(no subject)

[urbpan]

In about ten minutes, I'll be setting off on my first below 50 degree bike commute of the season. It's about 43 degrees, windy and still dark. But I have lights, and after the first chilly mile or so, I'll be warm enough.

Ah but for the insane insurance rates, maintenance costs, and desire to not add more pollution to the world and traffic to Boston, I'd drive a nice warm car.

Comments

[rwblackbird.livejournal.com]

ew! Fahrenheit.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Sorry about that. I've only been in 43c in Las Vegas. Not good biking there (bring lots of water!)

No it was about 6c. And drizzly.

[artemii.livejournal.com]

it was lovely :)

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

You can have it. Good weather for hiding under the covers with a hot cider; hideous weather for bicycling to work.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Come home soon! I'll warm you up. :)

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Very soon, I hope. I feel lousy, just barely propped up with caffeine and ibuprofen.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

I have to go to the supermarket anyhow, so I'll get you something warm and comforting for dinner.

You need some good cuddling, I think.

Famous last words...

[(Anonymous)]

Ah, I knew Jef back when he vowed "I will never use a computer!"
Not even that long ago, either.
Another couple of years and he will be driving down the corner store for his daily cup of Joe...

Re: Famous last words...

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Greg, I assume?

I have owned 3 different cars in the past 6 years, by the way. It sucks. It cost me almost $2000 a year for insurance, about that much for maintenance, and in the end they self-destructed anyway. (maybe I should get one that's less than a decade old)

Re: Famous last words...

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry, not Greg. Patrick.
Yes, a less-than-decade old car should reduce some of your problems.
But $2000 for insurance? Do you have a really bad driving record?
I pay less than that for 2 fairly new cars.

Re: Famous last words...

[(Anonymous)]

They (as in the ever elusive folks who say these sorts of things) say that it costs an average of $5000 a year to own and operate a car. Obviously, the actual cost to any one individual differs according to location (Boston's insurance is very high, due to the extrememly high rate of crashes) and condition. But, needless to say, it's expensive pretty much no matter what you do. Not that taking the Commuter Rail is cheap. What do you pay, Jef? About $10 a day?

David also does the "reverse" commuten - from our home in the city to work in the suburbs with his bike and the train. It's completely uneconomical for us, and we're losing money every month! So our solution is to move. At least if we are living in the middle of nowhere, the housing will be cheap, even if he still has a long/expensive commute, right?

Oh, and Jef, you might want to look into getting a small vehicle like a scooter or motorcycle or something. They are much cheaper to run, and they'll get you there a little faster (and means you'll be less stuck with the T's random scheduling of trains). David got one of those eGo (electric scooters) that goes about 18 miles on a 3-5 hour charge (which costs about ten cents). They retail for $1000 (and if you really are intersted, talk to me and I'll tell you more!), and can be taken on the T, since they are essentially an electric bike. You can even use a bike trailer with them!

-Turtle

Re: Famous last words...

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Well, I have to admit, going up the hill on rt 117 often makes me fantasize about having electic assist. My original complaint was about the cold, which will still affect a scooter rider (and how are they in the snow, by the way?)

The latest plan is to wait until our move (to non-snowing climes) is immenant, and register a car at my dad's house (in Connecticut). Or if I get promoted at my job, I'll suck it up and buy a car. (It will be necessary so I can come in at any time, for emergencies.)

It would also be nice to be able to take the dogs out to a place where they are legal.

Re: Famous last words...

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

My driving record isn't great (one accident on record), and I've only had my license for 5 years. I don't know where you live Patrick, but Massachusetts has insanely high car insurance rates--and I live in the city to boot.

Re: Famous last words...

[(Anonymous)]

Hey Jef-
Hmmm, only 5 years with a license AND an accident, that will kill you every time. In the eyes of the insurers, you may as well be a newly licensed teen. I live out in the 'burbs, so that helps me. But even that is no guarantee; when I move from JP to Framingham, my rates only went down slightly, but then I moved from Framingham to another town, and my rate dropped almost $400.

BTW, my daughter was at Drumlin Farm two days ago on a class field trip. She had a blast.

[bezigebij.livejournal.com]

And for this reason, I continue to find it amazing that Holland (the drizzliest country on earth)is also the bike-for-transport mecca.
By the middle of November you'll be "used" to it again.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Is there a Dutch secret to riding in the drizzle? How about Snizzle? (this is a new meteoroligical term I'm trying to get to catch on--tiny shards of frozen/crystallized water, much smaller than snow or sleet)

I admire the Netherlands for many reasons--the bike thing is a major one. Is the free/municipal bike project still happening? (I was given the impression that there are free bikes provided by the city, painted gaudy colors to prevent theft, that anyone can use and then leave behind when they don't need them anymore).

[bezigebij.livejournal.com]

There isn't any secret as far as not getting cold and wet. The secret lies in accepting this fact and knowing that you're not sitting in traffic.
Basically a bike is more convienient here, so even if you're not extremely motivated you choose this option. The fact that the Dutch are exceptionally frugal might help a bit too.

The white bikes only continue in one national park now. They were stolen too often in A'dam. There is discussion as to how this problem could be solved, but I don't see a solution coming anytime soon.

If you link to the following image (hopefully it works) you'll see the new (a couple years old) bike parking lot by the Central Station in A'dam.
http://preg.org/~dan/fotos/2003Q4/DSCN5528.JPG
Impressive, eh?