Dag nabbit!

[claydoh]

My el-cheapo bargain basement crappy bike was stolen today. I really should listen to the voices in my head, they told me I really should pedal home from work today, but I wussed out because it was very humid

I hate not having a car

[lcorken]

Look at the bright side. The money you save on gas you can buy a bike a month.

[whatthefunk]

Sorry to hear about your bike.

Personally, I love not having a car! I cycle around 100 miles a week to get to work and back and love it. Humidity does suck though....really not looking forward to summer.

Maybe invest in a slightly better bike so that youd enjoy riding it more? And get one of these:

[claydoh]

no, I spend more on bus fare than the gas I would use at the moment (not counting vehicle costs of course)

Being very fat does not help, as I do love to pedal. When I moved I left behind a nice Gary Fisher solid frame MTB
The humidity here is already atrocious but the roads are flat as a board.

I will replace it, but as I am a minimum wage flunky at the moment, it will take a while I'll get by, but I just got the darned thing lol!

[Qqmike]

Icorken has the right perspective! You are ahead of the game! I have a new car (2009 Honda Civic), but lately I'm trying to walk as much as possible in the surrounding neighborhood shops--on average, say 1/2 mile to 2 miles per trip out. (I say the Civic is "new" because I bought it that way and I expect to keep it as long as possible. My Corolla made it to 18 years before burning oil. Friends tell me my Civic will still be in good shape in 18 years.)

You are lucky if you live in a town/city where car ownership is not necessary.

[claydoh]

Oh, no doubt. I have been walking/pedaling for years. Here things are close enough, but still far enough to make it not fun, such as a 30 minute walk one way to the closest laundromat for example. But groceries are much, much closer.

Actually I really really want a scooter lol, as well as a good bike.

[Qqmike]

We've all heard it said that sometimes it's faster to walk than to drive, or close to it. I see several personal examples of that in my neighborhood. Going to the US Post Office nearby: Driving takes about 14 minutes round trip with opening & closing the garage door (electric), starting, parking, negotiating traffic, etc. Walking round trip takes me 17-18 minutes, and it's free and green (edit: ... and relaxing!).

[ardvark71]

Hi Claydoh...

You're not a flunky, minimum wage work that is honest is just as valuable even if it's not always the most exciting.

I have and will pray about your loss, hang in there!

Regards...

[claydoh]

Thank you, Ardvark71, much appreciated.
The wage situation should only be temporary if I am on the ball here Luckily the bike was used so I am not out a lot of money or anything, I think I am mostly annoyed with myself over not using it today, and for not securing it well enough

[claydoh]

We've all heard it said that sometimes it's faster to walk than to drive, or close to it. I see several personal examples of that in my neighborhood. Going to the US Post Office nearby: Driving takes about 14 minutes round trip with opening & closing the garage door (electric), starting, parking, negotiating traffic, etc. Walking round trip takes me 17-18 minutes, and it's free and green (edit: ... and relaxing!).

Oh, I agree with that. I keep up with podcasts when I walk. It does relax me most of the time.

[SteveRiley]

In 1995 my wife and I bought our first house in Columbus, Ohio. It was so close to where I worked (American Electric Power) that I quit driving and instead started biking and busing. In 1997 I sold (snif!) my Mustang and we became a one-car household. Eventually I quit driving altogether and I haven't been behind the wheel of a car since 2007. I don't even have a driver license anymore. And I don't miss it one bit. Driving is a frustrating exercise; I'd much rather leave that responsibility with someone else and just enjoy the bus ride. And the supreme weirdos who populate the public transit systems here in Seattle make for good entertainment, too

Clay, can you make an insurance claim to cover the loss of your bicycle?

[claydoh]

No, as I have none. It was only 85 dollars anyway. As I said, more annoyed at myself than the actual loss. Small town boy getting used to big city realities and all that

[woodsmoke]

My best chum used ta say that the shortest distance between two points is always and alley!

woodsmoke

[Qqmike]

The shortest distance between two points is often intolerable.

(I can't recall where I heard that. It MAY be a Charles Bukowski quote. I'm just not sure.)

[capt-zero]

I've been biking and using public transport for about 10+ years. It's sometimes inconvenient and you don't take trips on a whim as I used to with a car, but it instills a certain long view towards planning and one developes a certain appreciation for ones enviornment I never got with a car (you get to smell the flowers). I also get to enjoy a lot more reading waiting on buses and such, and don't have to feel guilty about taking the time to do so. The only real drawback I've noticed is grocery shopping is more difficult. You really have to plan your load, but it certainly saves on the impulse buying.

capt-zero
Pedestrian