Motor Pool

I lived in a co-op in college. And I could describe to you the glee of walking into the kitchen and pantry and just grabbing from the shelves every sort of delectable food stuff one could ever want. Well perhaps they weren't always the fanciest of food stuffs, but they were always there ready to be plucked from the selves and cooked up. Access to choice, my lovelies.

Imagine now what the cooperative spirit could do for your mode of transportation? What if you walked into the garage--a la Batman into the Batcave (Credit: Ciana)--and got to pick which of your many different types of vehicles you'd like to drive that day. It could be a trip to the lumber yard and you could grab the truck. It could be a group outing and you could grab the van. It could be a hot date and you could grab the vette. Possibilities are limitless--within fiscal reason--and open to any level of functionality or frivolity. Pick of the litter and what not.

Point being, more people can afford more cars. And you don't always need your car. And sometimes you don't need a car, but you really really need a truck. Military has obvs been doing this for years. Key components would be things like having a dedicated house member with the knowledge to serve as house mechanic (in co-ops more dedicated and complicated positions receive major, if not total, rent reductions).

I know the car share stuff in the cities works a bit like this, but I think there is something different to the idea if you own the car in a community setting. Applying to take a car out for an hour over the internet is far too abstract a community for this one. Says I.

In reality this post is really just another point for cooperative living. But is that really so bad?