Hi Neighbors!
Have any of you heard about PhillyCarShare.org? I just found out about it in May. I joined just before the lease was up on my Saab. The basic membership is free. You become a member of their program and that allows you the use of a Toyota Prius or a Mini Cooper. The Mini has a stick! Oh how fun! Those are the cars they have here in Wilmington at different locations in the downtown area. You reserve a car by the hour and return it to the designated location where you picked it up. I use the location on the corner of 9th and French. That's the closest to the neighborhood, approx .28 miles; they tell you that on the website. The fee you pay includes gas and car insurance. Since I no longer have a car, offering insurance at no extra charge is terrific. That's it! NO car note. NO gasoline price worries, NO insurance hassles, NO worrying about which side of the street to park on, NO maintenance schedules. Just reserve, drive and return!
Ok I know what you're thinking; I've had a car since 1972. It wasn't an easy decision. Living close to work as I do, I walk to work. Many of you do too. My car just sat, certainly it is convenient to have a car, but in these tough economic times certain sacrifices have to be made. Also, there is the environment to consider. I'm doing my part to help preserve our ability to exist on the planet. There are health benefits too! It's a bit liberating actually. I'm walking more than ever now and it is a pleasure.
Now for the good news! I contacted PhillyCarShare.org and told them about our neighborhood organization and our plans to put an article about them in our newsletter and guess what! They offered us a new member discount! That's right! They are giving us $20 of driving credit for new members. This means if you sign up with the following promo code you will get $20 of driving credit applied to your account. The promo code to use is "Midtown Brandywine." The offer is good for new accounts only and it expires 8/31/08. So think about it. Try it out to see if you can benefit from its use. Become a member and instead of using your vehicle, try theirs and see how you like it. Perhaps if you are thinking about becoming a 2 car family, this is an alternative that will benefit you. Maybe if enough of us participate in the program we can get a car back in the neighborhood. I understand there was a car at Orange and 14th once. We would have to find a location for them to park a car. It would have to be a visible location, after all this is a business and the more people who know about them and join the better. What would we have to do to get them located on Delaware Ave around West or Tatnall I wonder? There are a few metered parking spots along the road. We'd only need one!
For more information please visit them on their website, www.PhillyCarShare.org.
Well dear neighbors, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! I wish you all a happy and safe summer!
DeAnna Cardenas
