5 surprising benefits to not driving a car...

Thanks to taking public transportation to work, I've had plenty of time to daydream and think about some wonderful things that have happened to me because I've been on foot or bicycle in my neighborhood or on public transportation.

Here are some of my favorite surprising benefits to not driving:

1. When you don't drive somewhere, you never have to worry about having a designated driver.  Everyone can eat, drink, and be merry without stressing about who's driving or if you should be taking someone's keys away.  Talk about a buzz kill!
2. You see things that you never would from a car because you're simply moving too fast in a car.  Recently I was walking and caught a glimpse of something astonishing: a great blue heron hunting for gophers in a tiny park surrounded by traffic near my apartment.  And he caught one!  You also find great freebies: I discovered one of our dressers on a walk (and dragged home 2 blocks).
3. You witness the best of humanity.  I know, I know, there are really annoying and frustrating moments.  But I recently saw more than one person offer to escort a blind man to the correct platform to catch his train.  Those are moments that give you faith in people.
4. You get great stories to tell at the dinner table.  Talking about how bad traffic was on your drive home is BORING.  Talking about the hilarious and bizarre things you overhead people say or while riding the train is AWESOME.
5. You run into people you know and might even make new friends.  A few months ago, this woman and I realized we had the exact same commute and even work in the same building.  Then, whenever we saw one another on the train platform, we'd chat.  Now, we're friends and whenever we commute together, the time flies by.