Football and Cars!
Last night was the annual football game between arch-rivals Stanford and UC Berkeley (known colloquially as "Cal"). After dinner James and I wandered around observing the fans as they left the stadium. It was clear that Stanford had lost, although I didn't realize at the time how badly they'd been beaten. Football really is the American Hockey. We saw a few (presumably Cal) tailgating parties, which was particularly interesting for me as I'd only found out the football-related meaning of the term a few days hence. But the observation that made the most impact on me was the gridlock. Despite the fact that parking is scarce and the Caltrain stops right at the stadium, a surprisingly high number of people had driven to the game and were having a nasty time leaving it. There was even an accident with accompanying road-rage put on (purely for our entertainment, I'm sure). But I guess you can't have a tailgating party if you take the train...
As for me, I have been having very little trouble living here without a car. Aside from a few minor social inconveniences, my bike (with occasional help from the Caltrain) has been remarkably effective at getting me places. And I'm in fantastic shape as a consequence. It has rained a few times but I have waterproof-gear now so that hasn't really daunted me from hitting the road. I guess I'll have to see how well I last through what passes for winter here before I know if it's truly feasible to thrive in California without owning an automobile. But I have a good feeling about it and I'm pretty stubborn about things like this. After all, I once biked to work in the snow for several weeks so I don't expect rain to deter me significantly, given the many little annoyances that come along with driving.
As for me, I have been having very little trouble living here without a car. Aside from a few minor social inconveniences, my bike (with occasional help from the Caltrain) has been remarkably effective at getting me places. And I'm in fantastic shape as a consequence. It has rained a few times but I have waterproof-gear now so that hasn't really daunted me from hitting the road. I guess I'll have to see how well I last through what passes for winter here before I know if it's truly feasible to thrive in California without owning an automobile. But I have a good feeling about it and I'm pretty stubborn about things like this. After all, I once biked to work in the snow for several weeks so I don't expect rain to deter me significantly, given the many little annoyances that come along with driving.