Apparently, life is NOT a game of MONOPOLY...

There are many reasons why I commute to work via public transit. It is cleaner for the environment; I never have to worry about fighting with traffic; I can listen to music and read at the same time; I can catch cat naps to and from the office; the price of gasoline is *never* going down (currently hitting around $1.10-$1.15/litre) so I only ever have to put fuel in my truck once a month; the wear and tear on my vehicle is never an worry for me; I can catch cat naps to and from the office (Yah, I know, I said that twice, but it *really* is a great great great bonus!!).

Of course there are drawbacks to public transportation. Some people genuinely smell *bad* and said people don't realize they smell *bad*; there are annoying, fidgety, bouncy, sniffly, coughy, itchy, chewy kinds of people and said people are infinite in quirks and numbers; sometimes the bus drivers are dangerous individuals that think they're driving an RX7 and not a giant bacteria tube; ehm, bacteria; no A/C; no proper heat; "colourful caricatures"; traffic jams while caught in any of the above scenarios.

However, if I am generally speaking, it is WAY more relaxing than having to worry about any of the above concerns. And so today, I am given one more reason why it is better to take public transit than it is to drive my own vehicle into the downtown core.

Calgary has just been ranked with the 4th highest average Downtown Monthly Parking Rate in the world.

International monthly rates:

1. London -- West End, $1,002.15.

2. Tokyo, $783.42.

3. New York -- Midtown, $641.65.

4. Calgary, $375

5. Paris, $354.35.

6. Los Angeles, $212.05.

7. Houston, $166.29

...and unfortunately for those that choose to drive on their commute to downtown you can't roll the dice and land on FREE PARKING, just pass go and pay $375.