Fighting Tiger

I’ve got an admission to make, one which doesn’t sit very well with my treehugging, car-free, bike and public transport loving persona:

I really like fast shiny new cars and cool old gas guzzling cars from the 50s, super polluting aeroplanes and even though the thought of ever riding one scares me half to death, big noisy motorbikes.

Apart from the obvious financial considerations to do with owning a car (registration, insurance, maintenance, parking, fuel etc) and the ethical and environmental issues involved with their domination of our society, the big reason why i don’t own a car is because I would drive far too much.

And I love flying, whether it be in light aircraft or a jumbo - there’s this fantastic unbelievable moment as you take off which makes my heart leap too - this big lump of metal is flying. Even just thinking about planes, such as the F-111s and F-18s that were being discussed on 4 Corners tonight, is pretty cool. My dad still owns his old Piper Comanche, so theoretically I could learn how to fly the plane we used to squeeze into for family holidays.

I am in awe of the engineering and power and design of vehicles, and that is why I try to avoid using them, as it prevents me from ever taking them for granted. When I do borrow a car for a day or two, or take an international flight and stay away from Australia for half a year at a time, I make sure that I am use those resources with as much respect as possible. But that isn’t to say that I won’t be enjoying my experience!