Posted August 16, 200519 yr :-D With gas prices this high, let’s walk to work next week Sunday, August 14, 2005 JOE BLUNDO Share your experiences What¹s the farthest you¹ve ever walked? Was it for a cause or just for fun? When gasoline hit $2.59 a gallon at some stations last week, I knew the time had come to announce the first Walk to Work With Joe Day. Why walk to work? I have several reasons, some of them coherent. But first, the details:
August 16, 200519 yr While I can't physically walk to work -- it's 15 miles each way -- I do have the luxury of living three blocks from a one-seat, suburb-to-suburb bus ride to work. There's a bus every 15 minutes during rush hours, and it takes about 40 minutes to get from the east end of Lakewood to North Olmsted, near the county line. That's a pretty rare thing here in Ohio, one which I regularly take advantage of. And I seem to be doing a lot more of it lately when gas prices scooted past $2.50 per gallon. I've also noticed I'm not the only one. Ridership has visibly increased in recent weeks, and I've seen a lot more people take advantage of the bike racks, which every RTA bus now has. KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 16, 200519 yr Yep. Big yay! KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 16, 200519 yr *yawn*... car-free for three years and still going strong :-) Honestly though, I've jokingly considered if a Segway might make some errands a little easier :lol: clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
August 16, 200519 yr Don't. The few times I've seen someone on one of those Segways, they look like a freakin' robot! They're just too damn bizarre for me... A bicycle is just fine, thank you. KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 16, 200519 yr Don't. The few times I've seen someone on one of those Segways, they look like a freakin' robot! They're just too damn bizarre for me... A bicycle is just fine, thank you. KJP I'll second that: A bike is a lot cheaper, and low maintenance, too. Pick up a nice second-hand one that fits you comfortably; not a fancy, complex bike but a basic commute bike with upright handlebars and fenders. An old Raleigh or Schwinn 3-speed would be adequate for Cleveland. If you don't mind shelling out $300-$400 for a new bike, one of these might do the job very well: http://buyinnovations.com/incline_sport_comfort_cross_3.html I'm seriously considering buying one for town riding.
August 16, 200519 yr It's not something I usually bring up during conversation but due to some inner-ear/equilibrium issues stemming from childhood medical problems, I'm not able to ride a bike :-( clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
August 16, 200519 yr a few nyc cops were trying segways out last year, but i havent seen them this summer.
August 17, 200519 yr I would think a Segway also requires balance, too. Is it because a bicycle requires side-to-side balance while a Segway needs front-back balance? MrNYC...not everyone works 9-5 jobs. I'm also a reporter and I often get to work at 10 a.m. Sometimes I don't have to be at work until 11:30 a.m. Sometimes I have to start working at 7 a.m. But occaisonally I don't get home until 11 p.m. after covering city council meetings all evening and then get back to the office to write about them. And, on election nights, I don't get home until 3-5 a.m. Reporters work as many hours as it takes to meet a deadline. I hope this doesn't become a "my job is tougher than your job" debate. My point is that, just because someone gets to the office later than people working other kinds of jobs, doesn't mean they work a shorter day. KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 17, 200519 yr I would think a Segway also requires balance, too. Is it because a bicycle requires side-to-side balance while a Segway needs front-back balance? The Segway has a gyro that keeps it upright. I don't know how strong the gyro is, or how easy it would be to overpower it. I seem to recall that George Bush fell off a Segway. Maybe he leaned too far to the right.
August 18, 200519 yr I did a Segway tour in Newport Beach, CA this summer. There is a small learning curve. Stepping on and off the Segway can be tricky. It has to get use to your body weight. You lean forward to go forward and lean back to go . . . stand straight to stop. You turn one of the handles to go left or right like a motorcycle. A charge last about two hours. Unfortunately, they aren't as big of a babe magnet as I'd hoped. A lot people do comment about them. They are expense, starting at $5k.
August 18, 200519 yr i saw a family all riding segways on the detroit-superior bridge pedestrian walkway thing, even though that area is all "public art/transit" it seemed a bit weird still, not that id discourage it. i did pass by the store on the colonial arcade downtown and noticed they're also selling some sort of bike now as well, not sure if its just another product the store is selling or its an offshoot of the segway... i think my clutz of a self would fall off one of those things if not accidentally glide into traffic lol
August 18, 200519 yr I seem to recall that George Bush fell off a Segway. Maybe he leaned too far to the right. Awesome! KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 18, 200519 yr I seem to recall that George Bush fell off a Segway. Maybe he leaned too far to the right. Awesome! I see on that store display they have an off-road version -- for motocross? :-P KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 18, 200519 yr MrNYC...not everyone works 9-5 jobs. I'm also a reporter and I often get to work at 10 a.m. Sometimes I don't have to be at work until 11:30 a.m. Sometimes I have to start working at 7 a.m. But occaisonally I don't get home until 11 p.m. after covering city council meetings all evening and then get back to the office to write about them. And, on election nights, I don't get home until 3-5 a.m. Reporters work as many hours as it takes to meet a deadline. I hope this doesn't become a "my job is tougher than your job" debate. My point is that, just because someone gets to the office later than people working other kinds of jobs, doesn't mean they work a shorter day. err, kjp that's nice for reporters, but you are a minority and the majority of people (ie., the readership) dont get to pick their own hours to work. do you really want readers to toss the paper down in disgust before finishing the article? hehe. he could have just as easily said, "it took me two hours" or whatever and left it at that --- it's kinda like making an effort to use non-sexist language when you can. it's more inviting. well this is a minor point, but something to think about anyway. as a writer i'm sure you are aware of stuff like this.
August 28, 200519 yr Walk-to-work effort ignores real solution Sunday, August 28, 2005 Columbus Dispatch Letters While I recognize that Dispatch Columnist Joe Blundo’s "Walk to Work with Joe Day" on Monday was a publicity stunt, its purported intention misses the point. Rather than combatting high gas prices by playfully decreasing demand, Blundo and others should replace rhetoric with permanent, practical changes. Why are bikes and buses considered alternative modes of transportation? In Ohio, Gov. Bob Taft has slashed state funding for public transit every year for the past five, from $44 million in 2000 to $18 million in 2005. Highway funding increased 14 percent, to more than $2 billion, over the same period. With such fiscal practices, Ohio tethers its residents to the gas pump rather than the bus stop or bike rack. Transit systems struggle to survive the cuts, and alternatives to driving in Columbus become more scarce. So walk on, Blundo. But it would be better to provide more support for real solutions. The health and socioeconomic benefits of bike lanes on streets, increased funding for bus service and future transit projects and transit-oriented developments are being realized in other cities and states, where walking or biking to work isn’t newsworthy. DAN MAGESTRO Columbus
August 28, 200519 yr Walking/biking to work sucks. I haven't had a car for four years and have walked and biked through the cold, rain, and snow countless times and every time it sucked. I had to ride my bike two miles in the rain at 1am just the other night. The only reason I can get away with it is because I don't need to dress professionally. If you're a teacher, in sales, a cocktail waitress, or anything where you need to look good you just can't show up sweaty or with your hair all over the place. There are only a few kinds of jobs where you can get away with a car or transit-free lifestyle.
August 29, 200519 yr Unless you bring a change of clothes with you. Several people I know do that, and they bike to work, where showers for cyclists are available. But most car-free folks I know just take trains or buses to work here in Cleveburg. KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
August 29, 200519 yr Cincinnati is too hilly for an enjoyable commute by bicycle for most people. I have been riding a motorscooter for a few years.One of my scoots is a honda 50cc it gets up to 45 mph and gets almost 100 MPG oh yeah the insurance is a wopping $40./yr I can go for weeks without needing a $2.69/gal refuel
August 30, 200519 yr In Europe you see guys in suits riding motor scooters around all the time and I can't figure out how that doesn't wrinkle their clothes. Those things are definitely the fastest way to get around those cities though, since those guys swarm through stopped traffic and it doesn't seem to cause any trouble. Cincinnati might appear to be a rough place to bike but most of the hills really aren't too bad. Ludlow Ave., Reading, Gilbert, and Vine you can practically coast up. Sycamore, Ravine, Montana, and Straight are pretty rough. Monestary is the worst, and I think the steepest street in town is the relatively new connection between Eggleston Ave. and Kilgour next to the Mt. Adams retaining wall. That thing probably approaches a 10% grade. Also traffic on the city streets in the UC area usually isn't too bad so it's pretty safe.
August 31, 200519 yr I think the steepest street in town is the relatively new connection between Eggleston Ave. and Kilgour next to the Mt. Adams retaining wall. That thing probably approaches a 10% grade. I used to park one of my cars there when I lived downtown. I would put my bike in the trunk. That hill took me about 2 weeks training before I could ride all the way up to the wall... damm that was good excercise!
August 31, 200519 yr Unless you bring a change of clothes with you. Several people I know do that, and they bike to work, where showers for cyclists are available. A friend in Cleveland copes with the lack of showers at his workplace by using the bike rack on the RTA bus to take his bike with him to work in the mornings, and then bikes home after work.
August 31, 200519 yr I bike to work from Hartwell to Mt Adams tues - friday. Been doing it for close to 4 years now. I am fortunate that we have showers at work now. Before that, I would cleanup using babywipes and a washrag. Once you get going and in a routine it is pretty easy to do. Sometimes on really rainy days or extremely cold days, I take advantage of the bike racks on the metro buses. I drive in on Mondays to drop off a weeks worth of clothes and take them home with me at night rolled up in a bike rack bag. I think I got a good routine going.
September 1, 200519 yr I never biked to work in Cincinnati because I lived near to the zoo and worked off of Union Center Boulevard. Less than ten miles is doable but that was 17 miles each way, so you're talking more than an hour and all along bike-unfriendly Reading Rd. and I was on my feet all day at a warehouse. To revise my above comment most Cincinnati streets are safe during the day but during rush hours it obviously gets hairy. >That hill took me about 2 weeks training before I could ride all the way up to the wall... damm that was good excercise! Yeah I was crying uncle the first time I took it on.
August 13, 200618 yr SO TO SPEAK Little bit of sole will go a long way Sunday, August 13, 2006 JOE BLUNDO Last year’s Walk to Work With Joe Day had no appreciable effect on U.S. energy consumption. So we had better do it again. The first one didn’t take. Yes, it’s time for another 9-mile stroll down High Street from Worthington to Downtown. The second annual Walk to Work With Joe Day will be Aug. 21. We will leave at 7 a.m. from the Village Green in Worthington (Rt. 161 at N. High Street) and should arrive about 10 a.m. at Broad and High streets Downtown. http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/13/20060813-H1-01.html
August 13, 200618 yr I haven't always agreed with Joe, but every now and then he hits one out of the park. This is one of those times. I love the comment about ""minuscule courage among national leaders has led us to the current, precarious state of affairs."
August 20, 200618 yr You've got it right Gildone. We have a surplus of political cowardice among our "leaders" when it comes to facing up to our transportation and energy challenges. Let's hope we can bring some people on board with the next election with some backbone. I hope Joe gets a good turnout tommorrow morning. I plan on joining him for part of the walk.
August 22, 200618 yr Making strides Inspiration for walking with columnist varies Tuesday, August 22, 2006 Joe Blundo THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH It’s still hard to believe that people accepted my invitation to walk 9 miles on a Monday morning. But yesterday’s second annual Walk to Work With Joe Day drew a respectable crowd — with motivations ranging from saving the Earth to getting a burrito. Or, as walker Grant Westbrook of the Clintonville neighborhood put it: "It’s a regionally advertised excuse for being late to work." I estimate the crowd at 75 people, including my family and a good portion of the Thomas Worthington High School cross-country team. http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/22/20060822-B1-01.html
August 22, 200618 yr I would think a Segway also requires balance, too. Is it because a bicycle requires side-to-side balance while a Segway needs front-back balance? The Segway has a gyro that keeps it upright. I don't know how strong the gyro is, or how easy it would be to overpower it. I seem to recall that George Bush fell off a Segway. Maybe he leaned too far to the right. The reason for this cost: superfluous bullshit like high-voltage field-effect transistors or FETs. What the hell does a FET do? Nobody knows, but I guarantee some nerd spent months writing a graduate thesis on why it's important (and failing). The Segway is packed full of useless, but important-sounding extras like "angular-rate sensors" (or "gyroscopes" to anyone with something better to do than to look up obfuscated $6 words to describe a spinning wheel), and two digital signal processor controller boards with enough processing power to give even the beefiest desktop PC penis envy. The controller boards monitor the system 100 times per second for conditions that require a response, adjusting the motors up to 20,000 times per second (give or take 19,000), making calculations based on information from five solid-state gyroscopes. You'd think all of this technology would be able to do something useful like cure cancer or make an episode of "Will and Grace" funny, but alas, all it does is balance a pole. Much like the introduction to an IMAX film, the Segway engineers boast about the inherent inefficiencies of their "innovation:" redundant sensors, microprocessors, and controller boards that cost a fortune, and all for what? A balancing act? Well I came up with an innovation of my own that will help balance a Segway without years of research and millions of dollars invested in obscure technology. The secret? Yes, that's right, what many people don't realize is that you can be just as space efficient and stable with a third wheel. Hell, it doesn't even need to be turned on to balance itself. Amazing! In fact, the only thing this revolutionary new model requires from the old Segway are the motors, gear box, wheels and batteries. Throw the rest of that shit away. What's the point of all this technology if it costs a fortune? Here's a bonus: add shock absorbers to the front wheel to compensate for tilt. Man someone should hire me full time just to ruin other people's inventions. I must admit though, the Segway is quite revolutionary. So revolutionary in fact, that it takes nothing less than a programmer and a few days to build one from scratch for less than half the cost. http://tlb.org/scooter.html The Segway has been thoroughly owned. http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=segway_more_complicated_than_it_needs_to_be
August 23, 200618 yr Aren't FETs necessary for the speed control? Speed controllers with FETs for R/C cars start at $40 and max out around $175.
September 22, 200717 yr March gladness 9-mile trek draws the clean, lean and green Saturday, September 22, 2007 6:50 AM By Joe Blundo The Columbus Dispatch Walk to Work with Joe Day III attracted health enthusiasts, hikers and a political candidate. Even some teenagers got up early yesterday to participate. So I'm calling it a success, although it will be some years before I know whether it saved the planet. My annual 9-mile walk always begins with me standing in the dark on the Village Green in Worthington, wondering whether anyone will show up. http://dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2007/09/22/1_WALK_TO_WORK_--_JOEs_GIG.ART_ART_09-22-07_E1_2U7UN84.html?sid=101
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