Posted
by chrys anthalbee
September 1, 2005 at 8:21 a.m.
Bike Slut (reprise)
Today was the first time this week that I drove my car to work. I was all prepared to bike but I need to pick the H-bomb up on the way home so one day this week won't hurt me.On the way in I filled up the gas tank so my wife wouldn't have to when she drove to class tonight. I spent somewhere around twenty-four dollars to fill up my Honda Civic's gas tank. I did a quick calculation in my head and figure that each day I bike I save sixty cents on gas. That might not seem like a lot but each week I save a gallon of gas. And with the price of gas uncertain I could be saving a lot more in the future.I didn't start biking to work to save money on gas, that's just a benefit. I've always planned on biking to get things done instead of just for fun. But there's always an excuse about the weather or the distance or how I can manage carrying something on my bike. One morning as I began my commute I reminded myself how much I enjoy biking and that rather than a chore this should be fun.In the last week or so it seems like a lot more people are picking up the habit. Maybe the price of gas has got to them or maybe I'm just finding my fellow bikers more salient. I'd encourage all of you to pick up the habit but that's for you to decide. I didn't write this post to be sanctimonious... we'll see how I do this winter.One more thought only tangentially related to this topic. Every time I get a glass of water or go to the bathroom or eat a warm meal I think of the people in the Gulf states. It humbles me to think of what they are doing without. We all get caught up in our petty day-to-day complaints but something like this catastrophe should wake something up in our head. Sometimes it takes something huge to induce mindfulness but it's something we should be able to tap into every day.Appreciate the life that you have and you will have more life.
and 7 others
Comments
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beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) says…
"Sometimes it takes something huge to induce mindfulness but it's something we should be able to tap into every day."
"Appreciate the life that you have and you will have more life"
A-frickin-men, brutha.
The unfortunate thing is, the majority of people will tap into this for awhile...until it slowly fades away.
Joel (Joel Mathis) says…
Chad:
A certain stunningly handsome reporter wrote about this in the Journal-World this morning...
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/sep...
beatle919 (Marcy McGuffie) says…
Stunningly handsome? Where? ;)
chrysanthalbee (chrys anthalbee) says…
joel i should read the paper before i post. i read your article after i wrote and noticed how this post and your article coincide.
how's your biking going? i've heard that biking improves your appearance.
Joel (Joel Mathis) says…
Some days I bike, some days I walk. I don't know about my appearance, but I haven't been in my own car since Saturday because I haven't really needed to.
There's the trip to Hillsboro this weekend, however, which I expect to be good n' pricy.
Todd (anonymous) says…
At what cost point will people stop using private transportation altogether? Most the cost of owing a motor vehicle is not in gas. I'd estimate it takes about $3,000/year to own a car over it's lifetime. (That's for a cheap car too with low estimates for repairs and such) I'll throw out another estimate too... 500 gallons of gas per year. Given that and $3/gal gas you spend $4500/year per automobile. That's about 10% of median household income. And most households have 2 autos!
My question is... how much more costly does it have to get before you (not people in general) ditch one, more, or all of your automobiles?
chrysanthalbee (chrys anthalbee) says…
Todd you're absolutely right. what i can't understand is the number of SUVs on the road. there are plenty of hummers in lawrence alone. personally i can't fathom owning a vehicle like that but i'm not one of the people that the salesman in joel's article is talking about:
"I think a lot of people who can afford a $45,000-$50,000 truck, the difference of a dollar in the price of gas doesn't bother them that much"
the conversation i've been having with a co-worker is why are there not more alternative fuel options? it's not because the technology doesn't exist. it has a lot to do with consumers. people continue to buy gasoline powered cars so the manufacturers keep making them. the only energy conscious options that have been given consumers are higher mpg, not alternative fuel. and, even with these options and the few hybrids that are starting to become readily available, people buy hummers and huge SUVs!
so i think the question might be when do you ditch your fossil fuel based automobiles?
cfdxprt (anonymous) says…
I go to the local gas station in the morning's to get my coffee and BS with the lady who works the counter. One of my usual questions is how much it's costing to fill up a Navigator these days, right now it's around $70 at which point I just laugh. The people who thought they were buying a status symbol really just bought a 1 way ticket to the poor house.
It wasn't really a cost issue for me to sell my car it was the realization that everything I needed to get to was within a 5 mile radius so biking or walking seemed logical.
I think you're seeing more people biking because the weather is nicer. I bike a lot and I gave it up for the most part during the dog days of summer, it just wasn't enjoyable. Last weekend I went for a 25 mile ride for the first time in a while.
Todd (anonymous) says…
Chad, I disagree. Most of the ownership cost of automobile ownership costs doesn't come from the fuel. Gas would need to be a lot higher for that to happen. (All else being equal) Sadly for most people (and it's not just Americans) it's worse than detailed in my previous post.
Americans spend about the same on their transportation costs (ie cars) than their shelter. People finance a product the continually lowers in value! Here are some fun links to play around with. (Total ownership costs) I think they are a bit on the high side but then I do some repair work myself and am in general a thrifty individual.
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/cto/CTOin...
http://www.bikesatwork.com/carfree/co...
(thought this blog would like the 2nd link better)
Better cut this off before it goes into full rant mode. I don't have a problem with what people choose to spend their money on or why. I just want people to see what they are doing and understand they have some choice in the matter.
OtherJoel (anonymous) says…
Since time and distance factors prevent cycling from being a reasonable commuting option, I'm still planning on fixing up an old Mercedes diesel and setting that sucker up to run on biodiesel (refined fryer grease) -- it will be a pain in the ass and winter driving is probably not a viable option (the stuff gels up even with heated tanks on the coldest days), but as gas prices continue to climb, the prospect seems less and less ridiculous. I've been wanting to do this for years (mainly to justify my selfish motives for wanting a classic Benz), but I'm thinking I should probably move soon, since more people may get the same idea and increase demand (and consequently the prices) for those cars. There are still a lot of 240Ds and 300Ds out there, and as it is, they are pretty reasonably priced.
I do think I will get a new bike for errands around town though. I have a really crappy one that I've been hauling around for 7 years without ever really riding it, so its not really worth saving. It is really silly to drive 2 miles for milk and a few staple items from Dillon's.
OtherJoel (anonymous) says…
"I don't have a problem with what people choose to spend their money on or why. I just want people to see what they are doing and understand they have some choice in the matter."
I do. The Hummer, Suburban, and Navigator, drivers, all drive up our consumption rates to points where we can barely sustain demand. This is the main reason our prices are what they are -- The hurricane was a factor, but it was a problem long before that. I fully believe that we would have the capacity to sustain consumption if everyone would at least consider mileage when buying a vehicle, which would give automakers more of an incentive to explore alternatives. Meanwhile gas prices would rise at a more reasonable rate. The only silver lining I see here is that it seems like the only thing that can change behavior is if people start feeling it in their pocketbooks.
And Todd, if you drive, say, a Ford Expedition, and drive 20,000 miles a year at 10 miles/gallon, that's 2,000 gallons, not 500, and the cost then becomes about $6,000 a year (and will go up). In Olathe, many driveways have an Expedition and a full size pickup. So they probably spend over $10,000 on gas alone. Your math applies more to someone like me who bought a compact -- and thankfully, gas is not a huge factor - yet. But it still pisses me off that I am paying more because of their obsession with these monstrous status symbols.
OtherJoel (anonymous) says…
Also, cfdxprt - being someone who works in the industry, what are your thoughts on ethanol? It seems to be a great idea -- we already refine it as a gasoline additive, conversion is relatively cheap, and it will give farmers a reason to grown corn other than pumping everything we eat full of high fructose corn syrup. From what little I know, it seems like the logical next step, but admittedly I haven't researched it that thoroughly.
OK, now I'm done -- I think.
cfdxprt (anonymous) says…
I like ethanol as a fuel source. It burns relatively clean and it's renewable. The only downside to it, and this has been a problem in racing for years, is that it also burns with an almost clear flame. This creates problems with an accident where the fuel tank ruptures and catches on fire. Nonobservant people could walk into the fire, but then again Darwin is a son of a bitch...
The Oil and Gas Journal is reporting today that there's going to be long term effects from Katrina on the industry. 20 drilling rigs are missing in the Gulf, not just unmoored, gone and 5 major refineries are still under water, since 18% of our gas came from down there and every major refinery was already running at peak production, their hidden message was this is really bad. Maybe this will be the impetus for the gov't committing to explore alternative fuel sources.
Todd (anonymous) says…
Dang OtherJoel, you are worse than me on this subject :) Maybe it's just the Libertarian in me but I believe in letting the market decide the price of goods. If that means getting out bidded then so be it. The reason gasoline is so expensive is that consumption doesn't decrease when the price increases. The only other goods I can think of with this property are illegal drugs and military equipment. Heck, even the demand for medical care goes down as the cost increases. (notice I didn't say "need ")
I feel that at the bottom of all this people feel entitled to automobile ownership. You know the attitude... I work hard, save my money, etc... I should at least be able to afford a small 10 year old civic. This is the very attitude I disagree with. No, just because you are nice person and do what you're suppose to it doesn't entitle you to anything.
Again, gas isn't even 1/2 the total ownership cost of owning a car for a vast majority of owners.
chrysanthalbee (chrys anthalbee) says…
todd i'm in agreement with the philosophy that markets should decide the price of goods. and generally it's a sort of natural selection, prices go up and goods fall out of demand. but the price for gasoline is inelastic.
people should be able to buy whatever they can afford to. but personally i think it's ludicrous to continue to throw money at a limited resource. especially because it is plainly obvious and has been for decades. for some reason we don't have other options for powered transportation. i believe it's partly because people choose to avoid the white elephant and partly because there's money to be had in the industries that produce gasoline.
and yes there are other factors that drive up the cost of auto ownership. insurance, repairs, etc all cost more than a tank of gas does. but in aggregate the cost of gas is a formidable expense.
but beyond our consumption of gas for driving the thing that concerns me is the cost for all goods dependent upon fossil fuels for transportation and manufacture. even if i went completely two wheeled the costs of the goods that i buy are going to be driven up by the increased costs to produce and distribute those goods.
and otherjoel, i'm one of the lucky ones that commuting on a bike is viable. like cfdxprt, most of the things i do in town are in a 5 mile radius of my house, including work. it's not an option for everyone, for work, but like you said a quick trip to the store is easily done by bike.
OtherJoel (anonymous) says…
I don't feel "entitled" to drive a car -- my reasons for driving now are practical. I don't have to drive, but I also don't have to work at an employer other than the Sonic down the street. So I opted to drive, and intentionally picked a model that would use the least amount of fuel. People I actually hate driving -- if my wife and I didn't work so far apart, I would happily give it up (and did for a while when we had access to reliable public transportation).
And yes, people are free to buy whatever obscene vehicle they want. And I am free to hate them for it. Ain't America grand?
OtherJoel (anonymous) says…
"People I actually hate driving " I actually didn't mean to put "People" in there. It was meant to be a direct statement, not a call to action, e.g. "people i"m here to tell ya..."
Mercator (anonymous) says…
Great discussion.
I have been totally without a car for quite a while and luckily, Lawrence is great place to be a pedestrian.
As someone who has had (a loved having) a car since turning 18, I have discovered some benefits of going without:
1. I have saved $$$$. Can't remember the last time I looked at the price of gas, although recent events have brought it to my attention. I don't have a car payment. I don't pay insurance. I don't worry about the tires, the brakes, the oil changes, etc. Everynow and then I fork over 50 cents to take the T crosstown, but thats it. Bike maintenance is not irrelavent, but in comparison to a car.... I replaced the brake pads on my Schwinn for less than $10 the other day.
2. Relief of pressure on infrastructure. I don't worry about rush hour traffic. I don't worry about traffic at all. Can't find a parking space? Sucks for you. Bikes and feet do far less damage to roads and sidewalks than motor vehicles. It may cost upfront to build good sidewalks and bikelanes, but they won't need repaving every other year.
3. I'm healthy! The wife and I have lost weight! In a country with a pretty serious obesity problem, more people need to walk and bike. It does a body good. I go to the grocery store more often, because I can't load the car up with a weeks worth of loot. Therefore I eat fresher foods and sometimes make hard decisions in the middle of the store, knowing that those bottles of Mt Dew will have to be carried home if I really want them.
4. A more relaxing commute. I've never been frustrated by other pedestrians to the point I must flip them off... or worse. Do you know what kind of flowers grow along the streets you commute on? I do. I know when the trees are fruiting. I know who else owns a dog, who has kids that like to shoot hoops. I feel much more connected with my neighborhood and the city in general.
There are times when a car is a necessity. The local Enterprise has really good weekend rates. A lot of businesses will deliver if you ask. And there is the T.
Sorry for blathering on so, but get rid of your car! Its not that bad!
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says…
We're a 1 car family, and at this point, as long as we never have to leave town, we're ok. :) The kids can walk to school, hubby can bike, and theoretically so can I. Now, as long as it doesn't get as hot as it did in the middle of July, I should be ok.
OJoel- For years I hung on to my 1973 VW Squareback with the intent of converting it. *sigh* I wish now that I'd kept the damn thing. I have a feeling it would have been easier to convert that than my '02 Aztek.
cfdxprt (anonymous) says…
Mercator - Great points, on the more relaxing commute, not only that, but now that school is back in session I "commute" around a bunch of kids running and playing and having fun. It makes me feel a little more like a kid...
Joel (Joel Mathis) says…
"There are times when a car is a necessity. The local Enterprise has really good weekend rates. A lot of businesses will deliver if you ask. And there is the T."
Or there was my good friend, the CafeSiren, who would borrow my car when she needed to make a quick errand. Otherwise, she was all bike, all the time.
MyName (anonymous) says…
From what I've read about Ethanol, it really only has two advantages over petroleum: It burns cleaner, and it's produced in the midwest (as opposed to the middle east). Since pretty much all of the ethanol in the US is produced from corn, it actually takes more energy to make (in the form of fertilizers and fuel for tractors) than you get out of it as ethanol. The only reason it's cheaper is because it's heavily subsidized. Your best bet is probably biodiesel.
I think probably the near future for cars is going to be diesel-electric hybrids, which are way more efficient (even an SUV will get 30+ MPG), but still not very cheap to make. You can also forget about fixing the thing yourself, unless you're an engineer or something. Until then, probably your
I should probably walk more than I do. Half the people I work with walk or bike to work, but I hate the heat. The really frustrating thing for most poor people, is that gasoline is probably the biggest cost, with car repairs a close second. It's almost the exact opposite of what it is for everybody else who buy new cars, where the two biggest costs are the car loan, and insurance.
Todd (anonymous) says…
Not trying to be a link whore but...
The Cost of Driving
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm82.htm
I found this pretty interesting. Seems like a bunch of stuff I've read before put into one site.
What surprises me is that in my own exeriences calling a taxi for everyone of my trips comes out cheaper than owning a car. (until I started the OlatheLawrence commute)
chrysanthalbee (chrys anthalbee) says…
all this talk makes me want to ride. thanks for all the input. i especially appreciate the comments from those of you that have actually dropped out of the car lifestyle. talking about not paying insurance each month really hit home with me. my wife and i had a serious discussion about losing one car.
yesterday as i was walking out of the office a co-worker stopped me and said she saw me biking the day before and it inspired her to commute in to work on her bike.
puto (anonymous) says…
" Since pretty much all of the ethanol in the US is produced from corn, it actually takes more energy to make (in the form of fertilizers and fuel for tractors) than you get out of it as ethanol."
Yeah, I saw that episode of West Wing too. But just because Alan Alda's character said it doesn't mean its true. I'm not sure if it was true at one point, and the technology has just improved this much, or (conspiracy theory alert) big oil and other lobbyist groups have been trying to implant the idea.
http://www.ethanol-gec.org/netenergy/...
If you're not into following links, the output/input ratio is 1.67.
cfdxprt (anonymous) says…
Chad - get rid of one car, if you're used to riding then you can save a ton of money. I know you have kids (at least I think) and once I have kids I'll own one car, it's about mandantory; but why pay insurance on something you hardly use.
We drew a lurker out based on our discussion, good job guys! Isn't the Alan Alda charcter a Republican, not making broad and sweeping generalizations or anything...
I'm all for ethanol, if it was produced on a "production" scale the costs would drop signficantly. Now the hippie in me is talking, you can get biodiesel out of hemp seeds and good ethanol out of the rest of the plant. Of course that's 30-40 years down the line before people wake up.
chrysanthalbee (chrys anthalbee) says…
cfdxprt we've looked at the costs and i think i can lose about $60 a month on insurance alone. factor in any gas and repairs and it seems like a smart move.
yesterday i biked over to pick up my civic from the shop. i had one major item fixed and a couple of other things replaced. total bill was $376. i wince when i think about how much bike schwag i could get with that amount of money.
and since i have an audience i'd like to share a couple of bad biking incidents. recently we were berated by a driver because allegedly we were "endangering" our kids. the driver told my wife that we were doing this by biking two abreast down a quiet residential street. she said that she came up right behind us and we didn't hear her and so we were in the wrong.
as my wife and i recounted events later we have to chalk that one up to road rage. we follow the rules of the road, we use approved road gear and i generally try and avoid high traffic areas and not impede traffic flow.
and just moments ago as we biked across the kaw river bridge someone threw an aluminum can at us!
rednekbuddha (Kelly Powell) says…
we have two vehicles, a mid sized truck and the white zombie which is a 84 honda with a quarter million miles on it(it's called the zombie because it refuses to die,bits keep falling off it but it just keeps going).....Now having owned up to being a dreaded car owner, let me state that we probably could drop the zombie but not having a vehicle would be impossible for us.....LeAnn would have no way to get supplies for where she works, nor could we harvest our garden for our biz which is eventually going to help us retire from having a boss to deal with. The zombie anymore is strictly regulated to get my arms and armor to local sca events and to run emergency errands.
i have stated before, if you want americans to drive less and own fewer vehicles we must have a working mass transit system . lawrence finally has made an attempt at providing a so so bus system (topekas' is alot better), but where is a light rail system so people could shuttle to kc for work? why cannot I jump on a train and go down to witchita? not that I would want to.
cfdxprt (anonymous) says…
Chad - I'll readily admit getting rid of a car takes getting used to, it takes a modification in lifestyle that you can't neccessarily drive when you want to. You'll end up happy though. It's not the money thing as much as the being a responsible citizen thing; and of course it already sounds like you're a responsible citizen.
$376 you could *almost* get a GOOD bike off ebay, the schwag you could get is - anything.
My bad biking incident was being clipped, to send me to the ground, and then run over by a drunk driver. Split my helmet in half, thank God I was wearing it. I couldn't prove in court it was intentional, but goddammit, those were some stupid kids that were wondering if this would be cool. All I could end up with was minor in possession and DUI charges. At which point I lost most faith in gov't.
I've had bottles (glass) thrown at me, cans, people run up way too close, almost anything. Bicyclist's should be able to carry a gun and trim the species of some of the stupid people. We're actually doing the world a service, so allow us that privledege - don't be a stupid, drunk college kid, or a dumb JoCo bitch or dude...
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says…
I rode my bike yesterday, I was a good bicyclist, I stayed on my side of the road etc.
Until I was on Louisiana. Then I hit the sidewalk.
I know it's wrong. But I am absolutely terrified of riding on well travelled streets. The rest of my trip was on quiet side streets, Louisiana was for one block.
I appreciate the "share the road" stuff, but I don't trust it.
OtherJoel (anonymous) says…
I understand where your coming from, Dazie. My dad was a hardcore cyclist, so I knew and understood that bicycles have just as much a right to be on the road as anyone from an early age. If you ride in the right lane and observe the traffic signals, in theory, you should be fine. I understood that as a driver, and while I have witnessed a few acts of stupidity by bikers, usually involving their running a red light, I rarely have problems with them. They're usually much more courteous than people in cars.
One good thing about Olathe (simmer down there, cfdxprt) is that it is a pretty bike-friendly town. Lots of trails and some streets have designated bike lanes.
cfdxprt (anonymous) says…
I liked the bike trails in Olathe when I lived there, they are good. I prefer the drivers here, they tend to be more courteous, although there's still some stupid people.
Dazie - don't worry too much about hitting the sidewalks every once in a while, at least until you get your bike confidence...I still get scared when I get passed by an RV going 60 mph on old K-10 when I'm riding to KC.
rednekbuddha (Kelly Powell) says…
Idiots riding their bikes on mass. st. sidewalks should be shot! I couldnt tell you how many times I've walked around a corner and have gotten a mouthfull of fucking spandex.
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says…
rednek- trust me- even I wouldn't do that.
And Lord knows NOBODY wants to see me in spandex. Yuck.
cmd (Chris Deman) says…
I'm 38 and feel like a teenager as my husband pedals and I hold onto his back as we ride the wrong way down the alleys on our way to work or back home from a movie at LHT and beers at FSB. Couldn't do this in Seattle...hills are too big and traffic too heavy. i love lawrence!!