Letter To The Editor

In response to this story in the Thursday Examiner, I decided to write a letter to the Editor. Despite doing this bicycle thing for several years, and hearing every silly argument against developing infrastructure that benefits all users, I am still amazed when those who chose to live life not tethered to a motor vehicle are characterized as "abnormal". What a silly thing to get stuck on- a person's worth and relative value based on the horsepower and energy source of their personal transportation.

Just to introduce myself, I am a 40 year old, married mother of three here in Sunnyside / Glen Park, where I have lived since 1993. Like many in this part of town, my children attend the local public schools, I grocery shop in the area, get my cleaning done here and use our local library. My family owns two cars and we depend on street parking as we require the use of our garage for other things. My husband commutes to Mill Valley every day, by car.

We are "normal people" and we live a "normal" family life. Our day looks like this- my husband walks our youngest to school and then drives to work, my middle kid takes the bus to her middle school and the oldest rides his bicycle to high school. While I have commuted solely by bicycle and BART (to the east Bay) for several years, I am now a housewife. I do all of my errands in SF by bicycle and ride through Glen Park everyday to either shop or pass through on my way elsewhere.

As a bicyclist and pedestrian, the current proposed changes to Glen Park would benefit me greatly. As a driver, they do the same thing. Making Glen Park a place people want to walk and ride in makes it a place that people don't feel they have to drive in. More people choosing to walk and ride instead of drive means fewer cars, less competition for parking and more room for seniors and children to get around safely. I look forward to the changes coming!

Adrienne Johnson

We look normal to me.

one away

from the world series ladies and gentlemen.

the lovely hosts of your (almost) daily CYLRAB posts have been busy spending the past few nights glued to the tv/computer/phone watching our very own sf giants win some baseball games.

most likely we'll be doing the same tonight. AHEM.

posting will most likely be light again tomorrow, if it exists at all.

in the meantime, i leave you with the biggest SF giants fan i know.... the lovely KT of velo vogue.

authentic giants fan, foto by KT

this one, personally, can't wait for a TX/SF match up. BRING IT. gotta beat dem damn yankees first though.

much love to everyone!

More Random Thoughts

I never circle for parking, anymore. There are few times when I wait in traffic, and then never more than a single change of the light. When I am riding every moment of my journey is spent moving toward my goal, nothing wasted waiting in lines or searching for places to stop. Even when it takes longer to get there, the whole time is spent getting there. I feel so purposeful.

Every time I ride along my usual paths I find something new. There is something about the side streets that never calls when I am driving. New additions to the murals on that restaurant I noticed for the first time last week. The people in the house down the street are finally fixing the damage to the attic from the fire they had five years ago. The trees on my street have started to bloom because they are so confused. They won't drop their leaves until January. My mailman is finally wearing pants.

I apologize to the home dwellers of the east side of Dolores St. between 29th and 30th streets. Your sidewalk is so beautiful and wide and on hot days the sun comes through the trees to make such lovely dappled shade that feels like a nice long rest. I frequently am unable to resist your beautiful sidewalk's call to me- "I am so much better than that crowded, loud, busy street. Come ride on me.". I promise to ride slowly and always keep my eyes open for your little purse dogs that run off leash.

The only part of my bicycle that is flimsy is the paint. Look at it and it flakes. Think about using the lock on it, the paint flakes. Try to seal the chips and they flake. At this rate, in another couple of years I will have an all silver bicycle. Batavus, are you listening? Your paint jobs leave much to be desired.

What is that pain in my right knee this week? Why does it hurt when I first take off? What is causing it? Oooooohhhhh, my TFL is very tight. Why didn't I recognize that before? Fix it myself or go to yoga up the street? Ignore it until it is really bad and then complain about it on the blog! Done.

surveys and such

photo by sfbike

last friday on the above stretch of market street as i was going to work, i noticed a woman dressed in what appeared to be a SFMTA vest holding a clipboard. she was in the green painted part of the bike lane close to the end of the paint near the crosswalk. as i have the lights pretty timed, i was mainly concentrating on making the light and continuing on my way.

perhaps she sensed my hesitation because she didn't talk to the cyclist in front of me, but rather asked me three questions:

1. would i please participate in a quick survey?

--yes

2. on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the least safe and 5 being the most safe, how safe do you feel in the lane you are in right now?

--two

3. on a scale of 1 to 5, using the same scale, how safe do you feel biking on green bike lanes?

--four

i was extremely interested in what this was all about, and if she did indeed represent SFMTA. in my quick glance at her, i didn't see a logo of any sort, just yellow and reflective things everywhere.

did anyone else encounter this? if so, what did you say? did you ask her questions back?

please let us know in the comments, and thanks always for reading.

Reunions

Last week, my closest friend from Physical Therapy school, Louise, came into town with her family, David and Colleen. I was really excited because, not only has it been years since we have seen each other, but because they wanted to rent bicycles to get around town. The City was insane and the fact that they were willing to brave the hundreds of thousands of people who came into town (no exaggeration, it was a mad house) made me love them all even more! They live near Napa in a small, quiet town with one road in, which is the same road out- no 300,000 people a day flowing through.

Cameron and Colleen met one another for the first time when they were three. After about a minute of shyness, they were instant friends. When Louise and I found out they had become "Facebook friends" we each had a giggle. The two of them started talking immediately upon Colleen's arrival. It was fun to watch the kids continue a life long friendship, especially doing something so definitively kid like as ride a bicycle on a sunny day.

Colleen was not pleased about the helmet. I am sure the screaming yellow didn't help, but that is the law in California, so she submitted with grace. I think she is the cutest girl in a yellow helmet, ever.

As I said,the City was insane. Fleet Week, Farmer's Market, music festivals, food truck parties.... and riding along the waterfront was a little like a war zone. There were so many pedestrians (and idiot motorcycle riders with stupidly loud modified tail pipes) in the bicycle lane, it was better for all of us to just take a lane and go from there. I was worried that my guests would be overwhelmed by the whole thing, but they just kept pedaling along looking at he circus around them!

Louise, especially, liked seeing the sights and gliding around. The whole time we were riding there were stunt flyers in the air above us. I would love to get her down here on a calmer day to ride around and see some sights, I know she's game. She just glided through the crazy mess like it was nothing (wonder why we are friends?).

I love having friends in town, especially when they are up for something fun like riding around.

Yowza!

This is not my finest photographic moment, but what can I say? I was so happy seeing this scene my photographic skills, what small number of them I have, went out the window.

Two kids, a basket, shopping and a Workcycle in San Francisco! I was so freakin' proud of this woman I think I came across a little stalker. Riding with kids in the urban environment can be challenging, not least because of the insulting and inane comments people will make right to your face about how dangerous it is out there and how "Eeeyyyyyeeee would never do that with myyyyy kids".

This beautiful woman gets 8 thumbs up from those of us here at the blog! Your kids are lucky to have you! (we give another 8 thumbs to Mai Le, the lovely lady in the blue dress!)

CicLAvia

little miss S :)

THIS.

:) :) :)