I admit ....

I cheated. My husband flew into town after a very frustrating business trip to Chicago and though it was late and I was in the process of putting our daughter to bed, he begged me to cheat on my Zip Car diet and I was too easily swayed.

I jumped in the car and landed at the airport in less than a half hour. He saved a trip on MARTA, but it cost me in the end.

I also ended up driving my car the five blocks to MARTA Tuesday to Thursday because I couldn’t risk not being able to pick up my daughter on time. Instead of renting Zip Cars the rest of the week, I drove my VW to MARTA and her school (only one mile from my house).

And we paid for it. Although gas prices dropped to a mere $3.88/gallon of regular gas, the total setback was $50. Ouch!

Maybe my husband should have taken a $40 cab from the airport. He could have put the expense toward business purposes on our taxes next year.

This weekend, though, I made up for it. I carpooled with friends to the mountains for a much-needed GWR – or Girl’s Weekend Retreat – in the Ellijay, Ga. area. (I chipped in of course).

And I’ve got a new plan on the horizon. My husband fixed up my bicycle with a child seat and once I test it out, I’ve got my new set of wheels.

Mini Heaven

So this week, there was another bright spot: I loved driving the Mini Cooper and now I want one!

I scheduled a business meeting located off I-85 and Chamblee Tucker Road. MARTA may have its challenges at times, but there’s an upside to this “Low Car Diet” with Zip Car. I just walked out of my office, headed two blocks away to the nearest Zip Cars, where I found my cute Silver Mini Cooper waiting for me. It was so fun but I felt pressured to get to my meeting and didn’t get to figure out all the gadgets. Note to self: next time take car for extra hour-long spin (on my lunch hour of course).

Shiny, Happy, People

On MARTA, you see all walks of life.

Few complained about the homeless man whose off-putting smell stunk up the entire MARTA car during a hot and crammed rush hour earlier this week.

In the city too busy to hate, MARTA is not a disappointment in some ways, though I could do without the odor. In my first week riding MARTA, men regularly gave up their seats for women. I’m not a hyper feminist and chivalry apparently isn’t dead. So I’m reveling in this perk …. I was about to give up hope for MARTA’s future in my life.

I’m just a sleep-deprived mom who needs to sit down. I'm constantly on the go – whether heading to my PR job, shopping at Target, meeting friends (with their kids) or playing with my toddler at the pool. By the end of week one of the Zip Car Low Car Diet, I’m pretty optimistic. I might actually continue doing this commute, though I’m looking forward to crisp, fall weather.

The heat can be unbearable at times (can MARTA turn up the a/c please!!). I think I’m possibly committing to myself that I might do this beyond the diet. My husband will be thrilled about saving the money.

Jammin' on MARTA

While I’m no stranger to public transportation (having commuted regularly in past years), there are too many commuters with the same idea. We’re all trying to beat the pinch of higher gas prices and Atlanta’s worsening commute times.

MARTA is really jammed. When you add a broken down train to the mix, it’s downright stressful. Why am I doing this again?!

On most trips, I had no place to relax and enjoy the ride, take in a book or even people watch. The packed MARTA trains were frustrating.

For my trip, the commute by MARTA only adds 10 extra minutes. But is it worth the hassle? The jury is still out ......

Code Orange

Things definitely became more challenging as the week reached a close. While nothing completely turned me off of this diet and I’m not giving up the challenge, I discovered some ugly realities about Atlanta’s air quality.

I discovered what code orange www.AirNow.gov really means to pedestrians. I’ve been sheltered far too long in my air-conditioned Jetta Station Wagon.

At one point, I thought I was going to choke on bad air. My lungs literally stung when I breathed in the not-so-fresh-air while walking back to the Midtown MARTA station late in the afternoon rush. The stagnant air was drenching to boot. Luckily, by the time I arrived back to Decatur, the fumes were much less overwhelming. Also, lucky for me – my husband picked up our daughter from daycare.

Low Car Diet

Earlier this week, I decided to ditch my car for a month (or at least try) and I joined the Zip Car Low Car Diet. I’ll be taking MARTA, walking and cycling more, and borrowing Zip Cars. For this month-long, self-induced diet, Zip Car is picking up the tab for my MARTA pass and they also offered a certain number of dollar credits to supplement where MARTA does not go.

Diets can pose challenges and this one is no different. I need to pick up my daughter by 6 p.m. from daycare every weekday. For the first day, I reserved a Zip Car just in case until I get the new commute down to a system.

I’m not stranger to public transportation. I used it for years until I moved south.

So my first day on the Zip Car diet went reasonably well. I left the house, walked to MARTA, and got to work ten minutes early. What a great start.