Run to Work

Had a very good run into work today.  The temperature was 27 degrees with a clear sky and no wind. I left home at 0640 and the sky was already starting to light up.  I wore spandex shorts, running shorts, a long sleeve shirt, a bright yellow NB over shirt, Army grey stocking cap, and black gloves.  It was chilly starting out but I quickly warmed up as I climbed the first hill.  I felt strong and was glad to be running off all of those calories that I inhaled during the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

As I was climbing up the hill on Beaver Glade road, I meet a bicycle commuter on his way down the hill.  It was only the second time in the three years since I've been running/cycling to work that I meet someone else commuting to work.  I just don't understand why more people don't do this, especially with gas prices at $3.15 a gallon.  I know that some people can't but there are a lot that can.  And for those that can't then why don't they carpool?  As I ran in today I made a note of those cars with more then one people in them.  It was a very, very low percentage.  There was also few passengers on the buses that I saw.  What will it take for people to start to conserve our resources?  I remember in the 70's during the gas shortage there were actually ads in the papers where people was looking for people to carpool with and there were some people who was featured on TV who rode horses to work.  I think the problem now is that even though gas prices is high there is plenty of it.  It would be different if there was a shortage and the lines at the pump went around the corner.  Maybe that is what we need to get people's attention.

 

When I was stationed in Guam we was hit by a Super Typhoon.  Yes there is actually something called a "Super" Typhoon.  We had sustained winds of 165 mph with gusts up to 180 mph.  Anyway, while the typhoon was hitting the island a gas storage tank was hit by lighting and caught fire causing a major gas shortage on the island.  There was no gas at all to be had for about ten days.  As people started to run their tanks dry they would drive to the gas station and line up (see photo).  They would leave their cars parked in line.  With no gas, bicycles became a hot item.  The Giant bicycle shop sold out very soon after reopening and thefts of bicycles were rampant.  You would think that after having to commute on a bicycle, that some people would continue the practise once gas became plentiful but this wasn't the case.  As soon as the gas stations started to sell gas, the bicycles were stored to rust away and once again the roads became crowed with gas guzzling SUV's and pickup trucks. 

 

I guess bad habits are hard to change.