Wheels?

You don’t need a car at school. A bicycle, roller blades, skateboard or hover-cycle, maybe, but a car, no. One of your friends will have a car you can all pile into, or maybe even borrow (if they’re certifiably insane). If you haven’t done so before, you really should take the time to figure out how much your little steed is costing you. By the time you add in insurance, gas, parking, maintenance and repairs you’re probably spending two to three hundred dollars a month on that beauty, not counting the cost of the vehicle itself.

Just when I had you convinced you don’t need a car I feel obligated to point out that cars are pretty useful while dating. The Geezer reminds me that one of his most memorable dates was going house to house in a strange neighborhood, at night, with his date, asking if they could use the phone in order to get someone to come pick them up because his trusted chariot bit the dust halfway thru the date. Memories like that just don’t come along every day you know.

If you need a car primarily to go back and forth from home to school then doesn’t logic dictate that your folks should bear the brunt of the cost? Makes sense to me. Especially since chances are they want to see you more than you want to see them. Listening Geezer? (EH? Speak up sonny….)

Should you decide you need a car while at school, and you end up being the one doing the driving for all your friends, then duct tape an empty coffee can (you are drinking real home-brewed coffee now instead of those foo-foo coffee’s right?) with a sign on it asking for cash for gas. You may also want to attach a spreadsheet showing how much your little baby is costing you a year, along with last year’s 1040EZ showing how little you make. With luck your brighter friends will get the hint.

Also if you do decide to take your car, work with your insurance agent to get the lowest premiums possible. Knowing that you’re parking it most of time should reduce the rates. Having it registered in your folks name might help. In addition most agencies will give you a good student discount if you keep your grades up, sometimes up to 25% off. If you haven’t done so already you should consider adding the towing coverage to protect you on those long trips home. In addition, if you park your car and only use it to come home during semester breaks then you might consider dropping all coverage for the time it’s parked. Ask your agent, as they probably have a little something you can add that just protects against theft and damage while your car’s parked.

Bicycles are a great way to get around campus and most colleges, knowing this, make appropriate accommodations. Ha, ha! Just kidding. From what I’ve seen, there’s rarely adequate parking, but don’t let that stop you. You can get good used bikes from graduating seniors, garage sales, or bring one from home. Remember to protect it from thieves. I’ve found it useful to get a bike so ugly and run down no respectable thieve would be seen stealing it. But most of you will probably want to get a bike lock. The Kryptonite Mini gets good reviews and is around $40, which is probably more than you’ll pay for a used bike. Which begs the question a little doesn’t it? But remember, a lock only works if you use it. Most bikes get stolen because they’re not locked, probably because their owners didn’t think they’d be gone long enough to warrant putting the lock on.

Roller shoes can be an interesting way to get around. Just remember when they’re not appropriate, such as in gyms or swimming pools. The former because they damage the floors, the latter because you don’t want to look like an idiot.

And that’s the way it might be.