Ride your bike, use the bus

[Inchworm]

or pay out the ass for gas.

Seems simple enough.

Well, unless you have a chauffeur(sp).

:grr:

[TomInTib]

1. I have started riding the bus for the first time in my life (except in NYC).

We have a wonderful public transportation system here in the Bay Area. I can go just about anywhere I want, with a minimum of standing around time.

But you can damned sure meet more women if you're driving a Ferrari.

[Inchworm]

2. For sure

I'm just curious how people are managing

:hi:

[pink-o]

27. Marin County has a good bus system as well as ferries

From Sausalito and Larkspur...the boats accept bikes and the buses have racks for them.

The Sausalito-Mill Valley bike path is just gorgeous.

The point I'm making is I'm a chick and if I met you cycling on the bike path, I'd be a lot more impressed than if I saw you driving a red Ferrari!

:hi:

[TomInTib]

32. How about if I was simply walking?

I quit driving long ago.

Living in Tiburon, I have no need for a car.

And we have a ferry, too, you know.

And our bike path is no slouch, either. The ride out Paradise to Corte Madera is a wonder. Come on across and try it out someday.

Tom

[pink-o]

35. You're on!

I love Tiburon, and I'm sorry I forgot to mention the ferry. And since our species took the time to stand upright and become bipeds a few millenia ago, I think we should honour our ancestors and walk as much as possible!

As for the biking, I'll wait till the wind dies down! I use the bike for transpo a lot, but this time of the year, I keep it to a minimum--just absolutely loathe the gale forces in March and April here!

[Fumesucker]

3. Seven months plus per year..

It's eighty plus degrees and eighty plus percent humidity.

We live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains so it's very steep some places, I have a twenty percent grade hill over seventy feet high almost as soon as I pull out of my driveway. By the time I get to the top with my 24 speed mountain bike I'm dripping sweat.

We don't even have shoulders on a lot of the roads, certainly no sidewalks or bike lanes, riding a bicycle here is tantamount to playing Russian roulette with an automatic.

There is no bus within twenty miles.

That is the problem with America in general, most places walking or riding a bike is simply not a practical alternative.

[Inchworm]

7. America is too big?

;)

[peacebird]

8. howdy Neighbor! We are biking part way each day to work

Our commute is almost 40 miles a day and we have found a business that will let us leave the car overnight. We will drive to work monday, drive back the 8 miles to where we can leave the car, bike the remaining 12 miles home. Bike to the car tuesday, drive the remainder, and repeat...

It's not perfect, but it will help.

We live south of C-ville.

[Devlzown]

4. Wish I could.

I live in a semi-rural area and work and shopping are ten miles away. No buses out here.

[Inchworm]

10. So you must pay whatever charged to survive

?

:hi:

[Devlzown]

19. That's it in a nutshell.

:hi:

[cynatnite]

38. Same here. I would love having access to bus service n/t

[calico1]

5. If it's possible yes, great idea.

But not all of us have good mass transit or work close enough to bike to work.

[Inchworm]

11. grow a garden then

screw work

Hee

:hi:

[bigwillq]

6. I can't.

I have to drive all over for work and I don't live in an area where buses go and I live much to far to ride a bike.

[Inchworm]

13. That is starting to seem common

:(

[bigwillq]

18. Yes, unfortunately.

I guess I could move to one of the larger cities in CT but it's very expensive here to find a nice house/condo/apt. in a nice, safe neighborhood in the larger cities.

[DCKit]

9. I have a driver...

but the handlebars are a real pain in my ass and people look at us funny on the bus.

What can I do???

[Inchworm]

14. Just wave

and act like it is a wonderful experience.

:)

[elocs]

12. I live in Wisconsin and I do ride my bike when the weather is decent, meaning not winter.

I only drive about 100 miles a week and have a car that gets 30 mpg so the price of gas for personal transportation does not impact me too much as far as driving goes. I am more concerned how it will impact the price of goods and products.

[Inchworm]

16. thinking because you are smart

you are getting hosed?

I think you are doing good things.

:hi:

[Individualist]

15. Sure...

No public transportation where I live, and I'm supposed to ride a bike at age 65 with arthritis and heart disease. :crazy:

[Inchworm]

17. so.. the 3rd choice was?

Sorry pops. You get 3rd choice.

:hug:

[Richard Steele]

20. I'm riding my new Honda scooter whenever possible.

It's certainly not an all-purpose vehicle,
but it's great at what it does.

Every time I can run an errand on it while our
Chrysler sits unused, that's another dollar
that stays in our pocket.

At 85mpg, it's cheaper than taking the bus.

[Inchworm]

23. Oh yes.. that's sweet

:applause:

[Jane Austin]

21. Doesn't work for us out here in the sticks.

Five miles to the nearest convenience store - 30 miles from work. :(

[Inchworm]

24. That's me too really

I'm just curious if it is an option.

:hi:

[Pastiche423]

22. So, are you offering to be my chauffeur?

I won't charge you too much for the privilege.

[Inchworm]

25. took me forever to figure out how to spell it close enough

for the spellchecker to get it

:D

[Pastiche423]

26. Are you going to answer me or not?

On edit: typo

[Individualist]

28. I wish individual posts could be recommended

I'd recommend yours!

:thumbsup: :toast:

[Pastiche423]

29. Thank you, dear

LTNS!

I'm still waiting for an answer.

[Vogon_Glory]

30. Got Bike Racks?

A logical question for suburbanites as well as many city-dwellers is to ask their local mayors and council folk if they require shopping malls and strips to provide bicycle racks. Either through oversight, ideological reasons (Supposed infringement on property rights) or because they think bike racks promote juvenile delinquency, many places don't have them.

I'm sorry, but the pols don't get it. Bike theft is as easy as picking up somebody's wheels, tossing it into their van or pickup bed, then driving away.

[alarimer]

31. None of those are an option for some people

I live in a town with shitty public transportation and it's too fucking hot to ride my damn bike- I work outside. I assume you want me to die of heatstroke then.

[liberal N proud]

33. No bus, too far to ride bike

So now what the fuck do I do?

[flvegan]

34. Or telecommute.

I do.

[backscatter712]

36. Just picked up a new bike a couple weeks ago.

I just wish the weather was a little nicer. We're about to get snow, again, in April. Gotta love Colorado...

[riderinthestorm]

37. I live on the other side of one of America's Top 10 accident sites

for cars.

On the other side of this 16 lane monstrosity of an intersection (that wasn't built "true" - meaning you cannot see the oncoming traffic until you pull out to make that turn and then are broadsided), is all of my shopping. It's so damn frustrating: it's so close yet I have one of America's most dangerous intersections in the way which sees 2 accidents/day at least with cars. I am terrified to do it with a bike.

And work is 18 miles away. Since I labor outdoors and am typically exhausted by the time I get home (I'm a farmer), I can't even fathom riding 18 miles home after that kind of day. I suppose it's doable but I'm already working 18 hour days and I can't even begin to imagine putting that kind of physical effort and time into a lengthier commute.

I HATE paying out the ass for gas but I do grow all of our own food (and sell it to others too). Does that make up for my green deficit? And I will say, we're moving to the farm by June thereby eliminating my commute... (and the freak intersection!)