Wednesday, July 18, 2007

not about the car

It has been a year since I gave up the company car before I quit to go back to school. I never set out to be gung-ho bike commuter man.

It started as a necessity; I had no car. At school, eight blocks away, having a car would have been stupid. I would have been lazy and driven it everyday, finding some excuse. What I realized was that many of my classmates were doing just that. They were driving one, maybe two miles to school, even on nice days. I think that began to galvanize me. That was simply dumb. What a waste of everything, including the $100 parking permit ($300 for a reserved permit, often utilized by people car-pooling from Portland, which made sense). One person eschewed the permit, taking his chances with the City of Salem. After he got $100 in tickets, they booted his car, which cost him another $100.

Then it turned into a game. How much superior could I feel on a daily basis? I started shaving my legs, because hey, I was a cyclist. The legs turned into a comfort thing as well. They just felt better shaven. Anyway, I began to feel better physically and environmentally. The enormity of driving dawned on me. How much was I saving? How much was I protecting. Was that Hummer with the trophy undoing everything I was doing? Was this futile? I tried to spread the gospel of bike commuting, but most people thought it too much of a hassle; too burdensome to undertake.

One week, I had to wear a tie in the afternoon, everyday for four days. I rode in Monday morning with all of the dress clothes for the week, and stashed them on shelves near my desk in the library. Their they laid, all week, getting used up each day. It was actually easy. I explained what I had done to some of my classmates. They thought I was high.

After a year, it is no longer about not having a car. It is no longer about keeping fit. It is everything at once. I am doing my part for myself, for my neighborhood, for the air. Sound lofty and ethereal? Maybe.

And my legs are so smooth...

Ciao.

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