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A more realistic title would be “when”, not “if”. It doesn’t take much, especially if you’re over 65: a broken bone, a joint replacement, failing eyesight, a stroke or heart attack, dementia. If you have a partner, and rely on the partner for transport, the same problems apply.
My mother, born in 1906, spent over 90 years living in England without ever learning to drive. There are a few cities in the US where that’s possible – New York, Chicago, San Francisco, for instance – but in most of the country you need a car. There was a grocery store “near” the house I lived in before moving to a Continuing Care Retirement Community, but it would have been a three mile round trip to the other side of a major four lane road. No-one wants to do that, pushing a shopping cart and a cooler, during a North Carolina summer, with temps and humidity consistently in the nineties. Nothing else I might need was even that close.
Consider two of my friends. One, let’s call her C, is my next-door neighbor at the CCRC. After she had joint-replacement surgery she came back to the Skilled Nursing facility, and then to her apartment. Meals were delivered, and her on-site physical therapist took her down for treatments in a wheelchair. The CCRC also provides transport to off-site medical appointments.
Then there is my friend M, still aging in place. When she had joint-replacement surgery she constructed a massive spreadsheet to track all of the people coming to look after her, provide physical therapy, and take her to appointments. That’s a lot of effort, with plenty of opportunity for things to go wrong.
Which would you rather be?
(BTW, M is moving to a facility with Independent and Assisted Living in January.)
In May, 2025 I had a stroke. Recovery has been very good so far. My wife was aces-took me to doctor’s appointments, PT/OT, stores with a smile (maybe not). Anyway, there is a bus stop for NJ Transit that is a 5 minute walk from our townhouse. I started using it to get out on my own. I can get to several local malls, movie theaters, downtown Montclair (artsy/yuppie type of community) and Manhattan. Today I took the bus to Manhattan & subway to Trump Tower, Rockefeller Center & Macy’s flagship store by Madison Sq. Garden.
Certainly, not for everyone but I am enjoying it greatly. I must admit it involves a fair amount of walking. I even gotten to know several bus drivers. And, for the frugal among us, there are generous discounts offered to seniors. Half price on MTA in NYC and a little more than half price on NJ Transit. R/T to Manhattan via bus costs $7.50. Regular fare = $16.00. Again, not for everyone because of the walking involved.
Glad you’re recovering well, and able to handle a “fair amount” of walking. Not true for a number of my fellow residents. Public transport is a blessing, but I’m inclined to say it’s also a privilege. My town does have bus service these days, free since Covid, but coverage is limited and service infrequent. I would use it to get downtown if I could no longer drive or walk it, but not to go grocery shopping.
I’m glad you’re recovering well and getting out and about. Public transport is great; I love using my local bus and train transport network. Do you think you will keep up your transport adventures when you can drive again?
Thank you Mark. I was cleared to drive and have been doing so since early September. I have/will continue to use NJ Transit for adventures and more mundane things like some doctor’s appointments, library, etc. I’ve been driving for 50 plus years so its nice to leave the driving to others.
One weird thing I must note. Almost everyone I tell about my transit adventures seems to cringe at the idea of using public transport. I’m in your camp about loving local bus (and soon train) service. I wonder if that just an “American thing”?