Ditch the Car

Bulls-Heat on national TV. And a big marathon clogging up Miami's streets. Ticket holders were urged to seek alternate routes to the arena. The man they all came to see took the advice to heart. That's right: LeBron James biked to work. (Big ups to him for wearing a helmet, too.)

We are so trained to drive everywhere that we forget how impractical it is sometimes. There are tons of times that biking, walking, and public transit are vastly superior, and not just for purposes of saving the planet. For example, James' three-mile ride was probably the fastest way from Point A to Point B in those circumstances. Here are some other pluses, just off the top of my head:

* Active commuting is often funner. It is always better for your physical health, and depending on what routes are available to you, it can be good for your mental health, too, if you can trade in road rage for tree-lined greenways.

* Even if you don't factor in the all-in cost of using your car, driving can be more expensive, when you consider gas, tolls, and parking.

* It can be inconvenient to park your car and then have to come back to it to drive it home. What if you want to start at Point A, stroll from there to Point B, and then go home? Well, you can't, because you have to double back to Point A because you left your car there.

Of course, there are more noble reasons to ditch the car. But don't doubt that there are completely selfish reasons, too.