Zipcar in the News

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!

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!!

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

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!

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...

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

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!