Carless on Cape Cod - The First Trip To The Store

Now we start to test whether where we live can support a car-less lifestyle.

First, it is clear I cannot make my commute.  I am 51 and well beyond the years I rode over 20 miles each way for work.  So I start from the position that I must have a vehicle for the most basic of needs.

Taking the next step, what errands are possible by foot.  The convenience store nearby advertises that it has "groceries."  Well, you probably could sustain yourself, minimally, on the cold cuts and tv dinners, but the food selection is limited.  There is no fresh fruit or vegetables to be found in the store.  The store would hardly sustain a healthy diet and given alcohol products make up at least half the shelf space, it is more of a package store than the convenience market/grocery that it bills itself as.

Size wise, the store probably could serve as a grocery, but it needs a wider variety of food products.  Its offerings are clearly limited by its clientele.  Most in the neighborhood probably do not think of this store as a destination for meeting one's day to day needs.  Needing to survive financially, it lives down to those expectations.  In the end, one has to conclude that this store does not support a car-less of car-free lifestyle.

I guess this neighborhood is sinking fast into being one where a car is mandatory.