Peg in the Machine

OK, so since I’m still being ignored with no reason why (come on, you ask a question they acknowledge receipt and say “ask your question” – you ask and they don’t reply).  So next week they’ll either have me in person, or a letter sent to them.  True, they can ignore that as well (well, a letter mailed to them), but it might be a tad bit harder since it’d leave a paper trail.  So bicycle updates will…. hopefully….. be coming soon.

Sad when you have to kill a tree to get someone’s attention.

The title says it all.  Apparently the city has chosed to ignore all contact from me about this.  I have to honestly say that despite it being an oil town (where we actually produce all fuel types in the town from what I’ve been told – e85, biodesiel, etc) — there’s starting to be a fairly large amount of people taking their bicycles out of the garage and into the streets.  There’s even people riding golf carts [illegally] in the streets to try and save money!  We’re talking electric scooters and things once considered “kids toys” are not being used by people to save gas.

The thought that the town doesn’t care enough to let people use bicycles and actually have a place to park them is unthinkable.

Well, as of today, still no reply. I’ve sent another e-mail so we’ll see if they get back to me.

So apparently I forgot to e-mail them today…. But I’ll be doing it soon if I don’t hear back by Wednesday.  You’d think local government offices would actulaly reply to people during an election year too.

This is just an update to the original. So far the message to the city has been received and acknowledged (via a read receipt) — and has promptly been ignored. No message back of “you’ll need to talk to X” or anything. I’ll give them until Monday, and then another message will be sent. I’m still hopeful that they’ll either do something or at the very least get back with me! So stay tuned.

Well the wheels for the bicyclist rights movement has been started in my town. I just submitted a request for the town to include an ordinance for the rights for people to actually use a bicycle to get to stores and their workplace — and actually have it be required that they can store their bicycle safely, and a place to change clothes if they’re an employee. After all, it’s a fair thing. Businesses have to have a place for people to park, or at least it’s in their best interest, but with the rising gas prices, and people just becoming more aware of how much money they can save by cutting just a few miles off their daily trips, more people seem to be traveling by bicycle than before — and not for recreation.

It’s just a shame when people can go anywhere on a bicycle, but they can’t park their bicycle places or just can’t take it to work for they don’t have a place to change clothing. After all, who really wants to be riding a bicycle to work wearing a dress/skirt, hosiery and heels — or a suit and dress shoes? You know it’s just asking to get the clothing damaged or ripped. At least if people could load their clothing in a backpack and ride a bike to work – they could change clothes and be set. And really all it’d take is an employee bathroom — since employees are there before customers (at many places), it could be locked for them to change clothes before and after work.

Best of all, it really wouldn’t cost that much money if any. Might have to clean the entryway more, but a rug thrown down would help that out. If people want to ride bicycles, it’s only right that they be given the chance to ride one just as others do a car. After all, they say driving is a privilege not a right — almost anyone can ride a bicycle, not everyone can drive a car.

With gas prices rising it seems everyone’s wanting to save as much money as  they can in gas.  There’s even families that complain about having to only go on two vacations a year due to gas prices!  Oh the horror!  Only two vacations!  But seriously, it does effect many people in the United States, and really the world as everyone to one extent or another uses fossil fuels to power their cars.

Unlike all those chain letters of “don’t buy gas on day X” that really don’t do anything as unless you stop driving as much — you’re still going to be buying the same amount of gas overall.  It’s quite simple and logical despite what many seem to believe.

But it’s even simpler:  Every week, go one or two days that you don’t drive at all.  Walk to work, or even ride a bicycle if you’re afraid of stinking up the office from sweat from walking.  If you really worried about it — try to take a change of clothes with you with a little toiletry bag and get cleaned up at the office.  Every mile you don’t drive not only saves gas, but lessens the pollution, and causes you to exercise.  There’s no real downsides (unless you’re not able to walk/ride a bicycle).

If you live in a city, use the trains!  Some people fear them, others love them.  Granted there are days that you spend more time going to work (if you have to leave an hour earlier for example) and get home later, so it might not be for all.  But if you can use them — do so.  The more people wanting to use trains the more the cities will put into them – which will just make them better.  You have to decide for yourself whether or not you actually save money by taking them or if it’s just for you.

There’s only a few things you have to consider when not using a standard fossil fuel-based vehicle (car/truck/SUV) when going places:  it might take you longer to get there and to get back home.

If you take public transportation, you have to take into account the pickup times, and even the last and earliest run times.  Sometimes you might have to leave an hour early as if you get the next pickup time you’d be late.  With walking, while you can to an extent determine when you’ll arrive by your walking speed — it’s also the slowest mode of travel.  If you assume you walk 3mph, and work’s 3 miles away, you’ll have to allocate 1 hour to and from work.

One advantage to riding a bicycle is that if you’re on streets with multiple stops (or have a bike trail that might be non-stop over distances) — you might get to work in the same amount of time as it’d take while driving more or less!  Granted you’ll have to carry your bike to your office and put it in your cubical if your office doesn’t provide a secure rack, but it’d save a lot of gas and take about as much time.

What?  Don’t think a bicycle could be about as fast as driving?  Well it all depends on the roads and stops.  Ever get stopped at every stop light and realize that people walking are catching up to you at every intersection?  Same basic thing.  And of course if you have a bike trail that might be non-stop (like through a park or not on the roads) you might actually arrive quicker than if you were driving!  But it’s all a per-user and per-situation and circumstance thing.  But there are a few advantages even over not using gas or polluting:  almost no cost to get to work every day.  You’ll have general maintenance, but given the price some people pay for car tires — anything shy of having to replace the entire bicycle and you’ll be saving a large amount of money.  And you’ll get some muscular legs in the process.

So do yourself and the world a favor.  Instead of driving to work, walk, ride a bicycle or take public transportation.  And if you really must drive — try and carpool.