Work life balance and a wretched commute

If you've ever traveled on a road, or even so much as seen a road, you must read Tom Vanderbilt's book "Traffic". It's an informative, easy, and fun read about how we transport ourselves from one place to another. It opened my eyes to many road use dynamics that changed the way I view driving my car, as well as how I drive my bicycle. That's right, drive my bicycle.

Tom Vanderbilt often writes for Slate, and a recent post brought back memories of my commute from our home (at the time) in Rockland County, NY, to Stamford, CT. I'd leave from either end of my commute with plans for what I'd do on my arrival. There'd be productive stuff for the "work" end of my commute, and fun stuff at the "life" end of my commute.

Some of these people are still
trying to get home from work

One particular commute home stands out in my mind. It was a gorgeously sunny, blue sky, low humidity day for my Friday drive. I skipped out a little early, filled with visions of a hike with my honey, followed by a relaxed dinner on our deck - heck, I'd even barbecue! I put the car in gear, and made my way to the interstate. I made record time all the way to the outskirts of Tarrytown.

As I approached Tarrytown, the cars slowed... and slowed more. They finally stopped. After about 15 minutes standing still, I shut off my engine and opened the windows. I eventually got out of the car. Occasionally, the other cars would roll forward. I'd just get back in the car, leave the engine off, and roll down the hill to close up the gap. Time passed. My phone rang. "Hi, what time will you be home?" my honey asked innocently. "I don't know", was my definitive estimate. "Where are you?" was her next question. I drew in my breath, and told her my location. She said she'd start dinner. There'd be no walk, and no barbecue on the deck.

A half hour later, I had moved about as far as one could throw the stereo of the musically challenged driver next to me, and my phone rang again. "How much longer will  you be?" she asked. "I don't know" was my answer. "Can you make a guess?" I provided a range of 1-3 hours. We talked a while, and realized our plans for the evening no longer mattered. I'd have a late dinner, and maybe we'd share a drink on the deck before bed. We were both disappointed. This wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last.

I'd taken the position less than a year before because it was a great career opportunity. It would provide me the opportunity to build experience leading higher level initiatives, and be a logical next step on my career path. It was a great company, with a very flexible atmosphere. As I interviewed for the position, I glossed over the commute. I could hack it. It'd be manageable, I could rationalize that all I was getting from the position would be a fair trade off for the unpredictable commute. All would work out. I'd overcome bigger challenges in my life.

Within a few weeks of starting, I was not liking a long commute while driving a stick shift in stop and go traffic. It wasn't just stop and go, it was a continuous practice of drag racing skills - starting and stopping continuously, trying to protect the space in front of us from the drivers who insisted on changing lanes as often as possible. Almost daily I'd see what happens when someone misses the brake pedal. There's be auto carnage every few miles.

I gained weight, lost patience, and increased stress. This carried through into other areas of my life. It was easier to ignore life, and grab a beer to decompress after a terrible commute. Wouldn't you agree that beer is the best choice after a long drive?

Within a year, I had become so turned off from the long commute, that I found a new position. I now have a 17 mile round trip commute, and am able to commute by bicycle a few days a week. I love the bike commute around Christmas. The cold air invigorates, and the ride home in the dark provides me the opportunity to enjoy the lights people put out to decorate their homes and businesses. There's a Zen-like feel to the ride. I combine something I have to do (commute) with something I love to do (drive my bicycle).

Many days as I pedal my bicycle over the Garden State Parkway, I see the density of car tail lights heading south, and envision the disappointment these lights represent. Many occupants of those cars are just like I used to be. A lonely commuter, with plans and a life. Instead of living the dream, they are sitting in traffic. Life is like that. We make a choice, and sometimes the choice makes sense mathematically, but the real costs can't be calculated in dollars. It can only be measured by the opportunity cost of what we lose in terms of living.

What is the value of having a fulfilling life? What was your worst commute, and how did you make it more bearable?

If you like this post, please share it with your social network using the clever buttons below.

__________________________

Automobile drivers may need continuing education

My commuting vehicle

I finally made my first bike commute for 2011 yesterday, riding my Gary Fisher Simple City 8 for the 17 mile round trip to my office. Last year I rode pretty consistently, leaving my car in the driveway for days on-end. Last night I had an interesting interaction with a driver. I was riding down Kinderkamack Road in Emerson (NJ), and traffic was light. The driver of the car approaching me from behind leaned on his horn, and crossed the yellow line, passing me (safely).

In the past, I may have yelled at him, or flipped him off. But one of my intentions this year is to assume people have the best intentions in mind, and keep that thought until proven otherwise. The traffic light in front of us turned red, and the cigarette smoking young driver of the Toyota Coroda (it was a rusting Corolla) stopped at the light. I rolled up next to his half open driver's window, and in a non-confrontational tone said "hi, you really shouldn't blast your horn like that behind a bicycle, you scared me". He responded "you are supposed to ride on the sidewalk, the road is for cars". I put on my quizzical face, and asked "do you have a NJ driver's license? Because that isn't the law, in fact the law says I have the same rights and responsibilities to the road that you do".

He suddenly became nervous, and said "I guess I don't know the law, I'm sorry, and I will go look it up when I get home" was his response. I thanked him, and rolled backward to the space behind his car. When the light turned green, we continued on our way.  As I continued on my way, I pondered how someone could have a license, and not know the rules of the road.

What value is a license or certification, if it isn't a guarantor of competence? Why do we license someone as a teenager, and only require more education when they have proven themselves to be real bad at operating an automobile? This started me thinking about other licenses, and the educational responsibilities that are attached to them.

I am a Project Management Professional (PMP), as certified by the Project Management Institute. In order to maintain my certification, I am required to complete 60 hours of continuing education in my three year certification period. There are many licenses and certifications that have this requirement. Some examples are Certified Public Accountants, and Practical Engineers. New knowledge and regulations must be absorbed in order to remain competent in the role.

In contrast, a 70 year old automobile operator was probably licensed in the mid-1950s. They have received no additional training since the license was issued, yet our vehicles, mobile communications, infrastructure, transportation networks, and laws have changed dramatically. I'm not stating this as a way to make a statement about old age, heck, many of the elderly are great drivers. I am pointing out how we can improve road safety for everyone by making sure people who operate a potentially lethal machine are aware of their responsibilities on the road as our laws evolve over time.

My own observations show that drivers ignore pedestrian rights in a crosswalk. If you disagree, please go for a walk tonight, and find a crosswalk to test this theory. I recently pointed out the lack of enforcement to my local police department, and they said they don't have the resources to address the problem. This was an admission that this issue is a problem, and since it is a problem, it should be addressed. It would only take an hour a week for a month, at different times of day to get much better compliance with the law. An option is to have local residents volunteer to hand out informational palm cards to cars stopped at the traffic lights in town.

Drivers often ignore bicyclists' rights to the road. I've had drivers blast the horn and yell for me to get over, thinking I have to move over to let them pass. This assumption is incorrect. I am not allowed to impede traffic, as long as I can safely ride on the right while cars pass. A lane that is less than 11 feet wide is not considered safe, and I have the option to block the lane to stay safe. I also don't have to ride next to cars that are parallel parked, since an opening door can knock me into traffic, or I can slam into the door. Either of these can hurt more than a swift kick in the groin, and often kill the rider.

A universal rule of the road is that the vehicle occupying the lane owns the lane, and anyone wanting to move to that lane must yield to the owner of that lane. It is a simple concept, and if understood and applied, would resolve many issues. Drivers often swing around the yellow line, and then come back quick, with their rear ends inches from me, and this is why it is important for me to control the lane in a restricted area. If I leave enough room for a driver to pass in a dangerous area, they will pass.

I've also had drivers attempt to get in front of me while I'm stopped at a traffic light, standing in the center of the lane, with cars in front of me. What were they thinking? I sometimes ask them this.. as they look back sheepishly. Hiding inside a heavy machine is impersonal. Staring at a living human being is personal. People can be shamed into compliance.

I've witnessed drivers putting on make-up while driving in chaotic areas, texting while driving (and sometimes not seeing the light turn green as they text, forcing me to impatiently ring my brass bell at them - now tha tmust be embarrassing), reading books, flipping me off while passing me, and yelling from their windows such silly things as "run Forest, run", "go Lance!", and the timeless "get off the F#$king road!". I once had a driver combine texting, horn, yelling, and flipping all at the same time, while trying to force me into the curb. She was truly good at it. I envy her ability to multi-task. I hope she isn't married for the sake of her potential spouse, and hope she chooses not to procreate. We have too many self-absorbed people on the planet already.

I admit that many bicycle riders also ignore the laws, so if you don't hold me responsible for all of the bad bicycle riders, I won't hold you responsible for all of the bad automobile drivers. Since most of the bicycle riders hold a drivers' license, they would also benefit from participating in continuing education on the evolving traffic laws.

The vast majority of drivers I interact with on the road are considerate, safe, and competent drivers. They don't terrorize me on the bike. They maintain a patient and safe following distance, and accord me all of my rights to the road. I will also say that the vast majority of holders of various professional licenses and certifications are competent at their jobs, but this doesn't change the fact that they must all continue to learn.

The incident last night is an example of the ignorance we end up with when the license doesn't indicate competence. Which made me wonder... At what point do we recognize that the changing systems and laws should require people to re-certify, or at least maintain some continuing education to keep them up-to-date? We lose around 40,000 lives in automobile accidents a year in the US. Maybe it's time we implement some solutions that we can all live with.

If you like this blog, please share it by pressing the social media buttons that follow.
______

Friday blog round-up, and weekend project buffet menu

Fridays will be light on the blog, mostly round out comments related to previous blogs, and when I have a home project lined up for the weekend, I will preview it for the rare readers. If there are topics you are interested in hearing about, please leave a comment and I will come up with something to meet your request.


The most read and commented on blog so far is Economics, the dismal science - Junior Achievement class, which was about my experience with a high school class as part of a Junior Achievement program. From speaking with acquaintances, I realize that not many of us are schooled in economics. In my opinion, this is why the banks can prey on people, and automobile marketers can convince consumers that a fleece... or was that lease... is a good idea. So get involved, and make sure you learn economics, and then teach others. There is a great organization The Foundation for Economic Education that is addressing this need for economic literacy, and has some great resources, as well as a Facebook presence.


My book review of Carjacked was fun to write, and also had a decent number of visitors. It will be interesting to see how rising fuel prices will impact our love affair with the automobile in the coming months. Maybe a bike commute won't look so bad to many people.


I am not a big fan of big companies running our utilities, and especially not to manage our water. It appears that some nice employees of United Water have been arrested for "fudging" tests. The indictment "lists 68 times that 12 unnamed superintendents and employees lowered chlorine levels". These people must be great neighbors. I wonder if they drink the tap water, or if they opt for the bottled water from another big company?


The weekend project is to replace the expansion tank and air release valve on our boiler. It should be easy to do once I have the parts. I will also be finishing our second floor storage area, and be preparing the basement floor for painting. Watch for the post about this over the weekend.

Carjacked - book review

Okay, I admit I ride my bike. A lot. You won't catch me dressed as Lance Armstrong with 50 of my closest friends, riding wheel-to-wheel, blocking traffic, and blowing snot rockets (I do blow snot rockets, but not in a group of people, or around cars where children may pick up on this adult hygiene technique).

I am a utility rider. I ride to replace the car, and occasionally for fitness. I hear the dumb comments all the time - "is it safe to ride in traffic?", "Why can't you ride on the sidewalk?", "how come you don't ride on a bike path? It's safer!", and my favorite "bike riders just block traffic, have no right to be on the road, and ignore the law". If you want to debate these questions, it won't be today. Today is about the book - "Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives".

I don't ride to save the planet. I ride for many reasons, which I will get into in another post. These authors are liberals. This obviously impacted how they wrote the book. The one author - there are two, and they are sisters - is a college professor. She thanks about 15 students at the end of the book for doing most of the research, and presumably some of the writing. Having people work for free for the benefit of the high-minded is typical of a liberal college professor. I wonder if the students feel "workjacked",  or if it was an "internship". But I digress...

There is no doubt that the automobile industry, which includes the oil industry, have had a major impact on the direction civilization has taken. The car has bred urban sprawl, mega parking lots, highway traffic, choking air pollution, a sedentary lifestyle, and many health issues we face. It has shaped our foreign policy, stoked wars, and kept us dependent on foreign energy.

This book is well researched, and very comprehensive. It is also very left-leaning in the conclusions it draws. One item that really piqued my interest was the assertion that since 1 of 5 car loans to subprime borrowers leads to a car repossession, and these loans are at 20% APR, this is a sign of the rich preying on the poor. They miss the other half of the equation, where 4 out of 5 of these low income, high risk borrowers are able to make their payments, and as a result can get better jobs. Looking at the risk pool of subprime borrowers, if  20% of people borrowing money at a rate of 20% APR defaulted, this would provide the investor who put the money out for the car purchases with a return on investment of 16%, which is hardly usury.

It also interspersed data with anecdotes, and the reader needs to be able to differentiate between the two. An anecdote is one person making a statement, data is compiled from research. Look critically at the data, because we know data can be presented in a way that affirms ones' own beliefs, but may not tell the whole story.

In the end of the book, the authors (or "interns", aka "workjackees") provide many great ideas for how to decrease dependence on cars. If each of us planned our car trips in advance, making sure we pack in as many errands as we can, there'd be less traffic, and cleaner air. Take mass transit when possible. I gave this a try a few weeks ago on my return from a business trip. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to walk off my plane in Newark Liberty, and take the monorail to NJ Transit, and NJ Transit to the train station in my town, requiring only 2 rides on NJ Transit - for the sum of $13.50. Use a bicycle to run errands. I do this all the time, including commuting by bike as much as practical. The days I don't ride, I carpool. Bergen County is tough to get around in a car due to the density of population, but a bike can keep up with traffic easily on most roads. I also try to utilize stores and services, including doctors, who are within a bike-able distance from home, or along my commute route. Park your car in the lot, don't drive in circles to wait for the perfect spot.

And please. Don't drive your kids to school. This is so lame. Let them walk, ride a bike, or take the bus. Some day they'll thank you for this.

Here are some other great books from this genre that I've read:
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)
Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities
American Idle: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture (Capital Ideas Series)