“We’re in!” my significant other just emailed me about Santa Monica’s “One Car Challenge” — something that I had probably — while focused on editing articles — unthinkingly nodded my head to a few weeks ago when she asked whether we should partake. I glance down to the body of the email and immediately grab a paper bag to calm my breathing; what the hell have I just done?!
The One Car Challenge is a car-hoarder’s nightmare, really. Just look at this:
Check out the details. From the city of Santa Monica:
What is the “One Car Challenge?”
The “One Car Challenge” is a groundbreaking pilot program set to kick off in November, to incentivize 200 Santa Monica residents to rely on only one car per household. This initiative is a part of Santa Monica’s ongoing efforts to reduce traffic congestion, promote eco-friendly transportation alternatives, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
[…]
If you qualify for the “One Car Challenge,” you’ll receive a weekly stipend for your commitment to using just one car during the challenge period.
Oh my god this is my nightmare.
How the heck is this man going to drive a single car for five weeks?:
Admittedly, I sold quite a few of the machines you see in the video above, but I have bought three since moving to California in January, so now I have these:
- 1958 Nash Metropolitan (non-operable)
- 1966 Ford Mustang
- 1979 Jeep Cherokee Golden Eagle (also non-operable)
- 1985 Jeep J10
- 1991 Jeep Wrangler
- 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5spd (other than acting as a cat nursery, non-functional)
- 2011 Nissan Leaf (operable for like 20 miles at a time)
- 2014 BMW i3
To be sure, three of those cars aren’t functional, but still! I have five awesome machines that I love to drive, and now I’m being limited to just one!?
Wait, not only am I being limited to just one, but BOTH my SO and I have to share a single car…Wait, which car? Did she already choose one?! Is it… oh god she didn’t…
Please car-gods, spare me from the pain of having to drive a Lexus RX350 for five weeks. It’s a fine car that she loves, sure, but as an enthusiast, it makes me die a little inside, and by week five, it’s possible that my wrenching superpowers will have withered away just like Hercules’ almost did when Hades gave him that potion as a baby. (Wait, didn’t he end up losing his superpowers over a girl?).
[Editor’s Note: David is specifically refering to Disney’s Hercules, the animated one, not necessarily any of the actual ancient Greek and Roman myths about Heracles/Hercules – JT]
Man I wish I hadn’t signed up fo — wait, a second. Hold on a minute! I just read this:
The program offers payments of up to $119.80 per week, totaling $599 per household over the course of five weeks. Imagine what you could do with that extra cash in your pocket!
Six Hundred SMACKEROONIES! I can buy another car with this! Bring on the boring luxury crossover. Let’s goooooo!
We did something very much like this during the pandemic. Sold from three down to a single shared car (JKUR, so hardly a borebox) and a trailer (’51 Ford truck bed), saved the car payment/insurance (the municipal incentive equivalent), and bought two (S2 RX-8 and E61), even more awesome fun cars, AND had money to really build the Jeep out this year as things opened up and we could go out again.
$600 is like, awful 924 money. Good luck, don’t die.
I’d love to see this in my neighborhood. Every house seems to have five cars, but no one uses their garages (I’m assuming they’ve been converted into half-assed TV rooms). Some of the driveways look like those shady used car lots where you wonder how they get to the cars in the middle.
As a result, both sides of every street are lined with parked cars, and the remainder is narrow enough that you just pray that no one is coming in the other direction (but it’s a big neighborhood, so there always is). One time I had a dump truck coming down the street toward me, and I ended up having to reverse for half a block so I could find a space to duck into so he could get past…
Let me guess: All the kids moved back in.
Unless the homebuilders in your neighborhood actually gave you reasonable sized garages, it’s not really the home gyms and tv rooms that are the root cause.
My built-in-2005 2-car garage BARELY fits my S197 Mustang lengthwise, and forget about parking 2 cars side by side unless they’re the size of 20 year old Corollas. So part of my garage is a home gym. It was not significantly different in size from the garages in the dozens of other houses around town that we checked out when we were in the buying process.
This is what they have taken from you. My son’s rental was built in 1980 and the garage fit my extended cab long bed pickup and his Suburban with room to spare. Of course between him and his friends the garage is now full of tools, workbenches, bicycles and random stuff so you can’t even park a Smart for Two.
I’m in in a similar situation, my 90s house has a decent garage but no basement so motorcycles, bicycles, kayaks, tools, lumber etc. fill the garage and cars fill the driveway
It’s true, I was just assuming about the converted garages, because when I was shopping for houses, the first ten I toured had converted garages (none of them had permits for the work though). Something about my price range of house, or something. So it could be they’re also using their garages, and have eight cars apiece.
Santa Monica’s worst nightmare, right there.
This is such a uniquely American issue. I live abroad and my wife’s parents have never owned a car. Additionally, most people I know here don’t have a car, and a surprising amount of people have got rid of their cars.
I grew up in the US and remember my parents, who were teachers at the same school, each drove their own car to work nearly every day… and we had 3 cars and 2 drivers in the family. But that was the 80/90’s where gas was cheap and we only started cari g about the environment.
From 2004-2017 my my mom didn’t have a car and I gave her rides in my car when she was living here, but we both had cars in the states for when we went home… my point, this is such an American issue. We can get around fine overseas by bikes, public transportation and ride share just fine.
I suppose you could go full gen Z douche in Cali and just ride in any lane ignore traffic laws and go full Karen on anyone that calls you out on the bad behavior while riding a rental electric scooter everywhere.
It is wild how upset motorists are about those scooters while they (motorists) are more than happy to drive and park in bike lanes and pass as close to cyclists as possible.
Scooters are annoying. Drivers are dangerous.
Ignoring traffic laws was specifically mentioned.
Ignoring traffic laws is dangerous, no matter what vehicle you happen to be piloting. That includes a scooter or bicycle.
Most Motorists speed every day, most for almost every mile they cover.
Drivijg and parking in bike lanes is illegal and dangerous.
Don’t hold the least protected among us to laws that you are not willing to follow yourself.
I have no idea where you are getting the idea that most motorists speed every day, almost every mile. I don’t. The people around me don’t seem to. Speeding isn’t even one of the more dangerous things drivers do.
Next time could you provide data for your outrageous claims?
He cannot Rust, he is a bicyclist attempting to jump in on a thread. honestly the scooters should probably also be using the bike lanes to avoid endangering the public. If a person illegally parks that is an illegal action and would need to be dealt with by law enforcement. I am sure that for those bicyclists that also chose to ignore stops and right of way and fail to use even basic hand signals, the big scary car going the speed limit and nearly clipping them when they don’t obey traffic laws definitely seem to going too fast even when they are driving completely legally.
I’m finding it the same place you are. Anecdotes.
When I drive, I stick to the speed limit. I am constantly being passed and tailgated. When I walk or bike, cars always fly past as closely as possible at high speed. I own two cars that I’ve worked hard to modify to my tastes, but I can also recognize the harm cars do is massive in urban areas.
So drivers actually are consistently insane in some areas. California is insane, and I’ve heard that Florida is equally awful.
Just know that the other 48 states are not entirely peopled by psychos. Driving the speed limit and leaving as much space as possible for cyclists and pedestrians is standard practice here in Idaho.
I’m in one of those other 47.
It isn’t good.
Well then is the problem cars, or is the shit hole place you live entirely peopled by psychos the problem?
If the problem in New York, Florida, California, Illinois, Australia (their pedestrian and cyclist deaths are rising too), and more, is cars.
Then the problem is cars everywhere.
You know what? I’m okay with banning cars everywhere but Idaho, since it’s not a problem here and doesn’t affect me.
As long as there’s emphasis onto he everywhere BUT Idaho part.
Sorry, it is an issue in Idaho too. Took one easy google search:
https://amp.idahostatesman.com/news/local/community/boise/article278320223.html
Crashes per capita are not increasing. Ada County has almost doubled in population in the last ten years.
How in the name of Karl Probst is an auto journalist going to go 5 weeks using only one car?
Also David, you do know that Karl is weeping in his grave because your Jeeps will not be used during this timeframe.
By calling it “research”
Remind us what that Leaf purchase is about?
> my significant other
Upgraded from friend, I see. Good for you both 🙂
I came here to post this exact comment. How does the s/o feel about the dishwasher doing double duty as a parts washer?
If they’re down for shower spaghetti then they’re definitely a keeper 🙂
I was totally unaware of any type of other in DT life, besides feral cats.
There were mentions of a “friend” that became more frequent, and indicated someone who deserved a free brake job and an outing to see her at a cat rescue (during which his Leaf left him stranded).
I’m totally not a stalker FYI
I mean its all there for the world to read. Unless you’re following him corporally you’re no more a stalker than our Autopian friends in Madagascar
Kind of silly what does it matter how many cars you are driving if you are still driving everywhere?
1) no driving everywhere isn’t an option in most parts of LA, especially Studio City where DT lives. If you stay between UCLA and Santa Monica, the bus system is workable, but there aren’t a lot of places like that.
2) two people only driving one car (e.g. changing their schedules to drive together or just one on the road at a time) reduces the number of cars on the road at any given time.
I always had a thought that if you got businesses to reschedule staffs so you had7-4, 8=5, and 9-6, you could relieve a lot of congestion.
that seems like it could actually be a slight negative. outside of the advantage of more parking spots, unless the couple works very close to each other, the added miles to one person commute could result in even more fuel burned and of course road rage and unsafe driving habits to try to avoid getting places late….probably because of some schmuck on a rental scooter 😉
I don’t think it does. I think the objective here is to get households to realize they could get along just fine with only one car in the driveway and thereby convince them to get rid of a second car.
I’d imagine this is a bigger deal for families who’d have to strategize work/school/activity drop-offs and pick-ups a bit more with a single car. This would mean one car would go to all those places versus everyone driving their own cars.
If it was even possible to do all this with only 1 car.
Probably to show folks they can get by with one car in the hopes they will get rid of surplus cars. That would help the parking shortage.
If my state did this I’d sign up immediately since one of my cars is no longer roadworthy and needs major bodywork. I’m not driving it anyway, so why not take the free money to fund its restoration in the meantime? I don’t have a SO though so don’t know if that’d prevent my other family members from driving their cars, which would be a problem.
For reals. Only one of my cars is mostly roadworthy right now. Where’s my free money, Austin [city, not person I’m responding to]?
I thought you were in the valley… like Van Nuys or North Hollywood or something like that David… not in the People’s Republic of Santa Monica (as some call it). I can’t imagine SM has their program open to non-SM residents, right? Or your GF lives in SM and is pretending your half-buttload of old cars is hers or something? I’m confuzzled.
Sounds like a good challenge to have the 1994 GC up and running by the end of the 5 weeks. . .
I now understand why David has not responded to my emails. He has a significant other who has a vested interest in keeping him away from MORE insane engineers with a combination of inoperable vehicles and EVs.
David, if you read this, it’s ok. I’m a good influence, I’m married. And I own a mid-engine car which means I’m totally normal and stable.
I thought having a bunch of other cars he didn’t drive was kind of DT’s thing?
But this would be on purpose, not because the cars are on cinder blocks with their engine blocks getting rebored.
I was more excited to read the “significant other” note than I should be. Was this noted before?
I look forward to more deep dives about how that impacts the fleet and whatever the dynamic with a guy who keeps car parts in his kitchen is.
David is a resourceful man. He’ll ALWAYS find a way to keep wrenching on something that he uses on a daily basis. I can smell future content in the making. His mechanical (mis)adventures are a massive draw to this site.
I once kept the engine block for my Triumph GT6 on my bedroom floor. I stubbed my toe on that bastard by accident. Yeah, I was bitching…
Tied right on into your username then.
I did note the upgrade from “friend” to “significant other”.
I wish them both the best.
“and by week five, it’s possible that my wrenching superpowers will have withered away just like Hercules’ almost did when Hades gave him that potion as a baby. (Wait, didn’t he end up losing his superpowers over a girl?).”
I think this 5 weeks using a reliable car should afford some time to wrench on things without being worried about being finished quickly. Take this time not driving your cars to get some right, or moving in the right direction. You may never find 5 weeks of wrenching time again, so use what the universe is giving and make some new rusty Jeep content for the internets.
I am sure the quote was meant to be amusing, but yeah, I daily a relatively new (ok its a 2002, but low miles and well maintained) so I can work on my old cars in my spare time. In my opinion if you live a life where you have to make it to work everyday or have kids to lug around but still want to monkey around with marginal but interesting cars it is the smart play.
I also think a 2002 is a new car, but it always surprises me how many people think that 2002 is ancient and that car should have crapped out at least a decade ago.
Heck yeah, that’s why I have the Lancer.
“Imagine what you could do with that extra cash in your pocket!”
$500? In Santa Monica? Probably not a hell of a lot.
Sure you can! You can feed the meter!
You can buy shoe with it. Notice the singular.
So I read about the program, limited to 200 applicants with multiple cars. It doesn’t say if it has to be a multiple driver household. So if I was a single guy living by myself could I get the money? I theoretically wouldn’t drive any less, I could just pick a car for five weeks then move to the next? Somehow I have the feeling single multiple car owners would be weeded out, but they don’t want to say that because that is discrimination, or somebody might consider it that.
Owning multiple cars is only worse for the environment from a manufacturing emissions POV, you can only drive one vehicle at a time after all, so I guess it wouldn’t be unreasonable to weed out single multiple car owners for this programme, there’s nothing in your day to day behaviour to change by only using one vehicle other than what set of keys you pick up when you leave the house.
It’ll be more complicated for a couple or family to share using only one vehicle, and could possibly be more of a ballache than $120 a week is worth.
Isn’t that like telling Chef Boyardee to cook with only a spoon and in the shower?
I am sure you will do fine!
I have a 50cc motorized 1960s schwinn beach cruiser complete with ape hangers and a banana seat that could be used in lieu of a car in suitable weather. Straight piped two strokes are so very eco friendly after all.
Honestly this concept is asinine without a complete overhaul of the public transit system and a return to pre GM bus anti-trust suit days. I just don’t see it happening in the western US anytime soon, theres just too much distance between major poulation centers to make it properly viable out there, and small towns simply can’t afford it.
“…theres just too much distance between major population centers…” Southern California is solid city from Mexico to Santa Barbara, between the ocean and the desert. But the problem with public transit is that area is divided into several counties and a whole lot of municipalities. And commuters aren’t going from the suburbs to a central downtown. They’re going every which way, and all day long. I don’t know whether anyone has done a big study, but I suspect the most efficient way to move several million people to work and back around SoCal is personal transportation.
I disagree. The most efficient way to move several million people to work and back around SoCal is WFH.
Well yeah, that.
Definitely should have driven the J10, and gotten some vinyl lettering on the back window to advertise the one car challenge. Gotta pick the beast for the daily driver!
So, to qualify, you have to take a picture of the odometer of all the cars you have (presumably all the ones registered to you anyway) and submit them? Surely at least one of those keeps has got to have a faulty or broken odometer at this point, and if not, I’m sure you could figure out a way to temporarily make it so … Then take your weekly pictures in vastly different locations to see how much they’re paying attention!
Otherwise, press loaners?
Good thing Hubert and Matt aren’t still visiting.
“Avid:
I just read that older Lexus post and saw you asking for advice:
“My friend wasn’t thrilled that I came in with so much grime on my hands on behind my fingernails. I have to admit: This is the first time this has ever been a problem. For basically a decade, grimy hands have been nothing but respectable among my peers. A sign that I’d been wrenching hard. But now I have to figure out how to clean them? Please advise”
I posted this there but assuming that old post is buried so deep you’ll never see my reply there I’ll repost it here:
Something I WISH I had discovered decades ago:
I will start by saying I naturally have very dry skin thanks to a family legacy of ichthyosis vulgaris. I am very prone to excema especially as I age. Soap, even “moisturizing” soap is horrible to my skin. Soap is very drying at best and can trigger contact dermatitis at the worst. Cleaning up after wrenching was especially a nightmare, sometimes I’d have flare ups that lasted MONTHS! Pumice soap was the worst. It rubbed my skin RAW! Whatever petroleum smelling additives were in there made it worse.
A few years ago I (re)discovered to my absolute delight a cheap and easy solution: Cooking oil! Canola, vegetable, olive, it really doesn’t matter. Whereas soap aggravated my skin oil does the opposite, it CALMS my skin and stops my excema flareups. Now I use a combination of soap and oil to wash my hands and I haven’t had a flare up since! I now keep a liquid soap dispenser filled with oil at my sink.
A pump (or three) of oil will dissolve most tough and dirty car grease. Use an old dulled knife or credit card card as a strigil (skin scraper). An open pair of small scissors can be used for fine scraping work and fingernails.
If I need do do stuff as my hands soak I pump a bit of oil into the fingers of a pair of cheap nitrile gloves and put them on. The movement distributes the oil around my skin without getting it on everything I touch. After 10-15 minutes I remove the gloves and use a bit of table salt or sugar as an abrasive, it will not dissolve in the oil. It actually works as well as pumice. Then I wash and scrape my hands with a combination of soap and oil till they are clean. Once they are clean and dry I rub a drop or two of fresh oil into them to keep them hydrated.
If you are concerned about the potential “fatbergs” that might build up in the drain lines just periodically dump some industrial strength live enzyme cleaner down there. It will colonize and eat up the adhered fats. Draino will also dissolve them. Since I started using oil I’ve never had a problem with my drains.
Try it, you’ll love it!!
FYI using cooking oil to clean skin has a LONG history extending back throughout… well throughout ALL of human history. If it was good enough for thousands of years of living gods, Greek olympians, Roman emperors, gladiators and centurions it’s good enough for me. They used sand as an abrasive. I prefer sugar which was unavailable to them as it cleans up easier.
I use butter. Removes pitch equally well from hands and cards.
That I have not tried. I wonder if margarine and mayonnaise have their fans too.
I’m partial to a mixture of olive oil and argan oil. I always wear leather gloves when working on vehicles as well, because I hate getting my skin cut up, scratched, or irritated.
I use Canola. I’ve tried several and found for me it works as well as anything but it is by far the cheapest.
Castor oil is noticeably “grippier” FWIW.
I have not heard of that, but I too get dry hands and have difficulty cleaning grease, so thanks for the advice! Hope David sees this. I’ll have to remember that.
We had a Lanolin dispenser in the workshop. Worked a treat, used it before we started and afterwards.
Lanolin is good stuff too.
Well WTF is this significant other baloney? Who is wearing the pants in this family? WHERE is your man card?
Digressing, since you say she: 1) does she realize the tremendous challenge that she has in taming this shit box loving shrew (you got me going)
2) I suspect this she is a cat person. Been there. Still there. You’re whipped.
3) you must stand tall, and do what you believe is right, honest, and best for your soul.
My recommendation: buy an airplane. Learn to fly. I recommend a Piper Cherokee. Best remedy when life on the hiway gets too hassled. Just ask Mercedes.
Red Flags. 2) I think you might be right. 3) He has no chance. He is in what I like to call “The Fog”, yeah, we’ve all (hopefully) been there.
“I suspect this she is a cat person”
She volunteers with a cat rescue group. Ya think?
Just because a bunch of kittens were living in one of his Jeeps doesn’t render David a cat rescue group!
Um, OK…
Weird comment.
Gratuitious, out-of-the-blue misogyny. Says a lot about what kind of guy he must be.