Questions for commuters

"Ken C. M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"
2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

The reason these I ask these question is this. The other day while at work
I had a small conversation with a co-worker about how far people are
willing to drive to work, the price of gasoline and the mileage cars get.
And at one point I commented on a car I would like to own, but costs more
than I am willing to lay out for that type of car, and my co-worked asked
"Do you have a license?", to which I replied yes, and then she said "So
why do you ride your bicycle everywhere?". I said to save money on
gasoline, to get exercise and to cut down on the our dependence on oil.
She said "Oh, I thought you couldn't drive or something." to which I said
yeah that is a common misconception about people that use bicycles as
transportation.

I get odd looks when I use my bike to do errands. I was locking up at the
grocery store, and a clerk who was smoking outside asked me if I had my
license. I drive to work once a week. I use that day to bring in uniforms
and socks/underwear.

Ken C. M. said:

The reason these I ask these question is this. The other day while at
work I had a small conversation with a co-worker about how far people
are willing to drive to work, the price of gasoline and the mileage cars
get.

I ride around town for exercise and all sorts of quick errands - things that
don't need a car for carrying packages back home. No, I've never been asked
the license question.

But for saving money - gas is cheaper. One trip that pointed that out was a 20
mile trip to the hardware store, then to the Computer store. Yes, it saved
about a gallon of gas, but the stop at the convenience store for food and
drink cost about twice what gas would have cost. And I would have been home in
about 1/3 the time - no refreshment stop needed.

Long distance riding isn't cheap when you look at the number of stops for
G-Ade and a piece of pie.

--
Mike Vore
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com
http://mike.vorefamily.net/twr

mike vore said:

Ken C. M. said:

The reason these I ask these question is this. The other day while at
work I had a small conversation with a co-worker about how far people
are willing to drive to work, the price of gasoline and the mileage cars
get.

I ride around town for exercise and all sorts of quick errands - things that
don't need a car for carrying packages back home. No, I've never been asked
the license question.

But for saving money - gas is cheaper. One trip that pointed that out was a 20
mile trip to the hardware store, then to the Computer store. Yes, it saved
about a gallon of gas, but the stop at the convenience store for food and
drink cost about twice what gas would have cost. And I would have been home in
about 1/3 the time - no refreshment stop needed.

Long distance riding isn't cheap when you look at the number of stops for
G-Ade and a piece of pie.

Yeah I give you that one about longer trips. But most of mine are short
trips. 2 miles here, 3 miles to the other place, 3 miles to work, 4
miles to that other place etc. etc. etc. Now if I did mulitple places in
one trip I would probably have to stop and rehydrate and refuel (my body
that is) but I mostly plan just short trips to avoid that.

Ken
--
Messengers and mountain bikers share a common chromosome. ~James Bethea

mike vore said:

Ken C. M. said:

The reason these I ask these question is this. The other day while at
work I had a small conversation with a co-worker about how far people
are willing to drive to work, the price of gasoline and the mileage cars
get.

I ride around town for exercise and all sorts of quick errands - things that
don't need a car for carrying packages back home. No, I've never been asked
the license question.

But for saving money - gas is cheaper. One trip that pointed that out was a 20
mile trip to the hardware store, then to the Computer store. Yes, it saved
about a gallon of gas, but the stop at the convenience store for food and
drink cost about twice what gas would have cost. And I would have been home in
about 1/3 the time - no refreshment stop needed.

Isn't a bottle of water adequate for a 20 mile ride?

Quoted message said:

Long distance riding isn't cheap when you look at the number of stops for
G-Ade and a piece of pie.

For a 100 mile ride that takes me all day (lots of hills, and I am
slow), I pack 2-3 PBJ sandwiches, and 2-3 bananas and granola bars, as
well as gatorade powder. As long as there is water along the way, I am
all set, and spend almost nothing all day.

Riding is cheap, for long or short distances. If you want to, you can
always find ways to spend extra money. I often ride past the local
Starbucks, and see lots of nice bicycles parked outside.

I ride to work 2-4 times a week (12 miles each way), and drive at least
once a week to stock up on clothes at work. My commute takes 45 minutes
on a bike, and 25 minutes driving. So, for 20 minutes extra, I get 45
minutes of exercise, which is a real bargain.

I typically drive to stores, though I do ride sometimes. No one has
asked me if I have a license. At work, a few people have asked me about
riding to work, and a few have actually tried it themselves once I
explained the advantages (fun, health/exercise, environment, cost - in
that order).

Atri

Quoted message said:

--
Mike Vore
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com
http://mike.vorefamily.net/twr

"Ken C. M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"

I've never been asked this, that I remember

Quoted message said:

2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

Last December, when I had to drive out to a client presentation. However, on
non-bike days I take the train in.

"Ken C. M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"

Never.

Quoted message said:

2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

Hm. I don't ride just before big events (centuries and the like), and every
so once in a while I have something big to haul in or out, so I take the
bus. But *drove* all the way to work, and then parked there? My husband's on
the other computer, so I just had him search on our home accounting
software. There was a charge for some time in January 2005, according to
those records. It costs $25/day to park at my building.

Quoted message said:

The reason these I ask these question is this. The other day while at work
I had a small conversation with a co-worker about

[conversation snipped]

This may be less of an issue when nearly everyone at your workplace takes
public transportation to work. There's two employees that I know of, of
about 65, who drive. Then there's four bike commuters, including me. Riding
your bike to work is less of a novelty; not driving is the norm.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

"Ken C. M." <[email hidden]> wrote :

Quoted message said:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"

Maybe a couple times ever.

Quoted message said:

2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

Once or twice a month, when work commitments demand. But I get in some bike
riding in the course of each day. My current streak dates to Aug, 6, 2005

Ken C. M. said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"

Well, the question's always a little different for me. Typically, I
get, "Wait, you know how to drive!?!" But I'd say that happens about
half of the time that a relation with someone goes from acquaintance to
"someone I know fairly well."

Quoted message said:

2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

Friday. I had to go to orientation at school and with the rest of my
schedule wouldn't have time to take a shower, but had to be there during
prime sweat time. I try to make events of it and stop by stores and get
the big things I've needed.

--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the f to ph to reply:.

Ken C. M. said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"

Never (my job requires a driver's license) but after 2 years at my
present job there were still a few people around who thought I didn't
own a car (I do).

Quoted message said:

2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

It's been over a month. I probably drive my car to work about 10-20
times a year.

A lady at work is dabbling in MTB racing, she goes for training rides
before work, then drives her car into work with the bike still on the
roof rack.

mark

Ken C. M. said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"

Never

Quoted message said:

Claire Petersky said:

This may be less of an issue when nearly everyone at your
workplace takes public transportation to work.

Same here, about 10% of employees commute by bike (in summer),
20% by car. So here everyone is used to this scenario.

Quoted message said:

2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or
school?

In Febrary if I remember correctly. I had a private date after
work which was more far away than my preferred biking radius
(15km).

Yours
Alexander

"Ken C. M." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"
2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

snip

Quoted message said:

Ken
--

Nope never got asked that question yet.
I had to drive the last couple of days, I had to work on my "lunch bike"
that I keep at work, thunderstorms lately every day late in the afternoon.
Plus I didn't want to get injured just before this weekend's HHH ride in
Wichita Falls Texas. :-)
Next week back to normal.

But people have been totally astonished that I could commute by bicycle to
and from work regularly. Something they simply consider impossible.

Ken C. M. said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"

I've never been asked if I had one; but, I have had people comment, "I
didn't know you had a license."

Quoted message said:

2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

About 7-1/2 years ago, a few months before I got rid of it.

Jim

Ken C. M. said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"
2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

The reason these I ask these question is this. The other day while at
work I had a small conversation with a co-worker about how far people
are willing to drive to work, the price of gasoline and the mileage cars
get. And at one point I commented on a car I would like to own, but
costs more than I am willing to lay out for that type of car, and my
co-worked asked "Do you have a license?", to which I replied yes, and
then she said "So why do you ride your bicycle everywhere?". I said to
save money on gasoline, to get exercise and to cut down on the our
dependence on oil. She said "Oh, I thought you couldn't drive or
something." to which I said yeah that is a common misconception about
people that use bicycles as transportation.

Ken

I can't really drive to work since I work in Manhattan and parking is
just too expensive for normal situations, but I doubt commuting by
bike ends up being cheaper than taking the bus and train. Until I
count in the health benefits of majorly lowering my cholesterol and
raising the HDL, that is. The funny thing is that commuting by bike
takes almost exactly the same amount of time as taking public
transportation. I can't read while biking but I don't need to go to
the gym when I get home either.

The only time the license question arose was when I was unlocking my
bike and someone noticed the car remote on my keychain and asked if I
owned a car also, which I do.

Ken C. M. said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"
2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

The reason these I ask these question is this. The other day while at
work I had a small conversation with a co-worker about how far people
are willing to drive to work, the price of gasoline and the mileage cars
get. And at one point I commented on a car I would like to own, but
costs more than I am willing to lay out for that type of car, and my
co-worked asked "Do you have a license?", to which I replied yes, and
then she said "So why do you ride your bicycle everywhere?". I said to
save money on gasoline, to get exercise and to cut down on the our
dependence on oil. She said "Oh, I thought you couldn't drive or
something." to which I said yeah that is a common misconception about
people that use bicycles as transportation.

Ken
--
Messengers and mountain bikers share a common chromosome. ~James Bethea

When people ask me why don't I drive I reply by asking the question
"What for?" I live within easy riding distance to work or shop. Being
practical, I would only drive if it were the most cost and time
efficient way of getting there. A lot of the time I ask people why
don't they ride a bike to get to wherever they're going. I ask them
this because in those occasions a bike would be the most efficient way.
Many times I get an answer like, " are you kidding !?! I must live at
least 8 block from here !!" To which I reply, " G-whiz, you are lame."

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ken C. M. said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"
2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

The reason these I ask these question is this. The other day while at
work I had a small conversation with a co-worker about how far people
are willing to drive to work, the price of gasoline and the mileage cars
get. And at one point I commented on a car I would like to own, but
costs more than I am willing to lay out for that type of car, and my
co-worked asked "Do you have a license?", to which I replied yes, and
then she said "So why do you ride your bicycle everywhere?". I said to
save money on gasoline, to get exercise and to cut down on the our
dependence on oil. She said "Oh, I thought you couldn't drive or
something." to which I said yeah that is a common misconception about
people that use bicycles as transportation.

Heck, I /brag/ about never having had a driver's license and
never having driven at all because I've never needed all that
razmatazz. So if anyone wants to ask me if I have a license,
I guess I preempt that question.

Sometimes I tell 'em I don't drive because I'm peripatetic.
Then they respond with a nod of faux understanding.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

"dgk" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

but I doubt commuting by
bike ends up being cheaper than taking the bus and train.

Since my employer subsidizes everyone's bus/train/ferry pass, there's really
no out-of-pocket expense for those taking public transportation at my work
place.

Quoted message said:

The funny thing is that commuting by bike
takes almost exactly the same amount of time as taking public
transportation.

I get a kick out of "racing" the buses. They clearly go faster on the HOV
lane on the freeway, but on city streets, it's a wash. The 225 route is the
one that most closely parallels my ride home. I will always beat it out on
the predominately downhill direction; uphill, it depends on lights and
traffic.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

"Tom Keats" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Ken C. M." <[email hidden]> writes:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

my
co-worked asked "Do you have a license?", to which I replied yes, and
then she said "So why do you ride your bicycle everywhere?". I said to
save money on gasoline, to get exercise and to cut down on the our
dependence on oil. She said "Oh, I thought you couldn't drive or
something." to which I said yeah that is a common misconception about
people that use bicycles as transportation.

Heck, I /brag/ about never having had a driver's license and
never having driven at all because I've never needed all that
razmatazz. So if anyone wants to ask me if I have a license,
I guess I preempt that question.

When I had some eye surgery scheduled people at work assumed that I didn't
drive because of vision problems. In reality my vision before the procedure
was well within the requirements for a license.

mark said:

Ken C. M. said:

A couple for you:

1) How often do you get asked "Do you have a license?"

Never (my job requires a driver's license) but after 2 years at my
present job there were still a few people around who thought I didn't
own a car (I do).

Quoted message said:

2) When was the last time you drove your MV to work or school?

It's been over a month. I probably drive my car to work about 10-20
times a year.

A lady at work is dabbling in MTB racing, she goes for training rides
before work, then drives her car into work with the bike still on the
roof rack.

mark

I had a job that was 150 miles from home so I stayed there all week and
took a mountain bike to keep there for workday riding. Since I stayed in
a motel only about 1 mile away I rode the bike to work every day and
then rode around a mountain (985 feet) at lunch, then explored all the
vineyard mountain roads after work. On the weekend I just left the bike
in the rack inside the building since they were bike friendly. The only
hassle I ever got was from one of the 3 roadies, who was the company
jerk anyway. He complained that my 'junk' MTB might scratch his
expensive road bike when I parked it next to his. Guess what I told him?
They only saw my car on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons when I had
to make the long drive home. Great job until 9/11 took down the company
in November.
Bill Baka

I just started bicycle commuting. I live three miles from my office. I take
my suit and shoes in a two wheel gear garment bag (excellent product BTW)
and change when I get to the office. It takes me 15 minutes by bike vs 10
minutes by car. I found a low traffic route over a bicycle bridge that
eliminates all but about two blocks of a busy streets.

I'm guilty of being a fair weather rider. When it was 95 degrees with 90%
humidity, I took the car for a week. Today as I was about to leave the
house, I heard a rumble of thunder and went back in and took the car.

By Monday, weather permitting, I'll be back on schedule. I feel like a pilot
who has to take the daily weather conditions into account before starting
the flight.

Since people see me in a car and bike, they know I have a license. I now
laugh at the prospect of $5.00 per gallon future gas prices (it just dipped
to $2.71 in NJ today anyway). It's nice to get in 30 minutes a day of
exercise without trying too hard.