After commuting for years from my apartment in East Lake to Norcross, I was happy to get a job in town near Centennial Olympic Park.  But the in-town commute was killer too, so I checked out bike routes.  It turns out I could follow the streets that roughly parallel DeKalb Ave NE, and in traffic that would be about just as fast.

The trouble was I needed $1500 for a bike up to that degree of riding.  But I had to declare bankruptcy in 2005, so I have bad credit.  And, no credit cards and no extra cash lying around due to some family problems this year.  This all added up to no bike.

I had to think creatively.  I did a Ask.com search for “fast cash” and  “auto bad credit loan title.” That’s how I found Atlanta Car Title Loans. it’s all done online. The online application is WAAY easy — I took only 25 minutes to complete it, and that was with an interruption – and I discovered even my 1997 Jetta could get me the $1500 loan, no credit check necessary.

I bought the bike the next day (money is sent by wire to your bank account). Two days later, I started biking to work and I haven’t used my car for work ever since. In five months of biking, five days a week plus more on weekends, I have actually lost 28 pounds and saved more than $600 on gas, and probably more on maintenance.

I learned through this experience to think creatively, especially about financing options. I didn’t give up — I just looked harder.

– Bud L.

By the way Atlanta is near Forest Park, Smyma, Marietta, Chamblee, and Douglasville.