Is it a sign that it's time to stop owning a car?

[lauradi7dw]

I have a burnt-out tail light in my car (2010 Honda Insight). The turn signal works, the brake light works, the backup light works. It is just the back running light that is out. Can this be repaired or replaced? no. They have to replace the whole set, built together as an assembled piece. $600+ for the new thing, and one assumes that all of the perfectly OK parts will be trashed. I had a physical reaction to the news. I have fortunately never been punched in the gut, but I am guessing that what I felt was like the proverbial gut punch. But it's the beginning of the winter, and even though I have used public transportation and my bike a number of times in the past week, for example, I have also used the car a couple of times. Cold and dark? I will be inclined to use what a friend ages ago called the "big metal umbrella."

Added on the 16th - i got it one. I asked to keep the discarded assembly, instead of having them dump it. How will I use it? Make a toy robot? Turn it into a holiday decoration?