbs. Where I currently live, I am sometimes forced to drive, and nowadays it REALLY makes me feel like I'm a machine or something. But here, the buses arrive once every hour (or every half hour during the rush hour) and only run on the weekdays, except for the shuttle that connects White Rock and Bandelier National Monument. When I was in Ciudad Juarez, I was able to get around just fine without a car. The city was walk-able, but because of where the hostel is located now, I took public transportation to get to downtown and to the border. Sure the bus system in Mexico is chaotic, but the buses there cover more region than in most places in America. Here in Los Alamos, you need a car, especially on the weekends and if you live in White Rock. There is a bus that goes to White Rock from Los Alamos, but it only covers half of it, and the streets La Senda and Pajarito Acres don't have any sidewalks. Go figure. Downtown Los Alamos is walkable, but it's the only part of town that is (everywhere else was built for cars). I prefer taking public transportation over driving because I get to walk more, which gives more exercise. As of today, I feel like I've been turned into some sort of machine or zombie when driving. In Mexico, I felt like I was a real human being and not a machine; and thank goodness I am headed back to Mexico in a week and a half.