Re: Re: [Bikies] gone carless?

[john wagnitz]

Thanks Tim, you made some of my points better than i could.

If you believe that owning a car for whatever reason is justifiable, then so be it.  I have owned motor vehicles in the past and I still take rides from friends when necessary.  My point was to address the argument, which I have heard often on this site, that owning a vehicle and not using it is somehow the same as not owning a vehicle.....Sure, it is better than using it every day, but some of the drawbacks to this argument are as follows:

 Every time you send $45 in registration fees to the DMV you are telling the Department of Transportation, your elected officials and transportations planners you support motor vehicles and services for this from of transportation. ($361 million last year!!!!)

Every time you look at the cost of an Amtrak or Greyhound bus ticket and say, "it's cheaper for me to use my car, (because you already paid for it)....that's one less ticket sold (and more expensive tickets) and one more car on the road....

Every time John McCain gets up on the floor of the U.S. Senate and makes an argument for dismantling Amtrak.....Or Scott Jensen gets up on the floor of the State Assembly and argues for expansion of the Marquette Interchange.....he can point to situations listed above as arguments for eliminating mass transit and increasing highway capacity.

Every time you decide not to contact Madison Metro, Badger Bus, Van Galder, Greyhound or Amtrak to request accommodations for pets, bikes, wheelchairs, (fill in the blank) on their vehicles, because you don't HAVE to depend on them......

...well, in my opinion, you are undermining the goals that many advocate on this site.....which is a more balanced, just, and accessible transportation system. 

I am not saying these things to be judgemental......I've owned many motor vehicles. My son is now 14 and quite capable at using Madison Metro, bicycling and I have no pets.  I have also given lots of money (hopefully, never again) to tobacco companies and the meat/dairy industry knowing full well the misery these corporations cause.  All of these things are "legal," just as slavery and denying voting rights to over half our adult population were once legal.....

Just imagine if people started acting on the information they receive.  If sites like this get people like John M. to consider giving up their vehicles....then there may still be hope for us all.

 "True, the white man brought great change. But the varied fruits of his civilization, though highly colored and inviting, are sickening and deadening. And if it be the part of civilization to maim, rob, and thwart, then what is progress?

 I am going to venture that the man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures, and acknowledging unity with the universe of things, was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization.... "

Chief Luther Standing Bear, From the Land of the Spotted Eagle (1933)

 

 "Paul T. O'Leary" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:

This seems to imply that my post advocated commuting by car, which it did not. Either that, or it seems to imply that those who keep a car for contingencies strike animals on the road at some rate comparable to the number of animals they transport for veterinary purposes, which it did not. It also ignores the fact that when pets are hit by cars, it's prima facie the fault of the pet's guardian, endangering the animal by allowing her/him to run at large (which, with dogs [and all pets in some jurisdictions], is illegal).

Honestly, how does one convey companion animals in emergencies (or even non-emergencies)? They're not allowed on buses. A taxi is a motor vehicle just like my car, driven by someone most likely much less conscientious about striking animals on the road than the animal's guardian. Several of our companions we've had to transport by car would either have died or suffered for an inordinate amount of time if we had tried to concoct some way of transporting them by bicycle.

[Now if you really _really_ care about animals in general, the best thing you could do would be to stop eating them or their products, but that's fodder for another list...]

> From: john wagnitz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> If you really care about your pets and animals in general.....the best thing you could do would be to get rid of you vehicle.....I wonder how many "emergency veterinary transports" are due to pets being hit by cars.....

---------------
Paul T. O'Leary
Desktop Insurgent
Madison, WI USA

John,

Congratulations on you decision!!!!!! I have been carless for over 2 years and haven't missed my Jeep Cherokee once (nor the registration fees, insurance, maintenence fees, etc).....I'm also happy that I am not involved in giving the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation $361.5 million per year in registration fees (for those who like to own a car but never use it) before I ever spend a penny in gas taxes (which raised another $827.5 million for highways in 2001).....

If you really care about your pets and animals in general.....the best thing you could do would be to get rid of you vehicle.....I wonder how many "emergency veterinary transports" are due to pets being hit by cars.....

on a personal note, stock up on wool......i find it's the best material for winter riding retains heat when wet, doesn't stink like "smart" wool, good gloves (or mittens) and everything else one needs to survive a Wisconsin winter, if we ever see one again.......

Lighting: get yourself a good, high-powered, rechargeable light (and a blinker in back).....I bought the Niterider last year and I'm very happy with it....it lasts for a couple hours and has a helmet attachment so I can use it on any bike.....

I generally switch to 35 mm tires in the winter and find that the bike paths are usually cleared before the street in our area.....

this is a good website for ideas on winter bicycling.....there are many others out there that can give you tips on successful winter riding as well:

http://www.enteract.com/~icebike/

Also, think of all the money you'll be saving by NOT owning a motor vehicle (around $6,724/year in Milwaukee according to estimates) and splurge on quality products that will last longer than any motor vehicle if properly cared for.

Good Luck!!!!

 "Paul T. O'Leary" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:

Um, what do you have in mind for emergency veterinary transport? I'm asking honestly because that's the primary reason I still own a car. Lots of people keep their cars, but commute year-round by other means.

Panniers: I use them in winter all the time. They're not waterPROOF, but they keep enuogh of the elements out. If you want to get serious, get a pair of Ortlieb panniers. Fabulously expensive, but absolutely waterproof; nearly capable of stopping a bullet. In any event, I would definitely recommend some kind of panniers over a backpack, to lower your center of gravity. Backpacks make you way too top-heavy; snowy/icy streets accentuate this.

About my only bike-specific winter clothing is a balaclava. Otherwise, I wear the scarf, winter parka, winter gloves/mittens, winter boots, etc. that I do when walking. Thermal undies help.

Trailers are great for things like 4! 0-lb bags of dog food. Presuming the Barrymore end of your commute is the home end, you're not far from Mounds on the Stoughton Frontage Road. It's an easy ride; basically take the LMR, but go east on Buckeye to the Frontage Road. Willy St. Co-op also carries a number of "quality" dog foods. Personally, if you have the time/inclination, I would recommend home-making the food. Way better quality, and since it's from human-food ingredients, there's no sales tax. But I digress...

A lot of all-year cyclists get a second "winter-beater" bicycle. Salt and melting snow are rough on bikes, so consider something that won't break your heart if it wears out quickly. Shoot, you just missed the police bike auction, but just keep your eyes peeled for used bikes.

Oh, and you might want to look into studded tires. I got a pair last year, and of course had little occasion to use them, but when I did, I was sure glad I had them.

> From: John Moxness <[EMAIL PROTECTED]! M>
>
> i'm thinking of selling my truck and not ! replacing it. whoa! big move
> here. so i figured i ask if any other bikies have done the same to find out
> how they prepared and what things you just didn't figure on. i live about
> 7 miles from work which would take me from the barrymore theatre area to the
> intersection of whitney and university - a pretty bike friendly route. it
> helps me out being that i live close to the jennifer street market. i just
> wish i had a pet store around the corner too as i have a very large and
> always hungry dog.
>
> please give me suggestions on winter clothing. i have done a fair share of
> winter riding and i do have some winter riding gear but i've not had to rely
> on it every day. how about a trailer/mule for hauling big stuff? i do
> have a wonderful backpack made by vaude, siena 40 - i would suggest that
> pack to all bikers!! i've never used panniers so i am clueless as to how
> well they w! ould work in a winter commuting situation. please advise.
>
> and if anyone thinks i'd be crazy to go completely carless i'd like to hear
> your story too.
>
> thanks much for your input as it could produce one more full time year round
> commuter convert.

---------------
Paul T. O'Leary
Desktop Insurgent
Madison, WI USA

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