Living Car-Free!

Inexpensive Travel

2012-01-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

I recently saw an article on our local news that buses like Megabus and Bolt bus, had a 32% increase in passengers last year. The poor economy and high gas prices have inspired people to look for less expensive ways to travel. I enjoy taking the Megabus because the buses are comfortable, the drivers (for the most part) are good and cautious. Once in a while, we will have a speedy driver who takes the curves a little fast, or hit the brakes suddently, and that can be a little scary...but that is a rarity. There is Wi-Fi on the bus, and though I don't bring a laptop, I do use my cell phone to surf the net, do emails, etc. The people on the bus are all ages, and range from college kids to well-dressed middle-class. I've had interesting and enjoyable conversations with many passengers in my bus travels. The buses almost ALWAYS leave on time - - they remind me of the trains. :) It's nice when things run on time. :) Plus, there are MANY departure times to choose from, which helps in scheduling your day. For instance, if I wanted to go to NYC this weekend, there are 22 scheduled departures from D.C.! That's probably more than a plane!

Hopefully the prices will continue to stay inexpensive, and the buses will have good drivers and on-time performance. :)

Easy Christmas Shopping

2011-12-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, a friend wanted me to meet her at a mall so that she could check on a Christmas item to buy. The mall is not a Megamall, but it does have good anchor stores to pull in the business, and it's connected to a subway stop, which is helpful. Since it's not a Megamall, car parking isn't real bad...but then, this was the weekend before Christmas.

The mall is a little less than 2 miles from where I live, the bike ride over there is easy, though there's a good-size hill involved. The last time I rode over to the mall, I locked my bike in front of the Target store, where there was a bike rack provided. The store my friend wanted to meet me was at the other end of the mall, where I didn't see a bike rack. So I double-locked my bike to a tree across from the mall entrance. I later saw another mall entrance around the corner, and it DID have a bike rack there, so I made a note of it for bike parking in the future. :)

Going to a mall the weekend before Christmas can be a bit stressful, especially if you're trying to park a car. I have experienced "parking lot road rage" years ago (when I did have a car), and it wasn't pleasant. The guy who "stole" my parking spot did it with such gusto and nerve, I couldn't believe it. As he got out of his car, he let me have it verbally. And this was FIRST thing in the morning! How can someone be SO ANGRY first thing in the morning??! There were plenty of other parking spots right nearby, so I parked elsewhere.

You NEVER have such angry outbursts from other bicyclists when you are parking your bike. You never have to "fight" for a parking spot. It is a stress-free experience. One less stress in life is good. :)

A Roof Over Our Heads

2011-11-26T07:09:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving, I went to catch my Megabus ride up to Baltimore to meet my sister. Megabus recently moved their D.C. stop from K Street, to the Union Station parking garage. One great thing about this is that now, finally, we have shelter from the elements. :) As you've read from some of my previous posts, the other D.C. Megabus stops have been in open parking lots - so you were exposed to the summer sun, wind, cold, etc. So I was happy that we now have shelter. :) Plus, since it's at Union Station, passengers can take Metro right to Union Station and take the escalators up a couple levels to the parking garage. At the previous stop on K Street, you had to walk a number of blocks to get to the stop. I remember one time a lady in front of me was on her cell phone, talking to her friend who was racing to get to the Megabus stop. Her friend was exiting Metro, but still had the many blocks to cover. Her friend was anxious for her to make the bus and kept urging her to hurry, hurry! She asked the bus attendant if they would hold the bus, since her friend was close by. He said that if they saw her in the parking lot, they would. I don't think her friend made it in time, so she had to catch the next Megabus. So, having the D.C. stop connected with Metro will be helpful. I was running a little low on time myself and decided to bike to Metro and take it to Union Station. Unfortunately, I have to transfer from the Green line to the Red line, so you lose time in waiting. I think it took me as long to ride Metro as it would have been to bike. The return Metro ride home though, the timing of the trains were better and it didn't take me as long.

Four Years & Counting! :)

2011-11-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe this month marks my 4th year of being car-free! :) I was just checking today to see if there are Zipcars located at the Metro station near my new home residence, and I was happy to see there are...one car is a Prius, which costs only $8.50/hr. Also I just found out that there's a Zipcar even closer - just a handful of blocks from my house - - even better! :) So that's good to keep in mind for the future.

Speaking of the future, I came across this interesting video of a new program (called "Mo-bility.com") that was launched in Munich, Germany: http://vimeo.com/30483592. The concept is that when members uses one form of public transportation, they collect "mo miles" which entitles them to a discount on other transportation modes. I think it's a GREAT way to connect the separate modes of transportation. It'd be a great addition to cities like Washington, D.C., where people use bikes, buses, subways, Amtrak, etc. to get around. Hmmm....maybe ONE day we could have the program implemented here...I don't see why it couldn't work. I'm not sure how much the program costs though, to get started, nor how much the membership would be?

I've sent an email to the people at Mo-bility.com, to inquire if this program could be implemented in the D.C. area. Stay tuned...

Attending Class

2011-10-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago, I signed up to attend a home-buying counseling class, held in Rockville, MD. I've always been a renter, but with low interest rates and the cost of houses at a low, I thought I'd check out the possibility of buying a home. Maryland has a program where, if you take an 8-hour class, you receive a certificate that entitles you to $5,000 off your closing costs. The class cost $95, but I thought it was worth the money.

If it had been a rainy morning, I might have gotten a Zipcar so that I wouldn't arrive all wet. But it was a clear day, so I rode my Brompton folding bike to the Metro and took it to Rockville. The class location was an office building a couple of miles from the station. I rolled my bike into the building, into the elevator, and leaned it up against a wall outside of the glass-encased conference room. I thought about it later, perhaps how odd it looked that I was showing up with a bicycle in hand. But you know, I'm SO used to having a bike by my side, that I really didn't think about it and how it looked. :)

During the break, the classroom instructor commented about my Brompton. She was an Asian lady, a little shorter than me, and said she liked my bike because it looked like it was easy to get on and off, since the frame of the bike is low and easy to step over. I showed her how fast and easy it folded and she was amazed. She asked about the cost of the bike and where she could buy one.

Part of the class involved a monthly budget that we had filled out prior to the class. It was quite detailed as to the breakdown of costs. A portion of the budget referred to car-related expenses. I wonder how many of her students filled in $0 for their car-related expenses? I do, however, spend up to $60 a month currently, on taking the subway and bus, which is a lot less than car-related expenses.

I will be moving next month to Mount Rainier, Maryland, to share a house, since my apartment rent was going up YET again. :( The extra cash I save in sharing a house will go towards a home of my own one day in the near future, if I'm lucky to find something in my price range and that suits my wants/needs. I haven't lived in Maryland since I was a kid, so it feels kind of weird to think about living there again. I've lived a lot of my life in Virginia. So, stay tuned....

The house I will be sharing has a driveway, which is nice. Not that I need it... :) but it's nice for when someone drops by for a visit. The parking for guests at apartment complex I've lived at, is practically non-existent, which is very inconvenient. There is a small half circle in front of the building where you can park briefly to load/unload, but the complex has a very aggressive towing policy, especially in the evenings. So, a driveway will be helpful.

One thing interesting about my new housemate - she is also car-free. She gets around via subway and bus and does just fine. So she TOTALLY gets my car-free lifestyle, which is nice. :)

Autolib in Paris

2011-10-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

In the news today, Paris is introducing car-sharing, with electric cars, called the Autolib (similar to the bike-sharing called Velib). They will be building electric-charging stations, and you swipe your card and get a car, and then drop it off at any other charging station. Pretty neat and I wonder how long it'll be before the U.S. gets onboard with the idea? The woman who is in charge of transportation issues at Paris City Hall is quoted as saying "Owning a car is passe." :) Good to hear! :)

I recently was on a bike tour in Washington/Oregon, and was the volunteer sag van driver. I told the group that I went car-free almost 4 years ago and that I get around by bike & public transportation. They admired that, and jokingly commented about the group having a van driver who didn't even have a car back home, and how safe was that?! :) Of course, you don't FORGET how to drive, that's never a problem. (I think I'm a SAFER driver now, more than before). Funny thing, one of the tour leaders was backing up the van one day and didn't see a pole with a gas meter on the side of it, and hit it and busted out one of the back windows! (I was glad I wasn't the one who had done that!). They had insurance on the vehicle and it was taken care of and replaced, so not a problem. It was a large cargo van and had its blind spots, for sure. In fact, on the last hour that I was responsible for the van, I was backing up in a hotel parking lot to move the van to its final resting place, and backed into a curb. Not a problem - but as I pulled forward and looked in my rear view mirror, I saw I had come dangerously close to a car that was by the curb! Whew! I was very glad to have missed it and was very relieved to park the van and be done with my responsibilities as a driver. :)

More Music to the Ears

2011-08-08T09:18:00.001-07:00

Last night, I went to a concert at Wolf Trap. I haven't been there in over 10 years probably...and definitely had gotten there by car at the time. So, I had two options for getting to the concert...I had reserved a Zipcar right near my apartment a week or so ahead of time, in case of bad weather. However, I wanted to try getting there via bike/subway/bus. Wolf Trap has a shuttle bus that picks up from the West Falls Church Metro stop, and it has a bike rack on the front of the bus. When I checked the weather earlier in the day, the threat of showers was out of the picture, so I cancelled the Zipcar.

After biking to the subway and arriving at the West Falls Church stop at 7:20, the shuttle was waiting in the parking lot. They didn't load the bus til about 7:45, which made me a little nervous, since the concert was supposed to start at 8 p.m. There were about 10 or so of us on the bus. I overheard a lady behind me talking to her companion about, "Maybe we should have driven..." and listing some of the reasons why. One reason I didn't want to drive there was to see how well the process worked for taking this shuttle. The website for Wolf Trap said that the shuttle was $5 roundtrip. I swiped my Metro card - though I didn't see how much it charged me. When we got seated, a bus attendant came around and gave us all a wristband to show the driver when we returned, that would give us a free ride back. That was interesting. Maybe Wolf Trap pays for half the trip for those who take the shuttle?

We got to Wolf Trap at 8, and it drops you at the driveway in front of the entrance gates. Door-to-door service. :) I had seen a GAZILLION cars parked all over the grassy areas and shoulders of the road when we arrived, and I was glad I didn't have to look for a parking spot. I would think you would have had to arrive at least an hour beforehand to be able to find a halfway decent spot and not have to walk so far.... I got my bike off the bus and locked it to a wooden fence. There is a bike rack up at the front gates area, but it was very thin & flimsy-looking. I don't think the rack was even bolted down. So I felt better locking it to the more secured wooden fence. The warm-up band was still playing, so I hadn't missed anything. The headliner group came on at 8:30.

After the concert was over at 10:15 or so, the shuttle didn't board and leave til 10:50...which was a bit later than I expected. The Wolf Trap website said it would leave in 20-min. intervals after the concert ended. Well, I did leave right after the last song, NOT the last encore... I wanted to be on the first bus to leave, since it was a Sunday night and I wanted to get home relatively soon.

I was concerned that we would get caught in a lot of the concert traffic when leaving. If the bus had left earlier, we would have missed a lot of the traffic...but it didn't take us too long to get through. There aren't too many cars that come from the driveway where the bus leaves, so it moves fairly quickly. We arrived at the Metro at 11:05 or so, but then we had to wait 20 or so min. for the subway train to come. The train ride isn't far (4 or 5 stops), and then I have a 10-min. bike ride home. So I got home a little before midnight. So it cost about $7.70 to take the metro and shuttle. If I had gotten a Zipcar, it would have been about $50, but I would have had the issue of dealing with the traffic (from a more congested area than where the bus left from). I probably would have gotten home about the same time. On the bus and metro, it was nice because I could close my eyes at least and not have to be concerned about the traffic and driving.

So, I think the experiment went well, and I'm glad I tried it and won't hesitate to do it again, if there's a concert I want to see. :)

Timberrrrr!

2011-07-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, I rented a car from Enterprise to visit a friend and spend the night with my sister in PA. On the drive home on Sunday night, a nasty storm was crossing the area, but it came and went before I arrived. I was driving down the George Washington Parkway, just passing the Rt. 123/McLean area, when all of a sudden I noticed a bit of leaves on the road, and a lot of BARK. Usually, if there's a storm, you'll see twigs and small branches, but not BARK. Strange.... There was more and more of it as I got down the road, and then, the traffic came to a halt. As I slowed down, I saw a medium-size tree in the grassy median strip that had been SNAPPED in HALF! Wow. There must have been some kind of strong winds with that storm - and I was glad that I hadn't been there when it came through. I had about 20 minutes before the return-time on my rental car...and if I sat in this traffic jam, there's no telling how long I would have to wait. I think that a tree or two must have come down across the road up ahead and who knows how long before Park officials or police could come and cut it up and clear the road. I hope no one was hurt. I looked at the grassy median strip and decided to be bold and pull a U-turn over it. I was hoping that I wouldn't somehow get stuck or have difficulty getting across. I've never had to drive across the median strip before - - let alone, to merge with high-speed traffic coming the opposite way.

Thankfully, it went without a hitch, and I backtracked to the previous exit and took the Chain Bridge across to Canal Road on the Maryland side. When I got to the Key Bridge, I took that back across into VA, and believe it or not, made it Enterprise right on time!! :)

In dealing with a downed tree on a bike... all you do is lift your bike over (or even under!) the tree and keep on going. :) Big difference. Of course, you could also die if a tree or big branch hit you on your bike (same with being in a car...). In fact, just a few weeks ago, a man riding his bike on the C&O Canal was caught in a storm, and died when a fallen tree hit him. :( When you're on the C&O Canal, there's really hardly anywhere you can take shelter....there are trees all around. :( NOT a good situation.

When I'm at home or the office, and a storm is in full force or about to happen, I just stay put and wait it out (especially if there's lightning involved). If a storm happens when I'm out on my bike in the city, I duck into a store or doorway. If I'm in the suburbs, I take shelter in someone's carport. When you're on your bike, you get MANY signs that a storm is approaching, so you usually have a little bit of time to find some kind of good shelter. You just have to be aware of the changing conditions and not delay in finding shelter quickly.

Music to my ears :)

2011-06-20T14:22:00.001-07:00

Recently, I had heard about an outdoor concert held at a park not too far from my apartment. I hadn't heard of or been to the park before, but saw on a map that it was located about 8 miles away, on the bus line that goes by my apartment. So I decided to bring my Brompton onto a bus headed in that direction. However, in a few minutes, I realized that particular bus was soon making a right turn and heading in another direction. So I got off at that stop, and then walked back over to the main bus line and caught the next bus that continued to head in the direction I wanted to go. I got off a little sooner than I should have to get to the park, but it worked out. As I crossed the busy road, I saw there was a bus stop at the entrance to the park - - so that would be perfect for when I needed to make my return trip.

I rode up to the amphitheatre entrance for the concert, and as I folded my Brompton a lady walking nearby saw how the bike transformed to a small package and was surprised. We chatted as we got a spot on the lawn, about bikes and being car-free, and she said I was "brave" to go without a car. I told her how I had been doing pretty good without a car, using my bike in conjunction with the bus, train, etc. I could have brought my full-size bike, but felt that with the Brompton, at least I could fold it up and it wouldn't be in anyone's way.

When I left the concert, a little after 9 p.m., I checked the bus schedule I had printed out for that bus line and saw that the next bus would be in about 40 minutes. I should have checked the schedule beforehand...as I could have caught an earlier bus. (They only were running about once an hour, since it was after rush-hour). As I stood at the darkened bus stop, I felt a little nervous and vulnerable. I did have my bike lights and reflective vest to ride, though I had been meaning to get a good rear blinking light. I thought about riding home, but the road was a busy one and not that much extra space to ride. I don't mind riding at night time, as long as I feel safe. The road was also fairly hilly and it would take me a bit long to ride home. The Brompton is a decent bike, but the 6 gears is a little bit limiting. I was hoping the bus would come on time. Finally, the bus came around the corner and I happily flagged it to stop for me. I was home in about 10-15 min.

I think that if I attend a concert at this park again in the future, I will see about catching the earlier bus. Also, I have since bought a very bright flashing rear bike light, and feel better about being seen by approaching cars, just in case I do decide to ride home from there.

Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable summer's evening. :)

Only $2!

2011-05-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was looking on the Megabus website to check on getting bus tickets from D.C. to Philadelphia, to meet up with my sister, to go Cape Cod for a vacation in July. It's rare that I ever see the advertised $1.00 fare for many of the travel dates/times I want to go. So I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that I could get my bus fare for $1.00 each way (plus $.50 processing fee)!! Wow! I checked with my sister to see if those dates/times would work with her meeting me, and she couldn't believe it either! So I snatched up the tickets - can't beat that price! :)

Up, up and away....

2011-04-29T13:45:00.001-07:00

I, like many Americans, are shocked at how high the gas prices are getting.... It's close to, if not over, $4.00 a gallon. A friend of mine asked me recently "Don't you feel like getting a (new) car now that Spring is here??" No, to tell you the truth, not at all....though what about an electric car? But I went online to check those out, and there's a number of drawbacks. The average price of the Nissan Leaf electric car is $32,780-$33,720! Wow! That's like 3 times the amount I have paid for a used (gas) car! In addition, the Leaf only has a 100-mile driving range...that's not very far before you'd have to recharge it. And, in looking online, there is only ONE public recharging station in this area, located in D.C. - and using that, you only get 80% of the car charged in 30 min. I wonder how many people would stand there for the 30 minutes to recharge? Otherwise, it takes 8 hours to charge it at home....but if you live in apartment complex? Where would you park it to plug it in?? You'd need to live in a house. Looks like the electric bill for charging an electric car is about $560 a year.

I think a bicycle and public transportation still is a better idea. Speaking of public transportation, I was taking the subway home last night, and I ran into the "no train" situation again! I was at the Gallery Place station in D.C., to transfer to a Yellow line train. I waited maybe 10-15 minutes, watching the indicator sign, looking to see when a Yellow train would be coming. In that time, NO Yellow trains were shown! Only Green trains. After waiting and thinking, and seeing a couple Green trains coming and going...then the sign indicated another 20 min., for yet ANOTHER Green train - I decided to just get on my bike and ride home. It was a nice night out and I didn't mind the ride. If it had been raining, I would have caught a cab - I had my folding Brompton bike with me, so that would be an option...though I don't like to spend the money for a cab, but WILL if need be.

It's nice to have my bike there by my side to get me where I need to go - I don't need to wait. It's ready to go when I am.

Where's the Train?

2011-03-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday night, I was heading home on the subway after getting together with a friend, and had my Brompton folding bike with me. Timing is everything, and I had apparently recently missed the previous train, so I had about 12-15 min. to wait for the next Red line train. Not too much of a problem, as I spend a few minutes getting my night-time riding gear on. The train comes and I take it a couple of stops to transfer to a Yellow line train. The display stated a Green line train would be along in a few minutes, but below that it stated that a Yellow line train would be next, in about 8 min., which is the line that I ultimately needed to get back home. So, when the Green line train came, I decided to let it pass and instead, wait for the Yellow line train, so that I wouldn't have to make the extra transfer. I have done this once before....and had regretted it. Because what happened next is what happened to me before....in that the stated Yellow line train NEVER appears!! Why didn't I learn the first time??! The display counts down to one minute before the Yellow line comes....and then, *POOF!* that train never appears, and then the display just says the next train is a Green line, and that will be 18 more minutes, thank you. Grrrrrrrrr!
:( When it's late and cold out, you REALLY don't want to be standing there, waiting for a non-existent train, when you REALLY could have taken the earlier Green line train and made a transfer. This is really aggravating and I stand there and kick myself and get a grudge against Metro for "tricking" me. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that I am a fairly optimistic and positive person and blogger. But you know, there ARE times when not EVERYTHING goes smoothly - that's life.

But I also try to find the Silver Lining in things.... So, I waited for the Green line to come along...about frozen by the time it arrived. :( I took it into D.C. to get off and transfer at another station. I semi-folded my Brompton into its "parked position" and took a seat on the concrete bench. Soon afterwards, a guy came up and took a look at my bike and could asked if it was a folding bike, and I replied yes. We proceeded to have a very engaging conversation about bikes - how he used to bike and had a nice Bianchi bike, but that it had gotten stolen. I encouraged him to get another bike sometime soon, and to continue his past enjoyment of cycling. He said that he would, and I hope he does..... So, if I hadn't had the delay in "absent" trains, I wouldn't have made his acquaintance. Meeting him turned my slightly sour mood into a more friendly one. :)

Speaking of "absent" transportation...earlier in the afternoon, after finishing up a Brompton Club ride that I had led in D.C., I happened to pass by the former parking lot where Megabus used to pick-up and drop off. There were a handful of people standing there at the curb, with luggage and backpacks, and all had a sort of puzzled look on their faces. I figured out right away why they were puzzled...they hadn't been informed that Megabus had MOVED its bus location to down the street about 5 blocks. :( I told them the new location and they had a panicked look because some of them were supposed to be on a bus in like 5 minutes! Ack!! I suggested hopping a cab, and some of the others who had more time before their departure bus, opted to walk. I know if it had been me, and I had a designated bus to catch (like I did the previous day, going up to Philadelphia), I would have been horrified to find that the bus location had changed. I would have missed my bus and also the bike event I was to attend! I'm not sure when these people had bought their bus tickets, but I hope they were able to make their scheduled buses.... But I'm glad I was able to help them in the right direction...

Riding the Bus

2011-02-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

In the past month or so, I've made use of the Metro bus often to get to the subway on the weekend. Granted, I can easily bike to the subway in 10-15 min., as it's only a couple miles away. But if the weather or road conditions aren't that good, it's nice to have the option of taking the bus. I've never been much of a bus person - like a lot of Americans probably! When you have a car, you never think of taking the bus (I know I didn't!). My very limited bus experience was probably 30 or so years ago, when I used a local circular bus in Reston, that only ran maybe once an hour.

Anyway, my apartment is located just a half block off of busy Columbia Pike, and a bus stop is right there. It couldn't be more convenient. :) There are a number of bus lines that pick up at that location, and bring you to either the Pentagon Metro or Pentagon City Metro station. The buses run every 10-15 min. I can use my SmartTrip electronic card, so I don't need to be concerned with having exact change. The bus ride is short - perhaps 10 min. at the most. I wish, though, that the return bus ride were as quick...but it's probably due to my catching it later at night (after 11 p.m. or so). When it's cold and windy out, you don't feel like standing there freezing, waiting for the bus. So, what I've done is walk across the street to a hotel where there are cabs lined up, and hop in the warm cab for a quick ride home and not too expensive (perhaps $8.00 total). So, it's nice to have options.

The bus came in handy when we had the January snow of 5" and I needed to get to work. My apartment building's free shuttle that goes to the subway, wasn't operating. I don't know if it was because the driver couldn't get to the shuttle, or if he was sick. But I just walked over to the Metro bus stop and didn't have to wait long for a bus. I was a little concerned when there were maybe 20 people in line waiting for the bus, and whether we all would fit on the bus - - but, fortunately, we did! :)

Last night, I went to meet a friend for dinner. She lives in Silver Spring, but since I had my road bike (vs. my Brompton), I couldn't take my bike on the subway til after 7. So I decided to try putting my bike on a bus bike rack and take the bus to my destination. The last time I tried this was a couple years ago when we had an unexpected ice storm after work. It didn't go good because due to the ice, I had a hard time pulling the rack down, and then the arm that fits over your front tire was frozen and I couldn't get it to budge. :/

So I looked online and saw there were a couple of bus lines that went to Silver Spring, and they ran every 10 min. or so. I was a little concerned about a couple things. I wondered if the bus stop would be packed with commuters and if so, after I would load my bike (IF I could manage to load my bike), would there be room for me? Would a bus come along and already have 2 bikes on the rack, and would I have to wait for the next one?

So, I rode my bike to where the area was to catch either line. I first tried to find the bus stop for the Express bus. I checked a few bus shelters, looking at the bus stop signs that show the routes. I asked a couple of people at the bus stops and also a bus driver, but I couldn't find the location. So I went to the other bus line stop. Two buses pulled up with that route number - though only one of the buses showed it went to the Silver Spring Metro. I confirmed it with driver, and then proceeded to put my bike on the rack. The rack came down easily, and I loaded my bike. I pulled the spring-loaded arm and it gave relatively easily and I put it up over my front tire and got on the bus. Whew! :) I was pleasantly surprised to see that evidently the bus fare box wasn't working, so everyone was getting a free ride!! :) Bonus points! :) I got a seat opposite the driver and I could see my bike clearly. As we rode along, I was texting my experience to some friends. I heard a noise and thought for a second that maybe my bike had fallen off and we had run over it!! I looked up and was relieved to see my bike still on the rack. :) I watched it carefully for a little while, making sure that it was riding along and hanging on, as we went over bumps and potholes. It seemed secure and fine. When we got near the end of the ride, I told the bus driver that this was my first time taking my bike on a bus. I asked if this was the "normal" amount of people that ride the bus (there were only maybe 15 or so people on the bus!). She said yes, at this time of the evening. I was kind of surprised, I thought there would be more. She said later in the evening there were more. So I was glad to hear that it's not a super busy bus line.

So my overall experience went very well and I won't hesitate to put my bike on a bus again for a destination, if need be! :)

Cars, snow, sleet

2011-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

I got a Zipcar yesterday, since I had the day off for the Martin Luther King's holiday. I loaded up on lots of groceries and also visited with family and friends. On the way to return the car in the evening, it started to snow a little bit and then it turned to sleet. It's interesting to note the difference in the way I feel when driving a car in the snow, vs. biking in the snow. In a car, I start to tense up. Watching the road ahead, seeing the snow swirl around on the road. That's not too bad, but when I hear the sleet hitting the windshield and start to see some "texture" on the road, I start having flashbacks of spinning out of control, doing 360s, and who knows where and how you will stop. In the vehicle, I don't feel like I have much control except to slow down. I worry about other cars having problems and spinning out near or into me. Cars behind me come up too close, even though I'm in the slower lane. I especially get nervous when passing over on road bridges, where things can get really icy. Let me tell you that I was VERY relieved to finally get the Zipcar back to its parking spot and get out of the car.

Biking this morning on the ice this morning was a little tense, but nowhere like last night in the car. The bike path was covered in ice, but I have the option of either walking my bike, or riding on the ice-covered grassy areas. It was kinda neat to ride on the grassy areas, as the bike crunches over the ice. You have good traction. It's a little slower riding and more effort exerted, but it's a good work-out. I had to walk part of the 14th Street Bridge, and wished I had worn my Yak Trax on my shoes...I hadn't thought of that. Anyway, when biking or walking the bike, it's at a slow pace and everything feels pretty much "in control". I saw a few other bike commuters along the way, but they were managing as well.

I'm glad we don't get many of these ice storms, but if I have to pick, I'd rather be on my bike. :)

Megabus - new NYC location

2010-12-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

I meant to post this last month, but didn't get around to it.... I had a biking event to attend in New York City in mid-November. When I bought my ticket, I noticed that Megabus stated they had changed their bus location for the return trip to DC. It's now located a few blocks from the other spot. I thought that was a GREAT idea, since the other location was SOOO crowded and crazy! So I was curious to see how the new place would be.

Well, I was very pleasantly surprised. :) Gone were the crowds and craziness! Instead, there was quietness and organization. It was HEAVENLY! :) The Megabus guys walked around and answered people's questions and directed them to the right line to get in. The buses pulled up ON TIME (imagine!!! ha!) and we left on time. It was 100% better than my previous experiences with the other location.

I'm Megahappy with the Megabus!! :)

By the way, this month marks my 3rd year being car-free! :) In reviewing my recorded expenses, I spent a good amount of money on transportation this year (vs. previous years). I got together a number of times with family and friends out of town, and also have rented cars from Enterprise for some weekends away. Still, I think my overall costs doing it this way (bus, train, and rental cars) is less expensive than owning/maintaining/repairing a car. My friends and family have also been helpful in meeting me at various Metro stations and bus stations near them, as I put my folding bike in their car trunk, and we enjoy visiting together. So, my thanks to my friends and family in working with me to get together. :)

On the other hand, I also had a chance to help a friend one time this summer with my Zipcar membership. :) We met up via our bikes to someone's house in D.C. so she could look at a dining table & chairs she was thinking of buying. After checking it out, she decided to get it, but then was thinking about how to get it all home. She had a small car at home -- she would have to make numerous trips, if so. I thought about Zipcar, and since they have pick-up trucks, I suggested we could ride to the nearest available pick-up truck and come back for the furniture. :) I called up Zipcar and they located one, and we set a time for the reservation to begin, and my friend and I biked on over. (That was an adventure in itself, in getting there via bikes and without a map, but we stopped to ask a few people along the way). We found the pick-up truck, put our bikes in, and went back for the furniture. We managed to fit everything in and went to drop off the furniture at her place & then returned the pick-up truck. So I was glad to help her out. :) (She insisted on reimbursing me the cost of the 2 1/2 hour use of the pick-up truck, which she didn't need to do, but was nice of her).

So, let's see what adventures 2011 will bring in being car-free! :)

To the Philadelphia Bike Expo

2010-10-27T11:22:00.001-07:00

This Saturday, I'm taking the Megabus up to Philadelphia for the day to attend a Bike Expo. The last time I went to Philadelphia a couple of years ago, was via Amtrak because there was NO bus service. But since that time, a few cheap bus lines have popped up. So, I got my roundtrip bus ticket for $14 - - not bad at all. Hopefully the return trip will be less hectic than when I take the bus to NYC...I will report back.

RESULTS :)

Well, I should've left home about 5 minutes earlier than I did....because just as I rode up to the bus parking lot, my 5:30 a.m. bus rode off! :/ RATS!! :/ So I asked the bus attendant there (who checks people onto the bus), if I could catch the next bus up. He said he wasn't sure if there would be a 6:30 or not, but if so, all I had to do is pay $5 (credit card only) to board. So that was good news! He saw my folding bike and said that it would have to be put in a bag or something, and I said sure, no problem. The problem was to try and keep warm in the 40 degree temps with the wind blowing lightly....I had dressed slightly warm, but I didn't anticipate standing for almost an hour in those conditions.....and there's nowhere to take protection...it's just a parking lot, so you're standing out there like a cow in the pasture...walking around and stomping your feet to try and stay warm, while a cold breeze is at your backside. :) While me and some other standby passengers were waiting, we watched a lady bus driver roll up on a Bolt Bus. It was dark, and she was trying to back the bus up to the curb to pick up her passengers. She slowly backed the bus up, but was way too close to the curb and a railing by the steps....and she unfortunately ripped off half of the back bumper!! Ack!

I had been talking to another lady who was going standby for the same bus as mine, and she was headed up to Philly to visit her ailing grandmother in a nursing home. She had a reservation on a later bus, but had gotten to the parking lot early, and decided to take the 6:30 bus. However, she evidently didn't have her credit card with her in order to pay the $5 fee to board...so I offered to pay it for her, and she gave me the cash. :) Glad to help out a fellow passenger. :) She sat with me on the bus and said this was her first time taking Megabus. She was amazed at how nice it was...how clean, roomy, and much better smelling than the Greyhound bus she took previously. :) Plus, Megabus was A LOT cheaper than Greyhound. So she was quite happy with riding the Megabus. :) We arrived in Philly about a half hour early, which was nice, since my friends were arriving about the same time as I was, to attend the expo. :) The drop-off and pick-up location was easy to find, and there weren't the massive crowds on the return evening bus like there was in New York City. So it was a good experience taking the Megabus to Philly. :)

Up the Hill to the Big Top! :)

2010-09-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had tickets to see a Cirque du Soleil show at National Harbor. It was a grey, drizzily day. I decided to bike the 10 miles over to the show. If it had been pouring, I would have gotten a Zipcar, so that I wouldn't be sitting in wet clothes (despite my rain gear). The Cirque show was set atop a big hill overlooking National Harbor. There was a lower and upper parking lot. The sign said that the event parking was $12. Wow - a bit expensive. I think the last time I came to a show there, parking was $10... I chose the upper lot, as it was closer to the gate entrance to the show. There was a concrete jersey barrier around the whole parking lot, so I put my bike on the other side of the jersey wall (to sort of hide it) and locked it with 2 locks to a parking sign.

After the show, the sun was out as I walked back to my bike. It's always a relief to see that my bike still there. :) Hopping on, and leaving the parking lot, the parking lot attendant commented, "Now THAT'S the best way to go!" as he pointed to my bike. :) I said, "Definitely!" with a smile on my face as I zipped past the big long traffic back-up of cars leaving the parking lot. :)

Bringing Home the Bacon (and the milk, and TP!)

2010-08-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday is one of the days I get some groceries at the store - that way the milk and bananas stay fresh during the work week. When I pulled up to the grocery store, I saw a few other bikes locked up by the front door, which is kind of unusual. When I came out to load up my groceries, I saw another lady nearby, loading up her groceries too! :) She had these wire baskets on the rear of the bike, which were full and she was plopping a large container of toilet paper on top of the load, using a couple of bungee cords to hold it in place. As she got ready to leave, I stopped to chat with her briefly. I said how nice it was to see another person (a lady even!) getting groceries by bike! :) I admired her bike - it looked new...it was a beautiful red retro-looking one-speed bike. She said she had seen it in Target for under $100! She couldn't believe the price, so she bought TWO - one for her and one for her husband. :) She said she lived on the other side of the shopping complex and mall, so she didn't have too far to go. We commented about how busy and full the parking lot was -- she said she bet some of the cars belonged to people who lived within a stone's throw of the store. I agreed. We both looked at each other with a look that said we were having more fun getting our groceries than they were. :)

There are a number of good reasons to shop for your groceries by bike:

1. Hassle-free parking - - just pull up in front of the store and lock 'er up.

2. Portion control - - you won't be picking up a lot of EXTRA things while you shop - because you know you have a certain amount of space, and you need to get it home. :) Plus, you stay within your "food budget".

3. Shop locally - - you'll buy groceries from the closest grocery store - to get the items home while they're still cold. :) And yes, I've bought ice cream and brought it home by bike. The grocery store is about 2 miles from home.

When I have A LOT of groceries or cat supplies to get, I pull out my flatbed trailer that I recently bought from www.BikeTrailer.com:

It can carry 150 lbs.! Not that I'm planning on carrying that much weight, but it's nice to know I have the option. :) I HAVE carried about 70 lbs. on it so far. :) I bought a large Rubbermaid crate to place on the trailer, and the straps hold it in place. With the lid off, I have carted a busted wheel from another bike. So the trailer is versatile. In storing the trailer, the wheels have a hidden release button, so the wheels slide off and everything fits in a closet. :) So, between my panniers and the trailer, I'm able to bring home the basic necessities. :)

Up to the Big Apple Again

2010-07-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

I headed up to New York City again yesterday to attend a bike event, and this time, I took the Megabus, which is my first time. The bus pulled up on schedule and the line of people proceeded to board. I had my small Brompton folding bike, which I had folded down, and the driver said to set it next to the bus tire and he would put it in. We got on the bus and we left on time and the driver high-tailed it out of the city lickety split! The Megabus makes a stop at the White Marsh park & ride lot near Baltimore, where we picked up some additional passengers. We zipped up 95 and believe it or not, for the first time, the bus actually arrived in New York City 5 MINUTES ahead of schedule!!! I was quite surprised and pleased. I got my bike and enjoyed a day of riding in the city, which is always a fun time.

However, the return trip wasn't as pleasant....I arrived at Penn Station a few minutes before we were supposed to be there to board. There was a GAZILLION people in various lines - since a few different bus lines pull up to that same place. Why don't they assign buses to different blocks or something??! So, when I determined what line I needed to be in....we were told the bus was going to be a bit late.... Not quite what you want to hear while standing in the 90+ degree heat, with the sun shining on you..... Then, one of the Megabus personnel walking around the buses and helping, saw me and asked me if that was my bike. I said yes, and he said, "That has to go in a bag." I told him when I got on the bus that morning, the bus driver didn't say ANYTHING about that being a requirement. This guy said, "Well, it has to be in a bag, or you can't get on the bus!" WHAT????! Here we are, getting ready to board soon, and I have to come up with a bag????! There's no way I was gonna miss that bus, not at almost 8 p.m.! So I went across the street to ask the ticket sales lady if it's true I have to have the bike in a bag. But then the guy called me back over and had a Hefty bag in his hand to give me to use. I told him again that it wasn't a problem that morning - and this guy said, "Well, he could have been fired for letting you get on the bus like that." Well, I guess every employee makes up their own rules, huh?! So I told him I would check the website about this later, as I put the bike in the bag. Good grief.

In the end, even though the bus left 30 minutes late, we managed to make up the time and arrive on time in D.C., thank goodness.

(Note: I checked the Megabus website regarding bicycles on the bus as luggage. It says no bikes are allowed. However, evidently, a folding bike isn't a problem....but looks like the drivers have different rules regarding that. I have sent an email to Megabus to tell them about the situation and asked to be advised regarding their policy, so I can know whether to ride with them in the future. I guess in any case, I could just put it in a bag, and it won't be a problem.)

Motor City

2010-06-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to make a new friendship with a lady who lives locally. We had exchanged some chatty emails, getting to know one another. She liked to hike, kayak and be outdoors, so I saw the potential of having a fun companion this summer. She said she was from Detroit. Detroit - - where the heartbeat and history of the city is, in part, CARS. Cars are their pride and soul. Something akin to someone who is from Texas. They are proud to be from the Great Land of Texas... and hey, "Don't Mess With Texas!" as the quote goes. If you took cars out of Detroit and their history....where would it be? Just another quiet Midwestern city....

She was surprised that I was a native Washingtonian (yes, there aren't many of us around here!). In the process of sharing information, I mentioned that I had gone car-free a couple of years ago...that it had started out as an "experimental idea" but it had worked well for me, so I had continued. I shared how I bike to work, and use my bike, subway, bus, Amtrak, Zipcars, and Enterprise rental cars in going places near and far.

As you've read from previous posts here, some people don't have a very good reaction upon hearing that I don't have car. They think "How in the world can you live without a car?? I couldn't possibly!!" They see it as LIMITING their life, whereas I see it as a FREEING experience. It's like it's their God-given RIGHT to own and drive a car - and by God, you aren't gonna take that away from me! Living car-free is not for everyone, but it can work for a lot of people, if they want it to. This lady had a slight old back injury, and hadn't biked since college, because the bumps while biking hurt her back, and I can understand that. I did mention that some people who have back problems sometimes can resolve it by riding a recumbent or trike....

Needless to say, my being car-free "threw her for a loop" and she declined my friendship. I was a bit hurt and sorry to hear this. I mean, it kind of makes you feel like you're not GOOD ENOUGH. Yes, I know, trying to get together with my friends sometimes can be difficult because I don't have car, but I try to work around it and still get together with them. It's NOT impossible.

So, I was sorry to have missed out on a new friendship...but everything happens for a reason, and you move on in life....whether you move onward in a car, or on a bike....

Fun on a Bike! :)

2010-05-04T12:53:00.001-07:00

How much fun can you have on a bike, you ask? Last Saturday, I checked out the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race, and saw a number of very creative sculptures added to different kinds of bikes. :) The people on the bikes rode the bikes through the city, then to a waterfront park where they had to enter the water, go around a short pier and back out. The bikes all had various floatation devices and paddles added so they could handle (relatively) this task. It was slow-going in the water, but the hundreds and hundreds of spectators cheered them on. Later they biked to another park where they had to endure going through a sand pit and then a mud pit! It took a lot of muscles to get through each of these obstacles, that's for sure. But it was definitely a lot of fun to watch and I had my bike so I rode along with them in the (slow) race.

I was going to take Amtrak to Baltimore to get to the race, but my roommate had lent me the use of her car while she was away in MN. It cost just a little bit more to take her car and pay for parking and gas, but it also gave me the chance to stop and visit a friend in the Annapolis area on the way home, which I couldn't have done if I had taken the train. As for public transportation to the Annapolis area, there is only a commuter bus service that runs Monday-Friday, not on the weekends, unfortunately. :(

Like a Movie

2010-04-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

I was living in California when the movie "L.A. Story" came out. I thought it was hilarious because it REALLY captured the way people are out there. One particular scene often comes to my mind, when Steve Martin leaves his house, gets in his car, and drives just one or two houses down the street, to see someone he knows. :) It's making fun of how Californians often use their car to drive such short distances, but I'm sure they do, just like here.

In fact, it happened just the other weekend when I got together with a friend. I biked to meet her at a bike store in Arlington so she could test ride some high-end bikes. After a few hours, she decided on a pretty expensive racing bike and racing wheels. She had her old bike in the back of her car. We had planned to get some dinner, so I suggested we just bike to some place nearby. She said, "Bike??" I said, "Sure - there's lots of places nearby." She said, "But, will they let us into the restaurant in our biking clothes?" I said, "Sure - no problem." (It's not like we were going to be eating at a 5-star restaurant!). She said, "But, how do I carry my things?" I asked her what she needed to carry, and she said her wallet and keys. I told her that I had my bike bag and also back pockets in my jersey. Then she said, "But, what will we do with the bikes when we get there?" I smiled and said, "Well, we'll lock the bikes up." It didn't dawn on me that this could actually be the FIRST time she had done such a process. She was a bit flustered and hesitant. I didn't want her to be nervous about it all, so I gave in, and put my bike in the back of her car, and she was quite happy about that resolution. We leave the parking lot and I kid you not, we drive just a block or two, and pass a Mexican restaurant to eat at, and she pulls over to park at a metered spot. She pays $2 to park at that meter and we walk across the street to have dinner outside. I was thinking how funny it was, and that we could have easily biked there in about a minute.

When we finished dinner, I got my bike out of her car and she asked where my next "adventure" would be. I thought maybe she meant perhaps an upcoming bike trip or something. No, she meant where was I headed off to right now. :) I said that I wanted to go downtown to see the Cherry Blossom Festival fireworks that were going to happen at 8 p.m. I had my reflective vest, blinking lights and headlight, so I was set. She asked if she could drop me off somewhere, and I said no, I'd be just fine. It was a nice night out and the riding would be enjoyable. She looked at me kind of funny/oddly and said she couldn't live without her car. I guess she'd feel vulnerable or something? I know being in a car, you feel somewhat safe and protected. But I feel comfortable and happy on my bike, and I feel safe, as long as I'm not out way late - when some of the "crazies" come out. :)

Stress Levels

2010-03-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

My brother called me a little while ago, driving to take a bike ride on a nearby bike trail, since we're having some nice Spring weather. The smooth-going traffic came to a sudden halt and his happy mood changed immediately. He said, "Be GLAD you don't have a car!" and he started to fuss and fume about the traffic jam, and other drivers multi-tasking while driving and nearly ramming into other cars. He has RARELY said that I should be happy that I don't have a car. :) Most of the time, he thinks I OUGHT to have a car to get out of town on the weekends, etc.

I have rented a car a few times this year already, though, to get out of town, and it IS nice to have that option from time-to-time. This month, I rented a car to drive down to Richmond, Virginia to check out the Handmade Bike Show. (Funny, to rent a car and drive to a bike show...). I would have taken Amtrak, but unfortunately, they were doing track maintenance and the train station that services the line between D.C. and Richmond, was not available. :/ Anyway, when I went to pick up my rental car from Enterprise, the lady agent walked me out to the car to do an inspection, and I had my small folding bike, the Tikit, to put in the trunk. She said, "Okay, do the magic!" She saw how quick it folded up and fit in the trunk, and said, "My bike SOOO does not do that!!" :)

Renting the car from Enterprise for the weekend is kind of nice. The office is located about 2 miles from my house, and it takes about 15 min. to bike over there. I pick up the car on Saturday morning at 9 a.m., when their office opens. Within a half hour, the paperwork is done and I'm off down the road. Their office closes at noon on Saturday, and isn't open on Sunday. So I return the car on Monday morning, at 7:30, and take my bike out of the trunk and can head off to work from there. So it gives me two full days use of the car. I have scheduled visits with friends and family in other locations, and also load up on groceries on the way home, so I feel I make the best of my rental car time. After I return the rental car, I'm kind of happy to get back on the bike and have a slower, quieter pace of life. :)

No Shoveling Needed

2010-02-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

The past month, we have seen MORE than our fair share of snow in the area here. Usually, we may get a big dump of snow every 10 years or so. But not this winter season...we've had at least 3 big snowfalls of 10-20 inches. As I write this, it's snowing and we are due to get 6-16 inches.... That's ON TOP of the over 20 inches we have on the ground....

One very good thing about not having a car in weather like this, is that I don't have to spend time worrying about getting my car DUG OUT (nor worry about being able to navigate the difficult roads). :) Although, I do admit that when I did have my car, I didn't shovel snow then either...I could walk to the Metro, and just let the sunshine do its work of melting the snow. It would take a week or so, but I didn't mind much. It's weather like this that makes me glad I can walk to stores that I need to get to. This afternoon, I strapped on my backpack and walked the 15 minutes to the strip mall nearby, and took care of several errands: the bank, post office, lunch, and getting groceries. Of course, carrying the heavy groceries in my backpack wasn't that fun, but it wasn't back-breaking either. On my way to the store, a lady on her bike passed me. :) I was thinking I could have probably ridden my mountain bike, because the main roads were down to pavement and easy to ride on. But, sometimes I like to just walk, I like the exercise of walking. It uses different muscles than biking. :)

Another Enterprise Weekend

2010-01-28T19:18:00.001-08:00

I had a 3-day weekend over the Martin Luther King holiday - and I felt like getting out of town, so I rented a car from Enterprise. This time I rented from a location close to my house - just a little over a mile away. The bad thing is that the office didn't open til 9 a.m., but the good thing was that you could take their rental cars out of the D.C. area. The airport location (where I have rented before) states that their cars are required to stay in the DC/VA/MD area. Since I wanted to drive up to PA and NY, I didn't want to breach the contract terms, so I rented from this particular location.

The agent preparing the paperwork for the car in the office saw my folding bike propped against the office window and was curious about it. I told him it was a folding bike, and I'd be folding it to put it in the trunk. He thought a folding bike was pretty ingenious. It's fun to open people's eyes about folding bikes and even living car-free. It's a concept they don't think about. Of course, he asked the normal question of how do I get groceries. :) I showed him the panniers that were on my bike, and told him that I just fill those up - you can fit a lot in them. I told him I also have a trailer I can use to put groceries in, if need be. I told him I bike to work everyday, and he was asking where I rode. Perhaps he lives in DC or MD, and didn't know about the Mt. Vernon Trail or that you can ride on a sidewalk that crosses the various bridges into DC. It's almost as if these bike routes are "invisible" to people in their cars. :)

Anyway, I enjoyed getting out of town - stopping in MD at a friend's place, and to PA to visit my sister, and then up to NY to spend the weekend with a friend. A rental car comes in handy for trips like this, when I want to make multiple stops. The cost of the rental car, though, was about the same as a flight up to NY...so I didn't save money on the trip, but it was fun to see my family and friends. I realized I hadn't rented a car since mid-October (when I drove up to Philly for the weekend).

Christmas Concert

2009-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

When I was in 3rd grade and lived in suburban Maryland, the teacher showed a slideshow of the new subway system that was to be built in Washington, D.C. The year was 1967. The picture, very similar to the one here, looked VERY futuristic to me. I was in awe of how cool it looked. The subway was finished in 1976, and I was a senior in high school. I remember the first day it opened, and how they offered free rides, so people could check it out. :) Little did I know then that I would come to use the Metro often in the future. Without a car, the Metro comes in handy in covering distances fairly quickly. Sometimes though, if there are delays in the system, and adding in transfer times at various stations, I can cover some of those distances on my bike just as fast.

This past weekend, I decided I'd like to go to a Christmas concert in a community theatre in Arlington. It was about 5:20 p.m., and the concert would start at 7:30. Could I make it in time? Well, long story short, it took me about 2 hrs. using both the Metro and biking. If I had ridden my bike only, it may have taken just a little less time.

But sometimes it's nice to make use of the Metro. If I've already done a bit of biking during the day (as I had that day - I had done 30-35 miles), it's nice to have the lift on Metro vs. riding (as much as I love to ride!!). I take a book along and get some reading in, which I rarely seem to have time for. I can chat with friends/family on my cell phone while waiting for the train to come.

When I arrived at the theatre for the concert, there was a bike rack outside. I was going to lock my bike up there, but after buying my concert ticket, I saw that the lobby atrium was large. I inquired if I could just bring my bike inside and put it over in a corner. They said that would be fine, so I brought it in and locked it to a long fold-up table. When I gave my ticket to the lady usher, she looked at me and said I was a "brave" person to be out there riding in the 30-degree temps. :) Really, if you're dressed right, you warm up in a few miles, and you are fine and toasty for riding...I hardly notice the cold (unless the wind chill is really low). :)

Year Two - Car-Free!

2009-12-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Well, here's to being car-free for Year Two! :) In looking back over the year, I was curious to see how often I had used Zipcar (and other rental cars). For Zipcar, I had used them 4 times, for a total of $281. I also had rented cars from Enterprise for two weekends away, for a total of about $400. I took my folding bike on Amtrak to Richmond and Baltimore, for a total of about $70. So that's not too bad. I did, however, have to spend a bit on bike repair through the year - a couple of my bikes are about 5 years old. I didn't keep a running log of those expenses, but they did include new tires, a brake shifter, new drivetrain, new bottom bracket bearings, to name a few. I hope to do a better job of keeping track of these expenses next year. But I'm sure the bike repair expenses were A LOT cheaper than CAR REPAIRS! :) :)

With my late summer move to a new residence, I have a new housemate. Although she has offered to help me whenever I need a ride somewhere, I do try to do my errands on my own. One question people have asked me in the past, is how do I handle getting my groceries. At my previous residence, my friend Melinda, did most of the grocery shopping for both of us, via her car, and I paid my half. I would sometimes, however, stop and get a few things at the store that I wanted or needed. Now, though, I do get groceries on my own. I have found that my two panniers hold A LOT (believe it or not!). With their various zippered compartments, I find room for everything. I make one big food shopping trip a week, and sometimes stop to pick up a few things during the week that I need. It has worked out just fine. I also have my Bike Friday travel suitcase to hook up, to use for larger items or amounts, if need be.

I now live within walking distance to the bike store I frequent. This is VERY handy... I can drop off my bike on the way home, and then walk the 15 minutes to home. The shopping center where the bike store is located, also has a grocery store and a few restaurants that I can pick up carry-out food for dinner or dine in, which is nice. My bank is on the walk home also. And lastly, the subway is only about a 2-mile walk. If ice or snow keeps me off my bike, I can still get to work. So I'm happy with that set-up - it's good to be able to walk to stores and the subway. I did purchase some YakTrax to slip onto my boots/shoes for dealing with icy sidewalks, if I need to walk somewhere.

So, onto Year 3 of being Car-Free! Stay tuned! :)

**** ADDENDUM *****

We received about 20 inches of snow the weekend of Dec. 19th. My thought that I could walk to the subway didn't pan out because the sidewalks were not cleared, and there's not much room on the roads to walk. So I ended up catching rides to the subway with my roommate and/or a nearby friend. I can also walk 15 min. from my house to the main road and catch a bus that takes me to the subway, so that's been helpful. :)

Got a Light?

2009-11-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

I was just reading in the paper today about how there was a huge traffic problem caused yesterday when computers crashed that operate the traffic lights in a nearby Maryland county. They are programmed according to the morning and evening rush hours. But when the computers crashed, the timing of the lights were all off, and caused unbelievable headaches and back-ups for commuters. Evidently, the computers are from the Jimmy Carter era, and are slowly being replaced.

I'm glad that my bike commute isn't dictated by the lights. When a light turns red, I'm at the front of the line, waiting on the side - there's no back-up for me. I can't tell you how nice it is to not have stress from lights and traffic. As long as there is a slim area for me to get by, my bike and I roll on.

There was also another article in the paper about how controversial speed cameras are. How they generate a ton of money for states, but motorists are getting fed up with them - getting speeding tickets all the time. The speed cameras have multiplied, and it's like "Terminator" - humans against machines. When I had my car and drove, I can't tell you how many speeding tickets I have gotten in my life. I couldn't help it - I loved to drive fast - it was fun. I could have been another Danica Patrick. :)

But now I enjoy NOT getting speeding tickets, and when I'm on my bike, I'm always below the speed limit. :) Even if I'm zooming. :)

The Road Less Traveled

2009-09-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

The traffic is often like this on my leftside when I bike to work....traffic backed up for a couple of miles, as people inch slowly along...... Meanwhile, I have this completely free bike path in front of me, with no stress whatsoever. :) I often wonder if people in their cars look over and wish they could be on a bike too.....and whether they think, "I should really try that sometime...." Especially when the weather gets nicer now, as we enter the early Autumn days.... I hope one day, one person will give it a try, and NEVER go back to driving again..... :)

An "Enterprising" Weekend :)

2009-08-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I was invited to spend time with friends at a house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Since I needed a car overnight, I chose to rent a car from Enterprise. You CAN get a Zipcar overnight, but I believe you have to return it in the morning of the following day. I needed to have the car til the late afternoon/evening.

So I rode my bike to the Enterprise location near the airport. I could have ridden to a location closer to home, but their office didn't open til 9 a.m., vs. the one by the airport which opened at 6 a.m. When I was giving the car rental agent my license, he saw my Zipcar in my wallet. He made a comment about Zipcar and thought it was a bit expensive to use, especially with the annual fee they charge. I told him I only have to pay the hourly fee because I had donated my vehicle and had been given a free, lifetime membership. So he thought that was pretty cool. :)

The cost of the two-day rental with Enterprise, gas, insurance and other fees, it was about the same cost if I had gotten a Zipcar for two days. It's just that with Enterprise, you have unlimited miles, vs. the Zipcar limit of 180 miles each day.

The Enterprise car had satellite radio, which was nice, although I had brought CDs along to listen to. It also had leather seats and a sunroof. Not that I really needed those, but it was a nice touch. :) My family and friends were impressed that it was a nice new car. It's not everyday you can ride in a new car. :)

Down to Richmond

2009-07-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I had tickets to take Amtrak down to Richmond, Virginia (a two-hour trip) to visit a couple friends of mine whom I hadn't seen in a long time. I woke up early and rode my Tikit bike to the Alexandria train station, about 7 miles from my house. The train arrived on time, and I boarded with my folding bike. I set my pannier down in one seat, and then slowly wheeled my bike down the aisle. The aisles are a little narrow, so I had to take care while wheeling it so I didn't bump against any seats. There were a lot of people sleeping along the way, some laying down and others sitting, with blankets over them. I made my way back to my seat, next to a lady reading a magazine. Riding the train is relaxing and comfortable. The seats are roomy - you've got good leg room compared to airline seats.

On the ride to Richmond, we made a few stops along the way in small towns. Glancing out the window, I thought it'd be fun sometime to get off at one of these towns to bike around for the day. :)

When we arrived in Richmond, I got off the train and unfolded my bike and attached the pannier. The lady train attendant who had unfolded the train stairs for passengers made a comment to me that bikes weren't allowed on Amtrak. I told her that folding bikes specifically were allowed on Amtrak - for her to check the policy that had changed a couple of years ago. So she said she would. She said a guy the previous week had tried to board with a regular size bike and couldn't. You CAN take a full-size bike on the train - ONLY if it's boxed up in an Amtrak bike box ahead of time, and if the stations you are departing from and arriving at have luggage service (where a station attendant unloads bags from the train from the baggage car).

When I greeted my friends, one of the first questions they asked me was whether I missed having a car! :) I told them that I really didn't miss having a car - that I can get around lots of places with my bike, the subway, buses, Zipcar, and Amtrak. I think some people just can't imagine NOT having a car and think that it would be so limiting. I can understand that in an area that doesn't have good public transportation. Richmond doesn't have a subway, but I'm sure they have a decent bus system. But, of course, the bus doesn't go everywhere you want to. And suburban sprawl makes it difficult to get to different locations, when things are so spread out. A lot of people, also, aren't into exercising and can't imagine biking miles to get to places they need to get to. Roads, also, aren't helpful when they are either high-speed highways or narrow winding roads, where some people would not feel safe or comfortable biking. So, it does depend on your local area and what it has available...being car-free doesn't work in every situation, I admit. But in a number of situations, it CAN work if you put some effort into it.

I've learned from the number of times I've taken Amtrak, that the return trip home is usually delayed. And this trip was no different - the train was delayed by a half hour - which isn't too much, fortunately. When it arrived, I got a good seat by the baggage area, so I didn't have to wheel my bike down the aisle. On the next stop, a lady got on and sat next to me and immediately started to chat, which was kind of nice. She offered me some chocolate she had on hand and we talked about the books we were reading that were in our laps. It turns out she lives in McLean, not too far from where I used to live, and her daughter graduated from the same high school as I had. :)

When I arrived back at the Alexandria train station, I unfolded my bike and set it against a bench while I got out my night-time riding gear of lights, reflective vest, etc. One of the train attendants working on the platform came over to me, and saw my bike. It was kind of funny - he just took the bike and went for a spin on the platform! He was calling out to different attendants that were working, for them to see his new bike. :) He got a kick out of riding it. :)

So it was a fun-filled day trip to Richmond! :)

A New Crossing

2009-06-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, a new way for bicycles to cross the Potomac River opened up. :) The original Wilson Bridge was built in 1961 with 3 lanes in each direction. It was demolished and 8 years later a new 12 lane bridge was built in its place. Any time I crossed the bridge in a car, I would anxiously look at the bike path being built, and couldn't WAIT to finally be able to cross it on my bike. One draw to crossing it was to enjoy the newly built National Harbor on the Maryland side. It's a development containing housing, restaurants, shops, and the largest convention center on the East coast.

So, finally, on June 6, the new path opened up, and HUNDREDS of bicyclists showed up to enjoy it! :) You can see my brother in the foreground of this picture, as he joined me on the bike ride across. :) Everyone had smiles on their faces as the states of Virginia and Maryland met via biking and walking. There are 3 bump-outs on the bridge that have benches, a place to lock your bike, and binocular stands to take in the great views. On the Maryland side, a very nice promenade had been built, with lovely landscape, and plaques describing the history of the area. There are interesting descriptions of all the different kinds of fish that are in the Potomac.

Some people I know couldn't understand why I was so happy and excited to have this new path open up. Afterall, there are 3 other bridges that bicyclists can cross the Potomac. But, for 40 years, motorists ONLY have been able to cross the Potomac River on this bridge. June 6, 2009 was finally the day for Virginia and Maryland bikers and pedestrians to cross the bridge and enjoy what each state has to offer. It was a GREAT day! :)

Hybrids Make Your Wallet Happy

2009-05-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

I just got an email from Zipcar, announcing that their hybrid Zipcars will be offered at a lower price ($7-$8/hr.) compared to their regular cars ($9-$10/hr.) :) That's nice to know, plus it's more kind to the environment. So I'll keep it mind when I have to rent a Zipcar in the future. Hopefully the hybrid cars will continue to stay at a lower hourly fee - it would definitely encourage Zipsters to choose a hybrid.

This Friday is the annual Bike to Work Day. :) People wonder why I get excited about this event. They say, "But EVERY DAY is Bike to Work Day for you!" That's kind of true - however, it's not everyday that there are pitstops set up with coffee/donuts/bananas, vendor booths (Zipcar is always represented there!), raffle prizes given away, etc. So I like to stop by, see some of my bike commuter friends, check out the booths, pick up various brochures and talk to people, see bikers coming and going - it's quite the festive atmosphere - especially when the weather is favorable. :) Good weather is helpful to encourage new bike commuters to give it a try.

Go Amtrak!

2009-04-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

Well, isn't it interesting that the day before I get ready to hop on Amtrak to go up to visit my brother and sister in Baltimore, that President Obama has unveiled his vision for high-speed rail in the U.S.! I think it's great that there is this vision, and I hope it won't take too long to become reality. When I told my brother I'd be taking Amtrak up to visit him for the weekend, I think he thought that's just silly. He offered to drive the hour down, and pick me up and bring me up to Baltimore, and then I could take Amtrak back home. Now to me, THAT'S silly - it's a waste of time and gas (even though he has an economical car). For me, taking Amtrak is HALF the price of getting a Zipcar (a day's use is about $80). Yes, when you consider $40 to get up and back to Baltimore, it DOES seem kind of expensive. BUT, when you add up my yearly total transportation costs, it's inexpensive. I have been keeping track, and so far this year, I have probably only spent about $100 for transportation costs. I bet my brother has spent more than that for gas and other maintenance for his car since January 1.

I will get in a nice bike ride on my Bike Friday Tikit to Union Station in D.C., and the travel time up to Baltimore is about 45 min. Not bad at all. Plus, I get to spend two full days with my brother and sister, vs. just one day (when I get a Zipcar). I'll get some good reading done along the way, vs. dealing with any traffic. Plus, I haven't actually been in Baltimore's Penn Station, so that'll be a new experience. I was reading online that the station is the 8th busiest station in the U.S.

I'll look forward to the future of high speed rail, which, according to an illustrated map (www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/rrdev/hsrmap.pdf), will cover a lot of the East coast! Lucky for me! :)

I'm NOT Lovin' It!

2009-03-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

McDonald's current motto is "I'm Lovin' It"...meaning, I guess, that people love their food. I don't eat there often, but it does hit the spot from time to time. Anyway, I was riding the Metro subway yesterday to work, due to the 3 inches of snow we got. There are various ads on the subway car, and McDonald's had one - - showing a tall bubbly cup of Coke and a juicy hamburger next to it. Yum...!

Metro has a VERY strict rule of NO food or drink. It helps to keep the system clear of trash, rats, bugs, etc. Once in a while though, and I don't know if they are tourists, but people come on the subway cars with their drinks and/or food (usually on a weekend). I'm not sure how they get by the Metro officials when going through the fare gates... In the past, people have been arrested and/or fined by even consuming food as they go down the escalators into the subways.

Anyone who knows me, knows that images or commercials about food REALLY get my senses going, and I can't look at or listen to food commercial ads. I'm definitely not one of those people who can watch a cooking show! So there I am on the subway, and my eyes are fixed on this McDonald's ad....my mouth is watering....what torture! :) Cruel and unusual punishment. :) Why would Metro put an ad like that up, when they don't allow food on the train?! Seems a little contradictory.

Nevertheless, I AM happy to have the subway available to get to work in inclement weather. It always is running, though once in a while, when we get A LOT of snow, they can't service the above-ground stations. But that only lasts a little while, til they can get the snow off the tracks. The Metro is more reliable than a bus line at least!

Easy Parking

2009-02-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

My roommate is leaving town this afternoon for a long weekend, and she's parked her car at the airport nearby. After I get off work, I'll ride to the airport to find the car and put my Tikit in the back of it to drive home, so there won't be unnecessary parking costs over the weekend. Come Monday morning, I'll drive it back to the airport garage and leave for my friend to get when she gets off the plane. She said I can use her car over the weekend, if I want or need it. This is a nice offer, and I thought of various places I could go, and shopping/errands to take care of.

I could go to the PetSmart to buy a heavy, large bag of cat litter; go to Nordstroms at the Mall, and see about getting a new pair of shoes; go to the lamp store and get a certain replacement light bulbs...

But as I considered the process of getting these things, I had second thoughts. For the cat litter, instead, I could just hook up the Bike Friday trailer suitcase, and put the cat litter in there to bring it home. As for the shoes at the Mall, when I'm on my bike, I usually just pull up and lock my bike right near the door of the store, and be in and out very quickly. With a car, you have to park in the garage, which is located on the OTHER side of the mall, walk a long way around to get to the store, and, of course, PAY to park the car. It seemed foreign and odd to me to have to PAY to park, since I'm so used to biking places and parking for free.

Plus, I thought, I'd be missing out on getting some exercise and fresh air while taking care of these errands and more....

You know what? I think I'll just ride my bike - it's more fun and easier! :)

New Administration - Less Cars?

2009-01-27T07:41:00.001-08:00

As mentioned in my Bicycling to Work blog - I biked into D.C. on Inauguration Day - it was the best and easist way to get to and fro! :) People who tried to drive in the area were met with many closed highways, roads, bridges, etc. On the other hand, thousands of people biked into DC for the Inauguration, which is great! There were two free bike valets set up by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, and about 2,000 bikers took advantage of that option. Many others, like myself, just locked up our bikes to posts, etc. nearby, and then walked to the festivities on the Mall. Perhaps some of the people who gave biking a chance that day, will continue to use the bike in getting to and from work, or running errands locally. That'd be great, and in fact, is mentioned on the "Urban Policy" page of The White House's website:

Build More Livable and Sustainable Communities:
Our communities will better serve all of their residents if we are able to leave our cars to walk, bicycle and access other transportation alternatives. President Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account.

Hopefully the new Administration will help to bring about this change, and help to change people's thinking as to how they get around town! We'd all be better off!

Car is King in CA

2008-12-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

This past Thanksgiving week, I was out in southern California, to enjoy some warmth, blue skies and sunshine. :) Melinda and I stayed with her friend Nancy, who lives in Laguna Niguel. Thanksgiving was to be spent at their in-laws house in Apple Valley - about 100 miles northwest, a couple of hours drive.

Except on Thanksgiving Day....when EVERYONE in CA gets in their car to drive somewhere for the turkey meal. It took us FOUR HOURS! Ugh. You should have seen the massive traffic jams! I was thinking it would have been much more enjoyable to bike that 100 miles than sit in this traffic. If it hadn't been 100 miles, I would have tried it. :) Fortunately, the ride home was the normal 2 hours, thank God!

I had suggested to various friends while we were visiting, that they could give biking a try in their area. They would save a lot of money (even though gas prices have come down to about $1.89 a gallon), get exercise, and get to know their own neighborhood. You'd be surprised how many businesses are located within an easy biking distance. And you'd have FUN along the way. They could bike to run errands, to stores and restaurants they needed to get to, instead of always hopping in the car. Yes, it takes longer, but you get the exercise and fresh air, that you don't have TIME for otherwise! But everyone's kind of "married" to their car, and they don't think of anything else as an alternative.

I had brought my folding bike, the Bike Friday, with me, to get in some rides. Nancy and Melinda had a conference to attend in San Diego the following week. San Diego is located about 70-80 miles south of Laguna Niguel. I had brought along the Adventure Cycling Association's maps of the coast, and decided I would bike down to San Diego to meet them at the hotel. Nancy couldn't believe I would actually WANT to bike all that way - why bother, when you could get there in a car in just an hour and a half?

Well, there are MANY reasons to bike somewhere - whether it's near or far. Number one, as mentioned above, it's much more enjoyable. You're not just stuck in a car seat, looking at cars all around you. Instead, you feel the breeze, soak in the sun, meet the people along the way, stop and take pictures of funny signs or scenic spots. You work up an appetite and food always tastes better! You EXPERIENCE your surroundings instead of passing by and through them. It's like the difference between watching a movie, vs. actually being IN the movie. :)

I had a GREAT ride down the coast. Yes, it took all day, but you're so INTO your surroundings, time flies. You certainly don't feel that way in a CAR!!

First Year Anniversary

2008-11-06T10:36:00.001-08:00

This month will mark my first year of living without a car. :) Hard to believe it's been a year already! Here are a few of my thoughts about being car-free:

1. I have come to enjoy and appreciate the slower pace, both in bicycling places, and using public transportation. I have done a good bit of reading in my public transit time, something I haven't had time for before. You'd think it wouldn't be possible for me to say I enjoy biking EVEN MORE than I have - but I do. I enjoy seeing the sights around me and exploring new areas. Cars zoom past me on the road...yes, they beat me to a destination, but I have more fun getting there. :) I also enjoy getting even more exercise than I did before. I appreciate the simplicity, ease and use of the bicycle.

2. I have saved about $2K in my savings account, which I add to each month. It's been neat to see the account grow, and I haven't withdrawn any of it. Someone mentioned that I could use the money to pay for any bicycling repairs or expenses I have. I suppose I could do that, if I didn't have the resources otherwise. I suppose I also could add more to the monthly amount that I deposit, but I was keeping it at the amount that equaled how much I had been spending in gas and insurance for my car.

3. I've explored getting around by bus, train, subway, plane, etc. Though sometimes it's been a little frustrating or slow to take public transportation, for the most part, I've managed alright and I've worked around some obstacles. I have made the adjustment in my mind of how long it will take to get to my destination. It's been neat to meet people in my travels who start up a conversation with me when they see me with my bike. It's been fun to share with them that I don't have a car and how I've managed to get around. Some people look at me with disbelief, and state they couldn't possibly live without a car. Others have told me they have enjoyed biking in the past and have been thinking about taking it up again. I tell them how great this area is with the bike paths, transportation, etc. and I encourage them to try it again.

4. The hourly/daily rates of renting a Zipcar has risen the past year. It'd be nice if it hadn't, but inflation has hit everywhere, so I'm not too surprised. When I had donated my car, Zipcar opened my account with $500 in driving credit, which is valid for a year. I remember talking with a co-worker about that credit, and told her that I BET I could make that $500 last all year long. Through the year, I have rented Zipcars as needed/wanted (8 times). I used the last free Zipcar rental recently, so now I'll be the one paying the hourly fee. Even though I like having Zipcar as an option, I probably can get along without it even less.

5. Thanks, Melinda! Lastly, (but not least!) I thank and appreciate my friend and roommate, Melinda, for rides to/from the airport, train depot, Zipcar locations. I have tried to schedule my returns to not be late at night, so it will allow me time to then bike home. Sometimes though, when I have finished a trip to other areas, I have been delayed along the way (unexpected transportation delays). So, even though I have TRIED to be back in town early, I get thwarted. It would be even later, if I were to try and bike home. Yawn... Melinda has been kind and gracious to come to my aid. We sometimes catch a meal together when we meet up, and I pay for her's in appreciation. Also, if I am with her when she happens to fill up her gas tank, I help out towards that. I also have helped her out a few times where I pick up items or run errands for her on my way biking home - which saves her a trip out, and she appreciates that. So, we help one another out. :)

Up to NYC Again!

2008-10-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went up to New York City for the third time this year. This time, I took the Washington Deluxe bus service. A biking friend of mine mentioned he's taken it a lot in the past and that he was pleased with their service and bus schedule. I would have taken the Bolt Bus, as before, but for some odd reason, I could not get a later bus coming back on Sunday night. The last available bus on their schedule listed to be at 2 p.m., which wouldn't do. So I thought I'd try the Washington Deluxe bus and see how it compared with the Bolt Bus.

I rode my bike on Saturday morning, leaving my house at 6 a.m., to catch the first bus out, 7:45 a.m., at the Dupont Circle stop. The bus then goes on to pick up at 15th & K Streets, and then near Union Station. I chose the Dupont Circle stop because I didn't know how crowded the bus would be or get, and I didn't want any problems with my bike. There were about 10 or so people at the bus stop and I slipped my Bike Friday (not folded) into the farthest bin. I got a seat in the first row (seems like a lot of people don't like to sit in the front row seat - but I think it's nice - you get a better view). As we rolled away from the bus stop, a lady came up to the driver and said that the driver had left just a couple minutes earlier than the schedule stated, and that her boyfriend was right behind her, trying to get the bus. The driver checked his watch and the schedule, and apologized, and he went around the block to go pick up her boyfriend. There were a couple of other people who were there waiting too, so it's good he went back!

We picked up at the other two locations, and had a full bus. With Washington Deluxe, you can pay in advance online by credit card, but you can also pay cash on the bus. With Bolt Bus, everyone pays upfront online. I think this is better, in a way, because it saves time. On the Washington Deluxe bus, there was another employee who came on the bus to collect the money from passengers, while we all sat waiting on the bus. So, even though I got on the bus at 7:45, it was 8:30 by the time we left D.C.! :/ Also, with Bolt Bus, there is just one pick-up spot. After the bus loads there, you leave the city. I guess there's pros and cons to each bus service...depending on what you prefer.

The bus driver had heard there was a bad accident on 95, so he decided we would take a detour route - going over the Bay Bridge and through the Eastern shore, paralleling 95. He said it would add 15-20 minutes to the trip. But that's better than sitting in traffic. So, we finally got to NYC by about 1-1:30 p.m. - a long trip. One thing with taking the bus is, that even though you save a lot of money (roundtrip on the Washington Deluxe bus was $46 - and you can get lower fares on Bolt Bus), you have to deal with traffic conditions, and there's ALWAYS the back-up getting into NYC through the tunnel. You just SLOWLY creep with everyone else and "funnel into the tunnel." Too bad I just can't grab my bike out and bike into the city from that point. Though taking Amtrak costs lots more (over $100 each way), and you can have delays on the train, at least you don't have to deal with the traffic once you get to NYC. Pull into the station and get off the train, and you're up on the street in a couple minutes. It's more pleasant, not having to deal with the traffic, and see all the congestion on the roads.

On the return bus trip home, both the Washington Deluxe Bus and the Bolt Bus load up at the same location. So, it's a bit chaotic scene - lots of car traffic, lots of buses lined up, and lots of passengers lined up for the various bus lines. I got in line early (3:15) for a 4 p.m. bus. My friend held my spot while I went to grab some food to eat on the bus. When I came back 10-15 min. later, the line had grown to 50-60 people behind where my stuff was! There was one lady who was "in charge" of checking people's reservations and keeping them lined up. Finally at 4 p.m., our bus pulls up. It'd be nice if she would've gone ahead and collected money from passengers when she checked their reservations. That would have saved time. When boarding began, she saw my bicycle and sort of gave a look like she didn't know if the bus would have room for it. There was NO way I was gonna get on the bus without my bike, of course. I told her that it folded, and she said, "Well, you better make it as small as you can, because we have a lot of people and bags." So I folded it in half, and the bus driver had me put it in on the other side of the bus, and I got a seat on the bus.

We didn't leave til about 4:30 after everyone was loaded and fare money was given. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic leaving the city, so we got out pretty quick. We did run into a back-up at the toll booths at Delaware Memorial Bridge, which can often happen. But sitting there on the bus, looking ahead at the gazillion brake lights, it was sort of strange feeling. I realized that I'm SO used to riding my bike everywhere, and the constant forward motion, that to be sitting at a standstill and creeping along, was like getting stuck in tar. You slowly muck through it, and it isn't pleasant. With biking, if you encounter traffic, you just slide by past the cars and continue.

Why anyone would want to have and drive a car in NYC is crazy - especially for getting around the city. Really, getting around any city, biking is better and easier. I just read in the news today an article about how horrible the traffic is in D.C. - that we're right behind NYC.

One last thing with the bus trip - it was very quiet til we stopped at the rest stop off 95, when we all had a 15 minute break to use the services there. When people came back on, and had food, etc., they were more talkative. There was one guy who was reading quite outloud, tidbits from his New York Times newspaper. He was reading it to his wife, but of course, everyone could hear him. And he didn't read well either! Near him, a lady got on her cell phone and started loudly talking to her girlfriend about various life situations. I turned around and gave her "the look" a few times, to give her the hint that she was talking a bit loud, but of course, she was oblivious. So I put on my headphones and turned on my MP3 player to try and drown them out. At least when you're on your bike, you hear sounds, but you pass by them pretty quickly and they aren't annoying. So, I decided to get off at the first stop (near Union Station), although I had told the driver I'd get off at the 15th Street stop. I just couldn't take being on the bus any more and the people yakking around me. Plus I figured lots more people would be getting off at the 15th Street stop, and it would take longer. I'm glad I got off at the Union Station stop - only about 5 people did, so it was less hassle. It felt great to get on my bike and pedal off towards home and feel the mild air rush past.

Smart Cars

2008-09-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a two-week trip in Germany and Austria. These Smart Cars are pretty common there, and always look so funny. I'm starting to see a handful around my area - in fact a neighbor around the corner just got one.

I saw this Smart Car parked in Vienna, Austria. I wonder if anyone has tried parking it like this in the U.S. and what would people think? Notice the cars are parked alongside a separate signed bike path. They have these separated bike lanes for bikes there. Some are separated with a curb, so no cars can enter it, which is nice. I saw a good amount of people biking while in Germany and Austria - most of them don't wear any cycling gear or helmets, and they do fine. I wonder what the accident/collision rate is for cyclists there? I also saw a lot of people walking, and not "needing" their cars with them to go everywhere. A lot of people use the subways and buses. You don't see massive traffic jams or clogged city streets like you do here. Of course, gas is more expensive there. But also, cities are more compact and you can get places easily via walking and public transportation. Another thing I liked was seeing they still have the old street cars running. D.C. evidently used to have them as their main transportation, but those were stopped in the 1960's...my mom used to talk about catching the street cars to go places. D.C. is talking about bringing those back on certain streets, but of course, it takes away from car lanes. Supposedly, there are plans for a demonstration line that will start running either on H Street or the Anacostia area, as of next year. It'll be interesting to see if it will work, and whether you really can "go back" to old transportation modes. Perhaps it would work well on certain streets and grow from there, depending on ridership.

Of course, I opt for bicycles as the top transportation mode. :) I took this picture of some businessmen conversing in Vienna, one of whom had arrived by bicycle - you can see his thin briefcase on the rack.

Up to Philly for the Day via Amtrak

2008-08-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I got up early (5 a.m.) and rode my Bike Friday Tikit to Union Station to catch a 7:30 a.m Amtrak train to Philadelphia. (Here's a picture of the 30th Street train station in Philadelphia). I picked up some snacks at the station and got to the gate right after they had opened it up for boarding. How's that for timing? :) This was my first time taking the Tikit on Amtrak, so I was a little anxious about finding a place on the train for my bike, and whether I would be able to find a seat right nearby, to keep an eye on my bike. I removed my front pannier, and folded the Tikit - while hearing a young kid pass and say, "Hey, look! A folding bike!" :) I rolled it up to the gate and showed my ticket and made my way to the train. I got on where directed (after the Business Section cars) and lifted my Tikit onto the train. The car I entered had the open area where you can set luggage. So I propped my Tikit there and then took a seat in the front row next to that area. There was a lady sitting at the window seat, and she had a lot of Crate and Barrel shopping bags and a big basket with bottled beverages in it. These were in the luggage area in front of her, next to my Tikit. She was headed to a Bridal Shower in Philadelphia, and amazingly handled all these packages and the basket by HERSELF when she got off in Philadelphia! I thought I had quite enough to handle with my bike and pannier! :)

The lady sitting across the aisle from me was from Connecticut, and it was her FIRST train ride (she looked to be in her 50's or so). She said she wasn't a traveler and that this was quite the adventure. So I congratulated her on being brave and adventurous, and commented that taking the train is a nice way to go. She agreed.

The train left on time, which is always nice. :) When we got up to Philadelphia, I met up with a couple of new biking friends (Teresa and Barbara) to ride the Schuykill River Trail. I haven't ridden the trail in many years, and was surprised to see the development along the trail - new apartments, condos and office buildings. Also, there were additional trails branching off from this trail. It was a beautiful sunny day - you couldn't ask for a better day to ride! :) We stopped at Barbara's house for lunch, and then later stopped in Manayunk for dinner. Teresa and I did over 50 miles of trail riding, and getting to know one another along the way, sharing experiences, etc.

The return train home, unfortunately, was delayed. It was supposed to leave at 7:30 p.m., but instead we left at 9 p.m., so I didn't get to Union Station til 11 p.m. It was a LONG day, but definitely a FUN one!! :)

The next day, I had arranged to rent a snazzy red Mini Cooper Zip Car. :) I drove it up to Baltimore to meet with my sister and brother, to celebrate my sister's birthday. :) I thought it'd be fun to rent a fun car in honor of her birthday, and she enjoyed it. The dash on the car inside was like a space ship - with very modern instruments, etc. :) It also had quite the fast and powerful engine in it. It could easily cruise along at 70-75 mph!! Of course, everyone else around me was doing that speed and MORE! I wasn't the only one!

So, it was a fun intermodal transportation weekend! :)

A "Training" Experience

2008-08-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

Last week, I finished a bicycle trip from Buffalo, New York to Albany, New York. Instead of flying back at a cost of $500, I decided to get a ticket ahead of time on Amtrak. That only cost $100! Though it took all day to get home, it would be a pleasant way to travel. I hadn't taken Amtrak in a long time, and thought maybe it was like the airlines in that they would check your baggage and load it and transfer it at various points to your final destination. Not so. Evidently, I would have to do that. Unfortunately, the bike suitcase weighed 50 lbs., and I also had a duffel bag that contained my tenting stuff and clothes. I felt it would be too much of a hassle to try to schlep all of this around on my own, so I asked if it could be sent on a later train and I could pick it up a day later. They said no problem, and it didn't cost anything.

Since I had finished my bike trip a day earlier than expected, I changed my outbound train, and that only cost $20! I was used to expensive change fees on airlines, so this was a nice surprise. It was because I had an existing reservation and ticket. :)

It was nice to travel with just a little carry-on bag on the train that contained a book to read, an MP3 player for music and my bicycle helmet. I enjoyed reading, listening to music, taking pictures out the window and also checking out sights in the distance with my binoculars. It was very pleasant and relaxing. You also have lots of leg room, the seats are comfortable than airline seats and you can get up and wander around the train if you want to stretch your legs.

Our train was delayed in getting to New York City, by an hour and a half, so I had to trek across Penn Station to the Amtrak counter to get my ticket re-issued for a later train. I was glad I didn't have to carry all my bags that way, let alone getting into the ladies room afterwards. If I had had someone traveling with me, it wouldn't have been difficult, but on your own, it's much harder.

The train to D.C. was delayed a half hour, so I finally got into DC at 5 p.m. (a few hours later than I expected). But, I wasn't in a hurry - I had all day to spare, which was nice. It was a long travel day, but really, not too much different from my flight to Albany. Between transferring planes in New York City, and then an hour delay sitting on the runway while 40 (!) planes waited to take off, it took me (door to door) about 9-10 hrs. Same as the train!

My next Amtrak trip will be later this month, when I take it up to Philadelphia for the day, to bike with a friend on bike trails there. I will take my smaller folding bike, which will easy to get on and off the train. Stay tuned!

Go Greyhound!

2008-07-02T12:32:00.001-07:00

This July 4th holiday, I'm going to catch a ride with my brother to Baltimore to visit and spend the night. On the return, I'm going to take the Greyhound bus back to D.C. The good news is that the fare is only $14 non-refundable one-way. The not-so-good news is that you have to arrive an hour ahead of time to get your ticket (even though you have a confirmation of your reservation and paid ahead of time), you still need to get an actual ticket. You can pay an extra $5 to choose your own seat and get priority seating, but that has to be done at the terminal, not ahead of time, nor online. The other bad thing is that if the bus pulls up, and is full, you have to wait and take the next one. I hope that this won't happen. I've chosen the 4:45 p.m. bus, which should get into D.C. by 6:30. This will allow for about 2 hours til it gets dark, in order for me to bike home. I'll bring my headlight/rear light just in case.

The ride to D.C. should take about 2 hours, which is an hour longer than if you're driving. I'm going to bring my folding bike, the Tikit, and put it in the baggage bin, and then ride home from D.C.

My brother offered to take me to the Metro subway in New Carrollton, but that's 44 miles from his place, and with the price of gas and the time it would take him to get to and fro, it just seemed better for me to try Greyhound. I'll bring a book and some music to listen to. It's a relatively short ride, and hopefully the bus and driver won't have any problems. There have been some accidents involving Greyhound... hopefully nothing will happen on my ride! Stay tuned for a report.

*******July 7, 2008 - RESULTS OF ATTEMPT:

Well, it was a No-Go for Grehound, though I gave it a shot. My brother and his friend brought me to the Greyhound Terminal on Sunday, arriving an hour and a half before the departure time, to get my ticket. The terminal is not located in the best area - and both my brother and his friend commented ENDLESSLY about both the bad, seedy location, unsafe area, and also about the "unsavory" patrons in the terminal. Funny thing though, one of the people we happened to bump into in the terminal, turned out to be a pastor in my brother's church! Huh- interesting the KINDS of people who take Greyhound, eh? :)

Anyway, I got in line to get my ticket. The man working the counter must have given umpteen "speeches" to people before me who were attempting to get on the bus going to New York City, because he started to give me that same speech...about that the 4:45 bus was most likely going to be full, and that they would have to wait for the next bus at 6:15. But he hadn't heard me correctly when I told him I was going to D.C. "Oh - sorry about that," he said, "I haven't heard anything about the DC bus." So I got the ticket, and we had an hour to wait til the bus came. While we were waiting, a long line formed for people going on the NYC bus. In between that time, an announcement or two were made about buses that were soon arriving at the terminal. Then I saw a bus pulled in, with the destination of "D.C." on the front, but no announcement was made. The bus number didn't match the number on my ticket. I went outside to check with the bus driver, who was standing outside the bus, starting to take tickets from people. There was a line of about 7-10 people who formed out of the blue. I asked the bus driver about the bus, and he said yes, it's going to D.C., but that he only had ONE seat available! :( Since I wasn't in line, I was simply out of luck. :( Nice system, eh? :( I felt sorry for all the rest of the people going to DC (and NYC) who were going to be disappointed and have to wait perhaps long hours before being able to get on a bus..... Who knows how long they had waited already?? I heard one person say they had been there since before 1 p.m. :(

So, I told my brother what happened (he was inside at the sundries shop), and asked him to drive me to the Metro subway. He was pissed about the whole event, and that he had offered to take me to the subway before we had gone to the Greyhound terminal. He thought the whole ordeal was a waste of time. Granted, it did waste our time, and I felt bad that it had wasted my brother's & his friend's time... I gave my brother $20 for his gas and time. But I learned a lesson about Greyhound and how it operated. I learned I won't be taking Greyhound until they have a better system in place. Funny thing, however, is that the Bolt Bus I had taken to NYC in May, was OWNED by Greyhound. WHY can't they run the rest of Greyhound like they run Bolt Bus?? Seems like if it works so well for the Bolt Bus, it'd work good for the Greyhound buses.... Oh well, live and learn.

So I got dropped off at the Metro subway, and the ride back to Alexandria was uneventful. When I got off the subway and was getting my stuff in order on my bike, a lady came over, smiling and sort of laughing - and asked about my "cute" small Tikit bike. :) So we had a nice chat about bikes and about living car-free. She said she had owned a couple cars a while back, but it had gotten too expensive to own and maintain them, and how her cars would often get banged up in the parking lot. She's given up on cars, and just takes public transportation. She lives on Rt. 1 in Alexandria (a major bus line), and has no problem with it. It was nice to meet a kindred spirit who uses public transportation locally. :)

Hopefully my experience on Amtrak will be a better time, when I take it at the end of August, to Philadelphia to meet a friend to go biking for the day. Stay tuned...

Oh, by the way, while I was at my brother's, I mapped out for him and his friend, a way to bicycle commute to their jobs. His friend and I then bicycled his route (about 9.7 miles), which took about an hour. It had a few good up and downhills, which would be a nice work out. It had a spot or two of "hairy" traffic areas, but he could tinker with the route to make it better. The route currently is on quiet suburb streets most of the way. I encouraged him to try it out sometime. He is currently borrowing my brother's small car to make the commute, and is interested in getting a car of his own. He said he spends about $70 every two weeks in gas. It would be nice if he could try going car-free, at least until late Fall. I know winter bike commuting isn't for everyone, but you can do it when the weather is decent... I don't know if he'll give it a try, but he's got the route and the ball (or wheel, should I say) is in his court.....

Car Shopping

2008-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

What a great cartoon! :)

A co-worker told me recently of having a car accident that totalled her year-old car. What a shame, in a way. I can see if your car was 5 or 10 years old, and you had gotten some good use out of it. The insurance paid for a good amount of it, but she still owes $5K on it. So, she's on the "hunt" for another car.

She described going to a couple of dealers and checking out a couple of models. She knows she wants a particular make (Toyota). She talked about the models, year, engine size, leather interior, gas mileage, size of the interior, odometer reading, etc. Her descriptions sounded like she was describing a wonderful meal - a meal she couldn't wait to sink her teeth into. A meal that aroused all of her senses - she was practically drooling! Her new car desire was so strong, almost overpowering. She has to turn in her rental car in a few days, as her insurance only pays for it a certain period of time, since her car was totalled.

It's too bad that she hasn't considered living car-free. This is a good opportunity and time for her to try it, if she wanted to. She talked about next month she'll be moving in with her brother nearby for six months, to be able to save money so she can buy her own place. Think about much more money she COULD save if she didn't have to have car expenses... The location she's thinking of moving to (about 20 miles from DC) has commuting "slug lines" that could get her here to DC easily and for free. Or she could get into a carpool, or take the Virginia Railway Express train and connect to the Metro subway.

People think that you absolutely NEED a car to get around, but you really don't. You CAN work around it (or at least try it), once you find out what your resources are.... And living in this area, with so many resources, really makes it a lot more do-able, compared to some people who live in more rural areas.

"Bolting" to NYC

2008-06-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my April post below, there is a new express bus service that started at the end of March, from Washington, D.C. to New York City, called the Bolt Bus. Tickets can be purchased as low as $1 each way (limited seats at that price). If you fly or take Amtrak, it's about $150-$200 round trip. The Bolt Buses are brand new, have either faux leather or cloth seats, restrooms on board, and plug-ins for your laptops/DVD players and WiFi service. This makes for a comfortable and enjoyable ride.

So, in the past month, I've made two trips on the Bolt Bus up to NYC. I was able to get the tickets at about $30 roundtrip. On both trips, I rode my bike to D.C. early in the morning to the bus stop, and then put my bike in the baggage bin of the bus.

My first trip was a day trip in mid-May to attend a folding bike festival and bike ride in Manhattan. That turned out to be a pretty long day - getting up at 4:30 a.m., leaving at 5:30, biking to DC to catch the 7:30 bus. It was lightly raining outside. The bus was late pulling up and leaving town, made a food stop at the travel plaza (adding a half hour onto the trip), then we ran into a traffic back-up on the highway due to an accident, took an alternate way, had overheated brakes on the way, and FINALLY arrived in New York City SIX hours later (vs. the advertised four hours). We just managed to make the bike event in time and enjoyed the bike ride, but just a few hours later, were zooming to catch our return bus ride back. It left on time, but it was slow going out of the city through the tunnel, and then we made the food stop again. So our return trip took FIVE hrs. By the time I got home, it was about midnight. Yawn! That didn't exactly make me fall in love with the Bolt Bus, though I had had a great day.

I was a little apprehensive to take the Bolt Bus again this past weekend. This trip was an overnight trip - staying with a biking friend and his wife. We enjoyed biking all around Manhattan and the Bronx, seeing many sights along the way. Some of the biking was on bike paths, and some on busy city streets, but I'm used to that, since I bike to work every day.

Perhaps someone had complained about the food stop/extra travel time, because this time, the bus didn't stop at the travel plaza. The bus arrived and departed D.C. on time, and arrived within a few minutes of the stated arrival time in NYC. Same with the return bus ride. The weather was better and we didn't run into any traffic back-ups. Ahhh..... MUCH better! I guess you never know what you're going to run into with taking the bus, but at least the price is right!

I'd like to also take Amtrak down to Richmond to visit some friends and have lunch and hang out, so I'll make those plans soon. It'll give me an idea of how things work with taking my Bike Friday Tikit on the train. :) With regular-sized bikes, you normally buy a bike box and partially disassemble your bike, and then check the box as your luggage. A year or so ago, Amtrak changed their bike policy, in that if you have a folding bike, you can just tuck it away at the end of any rail car where there is room. Hopefully this will go well, as I have tickets to take Amtrak at the end of August, to meet up with a biking friend in Philadelphia to bike for the day. Both trips are just a couple hours' train ride. I could take Greyhound for half the price, but it wouldn't give me as much time to be in either city as the train would, since both trips are day-trips.

So, stay tuned for reports on these Amtrak Adventures!

Up next: $5 a Gallon!

2008-05-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ah, the new $5 bill. It's different and colorful. But I'm sure there will be some
"colorful" language used when people have to start shelling out one of these puppies for just one gallon of gas! I was just reading in the news that some analysts predict that in less than three months Americans will see $5 gas. Wow. It'll be interesting to see if that really happens.

I was speaking with my brother recently. He has a 1996 Ford Ranger pick-up truck - it's a year younger than the one I had. He says it costs him $75 to fill it up. When I had my truck just last November, it cost $40 to fill. That's just about double the price! :( People will be spending their economic stimulus check to help keep their tanks full... I spent part of mine on a new digital camera (my other one started to give me trouble). So, thanks Uncle Sam! :)

I also found out last week that Zipcar is running the car donation program again for the remainder of May! Not a whole lot of time for people to find out about it and consider that option. I've told friends and family about it - but some have looked at me and said "You are NOT gonna get me to give up my car!!" Wow. The car habit is definitely a hard one to give up, I know. But if you think about how much money it can save you and how relatively easy it is to live without one. If you have two cars in your household, it's not like you'd be without a car at all. You'd be saving lots of money if you just had ONE car to operate. But I think a lot of people are used to having the "freedom" (at a price!) of having their own car. How long will they hold onto that "freedom" and at what price??

I was at lunch with my bosses the other day. We were talking about the price of gas, and one of them mentioned that he heard that teenagers are having a hard time with the price of gas. Some have minimum wage jobs and don't have the money that it costs to go "cruising" or do a number of activities with their friends.

And here it is, the eve of Memorial Day weekend. The great getaway weekend. A lot of people are going to stay local or just nearby, since it costs too much to drive further. There will be those, however, who don't care how much it costs, they are going to go. And the traffic tie-ups will be bad, I'm sure. Why would you want to sit in traffic, idling your engine, burning costly gas? I guess it's sort of like the die-hard smoker...even if they have emphysema (as my mother did), she felt smoking was her LAST vice, and she wasn't going to give it up. Maybe Americans will be like that with their cars..... :(

50th Birthday :)

2008-05-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my 50th birthday recently. Hard to believe I'm that age - it just doesn't seem to "fit" but I guess in time, it will. :)

I have made it a tradition for many years, to take off my birthday off from work, and this year was no different. :) And you couldn't ask for better weather! Temps in the 70's, sunny & blue skies. :) Of course, I would fit in a bike ride - but also take care of some errands by getting a Zipcar pick-up truck. Last month, I had arranged to donate some furniture to a local organization for their lounge areas for an upcoming art show (Art-O-Matic). However, they were unable to follow through with the pick-up, so I decided to bring some of the furniture over to Goodwill.

But first, I rode my bike to the bike store to get a part installed and an adjustment to my bike. Then I rode to the Zipcar location, a few miles from there. Drove back and piled furniture and other donated goods in the back and dropped them off at Goodwill. Then went to Home Depot and picked up 26 bags of mulch for the yard, and then to some other errands. When I was at Home Depot, I was sharing with the guy loading the mulch, about Zipcar, and told him I don't have to pay for gas or insurance ever again. His eyes lit up like I had told him I had just discovered GOLD! :) :) I agree!! He asked me how old you had to be to join Zipcar - I wasn't sure, but told him to check their website (it turns out you have to be 21). So, maybe it'll work out for him. :)

In my previous posting, I mentioned how people were having gas stolen from when they were at the gas station (leaving their car unattended). I heard on the news this morning where some people are finding that someone has siphoned the gas out of their car while it's in their driveway at night! Some people have purchased locking gas caps, but that hasn't deterred criminals - they have gone under the car and punched a HOLE in their tank and siphoned the gas out! Of course, this is a dangerous situation when the owner of the car starts up the car! :( Things are gonna get a whole lot worse as the price of gas soars unfortunately...

Zipcar in the News

2008-04-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

I saw in the news today that a 20-yr. old local man was arrested because he had been stealing a few Zipcars and going for joyrides with his friends to the mall. :( Somehow, he had manipulated the vehicles' electrical system. I think that Zipcars have a GPS system, which is good for finding the cars, if stolen. He is also a suspect in other similar car thefts. That guy is paying a high price for his short-lived fun now...

My blog has been quiet lately - I haven't had any reason to need a Zipcar since mid-February...but I have been thinking a lot about my car-free life, since it's been almost 6 months since I became car-free. Gas prices continue to climb - it's now $3.60/gallon. People are really feeling the pinch. They try to mainly use their car to get to and fro work, and curb any extra driving. I read in the news that a lady in Chicago was planning on buying a bicycle to make the 2 1/2 mile commute to work. Only two and a half miles??! That's hardly worth firing up the car! There have been gas thefts - they advise you not to leave your car unattended while the pump automatically is putting gas in your tank. There have been people who drive up, take the hose out of your car, and put it in their car - fill it up, and then put the hose back in your car! Can you imagine?

A lady at work asked me about who I donated my vehicle to - she has an older car that has been giving her trouble - but she doesn't just want to have it hauled away as junk...she has a sentimental attachment to the car, as a lot of us do. There are lots of organizations that you can donate your car to, and benefit different groups. She lives in Maryland, and there is a bus that can get her from her house to the subway, but it takes a long time and doesn't run often or late at night. (She is a paralegal, and works odd/late hours). So she said she can't consider it as an option. I suggested she perhaps get a folding bike to ride to the subway, and take onto the subway, but she said the route would be on a busy road and hasn't thought of alternative roads. So she's looking at buying a new car...I suggested getting a used car, to save the money, but she doesn't want any "headaches" from a used car. I think, if you do the research, you CAN get a good used car, instead of being strapped with high car payments....

A lady friend I know has an old Volvo that has been running on its feeble legs - she hasn't had the money to fix/maintain it. It's now at the nearby gas station with an estimated high repair bill. She's a good candidate for a Zipcar... She lives right across the street from a shopping strip - that includes a lot of stores you need (grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, etc.). She is on the bus line that can take her to the subway within minutes. She lives a couple miles from Old Town Alexandria - that has anything she'd need. I've suggested she could get a cheap used bike and bike to whatever she needs to get to...but she balks - as if biking is beneath her... when actually, it's the perfect solution for her. Perhaps its the exercise that she balks at. I don't know. I think A LOT of people could benefit from having a bicycle or being car-free...but it seems like such a RADICAL idea - they can't conceive of being without a car.

When I think of her car repair, or my co-worker's thought of getting a new car and having high car payments, it's a freeing thought that I don't have to worry about an unforeseen car repair. Granted, I have bike repairs, but it's a TON less money to fix a bike than a car. Last Spring, I took a bike repair class. I wanted to learn how to hopefully fix some of the regular maintenance items I encounter - like the drivetrain (chain, chainrings, rear cassette), replacing broken cables, replacing brake pads, to name a few. If I could learn how to do it on one bike, the skill could be hopefully transferred to fix my other bikes. Normally, in order to do a premium tune-up and replacement parts/labor, it was about $300. So, I bought a bike stand (which was an expensive item, but very helpful). I brought a couple of my bikes to the bike store to show them to the mechanic and buy the correct replacement parts, and related tools.

About a month ago, my regular commuting bike finally let me know it was time to replace the chain, chainring, and cassette. I knew this time would come, and I was sort of facing it with some apprehension - I've never done any repairs like this - could I actually do it?? I'm somewhat mechanically-inclined - but this was almost like popping the hood on your car and fiddling around in there! I have a Park Tool Bicycle Repair Handbook from the class, and could always ask questions of my bike mechanic at Spokes, or a nearby bike commuter friend who does repairs on his bike. I approached the bike repairs one at a time. Each repair had a learning element to it that will help me next time. I did bring the bike to the bike store for help in a couple of spots, but other than that, I think I saved about $140 overall.

Lastly, I will be making a bike/bus trip up to New York City at the end of May, to visit a biking friend. There is a new express bus service that started at the end of March - called Bolt Bus, that is from D.C. to NYC (https://www.boltbus.com/). If you reserve your tickets in advance, you can get it as low as $1.00 EACH WAY! (plus a small service charge - something like $.50). I booked mine in early April, and got a fare of $15 each way....still, that's WAY cheaper than a train or flight! The bus picks up at 11th & G Streets, N.W., and has a couple of drop off points in NYC. My plan is to ride my Tikit folding bike into D.C. early that morning, fold it and put it in the baggage area under the bus, and enjoy hopefully an uneventful ride up. :) The bus has electrical connections for your laptop, iPod, or DVD player - I'll just bring a book and CD player. :) This is one big reason I bought the Tikit bike - to bring it on a bus or Amtrak. Stay tuned for a trip report on this. :)

Getting a Tikit!

2008-03-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my post on December 19, 2007, I had been thinking about getting a Bike Friday Tikit. It would come in handy in certain circumstances, since I'm car-free. However, I wanted to see how things went first, without one, to see if getting the Tikit would be prudent.

I recently got an e-mail from Bike Friday, stating that they would offer the 2007 Tikit at a reduced price - a few hundred less than the 2008 price. I thought, since my 50th birthday was coming up soon, it'd be a nice present to myself. :) When I called up Bike Friday to order it, I told them it was a present to myself, and if they had a special "Turning 50" discount. :) To my surprise, they said, "Sure, how about if we take an additional $50 off the price?" Sounded good to me! :) I should be receiving it within a week! I think it's a cool bike, and look forward to using it. :) I want to bring it inside my office to show my co-workers how neat it is, and also bring it on the next D.C. Bike Friday Club ride, so my fellow Club members can see it too. :)

By the way, if there's anyone out there that has been thinking about going car-free, I hear that WABA and Zipcar may be running the car donation program again on Bike to Work Day - May 16. So, if I were you, keep your eyes peeled to the WABA website: http://www.waba.org/. I'm not sure if they will be offering the same free, lifetime membership, but if so, I'd take them up on it, if you can!!

2008-02-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I rented a Zipcar to take care of some errands and also drive out to Reston to visit a friend and family.

At the end of my day, heading back to Old Town, I saw that the gas gauge was at a fourth of a tank....which is the level you need to refill the tank, for the next Zipster to use. I haven't gotten gas for the various Zipcars I've rented - so this would be my first time. The last time I actually bought gas was mid-November 2007. I was a little apprehensive about getting gas for the Zipcar, as I wasn't sure if the gas station pump I chose would have problems with the Zipcar refueling card. I did have enough money on me to buy gas, if need be, and Zipcar will reimburse you when you submit the receipt.

I chose a gas station at random, as it didn't matter to me what the price was, since Zipcar was paying. :) I got the refueling card out, along with the small instruction card. After correctly inserting the card, the screen prompted me to enter the "Driver Number" - so I put in the driver number that's printed on the card. Then it asked me for the odometer mileage. I didn't know I'd need that, so I ran back to the car to get the exact mileage, and inputted it. A couple of seconds of "Authorizing...." and then I was allowed to pump. :) Good! I filled it up ($32), and printed out a receipt, though you don't need to - I was just curious to see what the receipt would show. Plus, it was nice to see a receipt and know that the money hadn't come out of my pocket! :)

"Fly" up to Baltimore

2008-01-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

In my spare time, I create stained glass pieces, and this past weekend, I finished this
com-missioned stained glass project for a friend of my brother's in Baltimore. Since I had Martin Luther King's holiday off from work, I reserved a Zipcar to go to Baltimore to bring this project up to its new owner. :)

I also had lunch with my sister at her new office in Columbia, and then drove to my brother's house, so I could also visit the site of his new job which he starts shortly.

The temperature was in the 20's, and I biked up to Old Town to get the Zipcar, then drive back home to pick up the stained glass, since the piece was too large to fit in my bike bag. :) As I was on the entrance to the Beltway, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a guy on his bicycle just barrelling along on the entrance also!! Of course, bicycles and pedestrians are prohibited - didn't this guy know that??! What was he going to do when he came around the corner and faced 4 lanes of zooming cars??! There wouldn't be anywhere for him to go! I wondered if he was going to try and jump a fence and hop onto the bike path that is on the Wilson Bridge, but I didn't think it was open or accessible.... I hope he made it okay, wherever he was headed!!!

After the day's events, I got back to Old Town with about 15 minutes to spare on my Zipcar reservation. I was happy about that, since the last time, I cut it too close. I parked the car, got out and thought I would walk over to Starbuck's to use their facilities before meeting up with a friend for dinner, who was coming into Old Town. So I used my Zipcard to lock the doors and went over to Starbuck's. When I came back, I tried to unlock the car with my card....but it wasn't working!! I tried it a few more times, but nothing. ALL my stuff was in there - my bike, my wallet, etc.! Ack! Thank GOD I had my cell phone with me (just happened to put it in the pocket to my jacket!) - so I called Zipcar and told them what happened. The guy was very nice and helpful, and looked online at my reservation. It turns out that, during the course of my use of the Zipcar, I had used the button for automatically locking and unlocking the various doors of the car. (When you use your card to unlock the driver's side, it JUST opens the driver's side - no other doors - which is kind of a pain). I had to get the stained glass in the rear passenger seat area, and also access the area behind the driver's seat so I could put the rear seat down, in order to totally fit my bike in the trunk. So it was just easier to hit the button for automatically unlocking all the doors. Well, evidently this messes up the locking sequence as far as using your Zipcard. Crazy. I guess next time I'll have to crawl inside the car and unlock the various doors manually. Anyway, the Zipcar representative re-set the locks, and while he waited on the phone, I used my card to unlock the doors, and it worked. Whew! Nice to be able to get all my stuff out and be on my way. Another "live and learn" experience with Zipcar! But it's great that they have quick and helpful telephone assistance!!

Interview on TV!

2008-01-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday afternoon, I checked my e-mail and was surprised to see an e-mail from a reporter from Fox 5 News! He said he had seen my Living Car-Free blog, and wanted to come and interview me! I was skeptical at first - I mean, anyone can send an e-mail like that...it looked official, but how can you be sure? I called the business number he listed and left a message, and then called his cell phone. He answered, and we spoke a little while - they wanted to come by my office after I got off work (within an hour!). I said alright - - I figured I'd know it was the "real thing" if they showed up in a news truck. :) However, they didn't - they evidently were in a car, and parked nearby, so they walked up to the building. But when I saw the big video camera, I guess I was convinced then! :)

They spent the next hour or two, filming me in and outside the office, then strapped on a small video camera to my bike and filmed my commute home - while they drove to my house to meet me and videotape me pulling up in the driveway. :) So it was an interesting way to spend an evening! :) Maybe it'll get some people interested in taking up biking when Spring rolls around!

We got an e-mail at work today saying that the parking rates for our office building will be going up to $250 a month!! Wow! How do people afford that?? That's like $3000 a year!! You could buy a REAL nice bike for that!!! :)

Taxes for roads...

2008-01-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

Looks like I went car-free at a good time - according to the news, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority will be collecting new taxes and fees to raise money for major road and transit projects in Northern VA as of 1/1/08...

Car inspection fee: $10 increase

Auto repairs: 5 percent of labor costs

Regional car registration fee: $10

Initial car registration fee: 1 percent of value of car

Not a lot collected, but every buck counts...!

Along with the new fare hikes on Metro this week, I am thankful for my bike and Zipcar for transportation!

Zipping to Baltimore

2007-12-31T06:26:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, my brother in Baltimore called early and said today would be a good day to get together. He had just driven back from Indiana, and I'm sure he didn't feel like getting in the car and driving more, so I offered to get a Zipcar and come up to see him and my sister.

So I went online and saw there was a Zipcar available in Old Town, for the time I wanted it. I had a few things to take care of before leaving, so I made the start time at 11 a.m. I got my biking things together and the Christmas gifts into my panniers, and biked the 7 miles into Old Town.

The directions told me that the Zipcar was located in a Central Parking Garage located in an alley behind a certain address. The last time I had gotten a Zipcar, it was parked right on the street, so it was easy to find. Finding this garage was a little more of a "treasure hunt", but finally I spied the Central Parking Garage sign on the street leading to the alley. The Zipcar was just inside the entrance of the garage, so that was helpful. :) I unlocked the doors and folded up my Bike Friday to put it in the trunk. The back seats could fold down, so to give me a little more room for the bike, I folded one side down.

The car was nice - it was a Mazda 3. It had 20,000 miles on it. One thing about getting a different kind of Zipcar each time, is that you have to learn where the instruments are every time. You don't just automatically know where certain instruments are - like in your old car where you could do it automatically. You now have to take your eyes off the road and find the button you need (to change the radio station, adjust the heat, etc.). But that's no different from getting a rental car - getting in models you've never been in. This particular Mazda was different in that it had a "triptronic transmission" - you could put it into "Manual" and manually shift the gears without a clutch! Interesting - not that I would, but I guess that would be nice for some.

I got up to my brother's by about 12:30, and we had a nice visit together. I showed him and my sister how the Zipcar worked with the card and getting into it, and where the key and the gas card are located. They thought it was kind of neat.

Near the end of the day, it was time for me to pack up my bike (I had taken my bike out to get my picture taken with the Zipcar). My return time was to be 7 p.m. I knew it would take at least an hour to get back - but I wanted to add a little more time to that, just in case I ran into traffic. But you know how it is, you get to talking and hanging out a little longer than you should.... I should have left about 5:30 - but instead it was about 5:50 when I got on the road. NORMALLY, there isn't a back-up at the Inner Harbor Tunnel. NORMALLY, the traffic zooms along on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at 70 and faster. Well, of course, since I needed to be back by 7 p.m., there WAS a back-up at the tunnel, and then traffic ONLY moved at 55 on the Parkway. :/ I think there was probably a cop driving on the Parkway, keeping people in check. No way around that, but when I got to the Beltway, I took off. Not that I wanted to really speed, but at the same time, I didn't want to be late returning the Zipcar. Flying along at about 75-80, and praying a cop wouldn't catch me, I made it back to Old Town by 6:58...! I knew that I couldn't get to the garage and get my bike unloaded and lock the car in 2 minutes. So I called the Zipcar 800-number to quickly extend my reservation. Since I haven't called them before, I didn't know what to expect. Evidently, you can ask for a representative (for a small fee) or use the automated prompts. I opted for the automated response. It told me my Zipcard member number and asked me to verify it. I looked at my Zipcard and saw that number on the lower lefthand side. I pushed "1" to verify it. It told me that my reservation was to end at 7 p.m., and if I wanted to extend it by a half hour. I didn't know that you could extend it by a half hour - I thought it had to be another hour, so I was glad to hear it could be shorter, if need be. So I pushed "1" to extend it a half hour. That was all that was needed to be done - so in about 30 seconds or less, I was given more breathing room. Ahh.... Although I wondered how it automatically identified me when I called??

I got to the garage and got my bike and things out of the car. The car had had about a half tank of gas when I started, and now it was at about one-fourth - which is when they would prefer you to put gas in it. I suppose I should have, since I had the extra half hour...but I was kinda tired and not feeling great, and still needed to bike back home a half hour...so I didn't fill it up. Today I read the penalty clauses on the Zipcar website. It says they can charge you $20 if you return the car with LESS than one-fourth tank of gas. Well, I guess I'm slightly okay since it wasn't BELOW one-fourth tank. But still, I should have filled it up, since I had the time.....I'm a bad Zipster.... Well, I'll try to do better next time. Speaking of next time, I'm gonna make sure I leave enough rental time to get back so that I don't have to speed back. That wasn't fun and no one needs that stress. Well, live and learn...and I'm still learning since it's only my second time getting a Zipcar. And I BETTER learn, because I read in the provisions that if they have the right to CANCEL my membership if I violate the membership rules. I definitely DON'T want that to happen!

Gas prices to rise in 2008

2007-12-27T10:29:00.000-08:00

I was just reading the news online that gas prices are expected to rise to at least an average of $3.75 in 2008. In California, it will be over $4.00 a gallon! Glad I don't live in CA anymore!

When I had my pick-up truck, I knew a few places that had cheaper gas, and would try to aim for those locations to fill up. I tried to line up my errands to include the stop at the gas station, and try not to go out of my way unnecessarily.

Now that I'm car-free, I think about what errands I can run on my way to and from work...and am seeking and choosing places that are along my route. When it comes time to find a new dentist and doctor next year, I'll look for ones near home or work, that I can walk or bike to. It's like when you move to a new home, you find businesses nearby to replace the ones you had in your old location, so that you don't have to drive all the way back to your old area. Most of the time, there are businesses that can be found nearby. One business I go to often is a stained glass store, for supplies. Unfortunately, the nearest one is about 40 miles away. Although, I could always order supplies online when possible, to save time and money. So, it's a matter of changing your way of thinking about how to obtain items that are needed - there are multiple ways to get the task done, and doesn't always have to include having a car. Fortunately, I live in an area that has a lot of stores nearby, so you don't have to travel too far.

This morning on my way to work, I was in search of a fine white marker, to use in a stained glass project. So I stopped at CVS to see if they had anything. They didn't, so then I thought perhaps the Kinko's down the road might. They had a white-out pen that might work, so I got that. But then I remembered after I got to work, that there's an art store near my office that I could check with. I called and they did have what I needed, so I will drop by there on my bike ride home. I'll also stop by a strip shopping mall to get my hair cut. Since it's supposed to rain tomorrow night, tonight would be the better night. The hair place is located right off of the bike path, in Crystal City. Nice and handy! Couldn't ask for it to be easier! :)

Last Friday, I biked to work as usual, but then left my bike at work and took the Metro to National Airport to catch a flight out of town for the long Christmas weekend. Earlier in the week, I had brought in my traveling clothes in a couple of loads in my extra pannier. I could have borrowed my roommate's car and parked it at the airport, then biked in from there. But daily parking is about $10 a day...and it would add up to about $50 while I was away. Instead, after I got back into town, I took the subway back to my office (15 min. ride) and changed into my bike clothes that I had left there, and hopped on my bike to head home - stopping at the bank and 7-11 to get some things. I got home shortly before dark. Sure, it took me 2 hours to accomplish this, but I saved $50, and got some exercise to work off some of the Christmas holiday treats! :)

One thing I want to do in the New Year is to set up another savings account (at a bank that has a coin machine, so I can turn in the change I find along the way!). In the account, I want to put in the monthly amount I specifically save by not having a car - which is about $140 a month, minimum. It'll be nice to see how that adds up over the years - a tangible item that can show the fruits of my labor, you might say, from biking! :) In that book I read, "How to Live Car Free" - the author included many testimonies from people who had gone Car Free, and how they had saved up enough money to buy a house, to retire early, to take nice vacations, etc. It's nice to have a way to SHOW for your efforts, vs. just spending the extra money you save.

Errands by Bike :)

2007-12-19T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of my folding bike, the Bike Friday Pocket Pilot. :) Out of my 4 bikes, it's my favorite. Why? Because it's so versatile. First, it was built to my body specifications, so it fits me like a glove. Second, it's lightweight and has great low gears to get me up just about any incline. Third, it can fold up to fit inside a car trunk, or you can disassemble it further, and pack it into its own travel suitcase, and check it as luggage on a plane, and fly anywhere with it, and there's no charge. :) I bought it 3 years ago, and soon afterwards started the DC Bike Friday club.

So, this will be the bike I will use when I ride to use a Zipcar - to fold it up and put it in the trunk of the car. I don't need a full-size car, a small car will do just fine. In fact, on the Zipcar website, when you are checking out the various available cars, it will tell you if the car is "fully bike-compatible" (i.e., you can fit the whole bike in, without taking your front wheel off), or if it's partially bike compatible. Either way, my Bike Friday can handle it. I have a nylon bag that I can put the bike into, and then put it in the car, so that no grease gets on the car anywhere, which is nice. :)

However, I haven't had to rent a Zipcar since Dec. 8. We had yucky weather last weekend, so I was inside most of the weekend, except my roommate did let me use her car to run to the grocery store to get some lunch items. And this weekend, I will be away in Kansas for Christmas.

In the meantime though, I have run a number of errands on my way to and from work. I have always enjoyed running errands on my bike - it always gives you a feeling of accomplishment, to get there on your own power, park right near the door, get what you need, and get home. Nice and easy...in and out. It doesn't cost anything to ride there, no parking hassles or cost, no traffic to fight, and you get exercise along the way. Actually, I sometimes find money on the road along the way - so you might say that I'M being paid to ride my bike. :) In fact, one year a while back, I was finding money on the road it seemed, almost every day. I wondered if I kept track for a year, how much money would I find?? So, I wrote down on my calendar every time I found money. At the end of the year, I added it up, and it came to over $13.00! Not bad! Nothing to retire on :) but still, it's extra money you didn't have. :) People in cars never see this money on the road - so I might as well pick it up and enjoy it! :)

So, I have run errands to several places. To the bank, grocery store, gift store, theatre, post office, and to meet a friend for dinner, to name a few. And although these locations are not far off the bike path I commute on, it does add a bit of time onto my commute...so I get home even later. But I figure I might as well take care of an errand here and there while I'm out there and on the way, vs. making a special trip all the way there on my bike, you know? It saves time in the long run.

One purchase I was considering (and may get in the future) is yet another Bike Friday, but this one is called the Tikit. (http://bikefriday.com/tikit) It folds even smaller than my Pocket Pilot, and has a bike cover attached in a pouch on the bike, so you can cover your bike and then roll it or pick it up and bring it WITH you, if you want to, like to a movie, theatre setting, museum, on a bus or commuter train. So it would come in handy if you didn't want to leave your bike locked up outside for long periods of time, and have it safe by your side or checked at a coat area. I am holding off to see how well I do with my other bikes before purchasing the Tikit. Even though I've admired the Tikit and what it can do, similar to the folding Brompton bike. There are some good advantages to owning one. But time will tell if I really need one.

Using Zipcar!

2007-12-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

After my truck was donated, I went on-line to sign up with Zipcar. I was directed to a certain page for those who had donated their cars. I filled out the pertinent information needed and submitted my application. A few days later, my Zipcar membership card arrived in the mail. (I did have the option of going to pick up my card in person at the Zipcar office in D.C., but their office closes before I get off work). Besides, being that it was the middle of the week, I didn't really need a car yet.

Saturday morning came, and I was looking forward to going online to reserve and use a Zipcar! You can also reserve one by phone, but it was just as easy to do it online. You log on, state your location, and it finds the nearest Zipcars available. The closest possible Zipcars are located about 7 miles from my house. Not great, but not bad. Ideally, it'd be nice if one was located a mile or two from my house... Zipcar is merging with Flexcar in January, and it will add about 300-400 cars to their fleet...so maybe they will have some cars closer to my house.

They have a lot of Zipcars located at the various Metro subway stations, which is very handy. Still, you need to GET to the Zipcar in the first place. My thought was that since I have bicycles, including a folding bicycle, I would bike to the nearest Zipcar, put my bike in the car, and take off. It adds some time to bike to the Zipcar, but, that's one of those things that would be planned ahead of time. If I get a Zipcar in D.C., they are within walking distance and easily accessible.

So, this first time that I went online to reserve a car, the closer cars were already reserved for the timeframe I was looking at (12-3 p.m.). I decided to reserve a car that was in Shirlington, that was parked on a street. My friend Melinda was going to come with me, driving us to Shirlington, where she would park her car in the garage, and we would walk across the street to the Zipcar. We had an errand to run to the stained glass store located in Kensington, Maryland, about 45 min. away. She was a bit curious to see how this whole Zipcar thing worked, as I was. I offered to treat her to lunch afterwards, for the ride to Shirlington. :)

The car shown was a Scion. The Zipcar website tells you exactly where it is parked, how far that is from your house, and how to get there. It doesn't tell you the color of the car, but it does show a picture of the car, so you know what you're looking for.

We arrived, and saw the Scion parked where it was supposed to be. The car has the green Zipcar logo on the side of the car, like pictured above. There's a parking sign next to the Zipcar, saying for Zipcar parking only - all others would be towed. So it's like a reserved parking spot, just for you. :) To get into the car, you hold your Zipcar card over a transponder that is on the inside of the windshield on the driver's side. Momentarily, it unlocks the car doors. :) Once inside, the car key, unbelievably, is hanging from a zip chain mounted next to the ignition. Right there in full view. What would stop a thief from smashing a window and taking the car?? Well, maybe the car has a security system, or requires the membership card to activate it to start the car, I don't know. I don't need to know that because I'm a "Zipster" - as I'm called on the Zipcar website. :)

The Scion was practically new. It had 3400 miles on it. It was clean and smoke-free. You're not allowed to smoke in the cars, which is nice, so you don't have to put up with that smell. The Scion had a CD player and even an iPod hook-up. :) Not that I have an iPod, but it's nice if you do. I could always bring CDs to listen to. Most of the time, the radio does just fine for me.

With Zipcar, you're given 180 free driving miles. After that, there is a mileage fee. But for my purposes, 180 miles is a good amount to cover what I need to get to...at least for now. The Zipcar gas card is located in the driver's visor. There was a half tank of gas, and they only require you to put gas in the car if it gets to one-fourth. You can use the gas card at any gas station - after inserting your ID number, it authorizes you to pump gas. If the gas station doesn't accept the card, you just go ahead and put gas in and pay cash or credit, and then Zipcar will reimburse you after you fax in a receipt. So, either way, it's covered.

So, we ran our errand to Kensington. The Scion rode nicely - it reminded me of a VW Jetta inside. We could have had lunch near the store we went to, but I decided to head back to return the car -- I wasn't sure if I would run into a traffic jam on the way (which can happen at any time), and there were plenty places to eat in Shirlington. Though I had reserved the car for 3 hours, I knew at least 2 hours would be taken up with running the errand. So I had an hour to spare, if need be. I could have run some other errands along the way, but didn't really need anything else, and we needed to get back home sooner than later, to take care of things at home. So we went ahead and returned the Zipcar, parking it in its parking spot, and when you get out, you hold your card over the transponder, and it locks the car doors. You're done.

If it turns out that you need the car for a longer period of time, you can call Zipcar and they can extend your reservation time. However, you can't shorten a reservation time once you're on the clock, so you don't get credit for unused time. So, it's good if you can have a clear estimate of how long you'll need the car. So, I got charged for 3 hrs., even though I only used it 2. Not a problem, since I have the $500 in my account to cover usage. :) The next day, you can check your Zipcar online account, and it tells you what you've used so far.

So, my first Zipcar experience was a good one, and I can see that it will work out good for me. :)

Going Car Free - The Process!

2007-12-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago, I had bought and read the book,

"How to Live Well Without A Car: Save Money, Breathe Easier and Get More Mileage Out of Life" by Chris Balish. I was curious to read what the author had to say about living car free...what practical ways you could go about it. I was curious to see if it was, indeed, possible to live without a car, even to live WELL without a car. :) That seemed like an oxymoron - everything in America SHOUTS at you to own or lease a car, drive a car, isn't life luxurious with a car, impressing everyone with your car, the freedoms that you have with a car, how happy you are if you have a car, etc., etc. There are ENDLESS and obnoxiously loud commercials on TV and radio to get you to buy a new or used car.

I owned a 1995 Ford Ranger - similar to the one shown above. When I had bought it when my Ford Mustang died back in Dec. 1999. I entertained the thought that I could probably live without a car. When I mentioned it to my brother, he loudly protested and said that I couldn't do that - that I really needed a car. He took me around in the freezing weather to look at car lots and check out various vehicles. I decided to get the Ford Ranger because at the time, I had a kayak, camping equipment, bicycles, etc. and it would be handy to have a pick-up truck to tote it all around. Plus, everytime I've had to move, I've always had to find someone who had a pick-up truck or van to help me. Now I would be able to have my own. And, contrary to some people who own pick-up trucks or off-road vehicles, and never use them for the purpose, I DID use mine in many ways.

The past number of years though, I was using my pick-up truck mainly on the weekend...never hardly on a weekday. I ride my bicycle to work (32 miles roundtrip a day). (See my bicycling blog, http://bikerchickchar.blogspot.com/). On my bike commute, I pass through various towns and city areas that offer just about anything I would need. I sometimes would stop along the commute to pick up things I needed or to run errands. By the time I get home (7 p.m.), I was tired from the commute and had no need or desire to go out. I saved most of my errands for the weekend.

My pick-up truck was handy, and for the most part, reliable. I hadn't had too many repair incidents. But now it was 12 years old, with 107,000 miles on it. Even though I didn't use it much, I wondered and hoped if it could last another 5-10 years. One never knows with cars....though I had heard that pick-up trucks were built to last longer than cars.

When I read this book, it makes you look at all the many, many ways that your car depletes your bank account, and also your free time. Usually, people don't think about those things...they just think about how handy, helpful or reliable the car is. When it becomes unreliable, they look to get another vehicle and start the process all over again.

I took a hard look at my yearly expenses with my truck. Even though I had been lucky to not have car repairs, I did still have to fill up the tank (and these days, gas was going for about $3.11 a gallon) - my truck did not get good gas mileage -- maybe 10-12-15 mpg. It was costing me about $40 to fill the tank. Add in the cost of monthly insurance ($60), oil changes, state inspection, vehicle registration, state tax, and it adds up - and for me to just have a car to run errands or see friends/family on the weekend.

All this had been percolating in the back of my mind...and then on Nov. 28, a night before I was heading out for a trip to Las Vegas, I got an e-mail from the Washington Area Bicycle Association, inviting people to donate their cars for auction, and in turn, they would be given a FREE, LIFETIME membership with Zipcar! (car-sharing program - http://www.zipcar.com/) (Normally, for a new account, you had to pay $25 for the application fee, and then either a $50/month or $50/year membership fee, plus an hourly/daily fee for car use). If I donated my truck before the end of November (just TWO days later), they would also credit $500 to your new Zipcar account (to be used within a year) for the use of Zipcar. If you donated by Dec. 15, they would just give you $100 on your Zipcar account, still not bad. With Zipcar, they pay for any gas that you use and also insurance. You just have the hourly fee (between $9-$11). The thought of NEVER having to pay for gas or insurance again sure was appealing!! Zipcar has cars located all over the metro D.C. area (and other cities in the U.S.), parking them on streets, in parking lots, and in garages. The Zipcars available to share are various makes & models - anything from small cars, pick-ups, SUVs, hybrids, and sports cars.

Well, the free $500 was definitely a bigger incentive to do it before the end of November...but it wasn't a lot of time to really seriously THINK about doing this! I spoke to a representative at Zipcar, and they said really, all I needed to do before the end of November, was to give them the car information (title number, make, model, mileage, etc.). When I got back from my trip, I could arrange for the truck to be picked up. So that gave me a little "buffer" to think about it further, and I could even back away from doing it if I wanted to.

It's a different thing if you're thinking about doing something like this, when you have an old jalopy in the driveway, that doesn't run and looks like crap. But that wasn't the case with my truck. Sure, there were some scratches and dents, and the paint job was starting to fade. And the truck was starting to do funny little electronic things where bells rang for no reason, various lights came on for no reason, the transmission was feeling like it was starting to slip....how long did I have before things did seriously fail?

Well, I figured if this "experiment" didn't work, I could always just buy another used car, as I have in the past...and at least it could be one with better gas mileage than my truck. :) I had a mixed reaction from my friends and family - some thought I was crazy and it was a mistake; others said I was a perfect candidate and that if anyone could pull it off, I could! :)

So, I took the car-free plunge. It was scary - it was daring! I was almost shaking while I made the call to donate my truck....but I tried to remain calm and keep my wits, not allowing myself to back down. I knew in my heart that I could probably pull this off. I would figure out the other logistics later, of how to get around, take care of errands, and see family & friends. As the book pointed out, it just required a little more planning - not just last-minute, spontaneous car trips...which we're all used to. :) Fortunately also, I live about a mile from a bus line that goes into D.C., and also another bus that can bring me to the subway. I also have a couple of neighbors I could ask for a ride from, as a last resort, or even call for a cab! :)

The day was scheduled for the tow truck to pick my truck up. I was told to leave the title and the keys in the glove box that morning and it would be picked up by 3 p.m. It was a weird feeling at work that day, knowing this would happen. Someone would be coming with a tow truck to haul away my perfectly good vehicle, my faithful friend for the past 7 years, my buddy, my good 'ole pal.

When I biked home and turned the corner to my street, I looked up and, of course, my pick-up was gone. It was still a little bit of a shock to the system, because you're ALWAYS used to seeing it there! Like having your mom being there when you got off school. Like your cat or dog greeting you at the door when you came home. Like the sun rising and setting. It was a normal routine in life.

But now, my main "wheels" and transportation would be my bike & my legs. Well, actually, I have FOUR bikes at home - a small FLEET. :) If one fails, another one is standing nearby to come to the rescue. :) I had even taken an in-depth bicycle repair class this past Spring, so I could try and learn how to fix the more common repairs on my bike, that occur with my daily commute. I bought a bike stand and some tools, and have a good repair manual. I've replaced a few things on my bike so far, and hopefully it'll continue to go well...learning as I go. :)

And, of course, I now had Zipcar available, and other transportation options, so it's not like I was destitute. :)

I wanted to start this blog to capture my feelings and thoughts and experiences as I go through life car-free. Hopefully it will inspire someone else to take the plunge also. To better themselves and their life, and the world around them. :)