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Can a Skateboard Replace a Car?


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When you have a skateboard and access to a bus, why do you need a car?

The fact that young people, those classified as members of Generation Y, are losing interest in cars isn’t shocking news. What is shocking news is that I heard this story discussed on public radio, a sure sign that I’m quickly aging out of the “young and cool” category most of Gen Y fits into.

The story detailed two 20-somethings who have no interest in car ownership, preferring instead to spend their money on things like food and experiences while relying on public transportation and skateboards to get them to the locations of their daily obligations.

There will always be a need for cars, of course, but maybe the next generation will completely redefine how we use them.

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An Absurd Lack of 6-Passenger Vehicles


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What happens when 6 people need to drive from one side of Washington State to the other, but only own a couple of 5-passenger sedans?

One choice is to bring both cars and coordinate meal and bathroom stops, but that costs twice as much in gas and obviously separates everyone.

Borrowing a vehicle makes sense, but there aren’t many that can comfortably carry 6 people and all the stuff that goes along with 2 adults and 4 kids. The only options are minivans or large SUVs, and each has drawbacks. Large SUVs are nearly impossible to park in downtown Seattle, and minivans are… well… minivans.

After humbling myself, renting a van, and getting the kids and the stuff situated, something occurred to me:

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When Used Cars Were Owned by Rock Stars


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As a teenager in Washington State in the 1990s, it was required that I be a huge fan of Seattle grunge music. Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, The Melvins, Pearl Jam… they were all required listening. More so, perhaps, than actual school work. (Do my required reading of The Great Gatsby, or listen to Nevermind again? Not a difficult choice.)

As we all know, the thrill of the music was overshadowed by tragedy, as both Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Layne Staley of Alice in Chains died young.

We’ve covered on this blog the van that once belonged to The Melvins. Cobain drove the band around in it before his own band hit it big. The Melvan, as that 1972 Dodge Sportsman is known, was for sale for $100,000 not long ago. It didn’t sell, was relisted at $50,000 and still hasn’t found a home.

Apparently the market for old beater vans isn’t very hot, even with a connection to a rock legend.

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