Friday, May 30, 2008
I'm Out of here...6:15 AM tomorrow...
The crazy lady down the street has everyone in the neighborhood pissed at her and a couple suing her. Here is a picture of her garbage can which has a big arrow on the top pointing the way it should face for the pick-up guys; hers is a wrong- way-can. Also, I love those cement lions on either side of the front walk.
She is the only thing I won't miss about Charleston this summer...oh yea, there is also that bike taxi cop.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Mass Transit..
Even during Spoletto the Charleston downtown trolley system--they look like a trolley but are really buses-- is grossly under utilized. What we have is a bunch of loud buses with obnoxious smoke coming out the rear. Their CO2 emissions per passenger mile has got to be unbelievably high--soccer moms in SUV's are better.Here is why they are under utilized:1. The system covers about a two mile by three mile area. Most people just walk.2. The routes are linear, that is run in straight lines, people tend to wander in different directions.3. By the time people figure out the system it's time to go home.It's not just Charleston, the public transit systems are a disaster all over the US mainly because of number 2 above. Think about it. What if a bus stopped exactly when you wanted it, in front of your house, and took you non-stop to work? Would you take it? Sure...except when you had to drop the kids off at school or you had to do some running around at lunch or you were leaving after work for a date or when you want to get some exercise by riding your bike. Get the picture? Our travel needs aren't linear.Solution? Mass transit might be working in large metropolitian areas but what the rest of the country needs is better roads, 60 mile per gallon cars and bike lanes. But mass transit has become like mom and apple pie...... so we'll just keep pissing away money on under utilized systems.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
XC 2008 update.. how many turns in a square circle?
I'm packed. Three days to go before I fly out Saturday morning for Portland. Because of the van support I have plenty of room for my Ipod, portable computer, camera, Tom Tom navigation devise and cell phone--if all this electro-magnetic stuff gives me the big C I'll be pissed.
Maybe I should just stay home and look a pictures instead spending all the money and doing all the work? Then again, the last time I looked the wind was coming out of the west in Astoria; always a good sign if you're riding east. Uncle Bill and I have damn near made ourselves sick fretting about head winds...it's time for a change. On our first trip I final became one with the climbing, something I use to hate doing. This trip my goal is to be one with the winds.
I also have to remember a map reading lesson Patty Girl and I learned the hard way in South Caroline....If you're riding goal is motel 60 miles away and you start by riding 10 miles then turn left, ride another 10 miles turn left, ride 10 miles turn left and ride 10 more miles and turn left, you've gone 40 miles....BUT it's still 60 miles to the motel.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The big dance be on.......
If your wondering why I haven't posted on this blog for a few days the answer is simple; my ass is worn out. Worn out in the sense that I'm tired and worn out in the ways only a bicycle seat can do. It's big money time in Charleston, SC; Spoletto. Yuppie heaven with it's chamber music, ballet, original art and opera. And who hauls all those wide loads from one event to another--not to mention out for grub? That right....Bike Taxi to the rescue. Better make that money now or you'll be cold and broke come winter.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Ride on mom....
I've heard some people complaining about soccer moms using so much gas in their big SUV. To me it seems nuts for a 130 pound person to be riding around in a 4,000 pound truck. But the suggestion that somehow government should stop these people from wasting fuel is misguided. Some folks who are looking for Big Brother to get involved in this problem; as if government could get something or anything right. [IF ANYONE OUT THERE CAN TELL ME SOMETHING THE GOVERNMENT DOES WELL, PLEASE DO.] Anyway, I say let the free market take care of the problem. When gas get high enough the soccer moms will be driving a Fusion and have the kids walking home from school. Who knows, maybe bicycles will become popular?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Race on fool.........
Took this picture yesterday outside of Harbor View Inn on Vendue Range with Water Front Park in the back ground after these folks finished their ride from the Aquarium. Did NOT charge the little one...
The bike taxi business has been very good for us. We are getting more dispatches than the other companies...in fact so many more they are starting to bitch and moan. Rather than work at building up their business they sit on their ass and blame the lack of business on someone else. Children.
Is it just me or do people seem to be riding around more now that gas prices are higher? On my bike ride out to Folly Beach last Sunday the roads were a zoo...no slowing down to save a few buck for that bunch. Of course, if I was stressed from riding for hours on $3.75/gal. gas, with a car load of kids and a few six packs of beer it would be pedal to the medal for me. It's got to be a bitch if your paying all this money for fuel, getting less miles per gallon because your speeding and then top it off with a speeding ticket to boot! You could look on the bright side... a $189 speed tickets seems a little more reasonable when your paying $50 bucks to fill up.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
XC 2008 update...
Tom Robertson took this picture on out last trip together. I look at Tom's pictures from time to time to keep motivated for my upcoming trip. I'd rather be on a bike taxi making money and meeting people but have to ride my touring bike or do a lot of suffering the first few weeks of my summer tour. All the tour group riders have been keeping in touch via email, everyone is excited and ready to be on the road.
MONDAY: I did get a 65 mile ride done on Sunday and had a good work out on the bike taxi today....Think I'm ready to go.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Just Jack.............
I wanted to play with the curtains on my bedroom door and Papa got mad at me. He said I was a little curtain climber.Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The new economy......
1. It's Bike Week again over at Myrtle Beach so we have lots stray Harleys in town. Can't hear yourself think around these guys--probably a good thing. We like the green stuff. Spend on dudes..
2. College of Charleston tore down a parking garage and built a student dorm on the spot. On the bottom floor there is a up scale coffee shop called Caviar & Banana. I suspect a good percentage of the coffee purchased is charged on a credit card and payed for by loans taken out by the students or their parents. If you think $5/cup coffee is outrages think about $5 dollar cup of coffee plus 18% interest. Oh well, gets em ready for life after school. Got to get out there, get a job, establish credit and borrow money.... for all the stuff we can't live without. Makes me want to go out and buy another bicycle............
Labels: old guy rails on and on and on
Monday, May 12, 2008
Can't believe I make money doing this stuff..
Lots of pictures of yellow bikes on this blog these days. That because I'm staying on top of the Bike Taxi business so that Nick will look after my stuff when I go off to play this summer. The bread and butter of the taxi business is the dispatches we get from the hotels. My main responsibility is to see that this happens. It's relationship selling which I love to do. We are knocking it out of the park. Plenty of moaning and bitching from our competitors; a very good thing.I'm going to have braids in my go-tee before fall.....
Labels: old hippy rides on
Thursday, May 08, 2008
High cost of labor......
My new friend Tom--shown in pic--either helped me or I helped him put up the old fence that Mimi stole from a cemetery in Alabama. Now that my end of the project is finished I'm willing to admit it'll be a cool fence when Jennifer gets it painted. Today Jennifer said, "You said that fence would cost $5000.00 to put up? Ready to admit you were wrong?" She'll be getting the smirk-ending PCM fence building bill tomorrow.
Elephant people...
These football fans of the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa found themselves between the spring A-Day Game and fall kick off with time on their hands and decided to visit Charleston. I guess it was kind of a bummer to ride around town with an Auburn guy but they were good sports about it. I told them to send all their Crimson Tide friends over this summer. Oh yea, bring plenty of the green stuff.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Sleeping Beauty..........
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Dragon Boat Races
I'm more into human power machines than the average yahoo but don't get these flat stick people--paddlers. Isn't there a big power advantage to the lever and if so why not use it? I say get a set of oars! In spite of my flat stick prejudice I spent sometime checking out the Dragon Boat Races over on the Ashley River yesterday. You probably think these people are doing this for the exercise and are in good shape, but you would be wrong. I won't say everyone was in bad shape-- there were a few 20-30 year old people who looked like they could jog 100 yards--but most were over-weight, flabby folks. I ran into a couple ladies, with Dragon Team Tee shirts, coming out of the beer tent and asked them what kind of training they had to do for the race? Turns out they had a whole hour and a half of experience paddling the Dragon Boat ......AND WERE RACING THAT DAY. That's when it hit me; IT'S ABOUT THE PARTY MAN!!
Labels: paddle that boat..lift that beer
