My hunch confirmed

My body has returned to from London, but part of my mind seems to be stuck there, so I'll be posting about London for a few more times. I'm milking my jet lag excuse for a little while longer though--one day per hour recovery--so my dispensation lasts until tomorrow. So this will be a really short post, but I just have to share.

I argue regularly about whether 'tis cheaper to live "out" of the city and own a car or live "in" and give it up. The folks I argue with continue to insist that they can't afford to live in the city and that I'm speaking from some particiularly privleged position. The privlege lies soley in being paid to be opinionated, a real treat for those of us who would do it for free, but that hardly puts me in rarified economic company.

So I was thrilled to see that the American Public Transportation Assocation released a report this week itemizing how much one can save by "dumping the pump" and switching to public transportation. Turns out the average is $9068 per year. That smells like real money to me. There's a helpful table showing how we in Washington rank compared to other America cities. We are, with apologies to Garrison Keillor, predictably above average at $9223 per year. For those who are math-challenged, the chart gives monthly savings so you see what kind of rent or mortgage you could be paying instead of pouring it down the gas tank and belching it out the tailpipe for pedestrians to inhale: $769. Just thought you might want to know. I'll shut up now.

For more information on National Dump the Pump Day, visit www.publictransportation.org.