Today is my 14th post, according to the blog stats. So I guess that means I've finished my two week challenge. However, I didn't manage to succeed at going completely car free for the whole time, as mentioned before. I will keep blogging for the moment, and keep bussing and biking and see where I end up!
I have been to the bus station in Hamilton before, several times, but I have never noticed what I noticed today. When I arrived at the bus station after bussing to my 11.30am meeting, I thought I had accidentally arrived at a smokers' convention. I must have seen dozens of people smoking, which is something I haven't seen for a really long time. I'm not very up with the play on cigarettes, but most of them looked like roll your own cigarettes. I do see young people smoking in the street from time to time, but this was extraordinary. Obviously, bussing and good health aren't as well mixed as I had assumed. The first glimpse of what lay ahead occurred as I alighted from the bus at the station. I noticed a group of bus drivers standing nearby, smoking. That took me slightly aback, but then the next person and the next were smoking as well. The smokers I saw were all ages, genders and races. Then I saw a woman wearing an enormous orange backpack, and even she was smoking! I also noticed masses of cigarette butts on the concrete. In thinking about it, I guess these are people who are taking the chance for a few puffs before getting on their buses which are, thankfully, smoke free. However, I felt quite offended that the bus station was so full of smokers and felt quite affected by this. Perhaps I will contact the Council and let them know of my concerns.
My meeting was about 5 minutes' walk from the station. I returned in time to make use of my 2 hour free transfer bus home, which meant the whole journey was $2.30. If I'd driven the car or van - perish the thought! - I would have paid about $2 for parking anyway and more than 30 cents on petrol. The journey was relatively quick too. But I also realised what I really love about riding the bus! It's the opportunity to do one of my most favourite activities. Reading! In my busy life it's hard to justify reading for pleasure. But on the bus, it feels okay. During my experiment I have usually remembered to take a book with me, especially now that I'm more aware of the length of the journey. During both of today's bus rides I read from my latest favourite book, Living Oprah. I'm enjoying it but haven't read many pages yet. Whenever I read books like that it inspires me to do something similar of my own... Watch this space. (Or one very nearby).
Later in the afternoon, (fortunately before a deluge) I cycled to the supermarket which is next to our closest post office. I had to do a job at the post office, so went to the supermarket for some of the things we were running out of. It's never ending, but that's another story - or perhaps another blog! The cycle trip there and back took about an hour in total and was very enjoyable now that I have figured out the shortest route. It involves a bit of excitement with a tunnel and no hills. My load was almost too heavy for my back, but I plodded on home wishing the fancy bicycle trailer was finished. My husband was working on it as I arrived, so maybe next time. My son said he'd had a bit of strange goings on with his bus trips home from school today. He got on the first bus as normal but it didn't go where he expected it to so he got off and walked to the bus stop he would normally catch the next bus from. Not sure what on earth happened there. But you get that sometimes with buses. It's probably good for him to find himself in that situation occasionally and work out a solution. I mowed the lawns tonight, as well as cycling to and from the supermarket! So I think I've had my quota of exercise for today. (Another side benefit of the biking thing).
Friday, March 18, 2011
Breaking my Promise
So, Thursday was the day I had to go against my challenge and drive somewhere. I'm not sure if there were any alternatives that I hadn't discovered. Either way, the decision was made. My son arrived home on the bus before I had to leave, and my husband had come home early because of a very sore throat and headache, so it didn't matter that I was leaving before my daughter arrived home from school. I packed the van with all the census materials and drove to get mum. Her optometrist appointment was over quickly, and her new lenses were fitted into her frames. By all accounts, everything's a lot clearer now. I drove her back to the rest home and stopped on the way to pick up some fruit and vegetables that we needed. Then I went to my appointment with the census supervisor, handed over the boxes, finished the paperwork and headed towards home in the van. My niece Louise lives nearby and I suddenly remembered that this would be the ideal time to drop off a large suitcase full of toy cars and trucks for her two young sons. My husband and children had sorted them out weeks earlier and left them in the van for me to deliver. I had kept forgetting, so it was good to do that while I had access to the van. The toys were very happily received and I had a nice visit with Louise and the kids before heading home. I dropped in at our local Four Square shop which isn't as cheap as the supermarket but it does have a few great specials each week. This week the apples and butter were a great price. I also bought a few other provisions including more milk which is always cheapest there. It was good to be able to make the best use of the van that I could, while I could.
So what was it like driving again after nearly two weeks? My daughter was worried that I would have forgotten how to drive! Not so. I eased back into the driver's seat surprisingly easily and noticed how quickly I reached my destinations in comparison with the past couple of weeks. However, it didn't make me hanker for more and I actually feel fine about not using the van or car unless it's absolutely necessary. That also means accepting that sometimes it is necessary and, on those occasions, it's good to have the option.
I know I'll probably need to use it some time over the weekend, as I bought a breadmaker at the online auction site for $25 and I need to pick it up from Cambridge. I could bus there, but that probably isn't the best use of my time. I'm still working on my decision about that. Watch this space!
So what was it like driving again after nearly two weeks? My daughter was worried that I would have forgotten how to drive! Not so. I eased back into the driver's seat surprisingly easily and noticed how quickly I reached my destinations in comparison with the past couple of weeks. However, it didn't make me hanker for more and I actually feel fine about not using the van or car unless it's absolutely necessary. That also means accepting that sometimes it is necessary and, on those occasions, it's good to have the option.
I know I'll probably need to use it some time over the weekend, as I bought a breadmaker at the online auction site for $25 and I need to pick it up from Cambridge. I could bus there, but that probably isn't the best use of my time. I'm still working on my decision about that. Watch this space!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday woes?
Not really woes, just alliterating again. My daughter is unwell and home sick from school, but that hasn't been a problem. She's feeling a lot better now and the bright side is that we don't have to bus to volleyball tonight!
Another sort of woe which has a bright side is that the optometrist phoned to say my mother's new lenses are ready to be fitted to her glasses. That means I need to take her into town and that means using the car. She can't cycle and would not fit in the fancy new trolley - although it would be fun trying! I could probably take her on the bus in the wheelchair at a pinch, but since I have the census stuff to take back anyway, I decided to put both birds in the same bush and kill them with one stone! That's a very mixed up metaphor to say that I will bite the bullet and drive the van or car to do both jobs on Thursday afternoon. At least it's only going to be one outing. Oh well...
Once my husband and son finally arrived home at 5.30 from cricket and work on the motorbike, I was able to bike up to the vets to get the much needed cat food supplies. Fortunately, they're open til 6pm. I mixed it in with collecting our Wednesday night takeaways which were near the vets. The happy surprise was when my son offered to cycle up with me. It surprised me as he'd only just arrived home after a long day at school and cricket practice. We had a lovely time cycling there and back together - which made me realise that the bussing and biking thing has another benefit... family time together.
Another sort of woe which has a bright side is that the optometrist phoned to say my mother's new lenses are ready to be fitted to her glasses. That means I need to take her into town and that means using the car. She can't cycle and would not fit in the fancy new trolley - although it would be fun trying! I could probably take her on the bus in the wheelchair at a pinch, but since I have the census stuff to take back anyway, I decided to put both birds in the same bush and kill them with one stone! That's a very mixed up metaphor to say that I will bite the bullet and drive the van or car to do both jobs on Thursday afternoon. At least it's only going to be one outing. Oh well...
Once my husband and son finally arrived home at 5.30 from cricket and work on the motorbike, I was able to bike up to the vets to get the much needed cat food supplies. Fortunately, they're open til 6pm. I mixed it in with collecting our Wednesday night takeaways which were near the vets. The happy surprise was when my son offered to cycle up with me. It surprised me as he'd only just arrived home after a long day at school and cricket practice. We had a lovely time cycling there and back together - which made me realise that the bussing and biking thing has another benefit... family time together.
Tuesday's trip
On Tuesday I only had cause to leave the house once. I was involved in a book meeting at home for most of the day and, after that ended, I suddenly realised that I needed to post the birthday card for my mother-in-law's 70th birthday. There are post boxes at each end of our street and I knew the one by the library had been emptied at 1pm. I wasn't sure if the one at the other end of the street was emptied later or not. I cycled that way to find out and was pleasantly surprised to make it on time. That ones not cleared until 6pm so I had plenty of time. However, I also needed to pick some 'on hold' books up from the library which meant cycling past my daughter's high school in 'rush hour' which turned out to be quite dangerous due to all the people with cars parked on each side of the road outside the school. I cycled to the library without incident, although the outcome could have been different if I wasn't watching when a car decided to turn in front of me. Fortunately I was going slow enough to stop and give the driver the eye roll! I don't think he noticed or even cared. I made it home just before my son arrived home on the bus - early this time because the connection between the two buses worked well. I have just checked and seen that this also occurred last Tuesday, so perhaps that means it will be a good experience bus-wise for him after school each Tuesday. (However, I have probably jinxed that by putting the suggestion in writing.)
The biking and bussing question did come up during the day though, because my census supervisor wants all the materials (very heavy) back to him by Friday. There is no way I can do that by bike or bus and he wasn't willing or able to get them from my place due to the fact that I also needed a debrief at the office. I didn't feel assertive enough to argue the point, but I was honest about my car free challenge. That didn't create any empathy so I just had to decide that I would have to drive there on Thursday. Later that night my husband showed me a fancy little trailer that he is making so that I can carry heavyish shopping items behind the bike. I trialled it (unloaded) and it seems to work well. However, it's not quite ready ands a few tweaks. It might be possible to ride to the meeting with the census meeting after all - but the jury's still out!
The biking and bussing question did come up during the day though, because my census supervisor wants all the materials (very heavy) back to him by Friday. There is no way I can do that by bike or bus and he wasn't willing or able to get them from my place due to the fact that I also needed a debrief at the office. I didn't feel assertive enough to argue the point, but I was honest about my car free challenge. That didn't create any empathy so I just had to decide that I would have to drive there on Thursday. Later that night my husband showed me a fancy little trailer that he is making so that I can carry heavyish shopping items behind the bike. I trialled it (unloaded) and it seems to work well. However, it's not quite ready ands a few tweaks. It might be possible to ride to the meeting with the census meeting after all - but the jury's still out!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Monday brings Meaning
Sorry about my innate need to alliterate in the headings! I have had a slight revelation while hanging out the washing, so wanted to record it here in case I forget it later. One of the unexpected changes that has occurred since my bike n bus riding experiment is that I am slowing down on some of my decision making processes. For some that might be a bad thing, but for me it's a good thing. Specifically, I have noticed that since I can't just jump in a vehicle and drive to the supermarket, I have changed the way I think about shopping. Twice now, I have made a list of what I "need" at the local shop or supermarket. On both occasions, I have reconsidered the list in the light of how much I can carry on a bike or bus and how urgent the items are in comparison with my writing workload. Looking at the list again, I see that none of the items are urgent and there is actually no need to go shopping at all. Interesting...
(written later...) This afternoon I ended up going to the supermarket anyway. I phoned my mum who is in a rest home and she needed some shopping done so I decided to do that before the kids came home from school. The question was bike or bus? I tossed between the two for a while and even nearly biked. However, I ended up bussing which turned out to be a good idea as I, like Baa Baa Black Sheep, had three bags full by the end of the experience. I bussed to the supermarket which is nearest to mum's place and then walked back across the bridge with my load. It was a hot day so the walk was pretty tiring but it's always great to arrive! I dropped off mum's shopping and had a short visit before walking back up to the Hamilton East shopping centre to wait for the bus home. Fortunately, I was well within my two hour return ticket price so I made the whole journey for $2.30 plus a decent amount of sweat - and arrived home with half an hour to spare before my daughter arrived to give an account of her day at school. I had the same bus driver each way, a nice man who I've seen on that route before. When I caught the bus used some spare cash to top up my electronic bus card. The minimum is $10 and I only had $9. But then I remembered the Australian $1 coin that I'd stashed in a secret pocket after my trip to see Oprah in Sydney. It had been saving itself for this moment, I thought, creating $10 where only $9 had been before. The bus driver spotted it immediately and asked if I had another $1. I didn't, so he happily accepted it, saying he would keep it with "all the other weird foreign money" he receives from hopeful passengers. I plan to stay home for the rest of the day and recover! By the way, thanks for the comment Vicki Malicki! Glad to know I've inspired you to bigger and better things!
(written later...) This afternoon I ended up going to the supermarket anyway. I phoned my mum who is in a rest home and she needed some shopping done so I decided to do that before the kids came home from school. The question was bike or bus? I tossed between the two for a while and even nearly biked. However, I ended up bussing which turned out to be a good idea as I, like Baa Baa Black Sheep, had three bags full by the end of the experience. I bussed to the supermarket which is nearest to mum's place and then walked back across the bridge with my load. It was a hot day so the walk was pretty tiring but it's always great to arrive! I dropped off mum's shopping and had a short visit before walking back up to the Hamilton East shopping centre to wait for the bus home. Fortunately, I was well within my two hour return ticket price so I made the whole journey for $2.30 plus a decent amount of sweat - and arrived home with half an hour to spare before my daughter arrived to give an account of her day at school. I had the same bus driver each way, a nice man who I've seen on that route before. When I caught the bus used some spare cash to top up my electronic bus card. The minimum is $10 and I only had $9. But then I remembered the Australian $1 coin that I'd stashed in a secret pocket after my trip to see Oprah in Sydney. It had been saving itself for this moment, I thought, creating $10 where only $9 had been before. The bus driver spotted it immediately and asked if I had another $1. I didn't, so he happily accepted it, saying he would keep it with "all the other weird foreign money" he receives from hopeful passengers. I plan to stay home for the rest of the day and recover! By the way, thanks for the comment Vicki Malicki! Glad to know I've inspired you to bigger and better things!
Sunday at home
I didn't have much call to go out and about today - on bike, bus or otherwise - as I had several writing assignments that I had to complete before the end of the weekend. My son was at another cricket tournament/trial thingy at the university nearby, but he was transported to and fro via my husband's motorbike. My daughter arrived back from her friend's place by car, so I didn't need to figure out anything there either. However, she and I did have a short bike ride to the local shops to get some milk, bread and bananas just before it got too dark to ride safely. It looked like it could rain at any minute, but that never eventuated and we stayed dry. Hopefully, our bad habit of getting into the car or van to go that very short distance has well and truly been stamped out - even if it means travelling in the rain.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday Sports
Saturday is cricket day in our family. Most of our games this season have been at the university sports fields near our home which makes it convenient for walking or biking. However, biking with a cricket bag can be tricky so my husband took our son on the motorbike and my daughter and I cycled up to the game. I love cricket scorekeeping and that's how I spend a large part of every Saturday during the season. My husband often umpires our son's games, sharing the role with other dads from the team. On Saturday he had to go back and forth to home on the motorbike a couple of times because we had some things we wanted to bid for on internet auctions. (We weren't the winning bidders though). I also cycled home during the lunch break to have some time at home (and a well earned cup of tea) and sort out our daughter who was off to a friend's place for the weekend. Not very eventful, but a bit of a landmark for me of going a whole week without using the van or car. Yay! Congrats to me.
Forgot to mention one eventful bit. There was so much to carry home via the bike that I left my first aid kit behind at the cricket. I had taken it out of the bag to help a boy from the other team who was reeling under the mixed battering of three bee stings and too much sun on a Scottish complexion. After a few phone calls I tracked the first aid kit down at last. Phew! We will be reunited on Saturday at the next cricket match.
Forgot to mention one eventful bit. There was so much to carry home via the bike that I left my first aid kit behind at the cricket. I had taken it out of the bag to help a boy from the other team who was reeling under the mixed battering of three bee stings and too much sun on a Scottish complexion. After a few phone calls I tracked the first aid kit down at last. Phew! We will be reunited on Saturday at the next cricket match.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Friday Bike Day
My daughter had a very long sleep in today thanks to it being a "leave day" for her high school. She had a doctor's appointment at midday which we walked to easily. The medical centre is at the end of our street, only about 8 minutes walk away, which is incredibly convenient.
After that we decided to have a bike ride together, with the aim of investigating a berry farm. I had seen the signs on the outskirts of Hamilton, pretty close to our suburb, on the way back from another town a couple of weeks ago. The ride had some up and down challenges, and was mostly on the open road, but we made it there and back safely, enjoying the stop for a fresh berry ice cream at the berry farm. The Road Rules 101 lesson was probably a bit like throwing my daughter in at the deep end, but it felt relatively safe and she seemed happy about it all. The most noteworthy event was when I heard her squealing at one point on the ride home. I turned to see that she'd stopped, so I did the same. The squeal had been over a very pregnant praying mantis that was starting a long and treacherous wobble across the road. Its hopes for the future had almost been dashed by my daughter's bicycle wheels. She managed to avoid the insect, then stopped and went back to rescue it. Right place, right time!
In the early evening my husband and son arrived home on the newly improved motorbike - which now starts beautifully - the son from cricket practice and the husband from work. We're all safe and sound at home this evening, though Japan is being hit by earthquakes and tsunamis as I write.
After that we decided to have a bike ride together, with the aim of investigating a berry farm. I had seen the signs on the outskirts of Hamilton, pretty close to our suburb, on the way back from another town a couple of weeks ago. The ride had some up and down challenges, and was mostly on the open road, but we made it there and back safely, enjoying the stop for a fresh berry ice cream at the berry farm. The Road Rules 101 lesson was probably a bit like throwing my daughter in at the deep end, but it felt relatively safe and she seemed happy about it all. The most noteworthy event was when I heard her squealing at one point on the ride home. I turned to see that she'd stopped, so I did the same. The squeal had been over a very pregnant praying mantis that was starting a long and treacherous wobble across the road. Its hopes for the future had almost been dashed by my daughter's bicycle wheels. She managed to avoid the insect, then stopped and went back to rescue it. Right place, right time!
In the early evening my husband and son arrived home on the newly improved motorbike - which now starts beautifully - the son from cricket practice and the husband from work. We're all safe and sound at home this evening, though Japan is being hit by earthquakes and tsunamis as I write.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Life's more peaceful by bus
I don't know how I will ever quantify this experiment. By that I mean I don't know how to calculate how much money I'll save, if any, by biking and bussing instead of driving. I also don't know how much time I will "waste" by biking and bussing instead of driving. However, I suspect that, by the end of the two week period, I will have a sense of how different I feel. I'm already beginning to feel different. Here are some examples: Deciding not to drive in order to save petrol etc seems to come with some other spin offs. We have definitely started to be more careful with our spending generally. I am baking more and figuring out ways to save money here and there. The children are fully on board which is really heartwarming and there is something about it all that feels like it's drawn us closer together as a family. That probably sounds a bit gooier than it is, but there's an element of truth in it. I guess it's something about changing a dynamic in a household and how that has flow on effects in many ways - so far, I think, all pretty good flow on effects. I think I'll be able to explain it better a bit further down the track, but I wanted to note it here to alert myself to when the feeling started.
This morning I caught a bus at 8.50am to visit my mother who lives in a rest home/private hospital. It's only one bus ride away as well as a shortish walk. The trip into Hamilton East also allowed me to do some other banking, posting and shopping items that weren't easily done near home so it worked well. Mum was pleased to see me and slightly surprised that I had bussed. I told her about the experiment, though she didn't ask why. Either she assumed that it was because of the swiftly increasing petrol prices, the state of my van or the general quirkiness of my personality. I walked back up to the shopping area after my visit and completed my other errands before boarding a return bus home - all just minutes within my two hour window of opportunity to make use of the free return trip on the bus. So the travel for that trip was a total of $2.30 and the amount of time I was away was only slightly longer than I would have been if I'd taken the van.
Speaking of the van, my husband has driven it to work for the last few days because his new motorbike has been in getting seen to. The news today is that everything is hunky dory again and the fixing people seem confident that it will start well every time and not experience brake lock again - all very important.
A lady phoned from the bus company today. She was updating me on my complaint about Tuesday's bus driver from hell. She apologised and explained that he wasn't one of the normal drivers. He was called in due to sickness and will not be used again. The interesting thing was that I wasn't the only one who had complained about his driving that day! It made me really glad that I had phoned up about it and I feel even more resolved to do similar things in the future, whenever necessary.
This morning I caught a bus at 8.50am to visit my mother who lives in a rest home/private hospital. It's only one bus ride away as well as a shortish walk. The trip into Hamilton East also allowed me to do some other banking, posting and shopping items that weren't easily done near home so it worked well. Mum was pleased to see me and slightly surprised that I had bussed. I told her about the experiment, though she didn't ask why. Either she assumed that it was because of the swiftly increasing petrol prices, the state of my van or the general quirkiness of my personality. I walked back up to the shopping area after my visit and completed my other errands before boarding a return bus home - all just minutes within my two hour window of opportunity to make use of the free return trip on the bus. So the travel for that trip was a total of $2.30 and the amount of time I was away was only slightly longer than I would have been if I'd taken the van.
Speaking of the van, my husband has driven it to work for the last few days because his new motorbike has been in getting seen to. The news today is that everything is hunky dory again and the fixing people seem confident that it will start well every time and not experience brake lock again - all very important.
A lady phoned from the bus company today. She was updating me on my complaint about Tuesday's bus driver from hell. She apologised and explained that he wasn't one of the normal drivers. He was called in due to sickness and will not be used again. The interesting thing was that I wasn't the only one who had complained about his driving that day! It made me really glad that I had phoned up about it and I feel even more resolved to do similar things in the future, whenever necessary.
Wednesday Travels
On Wednesday I was planning to bus to the supermarket where I knew the coffee was on special and where I could also buy a couple of other items that weren't available in my nearby supermarket. However, a timely online shopping coupon from Countdown got me thinking and I ended up ordering all my shopping online and also having it delivered on the same day. The price for delivering, if you took the coupon into account, was only $1.25 - much less than the bus fare would have been. What's more, I was able to purchase more than I could carry home. I was careful to stick with necessities and bought a few of some of the items that were on special. When I do a calculation at the end of the month, it will give me a better idea of whether online shopping is a good idea for us. One thing I know for sure, the fresh produce seems to be of higher quality than that available to those who shop in the store. I also received two free products - both of which I was pleased about.
However, I did use the bus service later in the day. My daughter and I usually drive to volleyball on Wednesday afternoons, and this would be our biggest challenge so far. The games are held in far north Hamilton and we live in far south Hamilton. We had a choice of buses, both involving two trips each way. To arrive by 4.30pm, I knew we had to catch our 3.15pm bus. Fortunately, my daughter's high school finishes earlier on a Wednesday, which made that possible. We got off that bus at the Hillcrest Warehouse in order to transfer to the Orbiter. I suspected that this was about the same time that my son would be arriving at the same spot to make his transfer and I was right. He was a little surprised to see us sitting at the bus stop when he arrived and it was good to see him before we went our separate ways. The orbiter duly arrived and I followed our progress on the map, much to my daughter's annoyance. People don't do that! It was a route I had never travelled, and I was interested in where it would take us on the way to our destination.
The most interesting factor was that we had to stop for large numbers of high school boys, including those from my son's school. My daughter described it as "swimming in a sea of Lynx" - referring to the overwhelming male body spray that accompanied the passengers. In my teenage days the boys all smelled of a product called Brut. Not much changes. Somehow they all managed to pile on board and find spaces to slot themselves into. It was a bit like packing too many clothes into a suitcase but, fortunately, we had a great seat and merely had the joy (!) of watching and listening.
There was a very small number of girls from the local Diocesan high school at the front of the bus, and these creatures were obviously the cause of some fascination to the adolescent males on board. I resisted the urge to explain that "Hey Dio Chick!" wasn't likely to produce the desired result and felt pleased that my own high school aged daughter was suitably chaperoned! We overheard some interesting snippets of conversation which were mainly centred around supposedly gayguys and hot girls. One classic I overheard went something like this:
"That dude's gay."
"Yeah, I know."
"No, I don't mean that. I just meant the way he texts."
We arrived at the volleyball on time and 90 minutes later, it was time to repeat the journey. My bus timetable came in handy as I plotted our route, using a different bus to get into the city centre before catching our bus home. That all went very smoothly apart from having to run for the bus when I miscalculated the positioning of the next bus stop. All in all, it did make for a long day and my daughter was understandably tired, but I did enjoy all aspects of the experience and only occasionally felt the lack of a car.
However, I did use the bus service later in the day. My daughter and I usually drive to volleyball on Wednesday afternoons, and this would be our biggest challenge so far. The games are held in far north Hamilton and we live in far south Hamilton. We had a choice of buses, both involving two trips each way. To arrive by 4.30pm, I knew we had to catch our 3.15pm bus. Fortunately, my daughter's high school finishes earlier on a Wednesday, which made that possible. We got off that bus at the Hillcrest Warehouse in order to transfer to the Orbiter. I suspected that this was about the same time that my son would be arriving at the same spot to make his transfer and I was right. He was a little surprised to see us sitting at the bus stop when he arrived and it was good to see him before we went our separate ways. The orbiter duly arrived and I followed our progress on the map, much to my daughter's annoyance. People don't do that! It was a route I had never travelled, and I was interested in where it would take us on the way to our destination.
The most interesting factor was that we had to stop for large numbers of high school boys, including those from my son's school. My daughter described it as "swimming in a sea of Lynx" - referring to the overwhelming male body spray that accompanied the passengers. In my teenage days the boys all smelled of a product called Brut. Not much changes. Somehow they all managed to pile on board and find spaces to slot themselves into. It was a bit like packing too many clothes into a suitcase but, fortunately, we had a great seat and merely had the joy (!) of watching and listening.
There was a very small number of girls from the local Diocesan high school at the front of the bus, and these creatures were obviously the cause of some fascination to the adolescent males on board. I resisted the urge to explain that "Hey Dio Chick!" wasn't likely to produce the desired result and felt pleased that my own high school aged daughter was suitably chaperoned! We overheard some interesting snippets of conversation which were mainly centred around supposedly gayguys and hot girls. One classic I overheard went something like this:
"That dude's gay."
"Yeah, I know."
"No, I don't mean that. I just meant the way he texts."
We arrived at the volleyball on time and 90 minutes later, it was time to repeat the journey. My bus timetable came in handy as I plotted our route, using a different bus to get into the city centre before catching our bus home. That all went very smoothly apart from having to run for the bus when I miscalculated the positioning of the next bus stop. All in all, it did make for a long day and my daughter was understandably tired, but I did enjoy all aspects of the experience and only occasionally felt the lack of a car.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Tuesday and all is well with the world...
My son has easily slipped into the routine of bussing to and from school. He catches two buses to school and two buses home again. Our fabulous Hamilton bus system means that the cost is pretty reasonable. And today I made another saving on his bus fare when I realised that his four trips in one day were eligible for a day saver, costing $3 for the day in total. The biggest surprise and happy-filled moment was when he arrived home much earlier than I expected because, for the first time, the second bus came just after the first bus had dropped him at the stop. So there was no waiting time and he was home more quickly than he would have been if I went to collect him in the van! And all for less than the price of a cup of coffee! Now that's progress.
This afternoon I was thinking of cycling or bussing to the local supermarket to get some things we were running out of. However, I reassessed the list and realised that I could get the urgent things more cheaply at our local superette at a reasonable cost. I cycled there and did that job quickly without any drama.
Today I realised that my plan would come unstuck next Tuesday because of a planned annual dental check up for our son back in Te Awamutu (where we lived up until two months ago). Bussing to and from there would not be possible, so we talked about the options. Our decision was to cancel that appointment and find a new dentist nearby. It turns out there's one in walking distance from our house. Alternatively, he can also plug in to the dental service that visits his high school each year. Problem solved. It made me realise that having access to a vehicle can make unnecessary journeys seem easy and doable when, in fact, another option would save money and time.
The other thing to report about today was that I phoned the bus company to make a report about yesterday's driver. I felt glad that I had done so and will wait to see what comes of it.
This afternoon I was thinking of cycling or bussing to the local supermarket to get some things we were running out of. However, I reassessed the list and realised that I could get the urgent things more cheaply at our local superette at a reasonable cost. I cycled there and did that job quickly without any drama.
Today I realised that my plan would come unstuck next Tuesday because of a planned annual dental check up for our son back in Te Awamutu (where we lived up until two months ago). Bussing to and from there would not be possible, so we talked about the options. Our decision was to cancel that appointment and find a new dentist nearby. It turns out there's one in walking distance from our house. Alternatively, he can also plug in to the dental service that visits his high school each year. Problem solved. It made me realise that having access to a vehicle can make unnecessary journeys seem easy and doable when, in fact, another option would save money and time.
The other thing to report about today was that I phoned the bus company to make a report about yesterday's driver. I felt glad that I had done so and will wait to see what comes of it.
Bussing Around
Monday's bussing adventure came after school when my daughter and I bussed into Hamilton East shopping centre to look for some clothing items she needed. The bus took us door to door in a jiffy - mainly due to the speed of the driver which seemed excessive and slightly dangerous. It was certainly a rocky ride, but we made it. We did some of our shopping and then caught the return bus (with the same driver) to the Hillcrest Warehouse to buy the other necessities. One thing I love about the Hamilton bus service is that you can use the same ticket if it's within two hours. Great savings had by all.
However, I vowed to never let my children ride their bikes to Hamilton East shops after seeing this erratic driver nearly bowl over an innocent woman cyclist. The driver was heading for his bus stop and nothing was going to stop him. Fortunately, the woman dodged the monster and escaped certain death. The return ride was just as rocky but I neglected to get the bus driver's details to alert the authorities. Next time.
We managed to get all the items we needed at the Warehouse but, while there, I received a text from my husband who was meant to be picking up our son from cricket practice after work. His new motorbike had a seized brake and he wouldn't be able to make the rendezvous. I was so glad that I was already out of the house because, if I had been at home when the text arrived, I would have panicked and used the van to go and pick up our son. Instead, I remained relatively calm and texted him to catch the Orbiter bus to where we were shopping, telling him we would all then take the other bus home together. Thank goodness for modern texting technology! Where would I be without it? It is quite simply the paranoid mother's dream!
He followed instructions and we were united more quickly than if I'd gone home to get the van and driven to get him. So it all worked out happily in the end - and my husband's guardian angel turned up in the guise of a fellow worker to help him with the motorbike. It was temporarily sorted and he's using the van to take it to the fixit shop today to figure out the problem.
In a discussion in the evening about sports practices this week after school - and the relevant transport ramifications - my husband asked for a reminder about why I wasn't using a vehicle and making life easier. I explained the situation and felt really clear on what my experiment was finding out. Could we do it? How hard is it really? Which journeys actually need to be done by car? Does it waste precious time? Etc. The family is in agreement with the experiment continuing and everyone sees the inherent value. I'm glad about that. My son said he would ride a bike if "everyone in the world" did. I explained that "everyone in the world" starts with "some people in the world" and grows from there!
However, I vowed to never let my children ride their bikes to Hamilton East shops after seeing this erratic driver nearly bowl over an innocent woman cyclist. The driver was heading for his bus stop and nothing was going to stop him. Fortunately, the woman dodged the monster and escaped certain death. The return ride was just as rocky but I neglected to get the bus driver's details to alert the authorities. Next time.
We managed to get all the items we needed at the Warehouse but, while there, I received a text from my husband who was meant to be picking up our son from cricket practice after work. His new motorbike had a seized brake and he wouldn't be able to make the rendezvous. I was so glad that I was already out of the house because, if I had been at home when the text arrived, I would have panicked and used the van to go and pick up our son. Instead, I remained relatively calm and texted him to catch the Orbiter bus to where we were shopping, telling him we would all then take the other bus home together. Thank goodness for modern texting technology! Where would I be without it? It is quite simply the paranoid mother's dream!
He followed instructions and we were united more quickly than if I'd gone home to get the van and driven to get him. So it all worked out happily in the end - and my husband's guardian angel turned up in the guise of a fellow worker to help him with the motorbike. It was temporarily sorted and he's using the van to take it to the fixit shop today to figure out the problem.
In a discussion in the evening about sports practices this week after school - and the relevant transport ramifications - my husband asked for a reminder about why I wasn't using a vehicle and making life easier. I explained the situation and felt really clear on what my experiment was finding out. Could we do it? How hard is it really? Which journeys actually need to be done by car? Does it waste precious time? Etc. The family is in agreement with the experiment continuing and everyone sees the inherent value. I'm glad about that. My son said he would ride a bike if "everyone in the world" did. I explained that "everyone in the world" starts with "some people in the world" and grows from there!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Day One - Shopping by Bike
My daughter and I had our first biking expedition to our New World Supermarket today. Knowing we could only carry two backpacks worth of groceries took some planning and involved discussions with the children about what we really needed. Maybe the biking experiment will be a money saver in more ways than one.
It was nice to arrive at the bike park and seeing a father and his two children arriving just after us - all three piled onto his bicycle. Great to know we weren't alone in our efforts. Maybe we would be the new participants in a biking revolution around our city. The journey there was much easier than the return journey, however, with very full backpacks to cope with. I didn't mind, but my daughter wasn't used to biking with a backpack and found the experience harder than she expected. However, we made it home and felt proud of having done the job in an hour and a half which is probably not much longer than it would have taken using the van. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next cycling challenge!
It was nice to arrive at the bike park and seeing a father and his two children arriving just after us - all three piled onto his bicycle. Great to know we weren't alone in our efforts. Maybe we would be the new participants in a biking revolution around our city. The journey there was much easier than the return journey, however, with very full backpacks to cope with. I didn't mind, but my daughter wasn't used to biking with a backpack and found the experience harder than she expected. However, we made it home and felt proud of having done the job in an hour and a half which is probably not much longer than it would have taken using the van. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next cycling challenge!
The Decision
Yesterday was big decision day. After being a family with a car and a van - and four bicycles that were largely unused - we started thinking about our vehicular future. The prompt was my husband's new motorbike. He's a motorbike rider from way back and, now that we live in a city (and the kids are older), he decided to buy a motorbike again and ride to work each day. That decision led to a discussion about what to do about the car and van. He drove the car. I drove the van. Neither vehicle is worth a great deal of money, but the van has proved extremely useful over the years - carrying sports teams and gear, holiday gear, furniture, garden waste and the paraphenalia of my elderly mother.
With petrol prices going up and up - and no sign of that reversing - I have already been investigating the bus routes around the city and doing a small amount of bicycle riding. Bikes and buses were my sole form of transport for many years. I didn't get a licence to drive a car until I was about 25 - and that was only because I had to in order to get a place at journalism school. With young children, it wasn't very practical to ride a bicycle. And buses were unheard of in our small town. In fact, the only buses my daughter had ever ridden were the kind used on school outings with classmates. So you can understand her confusion when we took our first city bus ride about six weeks ago and no one was singing!
Anyway, back to the big decision. I have been toying with the idea of bussing and biking for a while. But road blocks kept appearing to stop me in my tracks (interesting use of metaphor there). I studied my van use informally over a month and discovered that almost all of my trips involved transporting one of the children to school or a sporting event, or taking my elderly mother shopping or to a medical appointment. Buses and bikes didn't seem to fit with any of that. Perhaps I wouldn't be able to follow my pedalling dream after all.
Then yesterday's discussion about whether to keep the car or van got me thinking again. And I decided to risk everything and make a radical call. I would forego the use of van or car for two weeks, in order to see if it could be done. When I spoke the thought out loud, it was met with a mixed reaction - but the overall feeling was why not give it a try? It will give us an idea one way or the other about the sensibility or otherwise of that option.
In the hours after my decision, I moved from feeling freer and happier and excited about the challenge, to stodgy and stuck. Negative thoughts pervaded my normally optimistic brain. How would we get to volleyball? How much time would this take out of our already busy lives? What if this rain never stops? Would my son cope with catching two buses to and from school - along with a heavy school bag and a full cricket bag in tow?
For now, those questions remain unanswered. I didn't need to go anywhere yesterday and the insistent rain made biking unlikely. Today the weather looks slightly better and there are a few options for trying out buses and bikes which may or may not eventuate. My son says he's fine with bussing to school, but am I fine with it? Time will tell. My daughter is excited by the prospect as she hates the van and loves bussing and biking. My husband is largely unaffected and views the whole scenario with his usual "wait and see" approach.
So, that's it. We'll wait and see. And hope for a good outcome.
With petrol prices going up and up - and no sign of that reversing - I have already been investigating the bus routes around the city and doing a small amount of bicycle riding. Bikes and buses were my sole form of transport for many years. I didn't get a licence to drive a car until I was about 25 - and that was only because I had to in order to get a place at journalism school. With young children, it wasn't very practical to ride a bicycle. And buses were unheard of in our small town. In fact, the only buses my daughter had ever ridden were the kind used on school outings with classmates. So you can understand her confusion when we took our first city bus ride about six weeks ago and no one was singing!
Anyway, back to the big decision. I have been toying with the idea of bussing and biking for a while. But road blocks kept appearing to stop me in my tracks (interesting use of metaphor there). I studied my van use informally over a month and discovered that almost all of my trips involved transporting one of the children to school or a sporting event, or taking my elderly mother shopping or to a medical appointment. Buses and bikes didn't seem to fit with any of that. Perhaps I wouldn't be able to follow my pedalling dream after all.
Then yesterday's discussion about whether to keep the car or van got me thinking again. And I decided to risk everything and make a radical call. I would forego the use of van or car for two weeks, in order to see if it could be done. When I spoke the thought out loud, it was met with a mixed reaction - but the overall feeling was why not give it a try? It will give us an idea one way or the other about the sensibility or otherwise of that option.
In the hours after my decision, I moved from feeling freer and happier and excited about the challenge, to stodgy and stuck. Negative thoughts pervaded my normally optimistic brain. How would we get to volleyball? How much time would this take out of our already busy lives? What if this rain never stops? Would my son cope with catching two buses to and from school - along with a heavy school bag and a full cricket bag in tow?
For now, those questions remain unanswered. I didn't need to go anywhere yesterday and the insistent rain made biking unlikely. Today the weather looks slightly better and there are a few options for trying out buses and bikes which may or may not eventuate. My son says he's fine with bussing to school, but am I fine with it? Time will tell. My daughter is excited by the prospect as she hates the van and loves bussing and biking. My husband is largely unaffected and views the whole scenario with his usual "wait and see" approach.
So, that's it. We'll wait and see. And hope for a good outcome.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)