Since the first real snow event of 2012, Parker and I have been walking to and from school instead of cycling. Rob would cycle with Parker (and a friend or two) to school and I would cycle home with him/them. Then the snow fell and Parker wisely decided it might be safer and more fun to walk. We get just enough snow in this area for people to not know how to drive in it, but think they do. Now Parker and I enjoy our one one one time so much that Parker isn't interested in cycling at all yet. When we bike to school he doesn't get much of a chance to chat. I love getting a couple miles of walking in before I start my homeschooling day with the two younger kids. It gets me out of the house when it is 10 degrees out so then the rest of the day I don't dread the cold. Rob has completely lost his winter groove and will sometimes go days without leaving the house. He is too soft from spending last winter in North Carolina. He used to be such a hard man cycling seven miles to work in sub-zero weather even when we had a car. Now he spends all day in his attic office with a space heater so it is the warmest room in the house. Luckily, this winter hasn't been too bad yet and we've already made it through the first month.
I bought a pair of Bogs boots from Champaign Surplus before Christmas and I used them a couple times, but it was almost too warm, but once the snow fell and real winter kicked in I found the Bogs to be a joy. My seven year old is our middle child and rarely gets new anything so I bought him a pair this year too. He never complains about his toes getting cold and he was able to play in the snow all day without getting his feet wet. He can easily put his boots on himself since they have the handles. I predict the entire family will end up with a pair of Bogs as they grow out/wear out their current boots. Thanks to Loretta and Susan for recommending Bogs boots.
I walked over a dozen miles in my boots last week before the snow melted and they were not tough on my feet. I was happy to get back into my walking shoes since they are a little less bulky, but really the boots were very comfortable. I debated about buying a shorter pair because I think I could wear them all the time, even when cycling. I'll let you know how they well they wear as time goes on.
The younger kids and I walked to the bus station this week to buy new bus passes. I'm going to try to keep a running tally of how often we ride the bus. I'm curious with two bus passes (one for me and one for Parker) and soon to be three (Dema is about the height to need one now, but they said he was still okay to ride without) if we really use them enough of if we should just pay a dollar each time. It is certainly convenient to have the passes instead of tokens or cash, but we're trying to be more fiscally responsible.
After we walked to the bus station, we took the bus to the co-op and back so we have 2 rides for one pass holder so far this year. I was able to get Parker's pass too since his photo was on record, but he doesn't ride the bus as much anymore and he was supposed to be issued a bus pass through the school, but never received one. I'm hoping he uses the bus more independently this year. We'll see.
I wish I had a picture of Josie on the bike of the Xtracycle on the way to ballet this week. In some ways walking is more comfortable in the cold than cycling because walking expends more energy and doesn't create as much wind. Yet Josie was insistent on going by bike. I had to bundle her up with her toutou on. Only her ankles and cheeks were cold. We have several masks and balaclavas, but she refused to wear them since they really are too big for her. I need to look into smaller options of headwear for under her helmet or over perhaps. The ride is only a mile or so and she didn't complain.
Last night we all walked the mile downtown to watch a movie and it was single digits for our walk home. The little ones were snuggled in the Chariot bike trailer and the rest of us kept warm by walking fast.
Showing posts with label bus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bus. Show all posts
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Staying Warm
She does ride her own pedal bike now (she was loving her balance bike so much she wasn't interested until Thanksgiving weekend). Yet, she is slow close to the ground and not super visible (even with her bright orange bike) that she still rides on my Xtracycle for longer rides.
Skull caps are key to cycling in the winter, in my opinion. They are thin enough to fit under your helmet, but warm. Add a neck gator and you are toasty. Good gloves are also nice. Lobster gloves in sub-zero temps are great, but any quality gloves work most of the winter. Especially for the kids, make sure the gloves still allow for good bike control and breaking. Don't forget, the shorter days mean you need a light with you at all times. Be careful and be seen!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
I Have My Thumb Back!
Two weeks ago today, I rode to the gym, worked out, dropped my beloved Xtracycle off at Champaign Cycle (our fave bike shop in town), and walked the couple miles home. Today I finally walked to the shop and picked my bike up. I still had my LeMond road bike to use while my Xtracycle was in the shop, but it was like having my thumb cut off, I could still do everything I could before, but not as easily. Things have been crazy busy and Rob worked a lot of hours so we never were able to take the trailer hitch off his bike and didn't think to take it off mine before I dropped it off at Champaign Cycle . Thus, the kids and I did more walking in the beautiful weather and even hopped on the bus, which we rarely do this time of year. Here they are patiently waiting at the bus stop at the beginning of our very busy Thursday (lunch at Common Ground Co-op, shopping at the Art Coop, picking up a yoga mat at Amara Yoga, Parker's yoga class in Urbana (not Amara), shipping a package for my business, three visits to the Urbana Free Library, retracing our steps for a temporarily lost bus pass, two different banks, and soccer practice in SW Champaign).
Rob pulled more than his weight for our Saturday Market at the Square/Common Ground Co-op shopping, the last two Saturdays.
Here he is pulling Josie in the Chariot with groceries packed in the trailer and his Freeloaders with Dema on the snap deck (well, Dema had just hopped off). Parker was on his own bike with his soccer gear in the pannier. I just had my backpack/purse so everyone kept asking me to slow down. It feels strange to be back in the saddle of my Xtracylce, but I'm so happy to have my SUV back. It will be easier to take the kids to the gym with me and we won't have a half hour walk to Josie's dance class.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Bus Haul
We didn't get a chance to shop last Saturday. We did get to Urbana in the afternoon for one of our favorite twin birthday parties. I think round trip is about 10 miles. We stopped for lunch in Campustown before heading to Historic East Urbana. A lovely Saturday. We've been busy running here and there since, but I was holding off on grocery shopping. I wanted to wait until Saturday again, but we are taking care of a friend's two children most of the day tomorrow and I wanted to have things for them to eat. I also needed to ship a package, go to the library, and stop at the bank so it was a good excuse to head over to Urbana. It was drizzling so we decided to take the bus. We haven't been on the bus hardly at all this summer. It is so much more convenient to bike. I had heard there are changes to our trusty Orange line* so I wanted to check things out for myself and pick up a new bus schedule.
We walked to the "cool" tree bus stop several blocks from our house, enjoying the gentle much needed rain. The kids were happy to ride on the cute hybrid bus and the little ones (6 and almost 3, but they are still my little ones) even took a quick nap on the ride over. People often ask how we get groceries without a car. Then I show them our Xtracycles and they wonder how one could get food without a bike. Well, often after the farmers' markets are over, I take over the shopping and do it during the week on the bus. I really need to buy one of those grocery carts, but I just usually kill my back, I mean get a good workout, carrying the bags on my shoulders and sometimes Josie too. I am not above bringing the boys' backpacks and filling them with groceries as well or at least have them carry their own library haul, but this time I gave them a break.
We walked to the "cool" tree bus stop several blocks from our house, enjoying the gentle much needed rain. The kids were happy to ride on the cute hybrid bus and the little ones (6 and almost 3, but they are still my little ones) even took a quick nap on the ride over. People often ask how we get groceries without a car. Then I show them our Xtracycles and they wonder how one could get food without a bike. Well, often after the farmers' markets are over, I take over the shopping and do it during the week on the bus. I really need to buy one of those grocery carts, but I just usually kill my back, I mean get a good workout, carrying the bags on my shoulders and sometimes Josie too. I am not above bringing the boys' backpacks and filling them with groceries as well or at least have them carry their own library haul, but this time I gave them a break.
One very full bag of books, CDs, and DVDs, we could barely close the zipper. It was almost as full when we left so it wasn't much of a change and Parker did help carry it part of the way to the bus stop on the ride home since I had the three bags of groceries, which Parker deemed even heavier than the library bag which is why he chose that one to carry. Way too many canned/jarred goods this time and not much produce (I'm usually the one on the bus everyone stares at because I have leafy greens bursting out of my bags, it has provoked questions more than a few times) because I had to take advantage of the sales on artichoke hearts and the like. I was going mainly to stock up on sandwich bread since Strawberry Fields has the best sandwich bread in town and bread is pretty light, but I can't help myself, so three loaded bags later, and a crick in my back**, we were home with food.
*The Orange has changed its route a bit and no longer goes through campus which is unfortunate for those in my neighborhood (and there are quite a few, I know) who commute to campus. They can still ride the Orange downtown and transfer, but it was oh so much nicer to be able to stay on one bus all the way there. On the positive side, the new Orange goes to Chrystal Lake Park (not the intent, it goes behind Carle hospital now which I'm sure was the point) which we might take advantage of in the future. The old route went pretty close, but we had to cross University (four lanes at that point). There is an Orange Hopper which runs more often and just goes between the two downtowns. I haven't decided how helpful this is yet for us. I'll have to check how late it runs.
**The crick in my neck may also be from working out. I've joined a gym which is about two miles from my house. I'm getting into the swing of exercise outside our daily comings and goings.
Friday, July 10, 2009
CUMTD Bus Pass - Must Buy!
Now there is no reason not to buy a bus pass. CU-MTD has lowered the annual pass to $60! I wish they had lowered it back when I bought TWO (one for me and one for my eldest son) in December, but better late than never. So get one today!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Brave Bus Riders
We've been getting around town a lot lately and enjoying the beautiful weather (rain and shine, it is all better than the winter). Yesterday I was waiting for the bus a few blocks from our house and it started to rain a bit. The kids were enjoying the rain and we were spelling words and doing math problems to pass the time. We didn't have an umbrella, but a little rain never hurt anyone. A nice man (complete stranger) stopped his vehicle and offered us a ride. He said he only had his son in the car so he could fit all four of us. I thought this was funny since we were waiting for the bus in fine weather (except for a light rain) and were only a few blocks from our house. I smiled and thanked him, but said we were fine. We get offers for rides from time to time. It is nice to live in a town where people are so caring and thoughtful.
Another day this week, the four of us (me, my 9 year old, 5 year old, and 20 mo. old) boarded the bus and sat down. A young woman turned to me and said, "You are so brave!". "What do you mean?" I asked. "Getting on and off a bus with three children!". This also struck me as quite funny. I find it easier to get on and off a bus with my kids than getting them in and out of car seats all the time.
Another day this week, the four of us (me, my 9 year old, 5 year old, and 20 mo. old) boarded the bus and sat down. A young woman turned to me and said, "You are so brave!". "What do you mean?" I asked. "Getting on and off a bus with three children!". This also struck me as quite funny. I find it easier to get on and off a bus with my kids than getting them in and out of car seats all the time.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
No Feeding Meters and Local Businesses
We had a wonderful day last Friday. It is finally feeling like Spring and that makes me want to be on my bike more. I had an early appointment downtown with my middle child (5 years old now!) so I got out the Xracycle and my 19 mo. old would not calm down. It was clear I would not be able to leave the house without her on the bike too. She loves to ride in the Peapod seat, especially with one or two of her brothers behind her on the snap deck. After the appointment, my husband met us downtown on his bike with the Chariot trailer and my 9 year old in tow (no he does not really fit well in it, but he didn't feel like riding his own bike). My husband dropped my eldest off with me and kissed us good-bye and he biked on to work.
Next on the agenda was going to a playgroup on campus. It was super windy so I decided to keep the bike locked up and hop on the bus. I prefer not to ride my bike on campus when it is busy and it can be hard to find a free bike rack in the area of campus we were going (Yay! That means people are using them!) and all buses in my town lead to campus and we were a few blocks from the main bus station so bus it we did.
After we played at the playgroup, we picked up lunch at Chipotle with friends and ate on the quad. One of our friends and her two children had also ridden the bus, but our other friend and her two children drove. She had to feed her meter, but we didn't have that much change between us so she put the quarter in knowing it wouldn't last long. We bought our food and walked back to the friend's car to feed the meter again. We had a lovely lunch with the children running around and all of us chatting. We enjoyed the beautiful day. Then the friend with the car had to either feed her meter again or leave. We were all ready to go with little ones ready for naps, but it reminded me how tied I have felt to those parking meters. It is liberating to not have to worry about getting a ticket or worry about having enough change. I don't miss feeding the meters!
On the way to pick up a bus, we did another errand or two which I would not have run if I had been driving a car. We were walking by a couple businesses which I don't normally seek out on campus and we decided it was a good day to browse. Walking made the difference for our business. Then we caught the first bus that went by knowing it wouldn't take us to the bus station, but I was happy to do more walking. I was happy. My middle child, not so much. As we were walking toward downtown, my middle child kept stopping to fix his shoe. I noticed again how worn out his hand-me-down shoes from last summer were and how tight they looked. I looked across the street at Champaign Surplus and decided to go in and buy him new shoes. This is a local store we do patronize, but I possibly would have gone to the mall instead if I was just going out to buy shoes. We went in and bought my son a pair and my daughter a pair since they were having a sale. Some local businesses have been reluctant to give up car parking or reluctant to add bike racks or perhaps unaware or unconcerned if they are located on a bus route. To us, it makes a big difference. We try to buy local whenever possible and businesses which are located in the downtown areas, on bus routes, with bike racks, and/or walkable access will get our business.
We all happily walked the rest of the way to my bike (stopping at Aroma to get a snack and drink for the kids to eat on the bike ride home...I would not have done this if I had been in my car). I realized on the bike ride home with my eldest and youngest in the Chariot trailer (my 19 mo. old went with the trailer because that is where big brother and the smoothie were going) and my 5 year old in the Peapod (he wanted both hands free to eat his snack) that I had done the right thing taking the bus to campus. Hauling that load of kids in the trailer with the wind was a tad tough. Luckily, it was a quick mile or so (uphill) ride home. We arrived at "our park" late afternoon/early evening and played outside until dark.
Not owning a car has never felt more freeing than it did Friday.
Next on the agenda was going to a playgroup on campus. It was super windy so I decided to keep the bike locked up and hop on the bus. I prefer not to ride my bike on campus when it is busy and it can be hard to find a free bike rack in the area of campus we were going (Yay! That means people are using them!) and all buses in my town lead to campus and we were a few blocks from the main bus station so bus it we did.
After we played at the playgroup, we picked up lunch at Chipotle with friends and ate on the quad. One of our friends and her two children had also ridden the bus, but our other friend and her two children drove. She had to feed her meter, but we didn't have that much change between us so she put the quarter in knowing it wouldn't last long. We bought our food and walked back to the friend's car to feed the meter again. We had a lovely lunch with the children running around and all of us chatting. We enjoyed the beautiful day. Then the friend with the car had to either feed her meter again or leave. We were all ready to go with little ones ready for naps, but it reminded me how tied I have felt to those parking meters. It is liberating to not have to worry about getting a ticket or worry about having enough change. I don't miss feeding the meters!
On the way to pick up a bus, we did another errand or two which I would not have run if I had been driving a car. We were walking by a couple businesses which I don't normally seek out on campus and we decided it was a good day to browse. Walking made the difference for our business. Then we caught the first bus that went by knowing it wouldn't take us to the bus station, but I was happy to do more walking. I was happy. My middle child, not so much. As we were walking toward downtown, my middle child kept stopping to fix his shoe. I noticed again how worn out his hand-me-down shoes from last summer were and how tight they looked. I looked across the street at Champaign Surplus and decided to go in and buy him new shoes. This is a local store we do patronize, but I possibly would have gone to the mall instead if I was just going out to buy shoes. We went in and bought my son a pair and my daughter a pair since they were having a sale. Some local businesses have been reluctant to give up car parking or reluctant to add bike racks or perhaps unaware or unconcerned if they are located on a bus route. To us, it makes a big difference. We try to buy local whenever possible and businesses which are located in the downtown areas, on bus routes, with bike racks, and/or walkable access will get our business.
We all happily walked the rest of the way to my bike (stopping at Aroma to get a snack and drink for the kids to eat on the bike ride home...I would not have done this if I had been in my car). I realized on the bike ride home with my eldest and youngest in the Chariot trailer (my 19 mo. old went with the trailer because that is where big brother and the smoothie were going) and my 5 year old in the Peapod (he wanted both hands free to eat his snack) that I had done the right thing taking the bus to campus. Hauling that load of kids in the trailer with the wind was a tad tough. Luckily, it was a quick mile or so (uphill) ride home. We arrived at "our park" late afternoon/early evening and played outside until dark.
Not owning a car has never felt more freeing than it did Friday.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Out of Shape!
Lack of posts on this blog mean that I've been a shut-in without a car, going no where, seing no one, doing nothing...NOT! I just have been to busy and I've started several posts here and never finished them. I figured out the other day that we ride the bus on average 8 different times a week. That would be $16 dollars since Parker is usually with me for each ride so I feel we are definitely getting our money's worth. However, we may ride less as the weather warms up. Yesterday was completely a biking day for us because of the better weather. This highlighted to me what terrible shape I'm in.
When I was nine months pregnant with my youngest (now 1 1/2 years old) I was carrying my pregnant bod and my two boys (then 3 and 7) on my Xtracycle with our stuff and doing fine. Monday I biked 6 trips for a total of 8 miles... all them with at least one kid on the bike and pulling a bike trailer and some of them with 2 kids in the bike trailer and one in the Peapod on my Xtracycle. The bike trailer really slows things down, but is helpful when the weather is chilly in the morning to keep the kids warm or if we are expecting rain. We live in a area where most people would not see any hills, but for our town, we live on a "hill" and I could feel that yesterday since each trip ended at our house. I really need to get back into cycling shape if I'm going to be able to haul the kids around.
Today was rainy so we did some supplemental grocery shopping and a trip to the UFL via bus. It wasn't raining when we walked to the bus stop, but we just missed our bus so we walked further down the street and then waited and ended up getting soaked and the kids got very muddy, but it wasn't too cold so we were fine. I didn't need a lot of groceries so I brought 3 bags and distributed the weight among the boys and me (don't need the 1 1/2 year old to carry her weight yet since most of the time I'm carrying her).
We did a presentation for our homeschooling group this week on how to ride the bus, what it teaches children, and some of the benefits. The kids were excited about the presentation, but in the end my middle son was in a mood so he didn't say much. I'm always amazed at the people I meet who have NEVER ridden a city bus before...ever. Many people are intimidated by it.
Some of the skills kids (and adults can learn from riding the bus):
*Map reading. My dad would be so proud. He is a big map guy and I would tune out quite often as a child when he would show me maps for this reason or that. I just couldn't picture how all the lines and dots and things was meaningful to me who just wanted to experience it all. Well, very quickly as a young adult, I came to appreciate being able to read a map and find my way around. Traveling and experiencing life can be so much more fun if you have a map to find the places you want to go. My nine year old is showing a fondness for maps and enjoys figuring out what buses to take and how to get around town.
*Street names. This all goes along together really. When we are in the bus, even more so than walking or riding our bikes, we learn the street names. Many of the buses in our town announce the streets coming up. The kids like to pull the wire to tell the driver to stop so they pay close attention to the street names and where we are so they know when to pull.
*Directions. East, west, north, south comes to life when you are taking the bus. The buses in our town are colors and direction and we need to know what direction we are going to know which bus to take. The kids then are able to tell which way is what direction when we are standing in our house or on some street corner. They are many times quicker than I am in figuring out the direction.
*Time. Time is a hard concept for many children. A minute, a day, a month, a year. All hard to conceptualize. Not only does riding the bus help kids learn to tell time, it also helps them have a feeling for how long a half hour is or 10 minutes, etc.
More on the benefits of mass transit soon. (I know, you just cannot wait!!)
When I was nine months pregnant with my youngest (now 1 1/2 years old) I was carrying my pregnant bod and my two boys (then 3 and 7) on my Xtracycle with our stuff and doing fine. Monday I biked 6 trips for a total of 8 miles... all them with at least one kid on the bike and pulling a bike trailer and some of them with 2 kids in the bike trailer and one in the Peapod on my Xtracycle. The bike trailer really slows things down, but is helpful when the weather is chilly in the morning to keep the kids warm or if we are expecting rain. We live in a area where most people would not see any hills, but for our town, we live on a "hill" and I could feel that yesterday since each trip ended at our house. I really need to get back into cycling shape if I'm going to be able to haul the kids around.
Today was rainy so we did some supplemental grocery shopping and a trip to the UFL via bus. It wasn't raining when we walked to the bus stop, but we just missed our bus so we walked further down the street and then waited and ended up getting soaked and the kids got very muddy, but it wasn't too cold so we were fine. I didn't need a lot of groceries so I brought 3 bags and distributed the weight among the boys and me (don't need the 1 1/2 year old to carry her weight yet since most of the time I'm carrying her).
We did a presentation for our homeschooling group this week on how to ride the bus, what it teaches children, and some of the benefits. The kids were excited about the presentation, but in the end my middle son was in a mood so he didn't say much. I'm always amazed at the people I meet who have NEVER ridden a city bus before...ever. Many people are intimidated by it.
Some of the skills kids (and adults can learn from riding the bus):
*Map reading. My dad would be so proud. He is a big map guy and I would tune out quite often as a child when he would show me maps for this reason or that. I just couldn't picture how all the lines and dots and things was meaningful to me who just wanted to experience it all. Well, very quickly as a young adult, I came to appreciate being able to read a map and find my way around. Traveling and experiencing life can be so much more fun if you have a map to find the places you want to go. My nine year old is showing a fondness for maps and enjoys figuring out what buses to take and how to get around town.
*Street names. This all goes along together really. When we are in the bus, even more so than walking or riding our bikes, we learn the street names. Many of the buses in our town announce the streets coming up. The kids like to pull the wire to tell the driver to stop so they pay close attention to the street names and where we are so they know when to pull.
*Directions. East, west, north, south comes to life when you are taking the bus. The buses in our town are colors and direction and we need to know what direction we are going to know which bus to take. The kids then are able to tell which way is what direction when we are standing in our house or on some street corner. They are many times quicker than I am in figuring out the direction.
*Time. Time is a hard concept for many children. A minute, a day, a month, a year. All hard to conceptualize. Not only does riding the bus help kids learn to tell time, it also helps them have a feeling for how long a half hour is or 10 minutes, etc.
More on the benefits of mass transit soon. (I know, you just cannot wait!!)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Kindness of Strangers
Sometimes you run across strangers who are so kind that it renews your faith in humanity. Yesterday, I ran across such a person. Norma Jean was driving the 6 Orange West bus around 1pm Monday.
It was an off day anyway, but things were going okay until our ride home. I didn't have my eldest with me and I realized how much he helps. Without him, I carry everything...backpack, 2 lunch carriers, the 18 mo. old, any coats, hats, and gloves which come off during our ride on the bus, etc. It was cold and I wasn't sure if we missed the 6 Orange West so I hopped on the 4 Blue East knowing it was going to the Illinois Terminal so at the very least we could wait for the Orange in the warmth. As we were traveling, I noticed the 6 Orange West come up behind the Blue bus. I was on the phone with my husband who really needed to bike to work so he needed me to get home to be with our eldest. I knew I had to hurry to get off the bus I was on and jump on the bus which was currently behind me, but could be in front of me in a matter of seconds.
I got my wallet in hand to show my bus pass as I was getting of of the 4 Blue East bus around 1pm yesterday. My coat got stuck on the bus seat and we were in a hurry so I could catch the bus immediately behind us so I got my coat unstuck and hurried to the other bus...the wallet was gone. I told the bus driver on the 6 Orange West and she stopped the Blue bus driver so I could quickly look on the bus. It wasn't there...less than 1 minute after I had it in my hand. One of the other Blue passengers mumbled something about someone probably already picking it up, which I didn't stop to listen to because the kids were on Orange and I had to hurry back to them. The Orange driver was super sweet and helpful and she even caught up with the Blue bus later and got on and searched for me since the Blue driver refused to get out of his seat. The wallet was gone.
The Orange bus driver called me to find out if I had found the wallet and update me on her side of the search so I found out her name is Norma Jean. Even without my wallet, I was happy to have encountered such a sweet, kind stranger. She really made an awful situation much, much better. I appreciate her thoughtful help and the patience of the people riding the bus. I've let go of the wallet and canceled my credit card and debit card. I'm not worried about the cash or driver's license, but I mourn the loss of my bus pass and my son's. If I could just get those back, I would be happy, but I just have to let go.
Update: A couple hours after this post, a sweet police officer came to my door with my wallet...everything still in the wallet except the cash...happy day!!!!!!
It was an off day anyway, but things were going okay until our ride home. I didn't have my eldest with me and I realized how much he helps. Without him, I carry everything...backpack, 2 lunch carriers, the 18 mo. old, any coats, hats, and gloves which come off during our ride on the bus, etc. It was cold and I wasn't sure if we missed the 6 Orange West so I hopped on the 4 Blue East knowing it was going to the Illinois Terminal so at the very least we could wait for the Orange in the warmth. As we were traveling, I noticed the 6 Orange West come up behind the Blue bus. I was on the phone with my husband who really needed to bike to work so he needed me to get home to be with our eldest. I knew I had to hurry to get off the bus I was on and jump on the bus which was currently behind me, but could be in front of me in a matter of seconds.
I got my wallet in hand to show my bus pass as I was getting of of the 4 Blue East bus around 1pm yesterday. My coat got stuck on the bus seat and we were in a hurry so I could catch the bus immediately behind us so I got my coat unstuck and hurried to the other bus...the wallet was gone. I told the bus driver on the 6 Orange West and she stopped the Blue bus driver so I could quickly look on the bus. It wasn't there...less than 1 minute after I had it in my hand. One of the other Blue passengers mumbled something about someone probably already picking it up, which I didn't stop to listen to because the kids were on Orange and I had to hurry back to them. The Orange driver was super sweet and helpful and she even caught up with the Blue bus later and got on and searched for me since the Blue driver refused to get out of his seat. The wallet was gone.
The Orange bus driver called me to find out if I had found the wallet and update me on her side of the search so I found out her name is Norma Jean. Even without my wallet, I was happy to have encountered such a sweet, kind stranger. She really made an awful situation much, much better. I appreciate her thoughtful help and the patience of the people riding the bus. I've let go of the wallet and canceled my credit card and debit card. I'm not worried about the cash or driver's license, but I mourn the loss of my bus pass and my son's. If I could just get those back, I would be happy, but I just have to let go.
Update: A couple hours after this post, a sweet police officer came to my door with my wallet...everything still in the wallet except the cash...happy day!!!!!!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Birthday Bussing
Yesterday was my eldest son's ninth birthday. The day was his to do as he pleased. I had two goals I needed to accomplish, but I would try to get them done without deviating from the birthday mission.
Goal for 2/5/09: Mine - sign papers at WEFT (community radio station), ship a package to a customer via USPS, and pick up some blueberries for the requested birthday dessert. His - eat lunch at the Y Eatery (Thai restaurant on campus), spend time at the Urbana Free Library, and pick out a present at Art Mart (local toy store).
Weather: Windy! Very windy so it made it feel much colder than the low 20's it was reported to be, but warmer than the last few days.
Travel Plans: WEFT is about 1.3 miles away so often we walk, but the wind made me opt for the bus. We took the bus near us downtown to WEFT, I did my thing there and walked across the street (very convenient!) to the bus terminal with no plans on which bus to take next. As we arrived at the terminal, I thought I'd ridden the bus which was about to leave to the Y Eatery before (years before, but I figured I could at least get to campus and we could walk if we needed to) so the four of us hopped on. I was correct and we were dropped off pretty much in from of the Y.
Rant: At this point, I had this feeling which I really haven't felt during the car free time until that moment...it was actually easier taking the bus than it would have been in the car. It was a good feeling. Let me say it again...being car free was easier. Parking downtown Champaign and on campus can be a hassle (not a hassle like parking in downtown DC, of course, but a college town type of hassle). It can be hard to find parking, paying the meters are tough because I never seem to have enough change and for the couple minutes I was at WEFT it hardly would have seemed worth it. I didn't have to get the kids in and out of car seats. It was actually a pleasure to take the bus and I felt like all the dopes in their silly cars were suckers who have bought into this American car culture which tells us from a very young age that cars equate to freedom. Cars often tie us down.
Back to Travel Plans: We walked a half mile or so from our lunch spot to a bus stop which would give us the most options. On campus, you can't throw a parking ticket without hitting a bus. They are everywhere, but many of them are just staying on campus or at least not going where we want to go so I opt to wait where I have options if I can. Many of the buses have signs which have the color of the route, but then say things like "Hopper" which I'm not certain what that means exactly, but we hopped on one of the hoppers to get to the library. We walked to the post office, Art Mart, and the co-op from the library and caught the bus which goes by our house for the ride home. This last leg of our trip was the hardest because everyone was tired, it was very windy and cold, and per normal apparently "our bus" does not like to run on the scheduled time. Luckily, at the place we wait on the way home there is a digital readout saying when each bus will arrive. For the "our bus" this information varies greatly with the scheduled time posted with the bus maps. I assumed the digital readout was right and the schedule was "wrong", but I didn't want to risk going inside for the 20 minutes we had to wait, just in case neither was correct. It was a cold long 20 minutes, but doable.
All in all, during our day, we took 3 different bus routes with 4 different buses.
More Rant: The key to traveling around town via bus with three kids in tow is clear to me now...be willing to take different buses and deviate from the "scheduled" routes and plans. Memorize all the different bus lines to be able to hop from bus to bus without getting stranded and being efficient. Don't be afraid to ASK THE DRIVER. This is key and something I never did even in all the us bus riding I did previously...even in DC. I am a smart person who can read a map, I will not ask for directions. This is just silly. Go ahead and ask...they don't seem to mind and even if they do, it is their job. If it was just me, I wouldn't have learned this lesson, but waiting for 20 minutes in the cold with tired children makes you wake up pretty quickly.
Savings from this Trip: Gas and money for the several meters we would have used over the course of the day...knowing the way things go with me and meters it probably saved us a parking ticket as well.
Time: Around 5.5 hours. Maybe 1.5 hours...it is hard to add up since we got on and off several buses with almost no wait time for some and 20 minutes waiting for our last leg.
Bonus: On the ride home, for the first time I had a bus driver ask to see my eldest's bus pass. I think it made him feel grown up and was a nice birthday "present".
Goal for 2/5/09: Mine - sign papers at WEFT (community radio station), ship a package to a customer via USPS, and pick up some blueberries for the requested birthday dessert. His - eat lunch at the Y Eatery (Thai restaurant on campus), spend time at the Urbana Free Library, and pick out a present at Art Mart (local toy store).
Weather: Windy! Very windy so it made it feel much colder than the low 20's it was reported to be, but warmer than the last few days.
Travel Plans: WEFT is about 1.3 miles away so often we walk, but the wind made me opt for the bus. We took the bus near us downtown to WEFT, I did my thing there and walked across the street (very convenient!) to the bus terminal with no plans on which bus to take next. As we arrived at the terminal, I thought I'd ridden the bus which was about to leave to the Y Eatery before (years before, but I figured I could at least get to campus and we could walk if we needed to) so the four of us hopped on. I was correct and we were dropped off pretty much in from of the Y.
Rant: At this point, I had this feeling which I really haven't felt during the car free time until that moment...it was actually easier taking the bus than it would have been in the car. It was a good feeling. Let me say it again...being car free was easier. Parking downtown Champaign and on campus can be a hassle (not a hassle like parking in downtown DC, of course, but a college town type of hassle). It can be hard to find parking, paying the meters are tough because I never seem to have enough change and for the couple minutes I was at WEFT it hardly would have seemed worth it. I didn't have to get the kids in and out of car seats. It was actually a pleasure to take the bus and I felt like all the dopes in their silly cars were suckers who have bought into this American car culture which tells us from a very young age that cars equate to freedom. Cars often tie us down.
Back to Travel Plans: We walked a half mile or so from our lunch spot to a bus stop which would give us the most options. On campus, you can't throw a parking ticket without hitting a bus. They are everywhere, but many of them are just staying on campus or at least not going where we want to go so I opt to wait where I have options if I can. Many of the buses have signs which have the color of the route, but then say things like "Hopper" which I'm not certain what that means exactly, but we hopped on one of the hoppers to get to the library. We walked to the post office, Art Mart, and the co-op from the library and caught the bus which goes by our house for the ride home. This last leg of our trip was the hardest because everyone was tired, it was very windy and cold, and per normal apparently "our bus" does not like to run on the scheduled time. Luckily, at the place we wait on the way home there is a digital readout saying when each bus will arrive. For the "our bus" this information varies greatly with the scheduled time posted with the bus maps. I assumed the digital readout was right and the schedule was "wrong", but I didn't want to risk going inside for the 20 minutes we had to wait, just in case neither was correct. It was a cold long 20 minutes, but doable.
All in all, during our day, we took 3 different bus routes with 4 different buses.
More Rant: The key to traveling around town via bus with three kids in tow is clear to me now...be willing to take different buses and deviate from the "scheduled" routes and plans. Memorize all the different bus lines to be able to hop from bus to bus without getting stranded and being efficient. Don't be afraid to ASK THE DRIVER. This is key and something I never did even in all the us bus riding I did previously...even in DC. I am a smart person who can read a map, I will not ask for directions. This is just silly. Go ahead and ask...they don't seem to mind and even if they do, it is their job. If it was just me, I wouldn't have learned this lesson, but waiting for 20 minutes in the cold with tired children makes you wake up pretty quickly.
Savings from this Trip: Gas and money for the several meters we would have used over the course of the day...knowing the way things go with me and meters it probably saved us a parking ticket as well.
Time: Around 5.5 hours. Maybe 1.5 hours...it is hard to add up since we got on and off several buses with almost no wait time for some and 20 minutes waiting for our last leg.
Bonus: On the ride home, for the first time I had a bus driver ask to see my eldest's bus pass. I think it made him feel grown up and was a nice birthday "present".
Friday, January 9, 2009
Intro and Forgetfulness
We recently embarked on a experiment in living without a car in our little Midwestern U.S. college town with three kids and a business. This blog will help us keep a record or our travel patterns and the amount of money we spend or, hopefully, save on transportation. By keeping a record, I also hope to learn from my mistakes and become more efficient in navigating about town.
We have wanted to go "car free" for quite a while now. We lived in the DC area with one car for several years and enjoyed the Metro rail and bus, walking, etc. back when we both worked and didn't have children. During our lives together, my husband and I have made transportation a key part of the picture when deciding where to live. Our reasons for wanting to get rid of our car have been primarily environmental. We have always been aware of the effects of our transportation choices and tried bike, walk, take public transportation, combine trips, carpool, etc. when convenient. The health aspects of driving less were also important to us. Lately, the financial benefit of living without a car has also been enticing. Why go without the car completely? Why not just have it for emergencies or really bad weather? The big savings from being car free is upkeep and insurance. In our case, we had a bit of a push into car free living by someone running a red light and rendering our car undriveable. Thus, we are saving by not buying a used or new vehicle as well.
I'm guessing most of our adventures will not be interesting to anyone outside our area and even then, possibly not of interest, but I don't mind talking to myself. We are realize we are not the only ones in our town without a car. Countless students (although, clearly not enough since parking is a problem on campus) live here (at least during the school year) car free, my sister's boyfriend who is in his 50's has NEVER driven a car...NEVER, our neighbor/friend is a single mom with two children older than ours and she has been without a car for a couple months now, another friend with young children went several months last year without a car in our twin city, and so many, many others we don't know in our community who just simply can not afford a car, have lost their license, can not drive for health reasons, etc. Obviously, we know it CAN be done. We aren't doing anything groundbreaking here. I am interested in how much we save, how we can improve on navigating our town within our very active social lives, and what we learn along the way.
Travel Expenses: $235 1 annual adult MTD bus pass (for me)
$145 1 annual "student" MTD bus pass (for my almost nine year old)
Now I have to say I could have bought a "Spring" pass for $115 since I will probably be riding my bike more than bussing once the weather is nice, but I like the option and not having to worry about tokens, etc. Also, I could have probably gotten by with one more year without my eldest child using a pass. Technically, kids under certain height right for free when with a fare-paying adult, but although he is over this height I have never been asked to pay for him. He was very excited about having his own pass and I feel like I'm being fair to the system I am benefiting from...I enjoy having a mass transit system and don't mind paying for it. This also allows for my son to ride by himself if the need arises without a worry about tokens, etc. I have issues with our bus system in our town. It seems set up primarily to take people to campus and home or students from one end of campus to the other. The MTD has lots of positives as well and I will save my critiques for now.
Today's Goal: Help a customer learn to use her new baby carrier. She has a newborn and doesn't want to take the baby out so I'll be taking the three kids and going to her house. This is a standard service I offer all my child carrier customers since I want to ensure they know how to use the carrier safely and have the correct carrier for their specific needs. We are out of dish washing detergent and other staples so I need to shop at Common Ground Co-op and/or Strawberry Fields. The boys have been asking to go to the library so we will visit the Urbana Free Library while we are out.
Weather: Since we live in the Midwest and I have a eight year old, four year old, and sixteen month old traveling with me, the weather is quite important to me. If it is very cold or raining, that might change my plans. Today is sunny (thank you!) with a high of 39 degrees F (although we will be traveling well before the high is reached). It is a little windy, but not terrible.
Travel Plans: I enter the customer's address into the handy dandy MTD route finder. I have a couple options. The first one entails a 30 minutes bus ride (from a bus stop .19 miles from my house) and then a .50 mile walk to the customer's house. The second option has us walking .35 miles to another bus stop, riding a bus for 5 minutes, transferring to another bus, riding for 20 minutes and then walking .25 miles to the customer's house. The third option has us riding the bus (from a bus stop .19 miles from our house) 10 minutes, waiting for 20 minutes (in a bus terminal...that makes a difference, but still that is 20 minutes just waiting), riding for 20 minutes and then walking .20 miles to the customer's house.
I decide to go with option 1 for multiple reasons. One being, I am familiar with the bus route and since the high is relatively balmy for this time of year, I don't mind doing the .50 mile walk all at one time.
This only takes into account getting to the customer's house...not getting from her house to the store or the library. Walking from the customers house to the co-op is roughly 1.6 miles. From the co-op to the library is a scant .2 miles and then another .2 miles to Strawberry Fields and .4 miles to the bus stop. This homeward bound bus drops us off right in front of our house.
Savings from this Trip: Well, that is hard to calculate. We did "save" $4 in bus fare (I will keep a running total to see if we can possibly use the bus enough to pay for our passes). We didn't use gas or wear and tear on our own vehicle. Right now we still have car insurance because we are paid up until the end of the month and will be renting a car for a trip so we don't mind being covered. Our car insurance is roughly $600 a year so when calculating annual savings this will come into play, but this early into the experiment we have not actually saved a dime on insurance.
Time: While I probably won't be able to keep track of actual accurate travel times, I do like to know how much time it took for us to achieve our goals. This time will include time we would have spent at the library or shopping even if we had used a car, but it is useful for me to see how I could improve efficiency. Roughly 5.5 hours. I am guessing at least 2 hours or 2.5 hours of this is travel time (including time spent waiting for the bus).
Tonight's Goal: Have dinner with friends.
Weather: Since it is after dark, it has cooled off quite a bit...below freezing. The forecast is calling for freezing rain, but we are hoping it will hold off until we are back home.
Travel Plans: Dinner is at a restaurant 1.6 miles from our house at around 7:30pm so the kids will be tired on the way home. We decide to walk and push the kids in the Chariot bike trailer. All three kids can not fit in the trailer when it is attached to the bike, but while using at as a stroller they can cuddle in (not so much fun for our eight year old), stay warm, and fall asleep. We add a blanket to keep them snug and bring a child carrier in case they are too cramped.
Savings from this Trip: We ate at a place with free parking so the only savings would be gas.
Time: Roughly 2 hours with around 1 hour of this being travel time.
Other Travel: My husband rode his bike to and from work as usual for a total of approximately 40 minutes round trip and 7 miles.
*A couple disclaimers - the distances are estimates from using different online map services. Most of the time, I am traveling at 4 year old walking speed and carrying a 25 lb. 16 month old in a carrier with a diaper bag weighing roughly 3 - 5 lbs. prior to any purchases made on the trip.
Notes: The forgetfulness comes in because after all of this, I forgot to buy dish washing detergent. I was not shopping for the entire week, but picking up a bag of groceries which I could easily carry with the toddler. I bought several loaves of bread (we freeze them) and some other staples, but no detergent. Not an issue when we had a car, but pretty disappointing as we rode the last bus which goes past our house home. I even made a list, but by the time we were shopping I was in a hurry and didn't dig it out of my bag. Not the end of the world, but I must be better planning and sticking to my list in the future. The kids stayed warm, but my four year old complained of foot pain. He is wearing his brother's hand-me-down shoes and I should probably look into shoes with a better fit since he will be walking more than usual. He did well walking over 3 miles today.
We have wanted to go "car free" for quite a while now. We lived in the DC area with one car for several years and enjoyed the Metro rail and bus, walking, etc. back when we both worked and didn't have children. During our lives together, my husband and I have made transportation a key part of the picture when deciding where to live. Our reasons for wanting to get rid of our car have been primarily environmental. We have always been aware of the effects of our transportation choices and tried bike, walk, take public transportation, combine trips, carpool, etc. when convenient. The health aspects of driving less were also important to us. Lately, the financial benefit of living without a car has also been enticing. Why go without the car completely? Why not just have it for emergencies or really bad weather? The big savings from being car free is upkeep and insurance. In our case, we had a bit of a push into car free living by someone running a red light and rendering our car undriveable. Thus, we are saving by not buying a used or new vehicle as well.
I'm guessing most of our adventures will not be interesting to anyone outside our area and even then, possibly not of interest, but I don't mind talking to myself. We are realize we are not the only ones in our town without a car. Countless students (although, clearly not enough since parking is a problem on campus) live here (at least during the school year) car free, my sister's boyfriend who is in his 50's has NEVER driven a car...NEVER, our neighbor/friend is a single mom with two children older than ours and she has been without a car for a couple months now, another friend with young children went several months last year without a car in our twin city, and so many, many others we don't know in our community who just simply can not afford a car, have lost their license, can not drive for health reasons, etc. Obviously, we know it CAN be done. We aren't doing anything groundbreaking here. I am interested in how much we save, how we can improve on navigating our town within our very active social lives, and what we learn along the way.
Travel Expenses: $235 1 annual adult MTD bus pass (for me)
$145 1 annual "student" MTD bus pass (for my almost nine year old)
Now I have to say I could have bought a "Spring" pass for $115 since I will probably be riding my bike more than bussing once the weather is nice, but I like the option and not having to worry about tokens, etc. Also, I could have probably gotten by with one more year without my eldest child using a pass. Technically, kids under certain height right for free when with a fare-paying adult, but although he is over this height I have never been asked to pay for him. He was very excited about having his own pass and I feel like I'm being fair to the system I am benefiting from...I enjoy having a mass transit system and don't mind paying for it. This also allows for my son to ride by himself if the need arises without a worry about tokens, etc. I have issues with our bus system in our town. It seems set up primarily to take people to campus and home or students from one end of campus to the other. The MTD has lots of positives as well and I will save my critiques for now.
Today's Goal: Help a customer learn to use her new baby carrier. She has a newborn and doesn't want to take the baby out so I'll be taking the three kids and going to her house. This is a standard service I offer all my child carrier customers since I want to ensure they know how to use the carrier safely and have the correct carrier for their specific needs. We are out of dish washing detergent and other staples so I need to shop at Common Ground Co-op and/or Strawberry Fields. The boys have been asking to go to the library so we will visit the Urbana Free Library while we are out.
Weather: Since we live in the Midwest and I have a eight year old, four year old, and sixteen month old traveling with me, the weather is quite important to me. If it is very cold or raining, that might change my plans. Today is sunny (thank you!) with a high of 39 degrees F (although we will be traveling well before the high is reached). It is a little windy, but not terrible.
Travel Plans: I enter the customer's address into the handy dandy MTD route finder. I have a couple options. The first one entails a 30 minutes bus ride (from a bus stop .19 miles from my house) and then a .50 mile walk to the customer's house. The second option has us walking .35 miles to another bus stop, riding a bus for 5 minutes, transferring to another bus, riding for 20 minutes and then walking .25 miles to the customer's house. The third option has us riding the bus (from a bus stop .19 miles from our house) 10 minutes, waiting for 20 minutes (in a bus terminal...that makes a difference, but still that is 20 minutes just waiting), riding for 20 minutes and then walking .20 miles to the customer's house.
I decide to go with option 1 for multiple reasons. One being, I am familiar with the bus route and since the high is relatively balmy for this time of year, I don't mind doing the .50 mile walk all at one time.
This only takes into account getting to the customer's house...not getting from her house to the store or the library. Walking from the customers house to the co-op is roughly 1.6 miles. From the co-op to the library is a scant .2 miles and then another .2 miles to Strawberry Fields and .4 miles to the bus stop. This homeward bound bus drops us off right in front of our house.
Savings from this Trip: Well, that is hard to calculate. We did "save" $4 in bus fare (I will keep a running total to see if we can possibly use the bus enough to pay for our passes). We didn't use gas or wear and tear on our own vehicle. Right now we still have car insurance because we are paid up until the end of the month and will be renting a car for a trip so we don't mind being covered. Our car insurance is roughly $600 a year so when calculating annual savings this will come into play, but this early into the experiment we have not actually saved a dime on insurance.
Time: While I probably won't be able to keep track of actual accurate travel times, I do like to know how much time it took for us to achieve our goals. This time will include time we would have spent at the library or shopping even if we had used a car, but it is useful for me to see how I could improve efficiency. Roughly 5.5 hours. I am guessing at least 2 hours or 2.5 hours of this is travel time (including time spent waiting for the bus).
Tonight's Goal: Have dinner with friends.
Weather: Since it is after dark, it has cooled off quite a bit...below freezing. The forecast is calling for freezing rain, but we are hoping it will hold off until we are back home.
Travel Plans: Dinner is at a restaurant 1.6 miles from our house at around 7:30pm so the kids will be tired on the way home. We decide to walk and push the kids in the Chariot bike trailer. All three kids can not fit in the trailer when it is attached to the bike, but while using at as a stroller they can cuddle in (not so much fun for our eight year old), stay warm, and fall asleep. We add a blanket to keep them snug and bring a child carrier in case they are too cramped.
Savings from this Trip: We ate at a place with free parking so the only savings would be gas.
Time: Roughly 2 hours with around 1 hour of this being travel time.
Other Travel: My husband rode his bike to and from work as usual for a total of approximately 40 minutes round trip and 7 miles.
*A couple disclaimers - the distances are estimates from using different online map services. Most of the time, I am traveling at 4 year old walking speed and carrying a 25 lb. 16 month old in a carrier with a diaper bag weighing roughly 3 - 5 lbs. prior to any purchases made on the trip.
Notes: The forgetfulness comes in because after all of this, I forgot to buy dish washing detergent. I was not shopping for the entire week, but picking up a bag of groceries which I could easily carry with the toddler. I bought several loaves of bread (we freeze them) and some other staples, but no detergent. Not an issue when we had a car, but pretty disappointing as we rode the last bus which goes past our house home. I even made a list, but by the time we were shopping I was in a hurry and didn't dig it out of my bag. Not the end of the world, but I must be better planning and sticking to my list in the future. The kids stayed warm, but my four year old complained of foot pain. He is wearing his brother's hand-me-down shoes and I should probably look into shoes with a better fit since he will be walking more than usual. He did well walking over 3 miles today.
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