Up, up and away....

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?

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

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

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

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

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! :)

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. :)