486 ride safely


The bike counter on Market Street is starting to register some numbers again. Based on my limited watching, it's broken tho, not counting every bike.

That bike counter was a big step in getting more bike lanes installed in the city. We've had a lot of bike lanes demarcated in the past few years, but there is still basically infinity for improvement.



In the fifteen years since California started building our high speed rail from LA to SF, about 400 miles (and far from completed), China has built 25,000 miles.


And you may say, but China is a growing economy and we're...


Ok, we're (us being California) about 1/4 the size of the Chinese economy. That would equal only 6,000 miles of rail building, you know, dollar for dollar.

What's happening?

Well to start with, most Americans could give a flying fuck about high speed rail.

The whole system here is set up for the car. Outside of a few metro areas, every other option kinda sucks.

Believe it or not, the situation is improving, though. We have bike lanes in the city now. They're not all great, and a lot get used for double parking, but it's a big step in the right direction.

Despite lots of opposition, the future is winning. California has set the trends for the US for a while now, and we're looking abroad for our inspiration at this point. The whole world IS moving toward being more bike friendly. 

(Need a bike? There are plenty in China.)

This isn't exactly about electric bikes, but it also kinda is.

Because there's this idea floating around that maybe we could be doing things a little differently. Maybe all of that striving and buying and striving and buying is really just tail chasing and churning, environment be damned?

And that we the people, we actually do have a voice, and power, and choices... If we opted to feel our power and use it, collectively.

And the more older generations continue to fuck the world while younger generations struggle to keep up, the more the other options start looking appealing.

It's kinda fucked. We've got a bunch of old rich people running the country (even if you don't look at who is pulling the strings behind the scenes, the average senator is over 60 and worth a few million). They're pretty out of touch with the future.

Let's take, for instance, the one thing the Senate was able to agree on recently. Permanent daylight savings time.

And they got it totally wrong.

But unanimously. See, they really all can agree, as long as it means fucking over the little guy in favor of the big guy. Daylight savings time is all about... Wage slavery. Give the poor indoor workers a few minutes of sun when they're off the clock. 

Who cares about our health?

Seriously, who?

No really, who?



Well, this started to steer toward BA2 (it's coming) but let me get off the health soapbox, with this ebike...

No pedals, so it's a scooter or motorcycle. 60mph, 60 mile range. Made in Germany. $6k. 

Not sure it's the bike for me, but I'm loving the growing options.

And this Rivian SUV.

The electric truck segment is exploding. But again, not as quickly as electric bikes. 

Even here in the US.

Ride safely.

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