Monthly Archives: February 2009

Bus wireless, circa 2005

I’m at the Renton Transit Center, on the 106, waiting to pull out and head back to Seattle. Which reminds me, I rode a brand, spanking new 101 down here: a new style of seats, a new style of straps, and clea-ean. I took a pretty bad photo of the seats on my way out, which I might post later. I digress.

I’m running out of time to tell you that my beloved (and somewhat beleaguered) laptop just connected to somebody’s unsecured network long enough for me to check my Facebook feed (yes, I have an addiction) and my e-mail. Back when unsecured networks were the norm, Nerd and I used to jump on them at lights and stops almost every time we rode the 48. Ah, those were the days!

(Update, 3/3: Here’s my (blurry) photo of the seats.)

Busing (and biking) with baby(ies) in Boston

For those of you who are interested in car-free parenting stories, I highly, highly recommend Car Free with Kids, a blog written by Angela and Dorea Vierling-Claassen, two mathematicians and bike/bus/T chicks who are raising a child (soon to be two!) without a car. In a recent post about surviving car-free babyhood, they almost perfectly described my feelings on the subject.

So if it really is this hard, why do it? Why do the work of navigating pregnancy, babyhood and toddlerhood (perhaps several times) without a car? What, exactly, is the payoff? The payoff is a life in which your entire family is firmly integrated in your local neighborhood and your child isn’t made to sit still, strapped in, as you drive endless mindless miles from one thing to the next. The neighbors you meet as you are out walking or regularly frequenting the local park (because it is so close, and you can’t really drive to the nicer one a little farther away), become the friends that you call when your whole family is throwing up, but you are out of pedialyte and soda crackers. And if you are already a person who loves the freedom and independence of biking and minimal dependence on a car, isn’t that something you want to share with your kid(s)? Life changes when kids come into the picture, but you don’t have to leave what matters to you behind. Better to keep the things you love and are proud of, and include your children, even if it’s a little inconvenient at first.

I couldn’t have said it better–except that I don’t think it’s that hard. Well, maybe sometimes. There are days when I come home and complain to Bus Nerd about particular struggles, which generally involve errands with Chicklet or attempts to visit far-flung friends.* I tend to start my rants by saying something like, “I don’t regret our choice to live this way and don’t want to change it, but … daaaaaaaaaaang!” Nerd usually gives me his “What’s the big deal?” look (sometimes he even says, “So what’s the big deal?”), and I eventually get over it.

From now on, I’ll just check in with Angela and Dorea when I need some encouragement.

* An example: My friend Sundee, a fellow biracial, left-handed, writer, mom, and Good Shepherd member, lives in unincorporated King County, also known as Land of No Buses–or sidewalks, for that matter. I have to rent a Zipcar (which involves reserving the one car that’s within walking distance–assuming it’s available–and then schlepping Chicklet and her car seat the three plus blocks to pick it up) every time I want to visit her, so it doesn’t happen very often. I’m all for sticking with what’s in your neighborhood, but–unlike dry cleaners and video stores–friends aren’t interchangeable.

Bus Chick plays suburban mom

Last Sunday, the bus fam made a rare weekend trip to the Eastside (48+545+221) to attend a birthday party at–ahem!–Chuck E. Cheese. The place didn’t seem to impress Chicklet much, but then again, she’d already taken three exciting rides (with big wheels and spinning seats and ringing bells!) before we even arrived.

Yesterday, Chicklet and I made another trip to the Eastside (27+550)–for our second-ever visit to Babies R Us. The store itself was a bit frightening (Have I mentioned that I don’t care for shopping?), but the excursion was delightful. The entire trip took three hours, which included about 45 minutes in the store. The rest of the time was spent traveling/waiting, certainly longer than it would have taken to drive (sans traffic) to and from Bellevue, but–by my calculations–we didn’t lose any time. During our trip, Chicklet lunched, napped, and “read” (with the help of Mommy) her latest favorite books. I enjoyed several short, brisk walks in the sunshine (no need to set aside special time to exercise) and quality time with my kid. Had we been home, we wouldn’t have spent the afternoon much differently.

And I challenge any SUV mom to top the big vehicle we used to carry home our purchases.

More on the stimulus and transit

Tonight on PBS NOW:

President Obama’s stimulus money is nearly out the door and on its way to the states, but will it be spent in the way it is intended? One alarming example: Mass transit. Cities and states, strapped for money, are cutting back on mass transit even as it becomes more popular with Americans. Meanwhile, President Obama is calling for increased mass transit as a necessary step toward energy independence. Will the government’s investment dramatically revitalize our national travel infrastructure, or will states spend the money according to ‘business as usual’?

The show airs on KCTS at 8:30 PM.

Update: You can watch the show online here.

Looking this “gift horse” in the mouth

Looks like the transportation stimulus money that’s coming to Washington State prioritizes roads over transit, to the tune of $325 million dollars.

The stimulus bill would include close to $500 million to improve Washington’s highways, roads and bridges, along with an additional $175 million for new transit funding. The state could also compete for a share of a $60 million nationwide grant program for ferries and ferry terminals, and $1.5 billion for transportation projects of national or regional importance.

I can’t say that this was unexpected (I’ve been following the discussion and writing my reps), but it’s still beyond disappointing to see this unprecedented opportunity to invest in a sustainable transportation infrastructure pass us by.

I’ll keep you posted on how the transit money will be allocated.

Not that kind of transit stimulus

Friend and fellow bus chick, Erin (who also happens to be the girlfriend of Bus Nerd’s cousin), hipped me to this insanity:

A Metro driver was arrested on his route Wednesday morning for allegedly dealing rock cocaine – something King County sheriff’s deputies said he’d been doing on his No. 42 route for several weeks.

The driver, 54, was arrested shortly before noon near South Leo Street and Beacon Avenue South.

“Metro transit police conducted several undercover buys from the driver, including immediately prior to today’s arrest,” sheriff’s spokesman John Urquhart said. “Not all of the buys occurred from Metro busses.”

And again, “If you’re going to sell dope…”

Guess our new drug czar has his work cut out for him.