Alcohol Ban on Beaches

Yesterday, as I hung out under my umbrella in South Mission Beach, I watched two police officers on quads continuously cruise the beaches looking for alcohol. I watched them pull up to a family with kids running in and out of the water, and parents chatting in beach chairs. They looked into the cup the man was holding and issued him a citation for having alcohol on the beach.

Really? I mean, really...

The impact of the alcohol ban on the beaches of San Diego sunk in. An unfortunate "riot" in Pacific Beach last summer has resulted in the excessive surveillance of beaches spanning the length of the county of San Diego. The bans have been imposed all the way up to North County, with tickets and warnings being issued without second thought. I don't think I am alone in believing these ordinances should be enforced with peace officers using the spirit, rather than the letter of the law.

Was the alcohol ban set to stop dads drinking a beer on the beach while enjoying time with family? Of course not...the argument against alcohol was made to protect the families and their beach time. Was alcohol consumption disrupting family time on beaches? Yes, one could argue that holiday weekends in Pacific Beach were a bit nuts. But Del Mar? Solana Beach? The father discreetly sipping a beer with his wife in South Mission?

Although I understand the underlying issues that resulted in this alcohol ordinance, I am disappointed that more creative solutions were not considered to target problem areas and individuals. I am equally as disappointed in those charged with enforcing the new laws and their lack of perceived discretion in issuing citations.

On a lighter note, make sure to check out the boards posted recently on Rerip.com! Need some cash for the summer? Dust of that rhino chaser in your garage, take a picture, and post!

A look back.

Spending a month without my car has been enlightening, exhausting, inconvenient, and in the end, essential. I experienced first hand the little (and not so little) tweaks of the lifestyle required to make carlessness work. Also, I personally realized the physical, social, and mental changes that come with getting one’s backside out from behind the wheel and one’s entire body into the community.

Most critically, I learned that one month and one person is not nearly enough.

I was a bit apprehensive when realization dawned on me that I had openly committed to giving up my car for a full month …and had no idea what to expect. A month (and many miles) later, I have concluded that the biggest adjustments required for a carless lifestyle are predictably those that involve the most important aspects of your life: family, work, and surfing.

Family must be first supportive and understanding of why you are not driving (inevitably it will create inconveniences for those closest to you) and second they must be willing to adjust to changes in daily life. In this category I have been blessed with amazingly understanding friends, family, coworkers, and most importantly an open minded and exceptionally supportive husband. The month without the civic would have been incredibly lonely without someone (namely Todd) laughing at my comical biking outfits, interested to hear about my bussing adventures, and understanding of my need to get up a bit earlier every morning (along with the desire to go to bed at 9:30).

Initially, it was hard to tell some friends that I could not come all the way to their house or to our regular haunts to get together, but soon alternative meeting places were found that required no more driving on their end, and a bus or bike ride on mine. In addition, instead of making special trips to see my parents and relatives, we were able to see each other in times and places that were incorporated with our commutes. My business partner in Rerip.com Meghan and I learned to (somewhat) effectively get things done over the phone and in neutral meeting grounds.

Work is a dynamic that was justifiably one of the most interesting and challenging parts of living without a car. Employers have arguably the largest influence on a person and what their commuting habits must be; how far they must go, at what time, and the amount of commuting required during the day. Employees have a limited number of choices that can be made in terms of the commute and environmental concerns, as those choices must be conscientiously balanced with the need to earn a living and support families.

In practical terms, the most important aspects of a workplace in regards to the biking commute involve an onsite shower and locker area (or one close by in the form of a gym), a place to park your bike, and a safe commute. For those that must get on freeways or travel through non-biker friendly areas, a bike/bus/bike commute is surprisingly easy, as all busses are equipped with bike racks.

In more theoretical terms, as a community and as those that care about the environment, we rely on our employers for more than our paycheck. We must also rely on employers and business owners to support sustainability, not merely in the products they use or their production methods (although this is important as well) but in the lifestyle they require of their employees. Imagine the impact if just a few of the largest employers in San Diego County created work-from-home options for employees just one day a week, or turned 90% of their meetings to conference calls. Can you visualize the impact on the environment if incentives (in the form of healthcare refunds) were offered for biking, bussing, or carpooling?

My carless month provided insight on impact on family and work life, and it also shed light on the adjustments required of leisure time. For many of you reading this, the main question posed is, “how will carlessness affect my ability to go surfing?” Great question. Unless a person lives in walking distance to their favorite break, this is a serious consideration for many who consider getting in the water an essential part of their lives. For those in biking distance, bike racks designed to carry boards of all sizes can be used….I just saw a great set posted on Rerip.com! For those who live further away, the options are as follows:
1) Move to the beach (settle for a smaller pad, a tent, or if need be the back of your car).
2) Work your sessions into your commute and don’t make a special trip…try to get in the water on the way to or from work.
3) Take up jogging.

All in all, I loved my month without my car. I got in better shape, saved a ton of money, and met lots of new people. I read a book with all my time on the bus, learned a lot about bikes, and probably lowered my stress level by 400%. On a more global level, I was encouraged to see that changes in lifestyle that decrease our impact as individuals are very feasible, our biggest limitations are ourselves and our fear of the discomforts and inconveniences of change.

The bottom line is that we all need to make changes and we need to make them soon. I realized that after my month, I cannot in good conscience go back to driving my car every day now that I know I don’t need it. My personal contribution to environmental sustainability will be committing to carlessness at least 4 days every week… what is yours?

Can we consolidate our errands into fewer days a week? Of course. Can choosing locally grown foods become part of our shopping routine? Definitely. Can the business owners among us commit to business practices that require less travel for employees? Probably.

Can we, collectively, commit to one less day of driving on behalf of the preservation of our environment, our communities, and our health? I certainly hope so.

Thank you for supporting the ride!

Freaky physiology

The human body is really an amazing machine. It will do things you may have in your mind it cannot possibly do! For example, after riding my bike two full round trips to work on Monday and Tuesday, my body was exhausted and I felt I "needed" to take the bus on Wednesday morning, especially since I was signed up to teach a spinning class that evening. I packed my book into my backpack for the bus ride and rode my bike the 2 miles to the bus stop just in time to see it pull up with the bike racks already full.

Damn. I had to ride in. After a minor tantrum, my legs got down to business and carried me the remaining 10 miles, up the La Jolla Shores hill, and to safely work on time.

I was sure I was tapped out, done, beat, exhausted had reached muscular and other sorts of fatigue. Was my body telling me something here? Teaching me a lesson? Quite possibly. I would like to think that lesson is teaching me not to set limitations on what my physical “self” can and cannot do. As long as we properly care for and nourish our bodies, the limitations to our physical abilities are limited first by our mindsets…few of us are likely ever to release our mental limitations to truly see what our full physical potential may be.

Rain

Today I was humbled. Commuting without a car in San Diego in the spring is all well and good, but how on earth do people do it in places where there is...weather?

It hit me today that here in So Cal, the long days and mild temperatures make biking a relative piece of cake. The light rain that I rode my bike through this morning not only put me in an uncomfortable situation and a bad mood, it forced me to understand how unbelievably unprepared I am to deal with any extremes in weather.

What I SHOULD have had today to deal with the rain:
1) Fenders on my bike
2) A raincoat
3) Long funny pants (aka bike pants)
4) Head lights and tail lights
5) waterproof backpack

What I DID have today:
1) A wet and sandy butt
2) A wet head and shoulders
3) cold legs
4) less than optimal safety conditions on the road
5) a wet backpack (and wet contents)
6) a bad mood:(

21 days and 15 minutes

Research has shown that it takes 21 days for a person to create or modify a habit. I hit day 21 yesterday, and I must say I have absolutely no desire to get back into my car. Take this for what it is worth, but not driving has done me a world of good…it is as though I have taken a deep breath and have mellowed myself out. In trying to put my finger on the exact “mellowing” effect my carless commute has had for the past 21 days, I was able to break it down to 15 minutes.

What is fifteen minutes to me? Fifteen minutes is half of my typical lunch break, the incremental spread on the time clock for payroll at work and the amount of time it usually takes me to get really annoyed if someone is late. Now, 15 minutes has morphed into the amount of time between busses on my route (I have had to wait those 15 minutes plenty of times), the length it takes me to ride about 4 miles on my way to work, and about how much quality reading time I get on the bus each time I ride. Specifically, 15 minutes is the amount of time that used to stress me out, and no longer does.

How much time will that reduced stress add to my life? Maybe 15 minutes? Maybe 21 days? Maybe more…maybe less. Either way, I won’t be wasting 15 minutes worrying over it...

Guest Bloggers

Kieth on Transportation and life in Tahoe:

Transportation: You would be amazed at the vibe up here..It is what Solana Beach once was. Down to Earth people that share time with family and friends. Little or no arrogance with very meager earthly possessions. Rarely lock their doors and always welcome you into their homes. Business open late on powder days and it is both accepted and understood. Pretty darn cool!!

In this small town, if it were not for ice roads in the winter, you could ride a bike everywhere and there would be no need for cars. Many people do not own cars as the public transportation up here is pretty good. All the ski resorts have free shuttles to the mountains. South Lake Tahoe has the “Blue-Go” bus that runs back and forth from one end of town to the other. The bus stops always are filled with workers, skiers and tourists. You can truly park your car and not use it. I work form home so have the luxury of not commuting as I did in So Cal. Maybe travel 3 miles a day and fill up about once every two weeks.

On a grander scale, San Diego has the Coaster and busses, but many choose not to use them. My belief is that it is an inconvenience factor and every one is in a hurry to get to and from work, appointments etc. Many Asian countries have mass transportation dialed-in. Cars are not an option. This is a feasibility, but the County would have to step-up. They are starting to get-it with car pool lanes etc, but it is like trying to start training an 80 year old to live a healthy life…too little too late??????

John on surfing, N. Rios, and gas prices:

I can't believe how most people just keep swiping the card at the gas pump no matter what it costs, you are setting a good example for all of us. I haven't gone as far as you have but definitely think harder before I jump in the car to go some place. It's been a long time since I put a surfboard in a car, I can always find some kind of waves within bike range of N.Rios Ave. I heard some encouraging news today, that gas consumption in California this January was actually less than it was last year in January. People must be driving less, or maybe leaving the Hummer in the garage and driving something more reasonable.

What I like best.

What do I like best so far about my carless commute?

There are lots of things I like…the lack of parking, the time to myself, the money savings, the fact that I have almost finished The Omnivore Dilemma with my time riding the bus, the exercise…

I decided the thing I like BEST is the thing I least expected when I gave up my car, it is the increased sense of being part of the community. Instead of traveling alone, I now travel with others whether I am on my bike or in the bus…the isolation of the car has turned into a family of commuters. I feel as though, instead of stopping my life in terms of interactions during the time between home and work, I am diving in to the community and enriching myself in the process. I am interacting with more people on a daily basis than I ever have in my life, and am experiencing the uncanny diversity in individuals…especially through my time on the bus.

My community now includes the bus drivers and the “regulars” that take the same routes that I do. It includes the elderly gentleman who rides the bus from La Jolla to Carlsbad to play the piano in the senior center, the gaggle of UCSD students on their ongoing migration to and from campus, and even the transient with the electric wheelchair (that he definitely does not need for walking). It also includes the other bikers on the road either commuting or out for a ride, the dog walkers I pass on a regular basis, and the homeless I ride past in PB every morning whose bikes (stacked high with bags of bottles and cans) are not only their transportation, but also their homes and their livelihood.

I like best the sense of community that has grounded me, and I cringe to think of all that I formerly and ignorantly drove past every day without second thought …

Day 21

Day after day, I am reminded of the fact that our community is designed with the car in mind. Today I was reminded that employers, even if they do not require a car of their employees explicitly in a job description, still require cars of their employees. For example, I had an off-site management meeting for work today from 7:30am-11:30am. Managers from about 10 sites all over San Diego came together for a quarterly meeting…each in their own car. Going without a car posed a few unique challenges to me today, needless to say.

I felt a little self conscious pulling up to our meeting site on my bike with all my nice clothes gently wadded into my orange (and increasingly dirty) backpack. Years of surfing and towel changes made my transformation from biker to manager in the resort bathroom a snap, and I was able to easily stow my helmet and other commuting “accessories” under a table. The big issue of the day arose for me when the meeting ended, and the other 158 attendees spilled out of the meeting, into their cars, and were on the road back to their places of work. My time was not as efficiently spent as I changed back into my bike clothes, rode 12 minutes to the nearest bus stop, waited for 6, rode for 35, biked for 8, then arrived at work to change back into my work clothes (increasing exponentially in wrinklyness).

Did I mind this delay in getting back to work? Hell no! I loved the fact that I could spend a bit of time to myself, get a bit of exercise, and avoid the driving commute and lack of parking that I am loving not missing. Did my employer mind? Had he noticed he may have…

Here are my suggestions for the necessary (on occasion) group meetings required by most employers:

1) Promote carpooling…does each person really need to drive their OWN car to every meeting? I mean, really…
2) Plan meetings in central locations near public transportation. If we are going to actually make changes in our driving habits, we need to support those habits every day.
3) Create extra time in a day for commuting after off site meetings. Today, our meeting was adjourned at 11:30, and it took me a little over an hour to get back to my office with my changing, riding, bussing, biking athon. I had another scheduled meeting at 2 which was fine, but I know many others were rushing back to other meetings within the ½ hour which would have made the carless commute impossible.

Any thoughts or suggestions?!

Work travel

I spent part of last weekend traveling for work up to Roseville, California. Like many suburban communities, the city was big, lined with shopping malls and restaurants, and totally lacking functional public transportation. I ignorantly assumed that public transportation from the airport in Sacramento to the city of Roseville would not be a difficult endeavor, and paid for my lack of research by spending 6 hours of my day waiting for one of only 2 busses from Sacramento to my destination. Good thing it was not a Saturday when there were NO busses traveling that route!

That being said, I can reflect on what I got out of my 36 hour trip that I would have completely missed had I rented a car and driven directly to the hotel I stayed at. First, I had some free time to check out the local shopping mall (much to my husbands disappointment). Second, I walked, and walked, and walked. After I walked a little bit more, I realized that Sacramento is a beautiful city! I walked right in to our state capitol building, past a few historical sights, and have to say I truly enjoyed the city. San Diego, we have a bit of work to do at becoming as friendly as the commuters in Sac Town. Very helpful people!

On top of that, standing at bus stops and riding busses puts you in contact with some interesting folks. I learned a lot about the city and the surrounding area, and a random woman even gave me a free pass for the bus ride!

Taking a glance at the financial implications of my public transportation option, I paid $2.25 (thanks to the generosity of the lady behind me in the bus line) to get from the airport to downtown Sacramento, then to Roseville. What a steal!

Heavy heart...

The last 36 hours have been overwhelmed with a sense of shock and sadness. The beautiful community where I have worked as a lifeguard for over 10 years is in shock, and I (along with many others) struggle to understand the freak accident that has taken the life of a family friend. My heart breaks for Dr. Dave Martins friends and family, for the lifeguards and the community of Solana Beach, and for the loss of "innocence" of the north county water-loving community.

Happy Belated Earth Day!

This was a big week, an exciting week, and a very "inconvenient" week.

On a collective scale, we had Earth Day and the Pennsylvania primaries. On a more selfish scale, the week was punctuated by my very sore butt, a 6 am 2-mile run (yes, run) to the bus stop on account of my poor planning, and no fresh fruit or vegetables.

Lessons learned, week 2:
1) Bike riding and public transportation take more preparation than driving a car.
2) Make sure your bike is fit to your body properly (see sore butt above)
3) There are plenty of alternatives for construction zones and narrow busy streets, and they are worth the additional minutes!
4) Different bikes do different things...research the best one for commuting (not mine) before you make a purchase!!

Epiphanies, week 2:
1) It feels GOOD to get a workout in before you start your workday...I start the day relaxed, energized, and feeling healthy. Health care blog entry to follow:)
2) 1/2 the stress in a given day comes from driving and parking. Not driving+not parking=mellow commuter.
3) Riding the bus makes you feel like you are part of the community...I feel like my eyes have opened up a bit. Although the people seated around you on a given bus ride could be from dozens of different backgrounds and life situations, the bus brings you all together for a "shared ride."

I'm traveling for work tomorrow...anyone know about the bus routes from Sacramento to Roseville??

The cost of the commute

In the United States, approximately 6.6 tons (almost 15,000 pounds carbon equivalent) of greenhouse gases are emitted per person every year. For every mile that a person avoids driving their car, just about one pound of carbon equivalent can be saved.

The financial costs to avoiding the use of a car are becoming quite apparent to me right now, as the price of gas keeps climbing higher and higher. The average price has increased by $.16 over the last 2 weeks. Wow. With my commute of 24 miles a day and my moderately efficient Honda Civic, I would still be paying about $4/day on gas. That is $120/month, and $1,440 on gas for the commute alone.

Mammoth

I'm in Mammoth with my family this weekend, and no, I did not ride my bike up here...

I got an email from a friend when I started my month without my car who said that he could never give up his car because of the distance that he had to travel to work, but that he carpooled with a coworker, "does that count?" Of course it counts. The whole point of the carless month is to take another car off the road...to lessen the impact and to see what sacrifices need to be made to live without a car. That being said, I am up here in mammoth, I rode the bus to get to my ride to the mountain, and I am still not using my car.

Being in the Sierras is one of my favorite places to be, and it is one of the best to consider our environmental impacts. As far as places that will be impacted the most severely by the increasing earth temperature, the mountain areas rank among the highest. From the diverse weather patters to the dynamic ecosystem, and considering the water supply created for much of the state of California by these mountains, my time up here makes me want to work harder and do more to protect this unbelievable place.

Day 6: Commentary

Day 5

I thought I was in good shape. I was wrong. Very wrong.

As I sit here tonight on the couch with an aching low back and an exertion hangover, I am humbled by what a bike ride has done to me.

I've been researching lately (for obvious reasons) about other people who don't use their cars for their commute, and it is inspiring. I read a story on the web about a couple who sold their cars to save money and gas...an inspiring testimonial about a man who used his biking to help him give up smoking, and...and finally came in contact with a woman planning to ride her bike from San Francisco to Portland with the hopes of raising money ($7,000) for the Surfrider Foundation. It's the stories, the individual motivations, and the knowledge that all the individuals doing little things to keep their cars off the road is adding up to something that mad me look forward to getting back on my bike at 6:30 tomorrow morning...

Day 2: The Commute

Running totals: 10 miles on the bus, 26 miles on the bike, 0 in the car

Lessons learned:

1) Don't wear wide leg sweat pants on a bike without a chain guard:(

2) Don't underestimate the value of being kind to the bus driver.

3) Getting honked at sucks.

All in all, I have learned that the bus system is much better in San Diego than I anticipated it would be, and the biking conditions much worse. While my bus ride was comfortable and relaxing, I have found drivers on the road impatient and the road conditions less than optimal for a daily commute.

I must admit, as a driver, I have been quite frustrated with bikers who ride in the traffic lanes when there is a perfectly good bike lane available, or when they travel huge gaggles of spandex and create traffic jams in their wake. That being said, I consider myself a quite courteous bike rider, wearing an enormous orange backpack so I am easy to see, always staying as far to the side of the rode as I can, and even getting on sidewalks when possible. Sometimes when the roads lack a bike lane and there is no sidewalk to escape to, there is not much to do besides rely on drivers to have a few moments of patience to allow you to get to where you need to go.

Off to research bike etiquette...stay tuned for the helmet cam next week.

Changing Times

I filled up my car today on $3.76/gallon gas, then got back on the road to hear yet another update on NPR about the tanking US economy and uncertainties in the future of our water supply. How long will we as Americans keep the luxury of driving...not to mention the multitude of other luxuries we accept as the norm in our lifestyles everyday? It seems that the breaking point must be close...increasing complexities in the middle east indicate gas prices have not nearly hit their peak, while the bursting of the housing market bubble has created a ripple effect of job losses, budget cuts, a falling dollar value, and increasingly difficult financial times that have been felt not only here it the US but across the globe.

April 10th is coming soon...

Preparation

Preparing to give up my car has already posed more challenges than I anticipated. I got my bus pass, filled the tires on my bike, adjusted my schedule...and then got sick. I don't know about the rest of you, but hopping out of bed and onto a bike to get down to CVS to fill a prescription of antibiotics does not sound like a hoot to me. We made a small adjustment and pushed the Support the Ride campaign back by 10 days to start April 10th, and end on May 10th.

Anther interesting learning experience has been navigating the bus schedule! When I lived in North County San Diego, I had an easy ride on one bus from point A to point B. With my new location down in Mission Beach, I recently discovered that there are a minimum of 3 busses that need to be ridden to travel the 12 miles along the coast to my work! The bike is looking better and better all the time...

An Inconvenient Month.

So, apparently it's not getting any colder out there. It struck me recently as I watched yet another documentary profiling a homeless polar bear, that those clever environmental scientists were not trying to scare me into recycling with their predictions of rising oceans and dissapearing ice caps. They were actually just...telling the truth. Damn.

The question I forced myself to consider was more embarrassing than it was inconvenient. For how long will my reusable shopping bags, my misshapen locally grown carrots, and my organic cotton yoga pants be enough? How long will encouraging change in others through Rerip.com take the place of making serious lifestyle altering steps towards promoting sustainability? Considering the fact that there are over 6.5 BILLION people sharing our mother earth...I had to ask myself, what do I do every day to contribute to our global problem that I have not changed because it would be... inconvenient?

The answer is easy. I drive.

I live 12 miles from my workplace, 1/2 mile from a bus stop, and I own two perfectly good bikes. I love to surf and I never need to get into a car to get to the beautiful beach that sits a stones throw from my rented condo. The only reason I don't ride my bike or take the bus to work (or to the store, or anywhere else for that matter) comes down to not wanting to change my lifestyle in any way that might force an alteration of my routine, an increase in the energy I spend, or ohmygosh the possibility of sitting on the bus next to people that I don't know.

April, the great Earth Day month, I have decided is a fantastic month for raising the discomfort level and committing to make changes that may break the bubble of my comfortable life. I am committing to parking my car and leaving it put for 30 full days...to take the bus, to ride my bike, to find out what it means to make a lifestyle change for the cause.

I'll be blogging as I go, and would love the company of others who commit to changes of any type towards sustainability for the month, week, or even a day of inconvenience!