Gas Free Living
I just want to remind everyone how AWESOME it is being able to walk to work and not worry about the price of gas. Let it go up to $10/gallon for all I care. You must hate my sweet-ass pedestrian life right now. Those that live in the 'burbs and the 'burbs of the 'burbs are taking it on the chin. But that doesn't stop me from having a smile at the expense of those trying to deal with their commute and noticing a few new sights around town.
First, the bicycle traffic jam. Here in DC, there are little lanes marked for bicycles. Experienced bicyclists swerve thru traffic like a toddler not coloring between the lines. But the newbie bike riders, the ones that looked at their bank account and decided spending dollars on a bike, a helmet, a messenger bag, and a red blinker was cheaper than a gallon of gas, think that the bike lanes indicate the only pavement on which bicycles work properly. And when you get three newbie bikers all stopping at the same stop light, all trying to stay in the same narrow bike lane, all trying to get going again when the light turns green, you got a bike traffic jam. I smiled as I walked by.
The peloton is the opposite of the bicycle traffic jam - just as professional cyclists follow the leader for competitive advantage, the newbie cyclists like to follow the experienced ones here in DC. When the newbies see an oldie flying thru traffic and ignoring traffic signals, they all think they can do it, and start following. The pack of them nearly hit me as I was trying to cross the street, in a crosswalk, with the light. Sure enough, the pack leader had some modern bike with shock absorbers . . . the rest of the pack had some ancient 10-speeds with springs under the seats that they obviously dug out of their closets that morning to save a buck.
Finally, the scooters. They are sprouting like weeds along the sidewalk. Apparently when you buy a scooter, you're so happy about the fact you can get to work on a thimble of gas that you don't think through where to park the thing once you get to work. And so all the scooters get chained to signposts on the sidewalk where, *ahem*, I am trying to walk.
Perhaps these are all the growing pains of a society transitioning to a new transportation economy. Thankfully, I am removed from this gas price crisis. My feet run on fruits and veggies and milk and steak and, oh wait . . . those are getting more expensive, too. Damn you, gas prices!
First, the bicycle traffic jam. Here in DC, there are little lanes marked for bicycles. Experienced bicyclists swerve thru traffic like a toddler not coloring between the lines. But the newbie bike riders, the ones that looked at their bank account and decided spending dollars on a bike, a helmet, a messenger bag, and a red blinker was cheaper than a gallon of gas, think that the bike lanes indicate the only pavement on which bicycles work properly. And when you get three newbie bikers all stopping at the same stop light, all trying to stay in the same narrow bike lane, all trying to get going again when the light turns green, you got a bike traffic jam. I smiled as I walked by.
The peloton is the opposite of the bicycle traffic jam - just as professional cyclists follow the leader for competitive advantage, the newbie cyclists like to follow the experienced ones here in DC. When the newbies see an oldie flying thru traffic and ignoring traffic signals, they all think they can do it, and start following. The pack of them nearly hit me as I was trying to cross the street, in a crosswalk, with the light. Sure enough, the pack leader had some modern bike with shock absorbers . . . the rest of the pack had some ancient 10-speeds with springs under the seats that they obviously dug out of their closets that morning to save a buck.
Finally, the scooters. They are sprouting like weeds along the sidewalk. Apparently when you buy a scooter, you're so happy about the fact you can get to work on a thimble of gas that you don't think through where to park the thing once you get to work. And so all the scooters get chained to signposts on the sidewalk where, *ahem*, I am trying to walk.
Perhaps these are all the growing pains of a society transitioning to a new transportation economy. Thankfully, I am removed from this gas price crisis. My feet run on fruits and veggies and milk and steak and, oh wait . . . those are getting more expensive, too. Damn you, gas prices!
posted by J.r.n at 2:03 PM
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