Here's some tasty bicycling treats from my feet - I hope y'all enjoy a slice of my life, and maybe you should also realize I'm managing to pay for top quality modern high performance bicycles with my savings on cars, tickets, and gasoline!!!). I remember a particularly productive and beautiful clear clean cool summer day I spent rounding up merchandise from an assortment of North Oakland Merchants as one of the more fun and remarkable days of the year. I first stopped to drop mail at the new TEMESCAL POST OFFICE, Then on to PIEDMONT LUMBER YARD, then to MORAN SUPPLY, both on 40th St. near Broadway. As I headed toward San Pablo Avenue, under MacArthur Bart, a handsome young man named Brian called out to me to admire my vehicle and we chatted a bit. I went on to RUBENSTIEN PLUMBING SUPPLY on San Pablo Avenue. Then to the bustling and impressive SUPERIOR MARBLE CENTER, also on San Pablo, where I bought several hundred dollars’ worth of exquisite inlaid marble. Then I headed a few blocks east and stopped at the wonderful and trendy MAMA BUZZ café on Telegraph. Then a visit to OAKBAY CHIROPRACTIC at 39th and Telegraph, for a session with Jan Corwin, the first chiropractor ever approved to work on US Olympic Athletes. And on to BANK OF THE WEST at 49th and Telegraph, a nice relaxed and professional branch with friendly face to face tellers and good service. A refreshing drink at the KINGFISH on Claremont avenue, then a quick ride through the CLAREMONT Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - on the adjacent TEMESCAL CREEK BIKE TRAIL the City of Oakland has created, which weaves along the creek and by the Frog Creek park and playground. This trail also illustrates a little understood maxim that I live by, which is, "The Fastest Way through the DMV - is on a bicycle." The amazing part of this story is, I did all this in less than four hours, and off a bicycle outfitted with saddlebags (aka panniers) large enough I have no need of wearing a backpack. What a fine day shopping Oakland, and the admiration I have for my own feet’s ability to do this all, with no need for me to buy or burn gasoline, is not small. It seems to me it would not occur to most people such a level of productivity and achievement could be possible with a bike, but I am using a high-tech well accessorized bike to do this all, fearlessly. Please see blog; “Faith in People”, to understand this fearless comment. Those unfortunates hooked to their SUV keys may never understand the level of freedom, fresh air, exercise, and accomplishment I’m enjoying, patronizing the merchants of my own community instead of cursing the gridlock and check stand lines at COSTCO. It’s my prayer that when I say I have figured out the fastest way through the DMV – and any gas station – is on a bicycle, that folks will begin to understand how to live well in Oakland. It’s also my prayer that somehow, someway, someday the bike lane striping that was funded and voted in for Telegraph Avenue half a decade ago, will produce the bike lanes it was intended to. Bicyclists on Telegraph have quadrupled in this time. Peace and Love – Jim Doherty
2 Comments
10/11/2014 05:11:18 am
Great blog post Jim, and I definitely share your desire to see more bike facilities come soon to North Oakland, particularly the Telegraph corridor.
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10/19/2014 02:35:52 pm
My beef these days is no planning for multi-story bike parking structures. "If you build it they will come." But are you even planning, scoping for it yet? Here's a link from Japan, idea would be just as great and cheaper above ground..
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By James DMake-it-home-safe MANTRA: When dealing with traffic, it's better to be patient than to become a patient; AND - A Sailboat is to a Polluting Cruise Ship what a bicycle is to a smokin' Hummer. I know bikes are beautiful but I’M not backing off until bikes are bountiful and bikers have greater strength in numbers. CategoriesArchives
February 2016
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