Comments on: Commuting, I

By: Commuting, I - Asymptotia

Commuting, I - Asymptotia — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:17:23 +0000

[...] (Reprint -somewhat modified- of an article I posted on CV over a year ago.) [...]

By: Bikes and the City - Asymptotia

Bikes and the City - Asymptotia — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 07:35:16 +0000

[...] You’ve probably gathered from my writings by now that I think that bike riding is a good thing. Particularly as an alternative to driving, where appropriate. One such place where biking is in principle a perfect alternative is Los Angeles. Mostly flat, wide streets, perfect weather most of the year around. At this point in a conversation about this, people either burst out laughing, or look at me as though I am insane. I sigh. I try to point out that there exists a core (although small… but growing I notice) of people who get on with the business of cycling around this city instead of listening to the (mostly exaggerated and/or coming from total ignorance) stories about how dangerous it is supposed to be (supposedly not just from motorists, but apparently there are very bad men out there trying to do bad things to you). What I say mostly falls on deaf ears. I point out how many alternative routes there are in a city this well connected, so that you do not have to use the main roads if worried about willful or inattentive motorists. I point out how nicely bikes work in conjunction with the (yes, it exists) public transport in the city, since every bus is equipped with bike racks. These do not help either. I point out how much fun I’m having by not having to fight with other motorists every morning, pay an extortionate amount of money for parking, how much gas I save by essentially only driving on the weekends, etc, etc…. I recognise, yes, that it is not a choice that everyone in the city can make, but so very many could, even if it is just a matter of using your bike to nip to the shops for that pint of milk, instead of driving the car… Then I give up, shut up (mostly), and ride my bike. (Descriptions of one of my routes into work here and here.) [...]

By: Hubble On The Bus | Cosmic Variance

Hubble On The Bus | Cosmic Variance — Thu, 04 May 2006 19:45:20 +0000

[...] And further news: I’ve been seeing more cyclists on the streets, and from a wider demographic. Some of them are even using the proper equipment – lights back and front and helmets. Hurrah! There’s really no better way to get to know your city than cycling (see here, here and here). Give it a try. [...]

By: It Just Keeps Getting Better | Cosmic Variance

It Just Keeps Getting Better | Cosmic Variance — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:49:24 +0000

[...] So to my surprise yesterday, when I went to take the bus home (I had cycled all the way into work along the pleasant route I described here and here), a completely new bus design pulled up! It seems that while I was on walkabout, for a month, the MTA made some further improvements. [...]

By: Commuting, II | Cosmic Variance

Commuting, II | Cosmic Variance — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 06:16:28 +0000

[...] You join me in part two of my journey from home to work. Part I, together with my reasons for doing this, can be found here. We pick up the journey just after we passed another food stand serving tasty morsels. We’re still on Sunset (which by the way has a cycle lane for a long way), in the heart of Silver Lake now, and there’s a slight hill up towards the ‘hood called Echo Park, just ebfore which we’ll do our turning onto a useful side street (there are so many in this city, which is why the complaint that cycling is dangerous can be tackled a bit…you can choose to avoid a lot of the worst stuff…it does not grant you immunity, but it can help manage your vigilance a bit better). Immediately turning the corner we glimpse one of the many interesting gardens that so many people have. In fact, I could do you a whole garden tour using the route I take when I walk to the busstop if for some reason I’m not cycling. We’ll pass many more of these, along with lovely trees, etc. I won’t include any more photos, or we’ll have to do a part III and IV. [...]

By: Clifford

Clifford — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 05:17:27 +0000

Henry Holland: -I forgot to say…. one of the wonderful thigns about LA, as you know, is that there is a huge amount of choice about how to get around, since there are many many streets. You can choose a cycle route that avoids some of the heavy traffic. It is not as bad as all that. Also, the number of cyclists I see cycling at night wearing all black and with no lights…. I wonder how many of those are the splayed ones? On the other hand, I am aware that drivers are too busy talking on their phones and eating breakfast to pay attention to the road….. so that is where a lot of the blame lies. But I still claim that there are ways of avoiding the worst, staying vigilant. Also, I mix cycling with the bus and/or the subway on most days, and tend to do the all-the-way-cycle only early in the monring or later at night. Traffic is not so bad then….But stuff happens, you know? If I got hit tomorrow, it would be terrible…I’m not immune. But I have a right to use the road as a cyclist just like the motorists do, and I will not give up that right.

-cvj

By: Clifford

Clifford — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 05:04:37 +0000

Henry Holland….. coming by MacArthur Park in part II!

-cvj

By: Henry Holland

Henry Holland — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 04:34:08 +0000

Thanks for this Clifford, I love the stretch of Sunset you were on. Even though I live by MacArthur Park, I’m over in that area a lot and you’ve made me really hungry!

Bikes….nice in theory, but. With the way people drive in this city, I would never bike where there is major car traffic, I’ve seen too many people splayed on the road after near death experiences with cars.

One of my major traffic pet peeves is what they did to Silver Lake Boulevard, from the bridge under Sunset to the resevoir. They reduced the number of car lanes and added a bike lane. What that’s done is cause gridlock going north in the evening and south in the morning and I rarely see people using the bike lanes.

By: serial catowner

serial catowner — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 20:26:26 +0000

I think the title you wanted was “I, Commutius”…

By: Amara

Amara — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 14:00:28 +0000

When I moved to Germany, I sold my car and adapted easily to a bike-only and public transportation way of travel. I never missed the car, even though I spent 25 years driving in California before I moved. Now I’m in Southern Italy and it has proved harder to get along without a car (much poorer public transportation and volcanic hills), yet it’s worth to continue trying. I highly recommend a car-less lifestyle and am happy to see your post.

By: Clifford

Clifford — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 07:11:36 +0000

Hey…we can hold our own in the sushi department too…. but I suspect that you guys would win that bout…..

And yes… my people will call your people…… except that I don’t have people….probably neither do you. Email some time then…..

-cvj

By: Moshe

Moshe — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 07:09:13 +0000

That’s fine Clifford, did I mention that sushi is considered fast food here in Vancouver?

Sorry…

By: Moshe

Moshe — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 07:02:57 +0000

Great Clifford, thanks, let’s discuss this over other channels, I’ll have my people contact your people (as soon as I find out what that actually means).

By: Clifford

Clifford — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 06:58:23 +0000

Oh….. I’m sorry to say that there is a wonderful stand with food from that region, called Yucas, in my ‘hood, which specializes. They are so good they get regulalry written up in food magazines.

Sorry.

-cvj

By: Moshe

Moshe — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 06:56:13 +0000

I knew that of course, but at this point those would do…

Incidentally, I would recommend fish tacos, and in fact any food from the Yucatan penincula (where these are common) which is quite different from other kinds of Mexican food. If you find this, I would really envy you…

By: Clifford

Clifford — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 06:55:50 +0000

Moshe,

Its probably time you came down and gave us a seminar sometime soon….tell us what you’ve been working on. We have that project to discuss too. So pick the worst time in the Winter coming and we should talk about setting up a visit. So you can examine those movie sets up close!

-cvj

By: Clifford

Clifford — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 06:51:03 +0000

Oh…. I forgot to mention…. the sunny skies are just movie backdrops. Large blue paintings. LA myths, you see!

-cvj

By: Moshe

Moshe — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 06:46:47 +0000

Ah, good Mexican food…got addicted in Texas (and in Mexico), but now sadly I am in Vancouver, which has good version of every food on the planet, except for one…

Everything else looks lovely, especially the sun. On behalf of the sunless people, we envy you.