I am a car-less person living in St. Louis, Missouri. I was car-less in 2014 during the numerous police shootings and protests that are now referred to as simply “Ferguson.” I am car-less now during the protests sparked by the acquittal of Jason Stockley, a former St. Louis police officer who in 2011 was recorded on a police dashboard camera saying something that sounds like, “I’m going to kill this motherfucker, don’t you know it” before fatally shooting Anthony Lamar Smith.
Being car-less during times of protest is doable, albeit challenging. I’ve taken public transit to protests and to town halls, but transit isn’t always a viable option. The day after Stockley was acquitted, there was a protest at the West County Chesterfield Mall. According to Google Maps, the recommended transit route from my apartment to Chesterfield Mall takes 1 hour and 31 minutes. It involves 23 minutes of walking and at least one transfer. I only live 17 miles from Chesterfield Mall.
