So I've been living in London for about a year now. We truly love it. My daughter last night, while trick or treating, turned to me and said, Daddy I love London. Now maybe it was the candy talking, but from a family and quality of life perspective this is one of the best places we've ever lived.
I'm viewed by the British people who surround me alternately with loving admiration and polite tolerance, often noting that we (my wife and I) are quite eccentric "for Americans".
Eccentric ? You ask? Well yes, first of all we move all around the world, seemingly on a whim. We make movies, I start tech companies, no wait I used to be a roadie, wait we lived in Romania.... Most Brits are born and die within a few miles of the same place.
Oh yes, and we don't own a car. Ok Californians, stop gasping, yes we are car-less, in addition to the obvious carbon reducing benefits, it has helped my waistline tremendously. But, of course, one needs to get around. So - we use - Green Tomato. Think of it like a car service (the ones in ny with big black towncars) except these are prius' and biodeisel limo's - with Green Tomato decals all over them.
You see, I ran the numbers. When you add car payment, insurance, parking, congestion charge and carbon offset, I'm saving about 100 quid a month! and someone drives me so I can talk on the phone (particularly useful for calling the states in the evenings on the way home from the bbc.) And the carbon footprint is even lower as, in addition to being a plug in hybrid (1/2 the consumption of a regular prius) I'm sharing it with up to 20 other people!
The rest of the time we take the tube, rail or even, gasp a bus.
Lifestyle and social accountability. A perfect 10 in my book.
Originally posted on rxdxt.vox.com
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