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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.

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From: (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

From:

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.