This post by fellow westsider, video game person and facial hair activist, Dave Taylor reminded me that I’ve been living a human life in a automobiles world and I should share.
A year and a month ago I started riding my bike from our apartment in Culver City to work @ Pandemic in Westwood (about 5-6mi each way). I started riding for a number of reasons; my fiance was tired of sharing a car, I needed the exercise, it’s less expensive but mainly because I hated driving on the westside. Every Los Angelian knows that driving on the westside is akin to bathing in that negative-emotion-jizz from Ghostbusters 2. Driving on the westside was sapping my love for driving automobiles and that’s coming from someone who has owned 8 cars and raced/drifted for many years.
So since Pandemic’s closure, I’ve tried to discipline myself to walk whenever possible and it’s helping me be healthier, wealthier and greener. Things I frequently walk to: two supermarkets, dentist office, farmers market, movie theatre, bank, post office, art shows and over a dozen restaurants. Of course, when you live in a city as brilliantly designed as Culver, it’s easy to live locally. I still drive to certain parts of the city for the time being, but as we get more creative, driving becomes less important. Eventually, I can see giving it up all together- except at the racetrack.
Update: Google Maps now has directions for bicyclists!
Update 2: I now have a shitty commute again.