Shek’s Footprint

The old Amsterdam bike, of which a photo shoot is still pending, is an old geyser. It is also becoming increasingly popular for my work commute. That is roughly 8 miles a day, 5 days a week. I am pending the photo shoot till after Hanna (link) but the brakes had to be looked at today. The front brake is a single pivot caliper and it is made of thin aluminum. It is bent and the rubber was brittle. The max I could get done is the brake pads replaced. Newer Single pivot caliper brake systems do not fit on the frame.

I have thought about buying a new city bike (preferably a Velorbis Churchill Balloon) and preserving this 30+ year old Amsterdam bike, but bikes are made to be ridden. So, I shall honor the creation of this bike and it shall be my mode of leisurely short distance travel. For those who have not experienced the joys of a city bike (not hybrid but dutch design bikes), you don’t know what you are missing. I even bought a pair of aviators to match the bicycle.

Today, I ordered a Solvit Trackr Dog Trailer, large, for Laya. The internal dimensions measure up well with Laya’s collar to butt length. If she likes it, my trusty 2007 Saturn Aura will receive its last oil change from me and will be put up for sale.

Today was officially my first day with heavy rains and a long ride on my bike. I was on my way to the Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS) where I volunteer every Saturday to walk dogs and the rains came crashing down on me. I was kind of prepared with an extra t-shirt in my OYB 5-way bag and a rain jacket on my rack. My shorts got wet though. I reached JHS a half hour late with no change for soggy shorts.

I had some time to reflect back on my misery during my ride back home. Not only was I late, I was also soggy and tired. I put myself into harms way by riding my bicycle on roads with no shoulders and bike lanes during low visibility conditions! This is where a Plan B would help. A bus route, sub way, light rail or even the presense of a car-sharing agency like zip car would make my day a lot happier (and drier). The easy way out was to have carried a spare pair of shorts and protective rain-pants but the safety issue is still unsolved.

The better Jacksonville plan (link here) was put into action with an extra 0.5% sales tax to make jacksonville a better city in terms of infrastructure. So, they proceeded to improve vital elements like expanding libraries but have been also spending a considerable amount of money in expanding roads. People have been expanding roads for a century now. What problem has that solved? It is insanity to do the same thing and expect a different result. The city seems to be doing a fast-paced effort towards starting commuter rail but that is limited in its scope. We need more light rail and street cars for intra-city movement if the city does not plan to expand roads indefinitely. We need a plan B. I need a plan B.

I want to successfully live car-free and it appears that the city has made it very difficult to get around without a car. Till the city gets its act together and till I am patient enough to not move to a smarter city like Portland OR, I will have to grow an extra pair of balls and be my own plan B.

contest to help me go car free

cash prizes involved

see page on right: http://www.sheksfootprint.com/ditch-the-car

then comments go here

UPDATE - 19 Sept 2008

I have decided to sell my car no matter what. The contest is hereby closed.

I am fairly car light if you read my Car Dependency page. It is a pain to be paying what I do for my car. The car in question is a 2007 Saturn Aura XE bought brand new with minimal down-payment. The sixty month payment schedule is hefty but reasonable if I use it a lot. I dont. Moreover, I have only had car insurance since the beginning of 2006. There are no violations in my record yet but I havent established myself as a safe driver to get a sub-hundred dollar insurance payment. If you do some rough math, I am paying upwards of $500 to park the car under my apartment every month.

The best option would be to sell the car and use the non-existent public transportation of the great city of Jacksonville FL! My other anchor is Laya. She is a fairly large dog, just as female greyhounds are. I need some mode of transportation in case of emergencies. Once these problems are creatively solved, I will be able to live car free. There have been thoughts of selling my car and buying a sub-thousand dollar beater-car for emergencies but that line of thought is a work in progress.

I am reading “How to Live Well without owning a car” by Chris Balish. It is a brand new book borrowed from the library with my brand new library card. Lets see if I can pick up something creative from that book.

This is the only reason that I would never buy a single-family-home in a suburbia type environment. Even though the values of single-family homes appreciate more than that of condos, I’d pay the price in stress, overweight, diabetes or heart disease. Living in a closer packed environment is a lot better for the mind. You get to step out of your door and be a part of the society instead of enclosing yourself in a capsule and driving 2 miles to just get out of the neighborhood.

I wish my work moves Downtown so I can move to San Marco or Downtown and live a more healthy life. Till then, it is me on my bicycle and irritated suburbia-living-drivers wondering how I can be on the road with them!