We don't anticipate needing a car and on a per use basis the Hour Car is really, really cheap. If we had to go somewhere far we would get our car back from my SIL, but the only place we go is the cabin (which incidentally is 3 miles away from the Big Lake Northstar Stop, but it is $28 round trip for both my husband and I to go and would the bak fiets fit on the train??).

If we felt that not having a car would be a burden, we wouldn't be essentially giving it away for the summer. I just keep having visions of a screaming, bleeding Q and having no plan. The Children's Hospital is not an easy bike ride from our house, especially while traveling at 10 mph in the bak fiets. But, that's what neighbors are for, right?

This family is car free. I saw mom and her kids on the West River Parkway the other day and stopped to have a chat. I even mentioned you.

http://ridingphrius.blogspot.com/

I recommend having a comprehensive first aid kit. Among my friends the most common trip to urgent care was for a split open forehead. This is the kind where the skin splits open but there's no damage to the skull. There's plenty of blood and it's pretty scary. Have stuff laying around to stop the bleeding and close the wound. That will buy you a bit of time.

M is a nurse. Score!

As a parent of three and as an former Emergency Room worker bee, I say don't sweat it. If it is a serious, life-threatening emergency, you'll call 911 and get an ambulance. If it is a medical issue that can be take care of at an urgent care, your only real problem is you feeling bad because there is a 15 minute delay brought about by you not having immediate access to a car. Think about it. If you're considering going to an urgent care, you're not in a life or death situation and you're probably wondering whether to seek medical attention at all. Though it may be serious, it is certainly not life-threatening. You'll be fine. How would you know if it is really, really serious? Call your insurer's nurse line. Nurses are very helpful. (I'm married to one.)

Besides, depending on what your crisis is and what is going on in an E.R. at any given time, something like a broken bone or a high fever may have to wait. You can end up rushing to an E.R. only to have to sit around waiting for all the possible stroke/possible heart attack/ real head trauma cases to be taken care of first. You getting there 15 minutes faster won't make any difference. In the E.R. there is a saying, "Your emergency is not our emergency."

We are two weeks into this and I hadn't even thought about the car until today when someone asked me about it.