I commute by bike every single day regardless of the weather. I live in Portland so it's not that big a deal. My commute is only 4.5 miles. Still, I've never had a license and so never had a car. I grew up in SF and a car is a complete burden there. In my youth I got around by MUNI, skateboard and friend's cars. My family never had a car due to financial circumstances. I lived in LA (Santa Monica) for a year (83/84) and got around fine by bus. In fact I would even take the bus all the way to Upland to go to the skatepark there. My peers had cars but I just couldn't imagine ever owning one even on my after-school job. I was back in SF by 18 and so didn't need a car. In 2000 I moved to Stony Brook (Long Island), NY to go to grad school. I continued to manage without a car taking the LIRR to my internship in another township and walking 3 miles each way to class at the university. It was a cold snowy winter and my classmates thought I was a complete mutant. I enjoyed the walk home at night. While the snow made it slow going at times because the sidewalks were rarely cleared (since everyone lives in their cars there), the walk could also be quite pleasant. I'm now in my 40s and live in Portland with my wife who isn't a fan of my car-less ways but tolerates me. I do need to get a license and deal with driving as she gets frustrated with me but if I had it my way... we'd be car-less. I actually wish my commute was longer.
Seeing the world by board, foot and bike has been a real pleasure. On days when I don't feel like riding I think nothing of walking 5 or 6 miles to run an errand. It really seems to put me in a good headspace. When I lived in SF the crew I rode with would meet at the Bridge and ride to the trails or out to Fairfax where the ride would truly begin. There would be an occasional trip to Tamarancho or China Camp by car but by and large this was frowned upon. For me not having a license or a car was initially based on a combination of sloth, financial restrictions and an avoidance of responsibility. Now it's a "green choice". I'd be lying if I didn't say I have anxiety about dealing with driving but still... I really have grown to enjoy walking and cycling as my main mode of transportation. The only time it really becomes a problem is getting to brevet starts. Most of them start out in Forest Grove before the Max (train to the suburbs) starts running. I've ridden out to the start a few times but that tacks on an extra 30 to 35 miles. I've been fortunate in finding people to carpool with. Public transportation here in Portland is good but I tend to avoid it as I don't find it relaxing. I just really enjoy walking if I'm not gonna ride my bike. If I had a way of getting one into my basement I'd get a Big Dummy in a second to use for errands and commuting. Unfortunately I can't get one in my basement and we don't have a garage or covered area to park it. --mike -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
