Does anyone look out the window and smile at the minivan in their driveway? I don't think a minivan is something people enjoy owning, it's a means to an end - so optimising like this makes a lot of sense. The author's found an approach that works better than owning a minivan all the time, and frankly with five kids I'd definitely want to start teaching them to travel independently as early as possible (bicycles and buses, as in the article) rather than always depending on lifts from their parents.