Hertz Connect

When I got to Oberlin as a freshman, I was thrilled I could walk everywhere in town.  Downtown Oberlin is packed full of useful and interesting shops that supply a lot of the basic goods I needed.  The only thing Oberlin does not have a good supply of is clothes; one time I took the Lorain County Transit down to the mall for pants and it was an all-day affair because the LCT, which has since been eliminated by budget cuts, was not a super fast public-transit service.  I was also lucky enough to have a roommate with a car who pitched in on during the bad times, like when I dropped a heavy computer speaker on my foot and couldn't shuffle to the hospital for proper care (or at least couldn't do it within a reasonable time frame).  By relying on my feet, my friends, and the LCT, I was able to get by without a car during my time as a student.  

Since graduating, I have acquired a car; her name is Flapper Fay.  She is dear to me because she is freedom-- I can go clothes shopping or to a Benefit Bank outreach event or to the Cleveland Reptile Show whenever I want.....but despite her excellent gas mileage she is also expensive, especially when a belt breaks, she starts smoking and I have to get her towed to the dealership.   Fay is freedom of transportation, but not owning her was freedom of my checking account.  There are pros and cons to each situation.

Upkeep costs of the car (car maintenance, Oberlin parking pass fees, insurance) can be prohibitively expensive for those students on a tight budget, especially when the car is not used frequently.  That's why I think it's cool Oberlin College participates in a car-sharing program where students can rent-a-car by the hour or by the day for all those errands outside the Oberlin Bubble.  It's the best of both worlds---you get transportation when you need it*, but don't have the high costs of car maintenance to bog down your budget.  Here is an article in The Source detailing what the car-sharing program is and how Oberlin College students can sign up for it.  

*The BCSL can provide transportation and car rentals for students doing community service!  Find out more about it on our website.