Bike

The city recently added bike lanes to one of the main arteries in Bellingham: Cornwall Avenue. Cornwall parallels my road and the bike lanes are a nice addition to the city. I personally am not impacted too much by this addition, but if it gets some people out of their cars and onto their bikes, then I am all for it. (I took this picture this morning on the way to the bank heading north away from town.)

There are many people I talk to that tell me they would ride their bikes to work, but they are a bit scared cycling among distracted drivers. I do not disagree, as numerous studies have shown that distractions while driving - especially cell-phone usage - create the same danger that drunk drivers do. And some instances have shown cell-phone users to be even more dangerous than drunk drivers. And I used to only worry about drunks on the weekends after midnight. Now they are everywhere all the time.

And while I'm on this tirade, I've read that roughly 60% of Americans are overweight and 25% are obese. Wow. One projection estimated that by 2030, all Americans will be overweight. I do not see how this can happen, but cycling has allowed me the ability to eat heartily still while burning calories. How could our society (that is so imbued with superficialities and self-image) let itself get so fat?

Enough pontificating. I have written early tonight and need to bike to the food bank to volunteer at five.