New Tires, Freezing Rain and Mass Transit
The Saturn is ready for new tires, which means that I get to hand over ~$400 to a segment of the auto industry... sigh. Driving a car is an expensive way to get around, and it would be more expensive if it weren't for the subsidies that US motorists are accustomed to getting, yet are probably oblivious to. I'd rather drop $400 on bike crap, but cars need to be maintained.
The plan was to put the Bianchi CUSS in the back of the wagon and pedal home. I decided to change the plan because we received a dose of freezing rain last night. The main streets (Cedar, 38th Street, 50th Street, etc) are just wet. The neighborhood streets, which would be ones that I would be taking on the bike, are ice covered and very slippery. The CUSS is equipped with studded tires and I am less concerned with my ability to stay upright than I am with motorists that can't stop. So - I took the bus back.
Its a shame that mass transit in many parts of America has a bad stigma associated with it. I have heard it referred to as the loser-cruiser and other derogatory terms. I have started to alter my commute to work to include a mix of bicycling, transit and personal auto, limiting the auto to once or twice a week. I'm not trying to save the world or anything, its just the right thing to do for me. I can read on the train and the bus and bicycling has its own benefits. Today, and on most days, the bus was on time and the drivers were courteous and helpful. I had never ridden the 6 nor the 23, the two buses that took me home. A few minutes on the Internet was all it took to find my routes. I am going to try the 46 when I retrieve the car. Its a 4 block walk to the bus stop and then a direct and single bus to 50th and Xerxes, where the Firestone shop is located.
The plan was to put the Bianchi CUSS in the back of the wagon and pedal home. I decided to change the plan because we received a dose of freezing rain last night. The main streets (Cedar, 38th Street, 50th Street, etc) are just wet. The neighborhood streets, which would be ones that I would be taking on the bike, are ice covered and very slippery. The CUSS is equipped with studded tires and I am less concerned with my ability to stay upright than I am with motorists that can't stop. So - I took the bus back.
Its a shame that mass transit in many parts of America has a bad stigma associated with it. I have heard it referred to as the loser-cruiser and other derogatory terms. I have started to alter my commute to work to include a mix of bicycling, transit and personal auto, limiting the auto to once or twice a week. I'm not trying to save the world or anything, its just the right thing to do for me. I can read on the train and the bus and bicycling has its own benefits. Today, and on most days, the bus was on time and the drivers were courteous and helpful. I had never ridden the 6 nor the 23, the two buses that took me home. A few minutes on the Internet was all it took to find my routes. I am going to try the 46 when I retrieve the car. Its a 4 block walk to the bus stop and then a direct and single bus to 50th and Xerxes, where the Firestone shop is located.
posted by Jim K at 7:26 AM
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