Freedom from High Gas PricesAbout two weeks ago I became so fed up with the ever-increasing cost of gasoline in Los Angeles that decided to take action. In an act of sheer insanity fueled by a mixture of anger and frustration, I bought a bicycle. Then I shocked everyone by deciding that the bicycle would become my primary mode of transportation.
With the cost of a gallon of regular gasoline exceeding $3.40 near my house, I have cut out all non-essential driving. Since buying my bike on Sunday, April, 30, 2006, I have not driven my car any further than the amount necessary to move it from one side of the street to the other for the purposes of street sweeping.
I guess in a way this is my own little protest against the gas-guzzling SUV's that clog our roads and choke our skies, against the pilfering oil companies that (to their credit) openly admit that they take no issue with increasing their profit margin at the expense of consumers, and against all of the zombies who choose to sit for hours in their cars, crawling through life, rather than demanding alternatives (such as rail).
Of course, I have not been completely car-free during this time. I did have to drive to Fontana this past Saturday, though I opted to use my girlfriend's Honda Civic instead of my Chevrolet Monte Carlo in order to conserve fuel. I also gave Metrolink the first opportunity to facilitate the trip. Unfortunately, it turned out that the last returning train departed Fontana at 6:57 p.m., two hours before I needed to head home. It brought me great pain to endure bumper-to-bumper traffic while the tracks ran alongside me down the I-10 median.
Now before you decide to either praise me or simply brush me off as a "crazy hippie", you should know that I am only cutting out "non-essential" driving. I haven't taken a vow of vehicular chastity, though I do intend to limit my driving (especially while gas prices continue to rise daily) to tasks that absolutely require the use of an automobile. These are obvious tasks such as heavy grocery shopping, unavoidable long-distance trips that cannot be reasonably facilitated through the use of public mass transit, and situations where driving is simply more responsible than biking.
Confused yet? That last sentence might not make sense to some readers. Of course, let's be realistic here. We don't always go places alone (or with people who are willing or able to bike). If I'm going to go somewhere with several people and biking will force everyone to drive their own seperate cars, then a carpool makes a heck of a lot more sense than the bike.
So far I have managed to conduct all of my daily business, such as banking light grocery shopping, and going to the gym, without the use of a car. Of course, working primarily out of the house makes it a lot easier to live such a lifestyle. Nevertheless, I am convinced that--for a fair number of Los Angelinos--"bike" need not be just another four-letter word. (horrible cliché, I know)
All that said and done, I have decided to chronicle my experiences as a cyclist in Los Angeles and will use this website as the means for delivery. During the next several weeks I hope to prove that it is not only possible but feasible for an Angelino to cut the automotive umbilical cord and still lead a (more?) productive (and certainly healthier) lifestyle.
posted at 02:23