I don't know if this is common everywhere, but here in Chicago there is a joke that everything is "like ten minutes away" even if in reality is like 45. So, yesterday when I decided to ditch the gas guzzling SUV in favor for the bike to run my handful of errands I figured "those stores are like a minute down the street they're not far at ALL I can easily take my bikes to run my errands". Fast forward a few hours and a soaking wet, saddle sore Me grumbling back into my driveway and switching out the bike for the car.
There were a few problems with my plan.
1. While everything appears to be close when you're in your car, driving possibly ten (ok maybe 15) miles over the speed limit.. of course everything appears close. I made it to one of my four stores on bike.
2. When riding a bike and trying to wear your purchases in a pack on your back, it really throws off your ability to balance, especially when said things are heavy and shift frequently.
3. I do not live in a bike friendly area. Every street is at least four lanes, if not more. Most lights do not have cross walks or those little pedestrian thingies that you can push to get the traffic to stop. In addition, its apparently illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk (which I learned last year) but even still- the sidewalks in this town are almost non-existent,.. and when there is a sidewalk it stops suddenly and inexplicably.
So the movies got returned, and I picked up a few things at the Jewel... but after that I said bleep this, rode home and drove to my other errands. It never dawned on me that the Jewel that I drive to practically every day (not just for the jewel theres like a billion things in that strip mall that I frequent) is actually four miles from my house- it does not seem that far to me at all. So a total of 8 very slow, expletive filled miles yesterday in place of the car. Id say that is enough of a contribution towards being green for one day :)
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