Up the Hill to the Big Top! :)

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!)

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

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

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! :)

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

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

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. :)