Walking sucks. Sure, you get some exercise, but you’re constantly tired out and never on time. So, for those of you who have decided to take the plunge and bring a car to Cal, we at the Clog would like to recommend some of the best. When it comes to Berkeley, these three are undoubtedly on the honor roll.

1. Honda Fit

Size matters, folks. We like ‘em small.

This spritely little auto has a lot going for it. The cash-strapped college student will not only appreciate how cheap it is to purchase (the Fit is one of the cheapest new cars you can buy), but also how little it costs to run. And not only does the Fit give you stellar mileage, but this is a Honda we’re talking about here. That means that it will never, ever break down — hell, it’ll probably outlast you. And then there’s the Honda Fit’s real calling card: its size. This thing takes the definition of compact car to a whole new level: We’ve seen bikes bigger than this thing. That really pays major dividends when you’re hustling down Telegraph, dodging seemingly blind motorists and obnoxious Cal students left and right (seriously, wait for the goddamn walk symbol). And that tiny parking spot on Bancroft? You can slip in while every compensating jerk in his SUV tries (and fails) to fit. Sometimes in a huge city like Berkeley, it pays to go small.

2. Toyota Prius C

Tree huggers will love you.

Fun fact: did you know the Prius actually isn’t just one car anymore? It’s evolved into a line of cars from Toyota that includes the Prius C, the baby Prius. This small and cheap (noticing a theme?) hybrid is great for a lot of the reasons that the Fit stands out, but it excels even more than the Honda in fuel economy. Driving around Berkeley is a decidedly slow affair, and cars burn a lot more fuel at lower speeds than at higher ones (especially when you factor in the fuel wasted waiting at one of Berkeley’s infamous red lights). The Prius C, however, skips around this by being a hybrid. So what does this mean to you? Less money spent on gas, and more for books! Or booze. Let’s be honest, you’re probably going to spend it on booze.

 3. Subaru Impreza

Just don’t get this color, and you’ll be fine.

Sure, this Subaru is a bit chunky and more expensive compared to the last two cars. But there’s a reason for this: This car places a priority on safety. It’s aced nearly every crash test it’s been put through, and it has a bunch of technologies on board that keep you out of an accident in the first place (like all-wheel-drive). When you wrap your shiny new car around a tree, you’ll certainly feel embarrassed. But at least you might have a shot at walking away with only your car and pride in pieces. Safety first, folks. Especially with a bunch of aggravated, sleep-deprived Berkeley kids.

Photo credit: Aidan-Sally, timomcd mariordo59 and Lewaedd-Q under Creative Commons

Contact Sherdil Niyaz at sniyaz@dailycal.org.

The post The 3 best cars for Berkeley appeared first on The Daily Californian.

“BART’s going on strike.” I got the news first from Twitter.

“Well, we’re screwed,” my roommate said.

His boyfriend piped up reassuringly. “We can make it work. We need to make a plan.”

My tribe of roommates sat down last week to figure out a strategy. Our apartment is in Fremont. Jeff works in Newark only a few miles away, but getting there by bus involves an ill-timed transfer. Devin goes to San Francisco State University in Daly City. John works in Corte Madera, and his normal commute involves three transit agencies, including BART. I have class in Berkeley four days a week, but I can take AC Transit the whole way if I have three hours to spare. Collectively, the household has one car. Solve for X, where X represents everyone getting to work and school on time and before we can’t stand one another anymore.

Solving this dilemma required a complicated system of picking up and dropping off, minimizing tolls and taking advantage of free BART parking during the strike. My roommate selflessly shared his fuel-efficient Honda, and together we put almost 100 miles a day on the odometer. The days began at 4:45 a.m. and ended at 10 p.m., but the job got done. Overall, the measurable cost of commuting this way came to just about the same as our combined cost of commute if BART were running. However, not everything can be measured in dollars and cents.

There are resources available to everyone that are simple to cultivate and can be incredibly valuable. These nonmonetary economic resources are the very thing that saved my friends, my roommates and me during the recent strike. The greatest of these resources is goodwill. My roommate didn’t hesitate to offer us the use of his car. One of my good friends is teaching in the Summer Bridge program and was immediately offered a closer place to stay in Berkeley. Another friend from Cal joined forces with a classmate so that they could carpool from Pleasanton together. The people who extend these offers are kind and generous, but the remainder of these transactions is made up by banked goodwill. The recipients of the kindness and help of friends put in months and sometimes years of the reciprocating behavior of friendship to indicate that we are worthy of this kind of nonmonetary investment.

A person without good friends — without this long term banking of goodwill — might have had to arrange for a rental car or a local hotel room in order to keep a job or make it to class during the last week. Comparing scenarios between people with banked goodwill and people without it doesn’t seem like an argument about economy, but the bottom line can be expressed in debit and credit.

This principle is nearly identical to the idea of networking. Networking is this nebulous idea of making lasting and worthwhile connections, and we’re all supposed to be doing it in college and online and at parties and any time the panic about post-graduation employment sets in. Networking is supposed to bank professional goodwill and remind potential contacts that we are fun at parties and that we know the same people; it’s supposed to keep our names and faces fresh in the minds of those who matter. The ones who matter aren’t always in charge, however. Often, even an entry-level good word is an advantage to an applicant.

Here’s the point: Whether networking for a job or banking goodwill for reciprocity in friendships, your contribution is the same. If you are friendly, if you are kind, if you are forthcoming and generous with your time and your thoughts, the payoff has value, even when forming priceless relationships. Goodwill has a distinct economic worth. It’s an odd way to think of it, but it means having a car to borrow or a couch to crash on in another city during a transit strike. Relationships make up our lives, but they also have measurable utility. The more you put into them, the more you can someday derive from them.

The BART strike lasted less than a week. My friend staying in Berkeley left his borrowed lodging clean and with a vase of flowers on the table in thanks. My friends from Pleasanton worked out the worth of their carpool without gas money, because one is far better off than the other. Instead, the driver asked her passenger to read her the news, tell her jokes and keep the ride interesting. I brought back my roommate’s car with a bunch of new miles on it, but I also ran all his errands for him while I had it and surprised him with takeout.

Being rich or being broke is not merely a condition dictated by the contents of one’s bank account. It is, literally and metaphorically, expressed in the relationships we have with one another and what comes of them. Measure in utils, measure in love.

Meg Elison writes the Monday column on financial issues affecting UC Berkeley students.

Meg Elison writes the Monday column on financial issues affecting UC Berkeley students.Contact Meg Elison at melison@dailycal.org.

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If you haven’t been affected by the BART strike, you obviously don’t live in the Bay Area. From all the politics behind the BART system — and even our AC Transit system — the whole East Bay and San Francisco are basically reeling. It’s absolute chaos. While the BART employees have a valid argument, what about the needs of UC Berkeley students who made important summer commitments so that this world doesn’t have to be a screwed-up place? Or what about the necessary commuting needs of Bay Area citizens who have lower incomes than our BART drivers, you may wonder? Good questions. Here at the Daily Clog, we’re asking ourselves the same thing. We wonder if they’ve considered the serious impact that unsettled pay-raise decisions would have on our disabled community members, professionals and the rest of the general population. Undoubtedly, it’s gotten incredibly dangerous. Until things become a little more orderly, here are some tips to help you survive the BART apocalypse:

Give yourself more time. Sadly, there’s pretty much no way around it. The buses are packed, a boat would probably take just as long — or longer — and good luck waiting in a car for a few good moments just to pay the toll. If you’ve made important summer commitments, save yourself the stress and take responsibility. Maybe consider waking up an hour or two earlier than you usually do. After experimenting for one day, you should get a feel for when is an appropriate time to leave for work. Depending on how considerate your boss is, consider this an opportunity that shows him or her that you are a committed and hardworking employee or volunteer.

Make sure your phone is charged. This is an appropriate time to do all that Facebook scrolling and gaming. You could potentially be waiting half an hour or more than an hour. Don’t make it torture. Entertain yourself instead! Maybe even get in that luxury reading you’ve been wanting to do during the regular school year. However, making sure that your phone is charged always ensures your safety. It’s seriously crazier on the streets. Your cellphone is an important tool just in case something unfavorable happens.

Keep your wallet in your front pocket. We’re broke enough as it is, y’all. With being forced to be squished next to someone that you don’t know, make sure you know where all the belongings that you care about are. There are so many distractions on our buses, and there are thieves who know this. Be your own responsible best friend, and protect your belongings. Let’s just say that once it’s gone, you’ll probably never see that item again.

Ditch the heels. We all know this: Everyone wants a seat. And we mean everyone. Chances are that you’re going to be doing some serious standing and some serious walking. By the end of this strike, you’re going to know a whole bunch of street names and bus lines that you never knew about before. But don’t ruin your feet in the process! We’re for the pumps as much as the next guy, but consider comfort and practicality. Snug sneakers can make your bus commute so much easier.

Vent. Yes. We’re all stressed: BART drivers, AC Transit drivers, MUNI drivers and then the rest of us. If you have any friends or family members who also may be having a hard time getting around the Bay Area, or if you have friends or family members who are concerned about what’s happening to our public transportation, don’t be afraid to let it out! Don’t keep your emotions bottled up — you never know when you’re going to explode on an innocent person. Letting your feelings out can be therapeutic and can relieve serious stress. Venting is a good way to connect with others and maybe even get more tips on how to avoid skin-to-skin contact with strangers and traffic.

Consider that this is also an opportunity for us to cooperate as an entire Bay Area community. Times are tough, and everyone is having a hard time, so don’t feel like someone up there targeted you to make your life worse. Plan accordingly, and consider that having a positive attitude and outlook on this current situation can make your commute easier and more comfortable. It’ll just be another part of your day.

Any tips on how to avoid the chaos from the shut-down BART system? Let us know in the comments!

Image source: aaron_anderer under Creative Commons

Contact Karen Kwaning at kkwaning@dailycal.org.

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