We went on vacation last week and had to take one of the dogs to a kennel. We got home on Sunday, too late to pick him up that day, so I picked him up Monday. The kennel was in the suburbs, so picking him up before or after work could have involved getting stuck in rush-hour traffic. The best option I could think of was to drive to work so I could get there early, then leave early, and pick him up on the way home. I did that, and it worked well, but I broke my biking-to-work streak and I now have driven to work once in the first six months of 2008.
This little example shows how we have set ourselves up for dependence on personal motorized transportation. Even if I had been able to find a kennel in the city, it's unlikely it would have been in walking distance of our house, and I don't think dogs are allowed on the buses. The location of the kennel we did use was not reasonably accessible by any means other than a car. Our "lifestyle" of people leaving home, living in nuclear family units, not knowing the neighbors well, meant that there was not anyone I could have recruited to pick him up.
Of course we got it to work, and I could have come up with other options, but the point is that the convenience is tilted toward automobiles. Other ways of structuring things, like denser multi-use neighborhoods, might make owning and using a car more of a nuisance, and finding a dog kennel within walking distance of home easier. We have make a choice (somewhat unconsciously) that might not have been the best.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Do cars steal your time?
As I have been trying to drive less, I feel undefined restlessness on weekends, like I should be going somewhere. I think that cars can steal time from us in a subtle way.
It has to do with what we do because we can. We have a grocery store a mile away, and once last summer I needed some little thing, so I rode my bike there to get it. I could have driven, and it would have been faster, but not terribly. I timed the bike trip, and it took something like ten minutes or less to get there, then the same amount of time back, with the time on site being the same regardless of the means of transport. So the extra time to go by bike is not the total time to go by bike, but the time to go by bike minus the time to go by car.
But, going by bike felt like a bit more effort, and going by car would have felt much easier. Because going by car feels faster and easier, we know that we always have that capability to run to the store for something or other, and I think that the knowledge in the backs of our minds that we can just pop over to the store for something or other makes us tolerant of it, more willing to do it, and after some years of that we start to feel funny if we aren't doing it.
I wonder if a bit more difficulty in getting things on short notice would gradually make us plan better so we would not run out of critical things at critical times (the bottle of aspirin, the bag of chocolate chips). If we planned better in supplying our various needs, maybe we wouldn't have to run to the store AT ALL. A "quick" trip still takes time. If we didn't have to make the trip at all, however quick, we would save the time. Cars allow us to spend those little bits of time in a way that seems painless, but it still is time spent.
It has to do with what we do because we can. We have a grocery store a mile away, and once last summer I needed some little thing, so I rode my bike there to get it. I could have driven, and it would have been faster, but not terribly. I timed the bike trip, and it took something like ten minutes or less to get there, then the same amount of time back, with the time on site being the same regardless of the means of transport. So the extra time to go by bike is not the total time to go by bike, but the time to go by bike minus the time to go by car.
But, going by bike felt like a bit more effort, and going by car would have felt much easier. Because going by car feels faster and easier, we know that we always have that capability to run to the store for something or other, and I think that the knowledge in the backs of our minds that we can just pop over to the store for something or other makes us tolerant of it, more willing to do it, and after some years of that we start to feel funny if we aren't doing it.
I wonder if a bit more difficulty in getting things on short notice would gradually make us plan better so we would not run out of critical things at critical times (the bottle of aspirin, the bag of chocolate chips). If we planned better in supplying our various needs, maybe we wouldn't have to run to the store AT ALL. A "quick" trip still takes time. If we didn't have to make the trip at all, however quick, we would save the time. Cars allow us to spend those little bits of time in a way that seems painless, but it still is time spent.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Driving and stress
If you search the internet for words like stress plus traffic, you see that lots of people think that driving is stressful. Probably no surprise to anyone. I had heard it myself, but one time recently I actually got to feel it in a way I had not before.
I was out of town for the weekend and came home to my adopted major metropolitan area early in the morning to avoid rush hour. I still got caught in the beginning of it, and since I don't regularly drive in rush hour I could actually feel the stress of being in it.
Then I got home, got some things unpacked and otherwise settled, and got on my bike and rode to work. Having those two experiences so close together, driving in semi-rush hour and riding a bike in traffic, showed me more clearly than just reading about it could, that driving a car is stressful. I could feel the stress in one activity and noticed the lack of it in the other.
I think that the stress is hidden from us because we are used to it. Now I wonder what toll it might take over decades. I also think that if I were going to try to explain why one should ride a bike to work if possible, it would be hopeless to suggest that is is less stressful. I myself would not have really understood it when I started. It is only after some years that I can really feel the difference and understand.
I was out of town for the weekend and came home to my adopted major metropolitan area early in the morning to avoid rush hour. I still got caught in the beginning of it, and since I don't regularly drive in rush hour I could actually feel the stress of being in it.
Then I got home, got some things unpacked and otherwise settled, and got on my bike and rode to work. Having those two experiences so close together, driving in semi-rush hour and riding a bike in traffic, showed me more clearly than just reading about it could, that driving a car is stressful. I could feel the stress in one activity and noticed the lack of it in the other.
I think that the stress is hidden from us because we are used to it. Now I wonder what toll it might take over decades. I also think that if I were going to try to explain why one should ride a bike to work if possible, it would be hopeless to suggest that is is less stressful. I myself would not have really understood it when I started. It is only after some years that I can really feel the difference and understand.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Product review: Sunglasses
I'm not in the business of reviewing products, but I would like to offer an unsolicited review of my biking sunglasses. I do this because I don't like spending huge amounts of money for trendy things (with some exceptions) and I do like finding cheap solutions from unexpected sources.
For summer daytime riding, I have had great success wearing AO Safety Landscaper Safety Glasses, ten dollars at Home Depot. Before I got these it was not clear to me what made suitable sunglasses for biking, but after some false starts, and finally settling on these, I now know.
These glasses have two features that me them good for biking.
The first feature is the fact that the lens is one piece, as opposed to a frame with two lenses. This is significant because the two halves of the glasses are connected by the piece of the lens that passes over the nose. Since this lens is one piece, the part that passes over the nose is about an inch wide. That means that the distance from the spot on the glasses that rests on the nose, to the top of the center of the glasses, is about an inch. That means that when one is in a bent-over riding position, there is enough of the glasses above eye level that you don't see light coming in over the top. This is not the case with regular glasses, where you can see light over the tops of the lenses if you are bent over and sweating, and the glasses start to slip down the nose.
The second feature is that the lenses are the wrap-around style and that the frame is attached to the top of the lens but does not wrap around the outside edges of the lens. That means that if you turn your head and eyes to the left to look behind at traffic, your eyes are not caught by frame material at the edge of the lens; nothing blocks the view to the rear.
These two features add up to good visibility and the feeling that you are behind a nice tinted shield. It's a pleasant experience. They also look good, in my opinion. Style and safety on a budget.
For summer daytime riding, I have had great success wearing AO Safety Landscaper Safety Glasses, ten dollars at Home Depot. Before I got these it was not clear to me what made suitable sunglasses for biking, but after some false starts, and finally settling on these, I now know.
These glasses have two features that me them good for biking.
The first feature is the fact that the lens is one piece, as opposed to a frame with two lenses. This is significant because the two halves of the glasses are connected by the piece of the lens that passes over the nose. Since this lens is one piece, the part that passes over the nose is about an inch wide. That means that the distance from the spot on the glasses that rests on the nose, to the top of the center of the glasses, is about an inch. That means that when one is in a bent-over riding position, there is enough of the glasses above eye level that you don't see light coming in over the top. This is not the case with regular glasses, where you can see light over the tops of the lenses if you are bent over and sweating, and the glasses start to slip down the nose.
The second feature is that the lenses are the wrap-around style and that the frame is attached to the top of the lens but does not wrap around the outside edges of the lens. That means that if you turn your head and eyes to the left to look behind at traffic, your eyes are not caught by frame material at the edge of the lens; nothing blocks the view to the rear.
These two features add up to good visibility and the feeling that you are behind a nice tinted shield. It's a pleasant experience. They also look good, in my opinion. Style and safety on a budget.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
What are we trying to accomplish
It seems there is a great fear of doing things in some way that is different than the way we always have done them, even if the way we have done them is not the best. This can include killing those who suggest other ways. Maybe that's why you can find people who throw things at bikers. For those too young to remember, Robert Kennedy ran for President in the 1960's and was assassinated.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
"Make like picture"
In one of the Karate Kid movies, the old karate master is teaching the young kid how to make a bonsai tree. He tells the kid to get a picture in his mind of what the tree should look like, and then "Make [the tree] like picture."
I made a breakthrough recently in lightening our load of stuff by giving away (to a good home and not a landfill) two of my computers, the [Commodore] Amigas. That brings to mind the questions, why did I get them in the first place, why did I keep them so long, and why did I finally get rid of them.
I got them because I needed or wanted them at the time. They were less expensive than the "standard" IBM-compatible, and much more technologically advanced. I kept them, after I got other newer computers, because I had this picture in my head of me having a little computer lab at home and being some sort of computer expert. I got rid of them because the picture has changed. I now picture myself living in a sparsely-furnished house owning very little stuff, little enough so that when I am gone my kids won't be faced with the job of getting rid of all of it. Now that I have that new picture, getting rid of the impediments to reaching that picture becomes easier.
Our dependence on automobiles, practiced over so many years, has (in my opinion) created in our collective head a picture of ourselves constantly in motion, going any place we want to go, whenever we want to, without any negative consequences to the environment or our bank accounts. I have found that riding my bike to work has started to alter that picture in my head. I am developing a picture of myself not running here and there, using the car infrequently, transporting myself by bicycle when possible but not transporting myself anwhere at all unless I have to.
When that picture changes, I start to wonder what other pictures I have of myself, and if they should be examined and changed also. One physical act, commuting by bike, changed a mental picture, and now the changed mental picture is causing questioning of other mental pictures, and changes to other mental pictures are driving other physical acts, like getting rid of stuff I don't need because it doesn't fit in the picture.
I made a breakthrough recently in lightening our load of stuff by giving away (to a good home and not a landfill) two of my computers, the [Commodore] Amigas. That brings to mind the questions, why did I get them in the first place, why did I keep them so long, and why did I finally get rid of them.
I got them because I needed or wanted them at the time. They were less expensive than the "standard" IBM-compatible, and much more technologically advanced. I kept them, after I got other newer computers, because I had this picture in my head of me having a little computer lab at home and being some sort of computer expert. I got rid of them because the picture has changed. I now picture myself living in a sparsely-furnished house owning very little stuff, little enough so that when I am gone my kids won't be faced with the job of getting rid of all of it. Now that I have that new picture, getting rid of the impediments to reaching that picture becomes easier.
Our dependence on automobiles, practiced over so many years, has (in my opinion) created in our collective head a picture of ourselves constantly in motion, going any place we want to go, whenever we want to, without any negative consequences to the environment or our bank accounts. I have found that riding my bike to work has started to alter that picture in my head. I am developing a picture of myself not running here and there, using the car infrequently, transporting myself by bicycle when possible but not transporting myself anwhere at all unless I have to.
When that picture changes, I start to wonder what other pictures I have of myself, and if they should be examined and changed also. One physical act, commuting by bike, changed a mental picture, and now the changed mental picture is causing questioning of other mental pictures, and changes to other mental pictures are driving other physical acts, like getting rid of stuff I don't need because it doesn't fit in the picture.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
"For God's sake get yourself a car"
Many decades ago, when I was much younger and dumber, some woman brushed me off with the memorable line, "For God's sake get yourself a car." At the time, I had recently moved to a large city, had just gotten a real job, and moved in a small area well served by public transportation, so while I didn't really like our car dependence even then, I basically had just not gotten around to the job of becoming motorized.
The memory of that has made me think now and then of the problems a young man would face if he were dedicated to being car-free. The state of carlessness would be a first impression that he might have trouble negating. What could he do about that? I thought about it over the years, and came up with an answer that I never will have a chance to try, but I wish I could because I think it could be great sport.
The first thing a guy would have to do is get a job and living arrangement where he could ride a bike to work, or walk. Public transportation is possible also, but there is monetary expense, and the goal is to minimize the monetary expense of going to work.
Then, go shopping for a car you might reasonably like to have. Probably that would be a compact car with just the basics. I am thinking of a new car, because the calculations are easier. With used, there is the unknown factor of repairs, but with new we can assume that repairs for the first five years will be minimal. Find the price of that new car, and divide the price by 60 months to find out how much you would have to pay per month to own it. If you would expect to borrow the money, it is fair to add the interest to this calculation.
Find the mileage figures for the car, and the current price of gasoline, and your distance to work, and calculate how much it would cost in gasoline if you drove to work every day.
Use the distance to work to estimate how may miles you would drive in a year to work, divide by 3,000 to get the number of oil changes you would need in a year, multiply by about $25 per oil change, and divide by 12 to get monthly amount for oil changes
Call an insurance agent, give the model of the car you have found, and find out how much it would cost per month for basic insurance.
If you would have to pay for garage space at home or parking at work don't forget those amounts.
Add up all the monthly amounts to find out how much a car would cost you per month.
Open a dedicated savings account (or just keep records if you are disciplined) and every month put into it your calculated monthly car cost.
To be fair, this money is your transportation budget, so if you have to buy a bus pass or take a taxi, pay for it from this account.
With the transportation account in place and funded, go to a neighborhood car rental place and rent a car. Pay for it from the transportation account. Find out what the procedure is, what their hours are, how much lead time you need, etc. Do this a few times until the procedure is smooth, they know you there, and you are comfortable doing it. Also, use the car so your driving skills don't atrophy. Continue renting a car once every month or two whether you need it or not, just so that it is easy to get one when you need it.
The above is preparation. Now for the execution.
When you meet some female and want to get beyond that first impression of carlessness to make some personal connection, don't say anything about whether or not you own a car. If you make a date and you will be expected to show up motorized, make sure the date is a couple days out. Then, rent a car and show up in it. Do NOT say anything about it AT ALL. Deflect or ignore any discussion of your automibile. You are not interested in her for car discussions anyway, nor should she be interested in you for that reason.
If things do not progress to a second date, it's probably not a car-related issue. Let her go, or address that other issue. If things do proceed to a second date, then your fun begins.
For the second date, do exactly as before. Rent a car and say nothing about it. If you get the same car or she is unobservant, things will go generally as before. If you get a different car and she is observant, she might ask about it or be too shy. If she doesn't ask, don't tell; let her wonder. Eventually she will crack and ask. If or when she does ask, then you get to make your points about not owning a car.
Your points will be many and they will be good, if she is capable of logical analysis. You clearly know how to operate a car since you have been using one to see her. You will have hard figures for the amount of money you are saving by not owning one. If your transportation account has grown enough, you could be in a position to walk into a dealership, write a check, and drive away. You could say that you are saving money for travel, or to buy a house. Engage her in discussion to find out if owning a car right now is so important that the other obvious benefits you have (extra money, new car on demand, no repair expenses) should be sacrificed for it, even though you have clearly demonstrated that you could buy and use a car tomorrow if you wanted to.
If, at that point, she is stuck on you owning a car when you do not presently own one but could walk into a dealership tomorrow and buy one, then you clearly have a values mismatch. But if she had some logical capabilities, she should see that you have some alternatives that are worth serious consideration.
The memory of that has made me think now and then of the problems a young man would face if he were dedicated to being car-free. The state of carlessness would be a first impression that he might have trouble negating. What could he do about that? I thought about it over the years, and came up with an answer that I never will have a chance to try, but I wish I could because I think it could be great sport.
The first thing a guy would have to do is get a job and living arrangement where he could ride a bike to work, or walk. Public transportation is possible also, but there is monetary expense, and the goal is to minimize the monetary expense of going to work.
Then, go shopping for a car you might reasonably like to have. Probably that would be a compact car with just the basics. I am thinking of a new car, because the calculations are easier. With used, there is the unknown factor of repairs, but with new we can assume that repairs for the first five years will be minimal. Find the price of that new car, and divide the price by 60 months to find out how much you would have to pay per month to own it. If you would expect to borrow the money, it is fair to add the interest to this calculation.
Find the mileage figures for the car, and the current price of gasoline, and your distance to work, and calculate how much it would cost in gasoline if you drove to work every day.
Use the distance to work to estimate how may miles you would drive in a year to work, divide by 3,000 to get the number of oil changes you would need in a year, multiply by about $25 per oil change, and divide by 12 to get monthly amount for oil changes
Call an insurance agent, give the model of the car you have found, and find out how much it would cost per month for basic insurance.
If you would have to pay for garage space at home or parking at work don't forget those amounts.
Add up all the monthly amounts to find out how much a car would cost you per month.
Open a dedicated savings account (or just keep records if you are disciplined) and every month put into it your calculated monthly car cost.
To be fair, this money is your transportation budget, so if you have to buy a bus pass or take a taxi, pay for it from this account.
With the transportation account in place and funded, go to a neighborhood car rental place and rent a car. Pay for it from the transportation account. Find out what the procedure is, what their hours are, how much lead time you need, etc. Do this a few times until the procedure is smooth, they know you there, and you are comfortable doing it. Also, use the car so your driving skills don't atrophy. Continue renting a car once every month or two whether you need it or not, just so that it is easy to get one when you need it.
The above is preparation. Now for the execution.
When you meet some female and want to get beyond that first impression of carlessness to make some personal connection, don't say anything about whether or not you own a car. If you make a date and you will be expected to show up motorized, make sure the date is a couple days out. Then, rent a car and show up in it. Do NOT say anything about it AT ALL. Deflect or ignore any discussion of your automibile. You are not interested in her for car discussions anyway, nor should she be interested in you for that reason.
If things do not progress to a second date, it's probably not a car-related issue. Let her go, or address that other issue. If things do proceed to a second date, then your fun begins.
For the second date, do exactly as before. Rent a car and say nothing about it. If you get the same car or she is unobservant, things will go generally as before. If you get a different car and she is observant, she might ask about it or be too shy. If she doesn't ask, don't tell; let her wonder. Eventually she will crack and ask. If or when she does ask, then you get to make your points about not owning a car.
Your points will be many and they will be good, if she is capable of logical analysis. You clearly know how to operate a car since you have been using one to see her. You will have hard figures for the amount of money you are saving by not owning one. If your transportation account has grown enough, you could be in a position to walk into a dealership, write a check, and drive away. You could say that you are saving money for travel, or to buy a house. Engage her in discussion to find out if owning a car right now is so important that the other obvious benefits you have (extra money, new car on demand, no repair expenses) should be sacrificed for it, even though you have clearly demonstrated that you could buy and use a car tomorrow if you wanted to.
If, at that point, she is stuck on you owning a car when you do not presently own one but could walk into a dealership tomorrow and buy one, then you clearly have a values mismatch. But if she had some logical capabilities, she should see that you have some alternatives that are worth serious consideration.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)