Two Fairs

No Big Tex Fire this Year

This year, I was fortunate enough to go to two different state fairs. First, we went to the “Washington State Fair.” In past years, this fair was officially known as the “Western Washington State Fair,” but most often people called it the Puyallup Fair. I’m not sure why they felt it necessary to change the name, but they did. More recently I went to the much larger “State Fair of Texas.” Both fairs are big shindigs, but they differ in many ways as well. Notable for the Texas fair is the presence of “Big Tex.” Despite the clothing logos on his outfit, Big Tex is somewhat a relic of a less commercial and elaborate past of the fair. I think that is part of his appeal. The fair itself seems to largely revolve around the large number of fried food vendors, commercial outlets, and major sponsors. As it turns out, Chevrolet is the official car of this year’s fair and Bud Light is the official beer. This is combined with elaborate show halls that date back to the depression era. Art deco is all around you.



Beer Sponsor at a Family Park in Dallas?

Typical Vendors in a Big Hall

Statue Watches from the Dallas Animal Hall

Still, there ARE other things that harken back to an earlier era. There were cultural dances, such as the Irish dancing my daughter participated in. In addition, if you looked long and hard enough, there were arts and crafts and animal exhibits. I never got the feeling that these were a major fair focus anymore, but they’re there.

Irish Dancers Outside the "Hall of State" at State Fair of Texas

 

Proof there are Arts and Crafts at the Texas State Fair

Texas Farm Humor at State Fair of Texas

The Washington fair, while it’s also gotten FAR more commercial over the years, has a lot more exhibits and displays that are clearly homegrown. I don’t think you’d find a hand-painted poster at the Texas fair warning about danger to your dog’s feet from hot asphalt. Nor would you find the Puyallup Mineral Club talking to passersby about their hobby.

 

Of Course, 87F Would be a Good Mid Morning Temperature around DFW, but THIS Sign was in Puyallup

These Guys Loved Answering Questions and Even Smiled for the Camera

While I think I prefer the smaller Washington Fair over its slicker and far larger Texas cousin. It may well be that we’ll get to go to the Gray’s Harbor County Fair and get to see the organic produce display that was grown by the “Hoquiam High School Grizzlies.”

Cow Milking at the Puyallup Fair (NOT a Competitive Sport!)

Lighthouse Collection on Display in Puyallup. I Saw NO Lighthouses in Dallas

Daily Uncommon Courage

Ebola Virus, from Wikipedia

Pretty much everywhere on the news lately is that Ebola has emerged in the DFW Metroplex. Somewhat lost amongst all the coverage are the stories of courage. That courage comes from the nurses who are the ones on the very front of things. Nurses are on the front line, every day. It's always been that way. If you live, thank a nurse.

 

Nurses are the ones who form the first and most visible caregivers for anybody who has to receive any sort of serious healthcare. Less well known is that nurses also seem to become the first “people to blame” when things get out of hand. In the case of the Ebola case in Dallas, the first thing we heard was a “breach of protocol” when we heard that a “hospital worker” (AKA nurse) contracted the disease. It was MUCH later when it leaked out that there really was no effective protocol in place, and that there was no effective equipment in place for several days after an active Ebola patient came for care. The nurses and other staff were constantly exposed to fluids from the patient, for at least a couple of days. Confirmation that this was the case came when the CDC approved air travel for a nurse that had been exposed. Now, even the hospital claims that CDC protocol changed quite a few times. Well, duh. A month later, we're finally actually GETTING a protocol in place.

 

There is a lot of hysteria going about now. Schools with no real danger are closing. Politicians are pontificating. The airline is disinfecting a plane. News programs are feeding the frenzy - panic, as always, feeds journalism. In the meantime, nurses continue to do their jobs and, really, mostly go beyond the call of duty. Daily uncommon courage. The two nurses that cared for the Ebola patient and now have Ebola KNEW they were in serious danger before they cared for the patient. They KNEW they didn’t have all equipment that might have reduced their risk. However, they had a patient in need and they cared for him anyway. It’s what nurses do. I’d be proud to be half as brave. If we are lucky, they’ll be the only two infected. However, I’m totally sure that many other nurses went into harm’s way as well. Mostly, we’ll never know their names unless they contract Ebola. Let's pray that few more are taken.

 

Let's keep things straight:

• NO nurse violated any established patient care protocol that anybody has documented
• NO nurse traveled in violation of what the CDC approved
• NO nurse spoke as a member of hospital, government, or other sort of management
• NO nurse union was present at any of the actual events that we're now hearing about in news reports
• NO member of management, nurse union, or government has gotten infected
• Nobody that urged the public not to overreact has gotten infected, not even "Judge" Jenkins
• Hysteria and groundless fear don't help anyone

Full disclosure: my wife is a RN that used to be in critical/intensive care, and was later in hospice care. She got left exposed by two hospitals, and we were fortunate she never got blamed or dead due to those actions. Her experience is no exception. It is a common situation, since hospital management would prefer that the blame not fall on themselves, nor the doctors that drive their tenure. As I stated, amongst nurses, courage is common daily. Keep that in mind if you ever get sick. Salutations are in order…

 

The Nurse Speaking had her PPE AFTER the Caregivers that Contracted Ebola Showed Symptoms. What about THOSE Who Cared for the First Patient?

RIP Cycle Dallas Blog

The End of Cycle Dallas?

It may have turned into a "Commute Orlando" (an EXCELLENT blog) fan site in the last year or two, but I will dearly miss Cycle Dallas, which was run by the former Dallas bicycle coordinator PM Summer and was taken down last week. I had fun making some posts there myself. As PM once said: "no harm no foul."

Speaking of former bicycle coordinators in Dallas, we need to be a bit more specific. PM's replacement, Max Kalhammer, is also gone (and almost at the same time). THAT is a bit more mysterious, though Max was never really a real force for change the way his boosters may have hoped.

No word from Dallas on what might be next. It appears their vision for bicycling is mandatory helmet laws, apparently so the DPD has an excuse to stop minority kids since there is little evidence that those laws actually helped anyone.

Cycling Drops in North Texas

The House from "Nightmare on Pecan Street" - Halloween 2012

I read a lot of cheery stories around the USA how cycling is UP, UP, UP. Well, looking back to just three years ago, I can tell you that really isn't true, at least in North Texas. THIS house led me to the horrific discovery.

For those that are not even more observant than Sherlock Holmes, I made a post about the above house, located on Pecan Street in Bedford as Halloween approached in 2009.  The post is HERE. The photo below was from that post. This year's display is completely different at this house than it was three years ago. Somehow, these people (if that is what they really are) put up a bigger and new display every year.

Pecan Street House in 2009

But I digress from the subject. You see, in that very same post, I included a search using Google Trends in which I discovered that the search term VAMPIRE is ten times as popular as the search term CYCLIST. That was bad enough, but Texas ranked number seven in how popular vampires were, while it was not too high in ranking cyclists.

After looking at this, I decided to see how things had changed. And they've changed a LOT. Unfortunately, for my loyal local reader, the news is not good. The diagram below shows the same search today. Texas has moved from number six in Vampire share to first in the ENTIRE USA. Texas may not be known as a cycling Mecca, but it appears to have become the "Vampire State." Next you know, they'll be building the "Vampire State Building" in downtown Dallas as the husks of poor deceased cyclists are blown about in the wind; all the blood sucked from their poor bodies.

Yup, things are NOT looking good for cycling around here. In a faint attempt to cheer y'all up, I'll part by saying "Ride Happy Clear Across Texas," though I'm not sure if that has any conceivable relevance to this post.

Bike Friendly Dallas, Er, Richardson



Richardson, Dallas County Did NOT Ignore Bike to Work Day. Yippee!

I'm going to celebrate "Ride Your Bike to Work Day" this year with more fervor than ever before. Really, riding my bike to work is something that I do every work day, and I'm under no illusions that such events will result in some groundswell of cycling support around DFW, much less the world. However, I send flowers on Valentine's Day and on Mother's Day and those holidays don't change things much either. Instead, they remind us of things we ought to remember anyway. In my case, I DO appreciate the ride to work, despite less than ideal conditions.

In my post, here, I looked into celebrating in Dallas, only to find that Dallas doesn't seem to be doing anything. Instead, its little neighbor to the west, Fort Worth is pulling out the stops and so I'll be going to the ITC in order to score some loot. I'll forswear the ceremonial rides and speeches, since I'm not going to take the whole day off, but I'll think kind thoughts about Mayor Betsy as I drink coffee at work, about the second meeting into a long day.

However, as it turns out, I gave Dallas a BAD RAP. Well, that is, if you consider Dallas as the communities within Dallas County. You see, RICHARDSON, and specifically BIKE FRIENDLY RICHARDSON is sponsoring their very own event. Of all the "Bike Friendly" sites, the Richardson one is among my favorites. Richard W, of "Suburban Assault" is one of the people behind it. Richard was in a TS101 course I helped teach and is now also a CyclingSavvy graduate. While I'm following the advice to "GO WEST" on Friday, I'll be with our Dallas County Richardson cousins in spirit.

As I often say, "YOU GO, GUYS AND GALS!"

Walk Versus Talk

This Scene Captures a Sense of What FW is About - Strictly IMO
I Might as Well Have Used the PANTHER PIC - Foisted on FW by D

OR "A Tale of Two Cities"

To the outside world, "DFW" is all one place. However, it really isn't. Like many metropolitan areas, DFW has many individual cities within in it. To my "Yankee" eyes, the DFW Metroplex has a more, distinct, bipolar nature than other places I've lived or visited extensively. While Seattle, Everett, and Tacoma are all distinct to those that "know," they are clearly birds of the same species. Ditto for Los Angeles and the South Bay cities - or even Anaheim. In DFW, sometimes it reminds me of an echo of life on either side of the Berlin Wall. I was reminded of this yesterday when I happened to have to go into Downtown Fort Worth on the same day I checked into "Bike to Work Day" options. First, however, a few observations for my loyal reader to consider. Henceforth in this post, "D" will refer to Dallas and Dallas County while "FW" will refer to Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

Scene Captures What Dallas is About - Again, STRICTLY IMO
I'm Glad I'm NOT a Democrat that Needs to Recover

• Up until recently, commuter rail (the TRE) charged extra to travel a single stop if it crossed the D/FW line
• Each has its own separate branch of I-35
• Politics in each is a bit sleazy, but totally different from each other
• Cycling on roads are quite different in the two places. My regular reader KNOWS better than to ask my why I think this is so.
• D has light rail nobody rides, FW has buses nobody rides - but the FW buses had bike racks on their YEARS before they retrofitted the D (DART) buses
• Each has its own airport despite DFW, which was built to put an end to such nonsense
• Each has its own newspaper, that are joined only in that each mostly doesn't report much about the "other" place
• Each place has television stations - and you can tell them apart fairly quickly when you listen to news, weather, or traffic.
• If I wanted to be really unfair, I could note that Oswald shot Kennedy in D, but is buried in FW (remember that per my shortcut, anywhere in Tarrant County is "FW")
• And the list could go on, but here is one developing "Tale of Two Cities."

Prompted by what I thought were some incredibly cynical statements about the LAB-sponsored "Bike Month" and "Bike to Work" promotions, I resolved to definitely go to one this year. Cynics DO spur the rest of us to do things we might not otherwise do. I ride to work daily, so these events are more like encouragement and a celebration to me than actual "YOU ought to change something." After all, aren't we supposed to appreciate those we love on days other than Mother's or Father's Day as well? Last year, I got some loot at the Fort Worth Bike Day event, but lost my camera. What's more, I had to go to REAL work before the main festivities. Not all of us start work after 9AM, after all. This year, spurred on by the cynics, I briefly considered making the day an excuse to fly to an event in another state - which prompted my response to this post, but the logistics don't work. As a result, New Mexico won't see me. Not that the failure should be any real cause for concern. After the travel though, this year, I thought it still might be cool to "head east, young man" and link up with the D festivities. Yup, another famous Steve A "compare and contrast" post.

Searching for "Bike Week" Events on the LAB Site

Well, I got reminded once again that D and FW approach things differently. Both places have politicians that claim to support cycling, but I know that Fort Worth has some important ones that also "Walk the Walk." I do not know how often or whether the mayor of Dallas rides. I DO know that the mayor of FW, rides and actually leads rides around FW. I actually got to meet Betsy in 2010 before she ran for mayor. At the time, I was being awarded "Bicycle Commuter of the Year" and she was the Tax Assessor. When we talked, it took about 15 seconds to realize she was not a political cycling poseur. I don't claim to be a real quick study. At that time, she regretted that she could not often cycle to work because the Tax Assessor often had to travel to several satellite offices. At the time, having to occasionally have to move 30 miles from one work site to another, I understood what she was referring to. John Forester, in EFFECTIVE CYCLING, makes much the same point in his discussion of cycle commuting.

The difference was reinforced in NCTCOG pages about "Bike to Work" events. The head of the FW transit is leading a ride. Betsy is talking. There is loot getting handed out. When I was in FW yesterday, I was SHOCKED at the plethora of well-located sharrows and other cycling enhancements like REAL bike racks in place of the artsy ones that used to dot FW. I shall have to do a remake of the "bus lane" post. The rules have changed. If you get outside the central core of FW, the bike plan still consists of lines on a map that do not relate to any current or potential reality, but FW has made some real changes and I do believe those changes will result in better quality of life - even for the urban motorist. I pray that pedestrians may benefit at least as much as cyclists. Are some of these facilities suboptimal or even potentially dangerous? No doubt, and I will point out such features when I see them, so my loyal reader stays safe. But FW has elected to begin a process and they will get better at it as they move forward. Despite my own "cynic aspect," I say "YOU GO GUYS - LIGHT THAT CANDLE!"

Meanwhile, in D, the news is how they can't do anything. The flashy new bridge prohibits pedestrian traffic - and I suspect bikes and dogs are not welcome, either. As for "Bike to Work?" Well, look at the photos to see the contrast. In my strictly personal and unofficial opinion, Dallas remains even more mired in the failed politics of the past than ever. I can ride safely in either D OR FW, but why would I WANT to travel to D, when the coffee is cheaper in FW, the mayor of the city cycles, and there's a real chance I'll see a horse walking around downtown between the skyscrapers. Heck, now I hear that even a feature of FW I've sneered at - the fact that Sundance Square is nothing but parking lots (NINE, to be specific, along with related businesses), is going to change. Personally, I think DURANGO deserves the credit for the change in FW direction. Which points me to a future post in which I discuss the differences between advocates and engineers. But I get ahead of myself.

I guess, this year, I'll join the Bike to Work stuff in Fort Worth once again. Fort Worth may not be making the rest of the world "green with envy" the way it might like to believe, but it might well make the rest of North Texas do so.

One jarring note remains: I do know some really NICE people that live on the wrong side of the county line that divides D from FW. I guess it is a reminder that the Berlin Wall wasn't built to divide good from bad either. As in D versus FW, sometimes it is simply good or bad fortune. Chandra, let me know if you need some help moving! Ditto for all of y'all living in Richardson...

NCTCOG Encompasses BOTH Spheres - D and FW

Despite The Warts, Fort Worth Embraces Things the Cynics Despise. In this Respect, I'm WITH FW

The Dallas Morning News Mutes His Frustration with the LACK OF RESPONSE From the "Big D"
In CASE You Missed it "It's almost like ... are plugging their ears, going..." Perhaps the People that Didn't Like the Past
Bike Guys are Wondering "...New Boss, Same as the Old Boss" From the Rolling Stones?

Official Dallas Website Offers Little More than the Dallas Oberver Writer's Notes
In the words of the Verizon Guy, "Do you hear me now?"

A Search on the Dallas Bike Guy's Name Offers Little More

Maybe YOUR Google on Dallas Bike to Work Can Give me a Reason to Head EAST Instead of West?
In Summary, FW May not be Perfect, But the Bar they Have to Jump Over is Pretty Low.
Finally, one las time, Strictly in my PERSONAL and strictly UNOFFICIAL Opinion.
Yes, I'm GLAD I don't live in D County

 

Je Me Souviens

Coat of Arms of Quebec

Is the motto seen on Quebec motor vehicle license plates. It also sums up a lot of the last week that will probably never get posted on this blog.

Lots of Stuff Happened This Week. This is Only One.
Je Me Souviens

For reasons totally unrelated to this post, I inquired of a French Canadian colleague about the motto's meaning. She indicated that "I remember" means that they had excellent memories of the past; going into the future. At the time, I remembered Wolfe and Montcalm, and the battle, (and, only to myself, Benedict Arnold), but, as I got to ride my road bike for the first time in many days, the Quebec motto; "je me souviens" could just as well apply to many of the bike posts I have read, and even sometimes commented on, while I was up in Quebec during the last week. What's more, they apply to world news.

Those Quebecois bear close watching, and pondering, as I ride from point to point around the DFW Metroplex. And, Thomas, this morning's ride was extra nice, even though no motorist was anything other than considerate or polite. What's more, I think the Chipseal affair is wrapped up and tied with a bow.

Je Me Souviens...

Rantwick's Tree is Safe - For the Moment. Quebec Trees are in Groups!

As Rantwick Says, A Group Might Well Overwhelm the King

IMO, We, in North America, Can TAKE THOSE Europeans On!
Je Me Souviens

On My Way Home, I Noticed Rubber on the Edge of a Bike Path.
I Noticed it AFTER I Almost Suffered a Diversion Fall
Je Me Souviens

This Guy Honked From His Parking Spot. I Think, However, His Honk was Not Intended Towards Me
I was Sipping Coffee at the Time. Who Knows if He'd Have Waved on the Road
Je Me Souviens

Back on the Bike After a Week of Driving
Je Me Souviens

Unlike Tim Horton, Starbucks has Free WiFi
Je Me Souviens

Smooth Roads and Light Traffic
Je Me Souviens

Into the Breach AGAIN With Bike School

My First Bike Ed Course That Actually Happened. Richard and Dorothy, In Front of the Ginger House

My loyal reader may have noticed that I advocate that a cyclist wishing to ride from "Point to Point" should educate him or herself about the safest way to do so. Regardless of whether one is a fan of particular cycling facilities,or an opponent of same, it only makes sense to know how best to traverse the territory you have to cross. Or so I would suggest. My loyal reader may also have observed that I slip handy little snippets about how to ride safely in various situations and how to deal with the problems that cyclists face. Finally, I DO believe that bike school has things to offer pretty much any cyclist, regardless of age or experience, in the search for being able to confidently ride just a smidge safer than before, watching what other experienced cyclists suggest, I've made posts about bike school I've attended in the past, specifically here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. I probably missed a few links, but you also probably get the general trend: it's about 5% of my posts. As I stated, a significant part of the reason was outlined here. Quite simply, the Bike League was, and remains, the only national organization that takes bike education seriously. THAT should not be lightly discarded.

Even Before My First Bike Ed Link, I Tried to Take a Course. The Instructor Didn't Show.
Thank GOD for Forester's Book. It Saved Me.

Changing of the Wind
However, just as our near-record breaking Texas summer has yielded, at least for the moment, to a wind shift, bike education in the US is undergoing change. The long-time Bike League education director, Preston Tyree, has elected to take advantage of a well-deserved retirement while he's still fit enough to enjoy it. The new director, Alissa Simcox, has good education credentials, but we have yet to see how she will perform as the new Education Director. Gail Spann, the League Director with Education as part and parcel of her charter,  remains a constant throughout this. Personally, I think Gail's got good mojo, but there's a lot in front of us. What's more, Gail is a Texan and that counts for something.. But there may be another choice arising, and quite simply, I want to see what it really offers beyond "another choice." You see, next weekend, there will be a Cycling Savvy course offered in the DFW Metroplex, and I will be there. I think Chandra will be there as well. At least one of the teachers, called "CSIs," is Waco Moore. Waco took his Bike League LCI Seminar with Chandra and myself, so at one level this will be a reunion of sorts. What's more, Waco is only one of two in my LCI Seminar to become a "CSI." I've seen Waco ride and he's solid. He also sat beside PM Summer and myself at the Reckless Driving trial of Chipseal just about a year ago. On the other hand, this is a course offered under the umbrella of the Florida Bicycle Association. In Texas? In the words of Keri Caffrey; "WTF?"

Which Witch?

If There is to be a War, Let it Begin Here

So, why am I taking YET ANOTHER Bike Ed course? It costs $75 and the links above suggest this might simply be more "good money after bad." Assuming I like things, I'll have to dump even more money to become a "CSI." This is entirely on top of what it cost to become a League Cycling Instructor. Well, put simply, I'm curious, and I'm fortunate enough that the bucks are not an overwhelming consideration. The Cycling Savvy course pitches itself as an "all new" approach to cycling education. It uses the same riding principles I follow on a daily basis and, admittedly, uses the same operation principles as in Traffic 101 of the Bike League, but it strips away the "fluff" and the "hot button terms" in favor of focusing on behavior-changing instruction. For example, it eliminates the mechanical repair aspects of Traffic 101, noting that these can be easily obtained from LBS courses. It also eliminates the "test" that is part of Traffic 101, noting this offers no value to the student (duh!). As a result, there is more time to focus on "how to ride confidently and safely." Quite frankly, I can't argue with the premise of focusing on what the students really NEED and can't get elsewhere.. A course, modified and reduced from what John Forester originally came up with, might well be an improvement. After all, it's been over 30 years since Effective Cycling.

But, there is also a darker side. Or a brighter side. I'm not really sure which it is. Certainly there is change afoot. You see, Cycling Savvy is also a course that might offer "another choice." While the course was created by Bike League LCIs, and some of the instructors REMAIN LCIs, there is a definite "anti-Bike League" element to the whole thing. Both of the principals have publicly withdrawn from the Bike League. Others that support or publicize the course have either withdrawn from the Bike League or align themselves with "dissidents." Go to "LABreform" for details. I found it peculiar that Preston asked me if I was a member of LABreform; an odd question for a new LAB member. Some of the remaining members were those that tried to run for LAB directorships, but were rebuffed. Myself, I've heard their stories, but the Bike League has never indicated why it acted the way it did.

Preston Tyree: Recently Retired Bike League Education Director

Principles
Still, as Preston was clear to tell us in our LCI course last January, the principles of operating a bicycle safely in traffic are what fundamentally matter. He told us that the League insurance would cover courses such as Cycling Savvy, since they do not conflict with safe operation principles. Two of my fellow LCI seminar students are now CSIs. Stay tuned, and I would appreciate advice about what I ought to keep my eyes open to see.





Past Comparisons Back in the day, the UK Jaguar Club split into two factions. The first was the old-line "Jaguar Driver's Club." The second was the "Jaguar Enthusiast Club." I'm not sure the Jaguar owners are really better off than if they'd have found a way to work together. Jaguar Cars supports both, since both support Jaguar. OTOH, I imagine Jaguar would prefer a simpler situation. In the USA, a decade later,  the JCNA managed to avoid a split, precipitated by conflict over directors that were not elected. My take? We're better united than divided. OTOH, we in the US have spit asunder on principles before. What way for cycling? We shall see. If y'all are so inclined, let me know what I should keep my eyes open for. Let Chandra do the same. Personally, I pray that cycling people will find a way to come together. If not, I pray that God will grant me, and others,  the wisdom to choose wisely.

One of My Cycling Shirts - FROM FLORIDA. Robert (of Carbon Trace)Would be PROUD!

I Pray Cyclists Will Avoid Division the Way That UK Jaguar Owners Have Seen

Stay Tuned for Further Developments:
Steve A,
LCI # 3054

Dallas People Ignorant, But Solution Anyway

Old Tice Mystery Resolved?

Way back in 2009, I wondered about "Old Tice" on the downtown Dallas Confederate War Memorial. I never got an answer from anybody that lived in or around Dallas. In curiosity, one of my engineers called the Texas Civil War Museum in Forth Worth. While they promised to tell us what they found, afterwards, there was only - silence. Still, the question remained about who/what the person was at the bottom of the Dallas memorial. Mostly, the internet is silent on the significance of this feature of the memorial.

Well, through diligence and continued digging, I think I have found an answer to what nobody in Dallas or Fort Worth was able to provide. Well, at least other than Old Tee, who provided the answer in a comment on the Durango Blog. As it turns out, "Old Tice (actually Old Tige)" was a four-time Mayor of Dallas. What's more, he was the Father AND Grandaddy of two more Mayors of Dallas, including one who happened to be mayor when Kennedy got shot. What's more, he was related to all sorts of people. Specifically, this was General William Cabell. Ironically, even the "Daughters of the Confederacy" seem to have lost Cabell in their website. Perhaps it was because Cabell finished up the War of the Rebellion in a POW camp after invading free soil in Kansas. Still, how many other people were mayor of Dallas who also had a child and grandchild assume the same position?

Leave it to a Yankee to find out y'all's heritage!

Lee May be Prominent, but Cabell Probably Means More to Dallas

Spring Comparison



"High Vis" Wild Flower in Seattle - Skunk Cabbage in Bloom

I've been in Seattle for a bit. Soon, you can expect to be regaled with a story about my first bike, and the way it got ridden. In the meantime, take a look at "High Vis" stuff seen in Seattle compared with the same around DFW. I've not seen a single wild flower of a growing nature down here as of today.


"High Vis" in Bedford, Texas - John Deere Marker



I Think I'll Drive In

My 25 year Vought watch. I worked there for six

Wednesday was my last commute of the year, as related here. However, I DID drive in to work one last time, today. I went to Vought. It was good to see old friends, many for the first time since 2006, when I volunteered to "take one for the team."

Retirement is nice. It's doubly nice when retirement is entirely decoupled from the decision about when to stop working.

When I worked at Vought, which is technically in Dallas, I rode my bike there sometimes in the summer. I thought about riding today, but it was unclear if there'd be a place to park my bike since they announced their policy of banning bikes due to safety concerns.

You'd have to ask Vought why they think bikes are dangerous...

Story of a Dallas Loss

Dallas City Flag at Dallas City Hall

In the Dallas Observer, there's a story about lost cycling opportunity. It's linked here. If you either like or dislike the  Cycle*Dallas blog, you MUST read it. I don't agree with the subject of the article in all respects, but I'm glad I was privileged to meet him and get a chance to talk. It was a triple treat since Keri and Lisa B (both of CommuteOrlando fame) were also present for most of the discussion. It was even worth driving into downtown Dallas at rush hour (though I would not want to do THAT very often!). The article relates a local cycling history that directly ties into what is reviewed here (I'm not quite done with the book yet). It's a history that's still evolving.

Dallas City Fathers and Mothers may never realize it, but Dallas has lost great cycling opportunity, through a failure to heed good advice and encourage its expansion. Its loss will affect all cyclists around DFW.

Quoting one who has exerted more influence on my cycling and attitude towards traffic than he can know: "simul justus et peccator." His sins have never been those of pushing meaningless or dangerous fluff at the cost of fundamentals.

Y'all have a Happy Thanksgiving. Don't burn the house down with the ol' turkey fryer!

Propaganda - or Not?

This morning, I happened across an article entitled "How to Conquer Bikephobia" in the Toronto Star. Occasionally, puff pieces such as this have little nuggets. This one had the following, hidden amongst the usual stuff:

"We Canadians, however, aren't doing so well at a 30 per cent bike share for women, and maybe a 2 per cent commute share for bikes. (The trend is similar in the U.S and Australia.) In Toronto, just 1.7 per cent of the population rode to work in 2006 – just 35 per cent of them female. But we're not the worst city, laughs Pucher. "In Dallas, Texas, 95 per cent of bicyclists are men. Which is disgusting!" (emphasis added by yours truly)

Where do numbers such as this come from? 95%? Maybe so, and I can't say I've been counting, but 1/3 of the regular bike commuters in my building (there are three of us so I'm pretty sure this is accurate data) are women - which is greater than the overall fraction of female workers in the building. Maybe Dallas really IS a lot different than Tarrant County, but apart from the temptation to engage in a little Dallas-bashing, I can't believe that things are all that much different than Tarrant County.

I did a little more checking, and this claims it came from Scientific American, though I could find no mention of it there. It also cites "Bike Pittsburgh" as a source, here. It doesn't really seem to have very high fidelity data, though it does claim that St Louis has a 1.4% bike share amongst men but a zero share amongst women. Tulsa, on the other hand, achieved parity with 0.4% share amongst both sexes. Amazing!

I don't know, this one sort of seemed a little too far beyond the pale to ignore, even if it WAS a Canadian paper. Does Pucher just make these things up out of thin air or maybe they just twisted something completely around and have no editors awake at the paper?

Seven Long Miles

Seven Long Miles and Almost Home
Photograph by Steve

Today, RatTrapPress forwarded the following email:

Hey there... this is dogwoodlane,
I saw where the Alliance for Biking and Walking is having a photo contest in order to build there <sic, I just copied & pasted this> photo galleries and you guys came to mind. The prize is a trip to Tuscany, so you know, worth a shot!
peoplepoweredmovement.org
http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/photo-contest/welcome
cheers, Sally

Based on my experience, here, my first question was whether they're talking Tuscany, as in the province of the COUNTRY Italy or Tuscany, as in a subdivision of
 Italy, Texas. However, I put aside my cynical tendencies to propose the photo at the left. As an engineer, attempting to emulate an artsy fartsy type, I'll title it "Seven Long Miles and Almost Home" and enter it in the "walking" category. It's important for potential bike/walk people to realize that if you start out biking, you pretty almost always have the option to continue by walking, but if you start out by walking and those feet go out, you're SOL.

You can figure it all out by deciphering the following:
Life's slow when the family has left on vacation, you went to downtown Dallas, you didn't bring along any spare tubes or a pump, you have a blow out due to not using "hook bead" rims, and it's too nice a day to call friends to come and collect you - especially since you know they'll give you a hard time the whole way home anyway. Yup, I've got my "walking" entry. Submitted it tonight...

Hopefully, Lizzylou feels better about her batteries. Sometimes our advice is based on dumb stuff we got caught on ourselves!