Bike to work? Well…
May 16, 2008 at 12:35 pm by Ben FryIt’s time to stick it to the oil man. I don’t know about you, but I am getting alarmed, and going broke, over gas prices.
My small Civic is no longer as economical as it was just a few years ago. It still seems hard to imagine a car that gets around 30 miles per gallon (highway) could ever be considered a gas guzzler. However, with the price of gasoline rising rapidly, every time I look at my gas gauge my bank account dies a little more inside. Thirty miles per gallon (highway) just isn’t cutting it like it used to.
But could there be a better way? It seems there is an alternative.
Today is National Bike to Work Day. It’s too late for me to take advantage of this now, as I already (foolishly) drove into the office, but this could be a perfect solution to the rising price of the dino-juice.
If I would have known about this earlier, I could have saddled up the old Schwinn, put my coffee cup in the cup holder (note to self: get a cup holder for the Schwinn), thrown my backpack into the basket (note to self: saddle bags are way cooler), and lead by example.
I would be laughing at my one-day usurpation of big oil as I pedaled along the side of I-275 North on my 25-mile commute from St. Petersburg to Tampa. Of course I would be tempting death as I dodged the foolish, petroleum-dependent commuters flying by just inches away at 80 miles per hour. Biking 25 miles along a busy interstate could be, well, scary, since the Tampa Bay area is not always the most bike-friendly place.
Of course, once at the office I would need to take a shower and change clothes so as not to offend the staff. It is basically summer out there, after all, and the sweltering heat could certainly overpower Right Guard Sport gel. Since there is no shower here, I would have to settle for a bird-bath in the bathroom sink. Also, I would have to leave a little earlier to arrive on time. Like maybe two hours earlier to account for short breaks along the way. This means going to bed, and getting up, earlier. That’s not cool. . .
And the bike has no stereo or lumbar seating.
Actually, this biking-to-work idea may not be as practical for me as I wish it were. With some time to seriously consider it, a $3 to $4 commute (albeit both ways) in the car seems like maybe a better idea for now.
Of course, if gas prices rise to $10 per gallon, I’ll have to seriously reconsider it. Maybe I will. Next year.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
…enjoyed the blog…Tampa Bay isn’t exactly up to par with public transportation and “green” ideas that other cities have already implemented. Biking to work would be nice, but it isn’t always practical. I would rather make it to work than die on a 30 mile one-way jaunt into Tampa, I am fearful enough of some drivers when I’m in my car!
May 16th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
After having spent a couple of days zipping around Key West on a scooter, I want one.
But that one mile I would have to drive down Hillsborough Avenue west of Sheldon each morning would scare the crap outa me on a scooter. So I stick with my SUV.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Of course, we *could* set aside some easement along those raceways like Hillsborough and Fowler strictly for bikes, but you know what would happen – drivers would try to use them as passing lanes to get around our traffic congestion.
Honestly, I think the answer is better enforcement: traffic cameras at intersections, pressure sensors and cameras in bike lanes, and so on. It won’t be until drivers start getting socked with massive insurance rate increases from getting moving violations that they’ll stop sneaking into intersections and sitting their while the light in their direction turns red, or using the bike lanes and shoulder as a _de facto_ passing lane.
May 17th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Diana-not trying to be critical of you, but a part of our problem (congestion, emissions, high consumption of oil) is due to the number of people making 30 mile commutes
Jim P.-is there a compromise between a scooter and SUV you could live with ?
Chris-wonder if there is a way to create a system where citizens could report reckless driving (tag #, car/driver description, time, location) and after 3 complaints the offending motorist gets a warning notice or even court date. Police can only witness so much, but if any citizen could call in violations it might be effective in keeping people honest on the road…
May 17th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I totally agree with you, monkeybongos! Actually I have switched to a more fuel efficient vehicle, plus, I will soon be moving from the beach to Tampa…reluctantly…to be closer to work.
May 17th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Cheap gas is why people have 30 mile commutes. If we as a nation had taxed gas appropriately to provide alternatives to the auto, there would be much less sting in today’s prices and the “profits” of higher prices would have been returned to the people.
As for the citizen’s calling in violators there would be have to be a great number of protections to prevent abuse, besides do you know what other nation had neighbors tattling on neighbors? That’s a bit too much for my comfort level. One doesn’t need to catch all the offenders, the consequences just need to be punitive enough to discourage the behavior. Right now the laws have no teeth, so even Law Enforcement has little incentive to stop the offenders.
Captcha word is whess.
Whess Hess is more.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
WP-why people are so willing to spend more time or money than necessary for their commutes is a mystery to me. There are plenty of nice places to live on both sides of the bay. As for laws having no teeth, $150 and 3 points for a minor speeding ticket is not a deterrent ? Believe the problem in this area is not enough enforcement, not enough risk of getting caught…
May 19th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
In the past 6 months I have personally witnessed law enforcement(3 TPD, 1 HCSO) ignore blatant red-light running on at least 4 occasions. I agree enforcement needs to increase, but it’s not for lack of eyes. If the coffers were filled and budgets buoyed enough with truly punitive fines I would speculate officers would apply a bit more effort towards traffic enforcement. However, giving citizens the authority to turn in other citizens, quite honestly scares the hell out of me. I see too much room for abuse. How could you prevent vindictive persecution and still have an effective system. And if we start with traffic violations, where do we stop?
We have fostered a culture of self-importance, where too many people think their time is more valuable than anyone else’s, so they feel empowered to violate the laws that they feel impede them. Amazingly enough, required driver’s education has done little to stem the tide of drivers lacking what should be common sense and courtesy.
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:20 am
This was a really depressing blog post. It appears that \\
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:12 am
it appears that if you type in the wrong code, the blog rejects your comment and you have to write the whole damn thing again.
I’ll try and summarize:
-What I was saying was that it seems like “Gotta just shrug your shoulders and suck it up” is the main point of this posting. I don’t think we should be doing that. We should be demanding that our legislators take a real hard look at this transportation clusterfuck and begin work on the issues that have been plaguing us long before gas prices got inconvenient: sprawl, density, rail.
-I’m lucky enough to live near a bus route that goes straight to my current job. Lately, I’ve been cycling down to the stop, putting my bike in the rack, and cruising to work in style. While I’m reading the paper (even this one) and shooting the shit with my fellow riders, I rarely even notice when the light changes and traffic’s all backed up. I’m just chillin out on the Hartline in the A/C, stress-free.
-One problem I’ve been noticing (and this may be due to increased “gas price” ridership) is that if the bus shows up at the stop with a full bike rack, and you’re on a bike, you’re screwed! What gives with this? If you are fortunate enough to get on the bus near the beginning of the route, you’re cruising, but if you get on half way through and the rack is full, you’re shit outta luck? This happened to me just the other day when route 34 pulled up to Florida Avenue with a full rack. I was forced to ride the 8 miles down Hillsborough to work and it wasnt even Bike to Work Day. I just didnt want to be yet another dweeb in a car. Luckily, Aquila’s Cafe is on the way and they hooked me up with some of the finest Cuban Coffee around. That was nice, but ultimately: this is Florida. It’s hot. It’s humid. And pedaling through a blanket of petroleum distillates for 8 miles as motorists scream at you to get of the road, sucks. (Note to angry motorists: bicyclists are ALLOWED on the road and ARE NOT supposed to be on the sidewalk. Screw You!)
-Besides demanding increased density, an immediate end to sprawl, and legislators with brains, we should also politely ask for more freakin bike racks on the buses because next time the route 34 rolls up and the rack is full I’m taking my bike and jumping right on that bus and if anyone tries to stop me there WILL be a scene. That’s all I’m saying.
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:11 am
Kombat,
Just a quick note of a lesson learned from losing too many posts in the past. I always highlight and copy before I click any submission button thingy. That way if it hiccups, you don’t have to reinvent the whole thing(sometimes it’s just plain hard to regain the momentum lost when a long thought just evaporates into the ether).