(Yesssss! exclaims the Bike Nazi in his best Marv Albert impression, while pumping fist in the air.)
Tireless advocate for the most efficient form of
human transportation ever devised - bicycles!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
January Riding Report
I accumulated 381 miles, riding 31 days in January.
(Yesssss! exclaims the Bike Nazi in his best Marv Albert impression, while pumping fist in the air.)
(Yesssss! exclaims the Bike Nazi in his best Marv Albert impression, while pumping fist in the air.)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Weakest Generation
Today is a "snow day." (My teenage daughter rejoices.)
On a snow day, school is called off because of treacherous road conditions. This is the first one in recent memory.
We have maybe three inches of snow on the ground; there may be places around town where four inches have accumulated, but not much more than that.
Traffic has been paralyzed. Hundreds of accidents, slide-offs, etc. A local talk radio station polled the listening audience: "Should the highway district plow the roads?" (They've never plowed the roads in the past, other than a few particularly-steep roads, etc.) 100% percent of the respondents said, YES, they should plow the roads.
WHAT THE HEY?!!?
I'll go into crotchety-old-grandpa mode now... but what I say is the truth, at least as I perceive it.
I clearly remember going (walking, mostly) to school when there was 6 or more inches of snow on the ground... right here in Boise, Idaho. I don't remember even a single "snow day" in my elementary/secondary school years. Nowadays the Little Dumplings can't walk ANYWHERE, even on sunshiny perfect Kodachrome days! (Yeah... I'm just jealous.)
There weren't nearly as many cars - or roads - back in those days. I can't recall plowing/sanding practices. We lived on a hill north of town; I can remember Mom being concerned that somebody might cause her to stop on the drive up, on slippery days. If that happened, it was back down to the bottom and get another run at it and try again.
Nowadays people have remote-control car starters, so they won't have to suffer immeasurably in an un-heated car! (The $3 gas burned during warm-up time doesn't count against EPA mileage figures.) Many of those cars also have heated seats or steering wheels.
IMO, our insatiable pursuit of comfort and convenience has had a detrimental effect on us as a society. We can no longer tolerate interruptions to our life of ease. We've come a long way since the "greatest generation" of 50 or 60 years ago.
On a snow day, school is called off because of treacherous road conditions. This is the first one in recent memory.
We have maybe three inches of snow on the ground; there may be places around town where four inches have accumulated, but not much more than that.
Traffic has been paralyzed. Hundreds of accidents, slide-offs, etc. A local talk radio station polled the listening audience: "Should the highway district plow the roads?" (They've never plowed the roads in the past, other than a few particularly-steep roads, etc.) 100% percent of the respondents said, YES, they should plow the roads.
WHAT THE HEY?!!?
I'll go into crotchety-old-grandpa mode now... but what I say is the truth, at least as I perceive it.
I clearly remember going (walking, mostly) to school when there was 6 or more inches of snow on the ground... right here in Boise, Idaho. I don't remember even a single "snow day" in my elementary/secondary school years. Nowadays the Little Dumplings can't walk ANYWHERE, even on sunshiny perfect Kodachrome days! (Yeah... I'm just jealous.)
There weren't nearly as many cars - or roads - back in those days. I can't recall plowing/sanding practices. We lived on a hill north of town; I can remember Mom being concerned that somebody might cause her to stop on the drive up, on slippery days. If that happened, it was back down to the bottom and get another run at it and try again.
Nowadays people have remote-control car starters, so they won't have to suffer immeasurably in an un-heated car! (The $3 gas burned during warm-up time doesn't count against EPA mileage figures.) Many of those cars also have heated seats or steering wheels.
IMO, our insatiable pursuit of comfort and convenience has had a detrimental effect on us as a society. We can no longer tolerate interruptions to our life of ease. We've come a long way since the "greatest generation" of 50 or 60 years ago.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Routes
I love geography. "Maps and globes," was the term my son used, back in elementary school.
The Missus enjoys historical fiction. She reads it in the evenings just before sleepy time.
By contrast, if you look at my bedside, you'll find Rand McNally's USA Road Atlas. (Rand is my favorite author!) Idaho and Oregon Gazeteers. Etc. Looking at places I've been, and other places where I hope to go. I've got a drawerful of softcover atlases (atlii?). And boxes full of accumulated highway maps, visitor's guides, pamphlets and the like. (I hope someday to organize them better, so they are actually useful.)
Since I love maps and globes, I s'pose it's natural that I'd love Google Earth. And I do - it is fantastic! If you don't have it... and enjoy maps and globes, and have an internet connection (preferably a speedy connection), you should have (free) Google Earth.
[If you're not familiar with Google Earth, let me try to explain. The folks at Google
have accumulated a world's worth of aerial photos, and you can look down on any place on this little blue planet. In some places, particularly remote, non-populated areas, the photos are low-resolution satellite views. But in many places, they are quite detailed aerial (airplane-level) photos. I can see a car parked in the street, in front of my house. And the photo was obviously taken in the summertime, because the trees and grass are green. In the most recent version of Google Earth, they also have added the cosmos - looking UP instead of DOWN.]
I've recently been getting more familiar with Google Earth. There are some neat tools - including the ability to create "points of interest" and routes, save them, and share them with others. (Other people can even do a "flyover" of routes... interesting stuff.)
If you have Google Earth, this is my first effort to share some info.
It's one of my most-often-ridden bicycle recreation/exercise routes. It starts near downtown, goes north on 15th, northwest on Hill Road, south on Gary Lane and Glenwood and southeast through Garden City, back to the starting point. I probably ride this route 120 or more times a year; I'm familiar with every stripe and pothole.
Click HERE to see the route. (If you don't have Google Earth installed on your box, my link isn't worth opening.)
GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK! If you're interested, I've been plotting out my favorite bicycle roads, other "loop" rides around town, and a "Loop Tour de Boise" - a route that would almost take you around the entire city limits, that's probably 50 miles of riding. (I'm doing the same with some of my favorite motorcycle adventures - both completed and anticipated.)
The Missus enjoys historical fiction. She reads it in the evenings just before sleepy time.
By contrast, if you look at my bedside, you'll find Rand McNally's USA Road Atlas. (Rand is my favorite author!) Idaho and Oregon Gazeteers. Etc. Looking at places I've been, and other places where I hope to go. I've got a drawerful of softcover atlases (atlii?). And boxes full of accumulated highway maps, visitor's guides, pamphlets and the like. (I hope someday to organize them better, so they are actually useful.)
Since I love maps and globes, I s'pose it's natural that I'd love Google Earth. And I do - it is fantastic! If you don't have it... and enjoy maps and globes, and have an internet connection (preferably a speedy connection), you should have (free) Google Earth.
[If you're not familiar with Google Earth, let me try to explain. The folks at Google
have accumulated a world's worth of aerial photos, and you can look down on any place on this little blue planet. In some places, particularly remote, non-populated areas, the photos are low-resolution satellite views. But in many places, they are quite detailed aerial (airplane-level) photos. I can see a car parked in the street, in front of my house. And the photo was obviously taken in the summertime, because the trees and grass are green. In the most recent version of Google Earth, they also have added the cosmos - looking UP instead of DOWN.]I've recently been getting more familiar with Google Earth. There are some neat tools - including the ability to create "points of interest" and routes, save them, and share them with others. (Other people can even do a "flyover" of routes... interesting stuff.)
If you have Google Earth, this is my first effort to share some info.
It's one of my most-often-ridden bicycle recreation/exercise routes. It starts near downtown, goes north on 15th, northwest on Hill Road, south on Gary Lane and Glenwood and southeast through Garden City, back to the starting point. I probably ride this route 120 or more times a year; I'm familiar with every stripe and pothole.
Click HERE to see the route. (If you don't have Google Earth installed on your box, my link isn't worth opening.)
GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK! If you're interested, I've been plotting out my favorite bicycle roads, other "loop" rides around town, and a "Loop Tour de Boise" - a route that would almost take you around the entire city limits, that's probably 50 miles of riding. (I'm doing the same with some of my favorite motorcycle adventures - both completed and anticipated.)
Sustainable Lifestyle
On Friday evening, 1/25, I attended a gathering of members of the Idaho Earth Institute. The topic was of interest - CAR-FREE LIFESTYLE.
Fortunately, the meeting was only about a mile from my house, and I was able to ride the bike despite harsh winter road conditions. (It would be SO WRONG to drive the car to a meeting about Car-Free Living... wouldn't it?)
(-;
They had some of my "bike brothers" - I'd not met them before - who embrace bikes-as-transportation and shared their ideas and enthusiasm with the 15 or 20 people gathered. Their enthusiasm and knowledge put a smile on my face. (They also invited me to briefly share my "story," which I was happy to do. Give me a soapbox to stand on, and I'll preach the word!)
The Idaho Earth Institute (link to website HERE) are folks who are trying to live a "sustainable" lifestyle.
I fully embrace that concept. Of course, each person has to decide what measures he/she is willing and able to take, to leave a smaller footprint.
For example, some Institute folks shun meat; after all, it takes a lot of food and water to bring a newborn calf to the butcher shop. I don't eat a lot of meat, but I would never willingly give it up entirely, as it enriches my life.
Another example is bicycling. It's easier for me to live a "bicycling lifestyle" than for, say, a mom who has kids to deliver to daycare, school, etc., or an electrician who travels to multiple jobsites with lots of equipment, or for somebody who lives in Kuna and works in Boise. (Although the latter situation is a poor choice for sustainability. Let me emphasize choice. There are some things we don't get to choose, but we all can choose where we're going to live.)
Julie, who writes a blog about Boise Mass Transit (link to website HERE), made me aware of the gathering. I was happy to meet her face-to-face; she was in attendance as well.
She was the "voice of reason" among the zealots! She observed (I believe correctly) that most people cannot or will not give up automobile transportation altogether, or disconnect the gas and electricity, or eat only what they grow in their garden, or live in a 128-square-foot house built out of old tires.
However, we all should be aware of our consumption of resources... and we should go beyond "awareness," and actually take active measures to minimize our consumption. Maybe we can ride a bike 8 months of the year... or leave the car home 3 days a week. Maybe we can live closer to work, or work closer to home. Maybe we can take 5-minute showers instead of half-hour. (I wish my kids would take THAT advice! Does anybody know of a household shower-timer, that cuts off the hot water after, say, 7 minutes? I want that!)
If you're interested in sustainable lifetyle, or "voluntary simplicity" (what a fantastic notion!), or want some practical ideas on how you can live more sustainably (and cheaply!), get in touch with these Idaho Earth Institute folks.
Fortunately, the meeting was only about a mile from my house, and I was able to ride the bike despite harsh winter road conditions. (It would be SO WRONG to drive the car to a meeting about Car-Free Living... wouldn't it?)
(-;
They had some of my "bike brothers" - I'd not met them before - who embrace bikes-as-transportation and shared their ideas and enthusiasm with the 15 or 20 people gathered. Their enthusiasm and knowledge put a smile on my face. (They also invited me to briefly share my "story," which I was happy to do. Give me a soapbox to stand on, and I'll preach the word!)
The Idaho Earth Institute (link to website HERE) are folks who are trying to live a "sustainable" lifestyle.
I fully embrace that concept. Of course, each person has to decide what measures he/she is willing and able to take, to leave a smaller footprint.
For example, some Institute folks shun meat; after all, it takes a lot of food and water to bring a newborn calf to the butcher shop. I don't eat a lot of meat, but I would never willingly give it up entirely, as it enriches my life.
Another example is bicycling. It's easier for me to live a "bicycling lifestyle" than for, say, a mom who has kids to deliver to daycare, school, etc., or an electrician who travels to multiple jobsites with lots of equipment, or for somebody who lives in Kuna and works in Boise. (Although the latter situation is a poor choice for sustainability. Let me emphasize choice. There are some things we don't get to choose, but we all can choose where we're going to live.)
Julie, who writes a blog about Boise Mass Transit (link to website HERE), made me aware of the gathering. I was happy to meet her face-to-face; she was in attendance as well.
She was the "voice of reason" among the zealots! She observed (I believe correctly) that most people cannot or will not give up automobile transportation altogether, or disconnect the gas and electricity, or eat only what they grow in their garden, or live in a 128-square-foot house built out of old tires.
However, we all should be aware of our consumption of resources... and we should go beyond "awareness," and actually take active measures to minimize our consumption. Maybe we can ride a bike 8 months of the year... or leave the car home 3 days a week. Maybe we can live closer to work, or work closer to home. Maybe we can take 5-minute showers instead of half-hour. (I wish my kids would take THAT advice! Does anybody know of a household shower-timer, that cuts off the hot water after, say, 7 minutes? I want that!)
If you're interested in sustainable lifetyle, or "voluntary simplicity" (what a fantastic notion!), or want some practical ideas on how you can live more sustainably (and cheaply!), get in touch with these Idaho Earth Institute folks.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Winter Commute
Today was one of those mornings where, if I'd had a car available, I probably could've convinced myself that "it wouldn't hurt, just this once," to drive to work. But since I don't have a car, I didn't have that difficult decision to make.
The "bad" roads have the citizenry in sheer-panic mode.
(Imagine how expensive it would be to own and maintain a car just for the 10 or 15 days each year when bicycling is somewhat difficult. It would cost me $15/mile driven! No thanks on that idea! If it gets really bad, I can always take the bus.)
Once I was underway - on my vintage '85 Peugeot Canyon Express mountain bike - it wasn't bad at all. I stayed out of the traffic lane, way over in the "powder" snow, and took my time. I detoured to side streets and the Greenbelt for safety reasons. (As I was leaving home, the lady on the ACHD TV road report said, "Expect one and one-half hours from Nampa to Boise" - that's about 15 miles.)
My commute normally takes about 13-15 minutes. Today it took about twice that - but probably 5 minutes was spent at a couple stops to snap some photos. Because it was cold and wintery - and beautiful!
Would I trade this for a car to drive? HECK NO!!!
The "bad" roads have the citizenry in sheer-panic mode.
(Imagine how expensive it would be to own and maintain a car just for the 10 or 15 days each year when bicycling is somewhat difficult. It would cost me $15/mile driven! No thanks on that idea! If it gets really bad, I can always take the bus.)
Once I was underway - on my vintage '85 Peugeot Canyon Express mountain bike - it wasn't bad at all. I stayed out of the traffic lane, way over in the "powder" snow, and took my time. I detoured to side streets and the Greenbelt for safety reasons. (As I was leaving home, the lady on the ACHD TV road report said, "Expect one and one-half hours from Nampa to Boise" - that's about 15 miles.)
My commute normally takes about 13-15 minutes. Today it took about twice that - but probably 5 minutes was spent at a couple stops to snap some photos. Because it was cold and wintery - and beautiful!
Would I trade this for a car to drive? HECK NO!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Do it for the Children!!
Frequently when I'm riding to work in the mornings, I get passed by a big ol' Chevy Suburban with "Promise" license plates on it. They look something like this:
Idaho has about 36 different types of "specialty" plates - everything from Firefighters to Bluebird to Medal-of-Honor winner. All very worthy causes, I'm sure. (I doubt they have to stamp out too many Medal of Honor plates. Far as I know, it's just Bernie Fisher and Rambo. But I digress.) A PDF poster of all of them can be seen here.
I believe you pay $40 extra for the theme plate; and part of the proceeds are donated to the cause, whatever it happens to be.
So, what is "America's Promise" to the Youth?
A guess: "We promise to burn up all the fossil fuel, so you won't have to worry about it." (nudge-nudge, wink-wink)
But, I'm sure whoever put those Promise plates on that big ol' Suburban feels pretty good about doing something "for the Children."
Here are some alternate suggestions - things you might consider doing "for the Children."
- Leave a little oil in the ground for them to burn!
- Pollute their air just a little bit less.
- If you have children, teach them by example that they don't have to be totally dependent on motor-vehicle transportation to get to their destinations. Support mass transit. Carpool whenever possible. Plan and combine trips. Walk someplace... or ride a bike.
- Don't live so far out in the boondocks that you are miles from your destinations - work, school, shopping, entertainment - so the only option is getting in the car and driving.
One of the major "rites of passage" in the life of a youth is the day she/he completes Driver Education, and gets the driver's license.
I can still remember that day in my life, and it was almost 40 years ago! I took the family's '60 Rambler American - "The Meatloaf" - and was gone 'til after dark. And was promptly grounded from driving for a couple weeks, since my license was daylight-only. Live and learn.
Of course, like all other teenage kids, I thought any form of transportation other than car-driving was grossly inferior. And there was really no effort to convince me otherwise; from then on it was a battle to maximize my car-driving.
Knowing what I know now, if I had the power to command attention, I would declare to America's Youth that cars and trucks have a purpose, but in today's society they are the most inefficient possible choice, for most of what they are called on to do. Don't willingly submit to motor-vehicle (and oil-company) slavery!! That would be a wonderful gift to give America's Youth.
Idaho has about 36 different types of "specialty" plates - everything from Firefighters to Bluebird to Medal-of-Honor winner. All very worthy causes, I'm sure. (I doubt they have to stamp out too many Medal of Honor plates. Far as I know, it's just Bernie Fisher and Rambo. But I digress.) A PDF poster of all of them can be seen here.
I believe you pay $40 extra for the theme plate; and part of the proceeds are donated to the cause, whatever it happens to be.
So, what is "America's Promise" to the Youth?
A guess: "We promise to burn up all the fossil fuel, so you won't have to worry about it." (nudge-nudge, wink-wink)
But, I'm sure whoever put those Promise plates on that big ol' Suburban feels pretty good about doing something "for the Children."
Here are some alternate suggestions - things you might consider doing "for the Children."
- Leave a little oil in the ground for them to burn!
- Pollute their air just a little bit less.
- If you have children, teach them by example that they don't have to be totally dependent on motor-vehicle transportation to get to their destinations. Support mass transit. Carpool whenever possible. Plan and combine trips. Walk someplace... or ride a bike.
- Don't live so far out in the boondocks that you are miles from your destinations - work, school, shopping, entertainment - so the only option is getting in the car and driving.
One of the major "rites of passage" in the life of a youth is the day she/he completes Driver Education, and gets the driver's license.
I can still remember that day in my life, and it was almost 40 years ago! I took the family's '60 Rambler American - "The Meatloaf" - and was gone 'til after dark. And was promptly grounded from driving for a couple weeks, since my license was daylight-only. Live and learn.
Of course, like all other teenage kids, I thought any form of transportation other than car-driving was grossly inferior. And there was really no effort to convince me otherwise; from then on it was a battle to maximize my car-driving.
Knowing what I know now, if I had the power to command attention, I would declare to America's Youth that cars and trucks have a purpose, but in today's society they are the most inefficient possible choice, for most of what they are called on to do. Don't willingly submit to motor-vehicle (and oil-company) slavery!! That would be a wonderful gift to give America's Youth.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Bikeboy survives again
Wondering if my hair is whiter now, than yesterday. (Probably.)
I was riding east on Bannock Street this morning, almost to my destination. Wearing my bright-yellow jacket, light-colored pants, with 10-watt headlight aglow. (It was almost sunrise, so it's not like darkness was really an issue.)
12th is a one-way, southbound street crossing Bannock. The folks on 12th have a stop sign.
A lady in her SUV pulled up to the stop sign. I was keeping a wary eye on her, because she was "creeping," like she couldn't decide whether or not to run me over.
Lo and behold, suddenly another vehicle zoomed right through the intersection, in the other (right) lane of 12th street!
It was a happy-looking fat lady with her double-latte mocha vanilla espresso or whatever in one hand. She didn't even apply the brakes at the stop sign, far as I can tell.
I braked hard and hollered. I think it was "IDIOT!" (A very astute observation, considering the circumstances.)
She was driving a medium-blue Pontiac Aztek. BE ON THE LOOKOUT!
[A side-note: It's not fair to stereotype drivers based on the vehicle they are driving, because there are occasional variations to the pattern. But I think we can all agree - anybody who would buy and drive a Pontiac Aztek is obviously mentally defective in some way! I mean - that is the butt-ugliest vehicle since the AMC Pacer! I watch out for Aztek drivers!]
Fortunately, I've learned from years of experience that one of the secrets to bike survival is - be ready to compensate for the incompetence of other roadway users. (Others choose to get the biggest vehicle they can, so when they crash, they survive even if the other guy doesn't. To me, that seems to circumvent "the law of natural selection," since the stupidest and/or weakest frequently walk away and end up reproducing.)
I don't like to think of the possible outcome, if I'd been another 15 feet farther on my journey. Or if I'd had an icy patch right there. If I get taken out by a bad driver, I kinda hope it's a Porsche, or maybe a sweet 350Z or Audi. Pontiac Aztek? Fuggeddaboudit!
Strangely, the lady in the SUV proceeded on through, and just about hit me, too. I guess she figured the fatty in the Aztek had already taken me out, so why wait? I hollered at her, too, and gave her the skunk-eye through my clear-vue goggles. (It was 9 degrees this morning!) In both cases, I held "the finger" in check, even though my gloves have all five fingers (rather than mittens).
The dude abides.
(Sorry for the rather angry tone... Fat Aztek Lady brought it on.)
[Note... this is my 200th post to Bike Nazi. Woo-hoo!]
I was riding east on Bannock Street this morning, almost to my destination. Wearing my bright-yellow jacket, light-colored pants, with 10-watt headlight aglow. (It was almost sunrise, so it's not like darkness was really an issue.)
12th is a one-way, southbound street crossing Bannock. The folks on 12th have a stop sign.
A lady in her SUV pulled up to the stop sign. I was keeping a wary eye on her, because she was "creeping," like she couldn't decide whether or not to run me over.
Lo and behold, suddenly another vehicle zoomed right through the intersection, in the other (right) lane of 12th street!
It was a happy-looking fat lady with her double-latte mocha vanilla espresso or whatever in one hand. She didn't even apply the brakes at the stop sign, far as I can tell.
I braked hard and hollered. I think it was "IDIOT!" (A very astute observation, considering the circumstances.)
She was driving a medium-blue Pontiac Aztek. BE ON THE LOOKOUT!
[A side-note: It's not fair to stereotype drivers based on the vehicle they are driving, because there are occasional variations to the pattern. But I think we can all agree - anybody who would buy and drive a Pontiac Aztek is obviously mentally defective in some way! I mean - that is the butt-ugliest vehicle since the AMC Pacer! I watch out for Aztek drivers!]
Fortunately, I've learned from years of experience that one of the secrets to bike survival is - be ready to compensate for the incompetence of other roadway users. (Others choose to get the biggest vehicle they can, so when they crash, they survive even if the other guy doesn't. To me, that seems to circumvent "the law of natural selection," since the stupidest and/or weakest frequently walk away and end up reproducing.)
I don't like to think of the possible outcome, if I'd been another 15 feet farther on my journey. Or if I'd had an icy patch right there. If I get taken out by a bad driver, I kinda hope it's a Porsche, or maybe a sweet 350Z or Audi. Pontiac Aztek? Fuggeddaboudit!
Strangely, the lady in the SUV proceeded on through, and just about hit me, too. I guess she figured the fatty in the Aztek had already taken me out, so why wait? I hollered at her, too, and gave her the skunk-eye through my clear-vue goggles. (It was 9 degrees this morning!) In both cases, I held "the finger" in check, even though my gloves have all five fingers (rather than mittens).
The dude abides.
(Sorry for the rather angry tone... Fat Aztek Lady brought it on.)
[Note... this is my 200th post to Bike Nazi. Woo-hoo!]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)