Yesterday was one of those days when I ask myself why I bother owning a car. My car was parked on the street rather than the usual space in the back of my building. I was going to move the car on Tuesday, but I didn’t get around to it. As a result I experienced for the 3rd time in my life what is truly one of the worst feelings there is - the sinking feeling you get when you go to your car and it’s not there. I looked above at the sign. Street Cleaning, every 1st and 3rd Wednesday, and right below Tow Zone. It was Wednesday in the 3rd week in the month, and my car had been towed.

I walked home, not knowing where my car was. The 1st thing I did when I got home was to look up the Boston Police Tow Line, (617) 343-4629. I gave them a call. They told me my car was in Jamaica Plain, about and hour from my home by public transportation. Tow lots are never in convenient locations. While many areas in Jamaica Plain have been gentrified, the area in which the tow lot was situated was definitely not. Walking to my car, I appreciated my own neighborhood so much the more. I was finally in my car at 9:15 pm. I was also $110 poorer, and soon to be another $40 more poor. $110 for the towing fee, and $40 for the ticket. Not a good day. That morning I was already grumbling about the car, because I need to take it in for some routine maintenance. I’ve often felt that a car is more hassle than it’s worth in the city. I’ve often thought about giving up the car, and signing up for a service such as ZipCar. However, I’m still unconvinced that ZipCar would truly be convenient enough.

$150 is a significant amount of money. When I first realized I was towed, I was angry and frustrated. After 30 minutes, I calmed down. While that $150 will be missed, it’s not an event that will affect my life. Losing $150 will not prevent me from going on vacation. $150 will not prevent me from buying groceries. $150 is not worth being angry and upset for me personally. Yes, it was preventable and unfortunate, but one of the reasons to have your finances in order is to be able to deal with small unexpected setbacks. Why be angry when you don’t have to be? However, I’m also very fortunate that $150 is not an enourmous amount of money for me - I can afford it. There are however many people in Boston for whom I realize $150 would be a significant sum. Back in college, if I were hit with a $150 setback, I would probably have to cancel plans. One of the great difficulties in finding prosperity at lower income levels is not that it can’t be done, but rather that there is little room for error.