TresSugar

Watch Out, Bikes!

GiggleSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:00:43 -0700

Can someone explain the thinking behind this? Not only is this sign basically telling bikers to watch out for themselves, but it's also located squarely in path of said bikes.

Source

It's Bike to Work Day! Bush Asks For Gas, WI Man Isn't Buying

CitizenSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:00:15 -0700

On this Bike to Work Day, US President George W. Bush is taking the theme to heart. This photo was snapped yesterday while he was taking a spin on an Israeli-made bicycle presented to him by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Despite his new wheels, Bush was in Saudi Arabia this morning asking for more gas from King Abdullah.

It was Bush's second attempt at persuading the oil-rich nation to pump out more fuel and drive down huge gas prices sucking US consumers dry. The first attempt in January was met with a wintry response. The kingdom said it would increase production only when the market justified it, and that production levels appeared normal. Some economists attribute the high prices to increased demand, rather than stingy supply.

In the effort to curtail the pump-crunch the National Sporting Goods Association is hoping to combat the shrinking numbers of bikers - the number of Americans who bike frequently dwindled almost 10 percent in 2007 to 3.7 million people - and encourage pedal-powered commutes. One Wisconsin man has made the big plunge - to see his story and some fuel-saving tips, read more.

A Wisconsin man said his "goal is to not use one drop of gas for 31 days." He says it's his personal stand against the oil companies. He's going cold-turkey - from a 300-mile a week truck habit, to all bike, all the time. He's even doing his 9-mile work commute on his bike. It's shocking him to shape, for sure. He's keeping track of miles biked and money saved and he'll compute his savings and donate that amount to a charity that provides food to children in Africa.

He sums his mission up like this:

"I think just with the gas prices being so high, everybody complains about it but no one ever really does anything about it. People continue to drive nonstop and not think about it, but I just wanted to take a stand and say, `I'm not gonna pay this much money for gas.'"

If hopping out of your car isn't in the cards, here's a list of gas-saving myths - filling your tank in the morning, for instance, doesn't do you much good. Are you hopping out of your car this morning? Does the idea of riding a bike on the road make you nervous? Should more people follow the Wisconsin man's lead? Should Saudi Arabia increase fuel production - or is the fuel pinch a blessing in disguise?

Source

Bicycle Built For More Than Two: SmartBike Hits DC

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:00:38 -0700

Washington DC is strapping on a helmet and gearing up to offer a bike sharing program hailed as one solution in the battle against urban traffic congestion and the growing stress on the transit system. Starting as early as next month, citizens in the nation’s capital can join SmartBike DC and rent one of one hundred and twenty shared bikes for the low price of forty dollars a month.

The bikes will be available from ten locations citywide, and members will be able to swipe a card and release a bike to ride for up to three hours. Although this is not the first of its kind, the use of better technology may be the key to its success. Paul DeMaio, a Washington-area bike-sharing consultant (Do they have consultants for everything in DC?) said: “...studies showed that many bikes would get stolen in a day, or within a few weeks. In Amsterdam (Netherlands) they would often find them in the canals.” Because of this and other reasons, European programs found themselves paying up to four thousand five hundred dollars per bike without private funding.

The idea isn't a ten-speed disaster everywhere - the Velib program is a hit in Paris and Barcelona - both cities started free-wheeling around a year ago and could grow to thousands of bicycles. SmartBike is looking to expand to San Francisco, Chicago and Portland, OR depending on success and their ability to attract private bucks to make it work.

Is sharing a bike with your fellow city-dwellers a good idea? Has the technology surpassed human nature to make a communal idea like this work? Is it something the government should be funding?

Source

World Naked Biking Day Deserves More Exciting Coverage

GiggleSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:10:00 -0700

World Naked Biking Day was this past weekend, and no one seems that thrilled that it happened. Has nudity become so run-of-the-mill that even this prim anchorwoman seems to be stifling yawns at footage of naked biking in the Netherlands? Short answer: yes.

Another Bike. Another Drunk.

GiggleSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:00:00 -0700

This dude makes the other drunk look quasi-rational. At least he had two tires to work with.

One-Sided Biking

GiggleSugar — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

They say, "If ain't broke, don't fix it." After watching this, I think they're onto something. Whatever works, man. (Thanks, i am bored!)

Someone Cared! Woman Called 911 in Richmond Rape Case

TresSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:22:01 -0800

Margarita Vargas, an 18-year-old woman from Richmond, CA (and a graduate of Richmond High) was the lone person who called 911 on the night a teenager was gang raped outside her high school while a homecoming party was still going on. It's alleged that at least 20 people watched and did nothing. Vargas says that her brother-in-law came home and told her he'd seen a woman being raped; it was Vargas who insisted they call the police.

It might seem pretty sad that we're applauding Vargas for doing what people should do, as she said, "without thinking twice," but you'd be surprised how often people are apathetic. So many people are saying, "What do you expect of Richmond?" but I can say, as someone who was grabbed on the streets of San Francisco in broad daylight and ignored when I asked for help - apathy happens everywhere, in all communities. (Just read about the bystander effect.)

Many years ago, I was walking down a busy street in a popular business district in a "good neighborhood" and a man grabbed me inappropriately. I had just bought coffee, so instinctively, I poured it in his face and grabbed onto him, hoping to get him arrested. As I grappled with him, trying to make eye contact with people walking by, riding by on their bikes, driving by, and yelling, "Someone help! This man attacked me!" no one did anything. Eventually, I couldn't hold the man any longer, and he got away, perhaps to assault someone else later. Helping out is rarer than you think, so kudos to Margarita, who even walked over to the school to make sure the police had arrived.

We Meet Again, Drunk Biker

GiggleSugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:00:00 -0800

It's been awhile since we last encountered someone drinking and biking, but alas, this dude stumbles into the Internet (and a random road sign) just to remind us: don't do it. Leave the old bike at the bar. No one will even think to take it. (But, keep the helmet - for the long walk home.)

Stranger Than Fiction: Berlin Brothel Goes Eco Green

TresSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

With nary a hill, Berlin is a great city to ride a bike in and with legalized prostitution, it's also a great place to ride a . . . Anyway! Everyone is looking for ways to lighten their carbon footprint, especially when it disguises a marketing campaign. Maison d'envie, a Berlin brothel, is no exception. It's offering a $7 discount on its usual $100 fee to customers who bike their way in.

The recession has hit the prostitution industry so it makes sense that if a green hostel was going to grow, it would bloom in über-eco-conscious Germany. With three to five new customers taking advantage of the deal each day, owner Thomas Goetz said, "It's good for business, it's good for the environment - and it's good for the girls."

Source: Flickr User Mirosim

The Sad Ballad of the Missing Bike Pump

GiggleSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:00:00 -0700

This poor person is trying to leave a small carbon footprint by biking everywhere. But what do you know? Someone took his bike pump. He wants it back - and he wants it back bad. Check out his descent into missing bike pump madness with these increasingly desperate "give me my motherf*cking bike pump back" signs. Source

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