[Week 7: Reflection]
When I first moved to Rio Piedras, PR in 2011, I didn’t have a car. I remember the annoyance of grocery shopping, which required a bus and/or subway ride to the nearest grocery and walking the sidewalk-less streets from the subway station to the supermarket. Once, I tried going to a specialty store that sold "natural foods" which was about a three-hour roundtrip, including walking, train, and bus. That, as well as the price ($7 for a "ecological" loaf of bread), discouraged me from ever returning there.
Generally, I could only buy what I could carry. Once, I remember making a particularly large purchase, trying to reduce the amount of times I went grocery shopping. Even after consolidating the bags (the supermarkets always seemed to put only 1-2 items in each bag, which they then double-bagged), I still struggled with both arms and a backpack laden down with heavy groceries. By the time I waddled to the station, through the barriers, and onto the train, it was already dark. I rushed out of the subway when I reached my stop, but soon realized I had exited through the wrong entrance. Instead of coming out next to the university and a block away from my apartment building, I had landed straight in the “danger zone” -- the area everyone avoided at night. And sometimes during the day as well; I once saw a woman get robbed there in daylight. Another time (at night), I saw a car on fire in the Burger King parking lot from my apartment window. It took the cops 30 minutes to get there, even though the police station was less than a mile away. All this in mind, I quickly covered the remaining distance between the train stop and my building, trying not to pay attention to the half-hidden men staring from the shadows.
Reading this week’s articles, I realized how little I think about transportation when it comes to grocery shopping. Now that I have a car, I rarely think about how I’m going to balance bags on my bike or factor in extra time to walk to/from the store. In most of the cities where I’ve lived, it’s been incredibly difficult to get around without a car. These articles reminded me that for many people, inconsistent or nonexistent transportation access for food purchases translates to huge investments in time and money that those who have reliable access to cars or live near easily accessible markets, do not have to face. There may also be added safety implications, like lack of sidewalks or creepsters in the night, particularly for women who have to walk to the store after work hours. At my last job, I often drove students home if an event ran late for this reason. Some had to ride public transportation for up to two hours (one way) to return home. After a certain hour, buses ran more infrequently and it would be dangerous to walk home from the bus stop by the time they reached their destination.
This week’s readings helped illustrate some of the concerns of travel to/from markets, as well as the role of planners in creating better transportation systems for food access.
Oh my gosh, you're experience in Rio Piedras sounds horrifying! Safety is definitely an influential factor in determining how to get to the supermarket. I remember once during my freshman year, my friend and I were almost robbed riding our bikes back to the dorms after getting peanut butter and jelly supplies. I find that many college students can sympathize with how inconvenient being carless is when they need to get food from a store. I generally enjoy riding my bike to the store, but that's probably because I have a bunch of options for transportation. If biking was my only option, I'm sure I would feel differently.
ReplyDeleteFor sure! Where did you go to school?? I was lucky that I never had any close calls, except maybe one time when I got lost and a guy started following me. Otherwise, I just felt a little uncomfortable a few times. The first night I arrived I was super hungry, I walked down the street (in a different direction from the other place) to a convenience store to buy some food. Because school wasn't in session yet, there weren't any students yet to create a safety buffer -- during school, it was the party street; but any other time it was a little scary. And later I was sad to find that the frozen pizza I bought at that convenience store was completely moldy...two years expired! I found out later that the store was really more of a place to buy liquor (and less legal things) than food.
DeleteYes, grocery shopping without a car is not a fun experience. A 3-hour grocery trip sounds like a nightmare. This is why smaller, neighborhood stores should be encouraged to open up. Some people prefer going to the smaller stores as opposed to Publix.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I'm glad you made it out of Puerto Rico alive!! You're absolutely correct; we take the independent-nature of a car at our disposal for granted. A Public that isn't swamped with college students is a less than five minute drive from my house. It is amazing. I probably go to public four times a week, but I think that's a whole different issue altogether. If I had to walk, ride my bicycle, or even take the bus that same exact route... I probably would consider something else. Tallahassee's streets might be covered with the shade of towering oak trees, but its hills are unavoidable. You're also constrained by the time of day, like you experienced in your subway story. Even though 2/3 of my trip would be through the gentle Levy Park neighborhood, I would still be terrified walking alone. And then carrying all of my bags the whole way! I'm cringing. It is hard to empathize with people whose grocery trips are that exact scenario when I've never had to experience it myself, but I also think that's the biggest reason why I see the need to provide access as responsibility. Bus stops rarely have a bench, let alone a covered structure, which is a barrier to using the service at all. Sidewalks are either non-existent, dangerous, and so unkept their difficult to walk on. In little subtle ways, we've made it harder and harder to reach any destination from any method other than automobiles. And to add insult to injury, you can now do your grocery shopping online. That's right, folks. Amazon Pantry lets you fill up one large cardboard box with grocery items, paper goods, basically anything non-perishable you can buy at the grocery store, and delivers it to your house. Now, the online service, Shipt, lets you order your grocery list from your computer or your phone, and they go to Publix for you. Shipt is only one company of many that offer this type of service, and even Uber dips into that market for special moments (like when they delivered ice cream one day last summer). Between the two services, you'll never have to leave your house! Assuming of course that you have a computer, an internet connection, and a credit or debit card, of course. While this is a great opportunity for people who are handicapable and experience mobility issues, those of lower income status would never be able to take advantage of such a service and are only further disenfranchised from the way Americans access their food.
ReplyDeleteI know! I went to college in a super rural town where it was no big deal being a woman walking around at 3 in the morning in most areas. That is not the case anywhere else I've been, except maybe in certain neighborhoods. That's crazy about the Amazon Pantry! I had no idea that was an option. It seems that (in theory) it would solve the transportation dilemma for some, though you're right on about cost, internet, and credit/debit cards. I also wonder what time of day they deliver? I wouldn't want it coming while I'm not at home.
DeleteSo you go to Publix four times a week? I've been wondering if Publix is more expensive than Winn-Dixie? Winn-Dixie seems pricey, but sometimes they have those red discount stickers with great deals -- half-off cheese and yogurt!