tfooq
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  • Comment on keshmeshi's answer…
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    going miles out of the way is really annoying when there's a perfectly good bridge right there ... but your bike is not invited.

  • Comment on Mike Smith's answer…
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    Well, you could sell the car and buy a bike. Even scrap metal prices for a car could get you a totally rad bike.

    Riding a bike has saved me more money than any other life decision I've ever made. Hands down. The bus is expensive, I agree. But just two months of gas and insurance (not counting the occasional set of tires, emissions fees, parking meters, etc) could buy a plenty decent bike. Mine was only $175 and it gets me everywhere. My friends have bikes they paid as little as $75 for that are totally fine. It will pay for itself in a matter of weeks (though, i understand that you don't have a matter of weeks when you're paycheck to paycheck).

  • Comment on keshmeshi's answer…
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    The Ballard Bridge sucks. Walking across the locks is more interesting and safe, but it's slower. Sometimes you just don't want to dismount.

    They really need to figure out a solution for that bridge. I went over once and will always choose a different route from now on.

  • Comment on Little Red Ryan Hood's answer…
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    I happen to think yoga and biking can go hand-in-hand: http://yogaforbikers.wordpress.com/ Yoga for Bikers is a class at the Fremont Abbey (going on this second, in fact). It's an interesting philosophy my friend is coming up with. She's embarking on a project connecting the chakras to bike maintenance...

  • Comment on Rebecca Crawford's answer…
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    That makes total sense. I mean, how can you depend on a carpool when there are so many variables? What happens if the driver wakes up sick? You kind of need the luxury of being able to fall back on just driving yourself in order to do it. Or the willingness of everyone to wait around at school until the last person in the carpool is finished with whatever. At some point, I can see that being impractical unless you have a job with firm regular hours similar to those of your pool mates (do you call them pool mates?).

  • Comment on alexkostelnik's answer…
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    Yeah, there are pluses and minuses to living that close to work (more pluses than minuses, I'd say). One problem I found when I worked blocks away from my home was that I was spending most my time in a such a small area. I felt like I was missing out on the rest of the city. But then I would walk home for lunch and get to relax on my couch and eat cheap food from my fridge and I realized that was ok...

  • Comment on Rebecca Crawford's answer…
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    Maybe you could answer something I've always wondered, then. What stops you from starting a carpool? I have always thought that, while they sound like a great idea, they must be sort of awkward to start up or something because so few people do it. I carpooled in high school, but have not been in the situation since. Just curious.

  • Comment on Lilting Missive's answer…
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    Thanks for all your thoughts. I would definitely argue that you don't need anywhere close to $1k for a commuter set up. I commute every day with a regular old backpack and a $175 bike. Helmets are dorky, but they are the norm. It's not like you stand out as a dweeb if you have one (which is how it was when I was a kid in St. Louis).

    I don't have glasses, so it is really interesting to hear the difficulties of riding in the rain with them. I never thought of that. Do other people have those problems? That would probably be a good question for Questionland on its own.

    I did not find that I ever needed anything heavier than a waterproof jacket this winter. My pants got wet, but I just brought a second pair in my backpack (I guess I could just get waterproof pants...)

    I am always amazed how many groceries I can fit in just a normal backpack. However, this would be much more difficult if I was buying for a family instead of myself and a friend.

    Having a route that allows you to ride leisurely is wonderful, but not everyone has one. I can ride whatever speed I want on the way to work, and I feel lucky that I can.

    As for the danger ... well, yeah. When I want to feel all assertive and bad ass, I'll ride on the more arterial streets and get where I'm going the quickest. But sometimes I just want to be relaxed and I take longer routes through neighborhoods, etc. There should be infrastructure to allow people to ride without fear. I feel like that is a right. This is where I start advocating taking out parking and traffic lanes to put in bike infrastructure and drivers get mad...

  • Comment on Fnarf's answer…
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    @Matt It was only during rush hour. And I exaggerate if I say "all the time," but it wasn't rare. I am cautious and never cut in front of cars, but i would change lanes, then have to slow down and wait for traffic in the opposite direction to clear before turning. It always weirded me out, because when cars do that, no one gets angry. Also, I lived at 10th and Penn, so we were right by each other. I love Kilgore Books ( http://kilgorebooks.com/ ), and there is nothing quite like Benny Blanco's in Seattle. 20' two-topping pizza with (gross) garlic knots delivered for $20? Outrageous!

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    Why DON'T you bike to work?

  • See all of my 2 Questions , 5 Answers and 15 Comments