Because Paulie Walnuts Wanted To Know About My Valentine's Day Bus Suitor

So last spring I was sitting on the bus reading a book (A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews--highly recommended, starts out hysterical but spirals into despair. Mennonites, man. Not quite the charming, loving, Old-World simple folk that Rhonda Janzen tried to pass her kin off as being). Anyway, this fellow strikes up a conversation and it really piques his interest that I'm a librarian. "Oh I have some old illustrated Bible pages, how can I display them? I love old books." And I tell him a bit about the dangers of direct sunlight and why you prop up books so not to bend the spine, show off my 1 credit hour of archives knowledge.

And then he asks me if I want to meet sometime and go to a movie and I say no. I mean whatever, but I am not attracted, his breath smells, and he seems a bit weird. Also, I reject the idea that just because I dare to be a woman in public doing things I should be macked on by men, especially men who interrupt my reading time. I mean I'll give him points for trying, but I have learned my lesson and I know I cannot be going places with someone after a 10 minute conversation. After 10 minutes my conversational skills are exhausted and I don't need to talk to anyone for at least 6 hours unless we are really on the same page. Like same references, listen to all the same podcasts, have extensive overlap in our reading materials. And I don't "go to the movies" anyway. Have you seen modern movies? I go to the movies with my mom and I don't even like to watch sex scenes with her, and she thankfully has barely acknowledged either of us has ever had sex since she did car sex ed when I was 6. And then of course, I must not want to go out with him because I'm married or have a guy or something and no, I just don't want to go out with you, dude.

So anyway, because my commute is LONG and the bus starts off crowded but thins out (I am usually one of the last 2-3 on the bus after an hour) I would occasionally see him but could avoid him for the next couple months. And then one day he sits next to me and I don't remember how exactly the this conversation gets started, but he makes the assertion that the United States is a ridiculously pro-abortion country. OH, REALLY? EXPLAIN TEXAS. And we are off to the races as I start calling him on his bullshit.

He is not an A+ arguer/discusser. Like maybe a B-. His argument is basically "abortion is bad because GOD" but he won't actually come out and say that. Instead he tries a lot of assertions based along the line that human beings are special, because they bury their dead (this is a big point with him), and you can't explain our evolution fully, and I poke holes in the argument all the way up Scottsdale Road. Which no, because animals mourn their dead. And humans are human because of a series of lucky environmental coincidences and anything could have evolved into humans based on enough time and luck. Maybe we could have been The Cat from Red Dwarf. Oh well there must be something other than evolution because of gaps in the fossil record. Oh you stupid intelligent designist. He tries the old "you must be pro-choice because you've had an abortion" angle. I say if or not, it's not relevant because I am a person with a brain and voting rights, you know. Because as a woman I can't have any opinions that don't stem from personal experience, apparently.

And his final summation, which he delivers with his supposed triumph clear in his voice is, "Well, if women don't want to get pregnant then they should be abstinent." And then I laugh because this fucker has no chance ever with me.

I don't even know what this guy's name is.

Then we abandon the Peak for the summer and then the bus schedule changes and I get on before 7am and I never see him again and that's fine with me.

So on Valentine's Day evening, I'm on the bus again on my side of town and holy hell he gets on. And he sits next to me and he's clearly feeling like "oh, I see that dumb liberal pro-choice girl and maybe I can win her over on Valentine's Day." And I say hello and he starts to talk and 15 seconds later I excuse myself as it's my stop anyway.

And I get off the bus.

Sheesh. My mom is right; I need a car.

It's Never Easy, Is It?

So as I have mentioned, I have a job doing academic factory piecemeal grading. It starts Monday and lasts about 4 weeks. It's out in Mesa, but reachable on a bus-train-bus-walk commute. Hours are good and it gives me the chance to make some new friends, earn some money, get out of the house and wear work clothes. Fabulous.

I've got my birth certificate (had to get a new one as I seem to have misplaced mine), mapped out my route, have comfy shoes, and was planning to hit the grocery store this weekend for lunch consumables. I even reset my sleep schedule so I can be sure to get up on time.

Except that this morning, the bus drivers went on strike.

Today's buses ran at 20% of the normal schedule.

Commence freakout.

I will probably be okay--I can ride my bike down to the light rail, and then through the streets of Mesa if necessary. Better get a haircut though--that bike helmet doesn't fit over a bun.

But jeez louise, when I get hit by a fucking car and killed or grievously injured, will the conservatives in this damn state cut me a break? After all, I'm trying to work here. I'm also carless because it's really damn expensive to own a car when you don't have a job that requires one. So take your crowing about how people should be responsible for themselves and shut your pieholes. A decent, well-run public transportation system makes it possible for people to work low-wage temporary jobs like this one that I'm doing. And I'm not bitching about the union striking because they've been trying to work out a deal for the last 2 years not with state, city, or regional government, but the private company hired to provide bus transportation.

Private industry always does it best, my ass.

US World Book Night 2012

Check your calendar--are you free April 23rd? Why not give away some free books? The US World Book Night is looking for 50,000 individuals across the country to give away books to random low/non-readers.

My idea is to ride the #29 bus and give my 20 copies away to fellow bus passengers. I want to give away Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is perfect for reading on the bus: it's YA, funny yet horribly sad, won the National Book Award, and has short chapters so you can time them to read while waiting or on the bus without missing your stop.

It will be SO MUCH FUN!

Have Wheels, Will Travel?

Enterprise occasionally has $9.99 day specials in its neighborhood locations. So for $40, I rented a car for this weekend. I ran some errands today, and took a short jaunt up Central Ave to the foothills of the Camelback's head. So cool. Lots of tall trees and old houses in that area.

By 2:30pm, the sky was dark and the wind had picked up. We're getting a storm system here--70% chance of rain tonight and a dust storm warning until 8pm, and a low in the 50s. It was an inauspicious start to the weekend. It's First Friday, but I didn't want to be covered in dust. Plus the movie at the Biltmore was not of interest. Next Friday it's Say Anything, so I'm expecting wall to wall sobbing GenX in the park.

I'm taking the car to meet up with Winter for breakfast tomorrow, but after that I'm free. I'm going to Trader Joe's, but I need some ideas for other fun. Maybe I'll hit Sweet Republic.

Best Compliment Ever

Yesterday I played hooky, and after therapy I walked 8 blocks to the Trader Joe's. I did this at 1pm when it was 109 degrees, for the love of Mike, and I went to Trader Joe's because there was more shade on the walk then the way to Sprouts. Also, Torched Goodness, the mobile creme brulee truck was at the farmer's market until 2pm with Honey Orange Creme Brulee. I know what's important.

So after I loaded up on goodies at Trader Joe's, I had them call me a cab (I had forgotten my phone). And who picked me up? Wilfred, the cabbie who has given me a ride before! So I climb in and let him know where I'm going (which is partly how he recognizes me) and we chat for a few and then he asks me, "Are you an American?"

"Well, yes--why do you ask?"

"You are always dressed so nice! In a skirt! Out here no one dresses up, they just throw on anything!"

"Thank you!" You are so sweet!"

I was wearing a purple t-shirt and a stretchy gray skirt with black sandals and a tan straw hat, for the record. Nothing special, but hey, a girl needs all the appreciation she can get.

Randomized Stories and Links

This piece on the dangers of Zipcar is ridiculous. I know from first hand experience (my accident when I broke my arm ) that most people are underinsured. However, $300,000 is more than the minimum in many states, and most people only carry the minimum. Which is silly, because to step up to the next level is literally a pittance.

However, Zipcar did screw up my weekend. I booked a car from Saturday to Sunday am, and they had double-booked the car with another member. The solutions they offered did not work with what I had planned, so I took my 2 hours of driving credit and went home. Luckily my mom was looking for something to do, so we took a ton of stuff to Goodwill and went to lunch. But stil, it was very disappointing.

The Literary Gift Company has lots of fun pretties.

This NY Times Vows column has so much subtle snark going on, I give the marriage 3 years.

Let's Go Ride A Bike takes on the Mary Poppins Effect--are drivers nicer to feminine, dressy women on bikes as opposed to ones who look like serious cyclists?

Apparently not so in NY. A Dutch woman claims a cop threatened her with a ticket for the entirely legal activity of biking in a skirt. Apprarently her legs were a distraction to drivers. Holy Taliban, Margaret Atwood!

Life size photos of whales. These creep the beezesus out of me, you know.

The idea of kids as a safety net for your old age, and what do you do when you don't have any. Okay, so truthfully aging without children does scare me a bit. I don't think Peaches and her siblings (knock wood she has some) will be enough to help take care of the lot of us. This is one of the reasons I hope to die fairly young.

A reflection on being part of the last generation to grow up without constant technology. This is related to a post I will have up later this week.

An opinion piece that once Amazon rules library lending it's all over for e-publishing. It's a pursuasive viewpoint.

Valley Metro--New Cool Information

I wanted to share some love for the features of the Valley Metro website: not only do they now have a link to Google Transit (which I don't use, because why go to them when the local webpage is superfunctional?) but it now calculates the carbon savings of your public transit ride and tells you if the bus is behind schedule. Now that's a tool to make public transit an easier to use!

Oh, Good Grief

"Woman gives up car to avoid buying gas." As I said on Facebook, I did this almost 2 years ago. Where's my news crew?

Seriously, it will be 2 years in September. I'm a little amazed when I think of it.

Americans Work 2 Hours A Day To Pay For Their Cars. This piece brings up the the $11,000 per year savings for not having a car. Do you think it is really that much? I personally try to keep my transportation costs under $200 per month in Zipcar and cabs.

Really, I Think She Made The Better Choice

So, on Tuesday afternoon I was at the bus stop next to the gas station when a couple of teenager boys came over to wait too. One
sees a girl he knows pumping gas and starts yelling.

"Babykiller!" "Fucking bitch!" "Don't give her money, she'll just use it to kill babies!" Over and over for like 5 minutes he harrasses this woman.

So he'd apparently gotten her pregnant and she'd had an abortion, hence his screaming like an banshee at her, the asshole.

God, I so wanted to say something. This is when my irritation started this week.

But honestly, do you fault her choice?

One Year Carfree!

Another anniversary this month is the fact that I've managed to live without a car in Phoenix for a whole year. Hooray, Kerry!

I've found that some of the benefits of being carfree are over-stated. Although I walk a lot, I haven't lost tons of weight, less than 10 pounds. However, I haven't changed my eating habits much and I am on 2 medications that are known to cause weight gain. My legs are more muscular though.

Strangely, last winter the nice weather and being without a car actually increased my propensity to go out and do stuff. I do miss that for the past several months I have been so busy that I haven't had time to do fun things. There were some good art exhibits and shows (Edward Sharpe, damn it!) that I missed.

I miss public transportation. I like the time to listen to podcasts and NPR shows, and the reading I manage dto get done. Even if I'm reading in snatches, I get a lot read. And the people-watching! I've also had some fun conversations with cab drivers.

All the money I've saved has gone to therapy, by the way. I think it was a good trade-off. I saved money not only on gas, insurance, registration (and car payments), but because there's no shopping or going out to eat on the spur of the moment. It all has to be planned out.

Carfree Dangers: People Think You're Stupid

Some people are a bit freaked out that I am always walking and taking the bus around the neighborhood I live in. Some find it a bit...dangerous? Sketchy? The hood? The kind where you adopt a favorite homeless dude? (Julian the Troubadour is awesome, and the Bear is very polite.)

I don't see it as such. I keep my head up and my eyes observant, but I've never had any problems or much weirdness. Actually, someone from the apartment complex mentioned "I always see you walking around!" in a slightly awed tone. But on Friday, Jesse X was to pick me up but was a little late. I decided to walk back to my house and pick up my phone and see if he called. As I was on the sidewalk in front of the Hamburger Barn (Burgers, Buns and Beer! And waitresses in short shorts!) a guy in a SUV pulled over and rolled down his window. Thinking he wanted directions, I took out my earbuds, when he said, "Want a ride?"

Incredulous, I replied, "With a stranger?"

I mean, Ted Bundy at least used subterfuge. He had a fake cast and would ask women to hlep him get something into his little gold Bug, and then club them upside the head, knock them unconscious and take them off to the woods to rape and strangle them.

He replied in a huffy tone, "Fine then!"

Then Jesse X turned into the parking lot and I got in his car.

Just because I am walking on the street doesn't mean I'm hopeless or a whore, stupid, or sexually up for grabs. I'm just someone walking on the sidewalk, going about my business.

Interesting Stories About Carfree And Transit Developments

Hoboken is trying to reduce its car population by placing rentable cars right on the street. It's like Zipcar but uses on street parking. This is a good idea to reduce congestion; unfortunately it's really only possible in a truly urban neighborhood.

Me, I just wish I could get a Zipcar lot somewhere in my neighborhood. Phoenix's Zipcar program is based on the ASU campuses, but I think there's an untapped market in a denser neighborhood like mine.

NPR's Marketplace aired a story on whether it was cheaper to drive or use public transportation. Unfortunately, the story is very NY/NJ based and doesn't offer any broader guidelines. It's an individual and regional issue. I wish they had covered more general aspects on deciding if car or public transit is worth it for you.

A Brief Trip Back To The Driving World

So last month my family went on holiday and my mom loaned me her car for a whole week. It was an interesting glimpse at how I used to live and what it's like to have a car. I've adjusted well to the whole carfree in Phoenix thing--I don't think there is anything I am missing.

I had to take Cain to the vet 3 times that week and having a car was very handy for that. However, I took him to an animal hospital just down the street because it was a well recommended and accessible by the 29 bus. The other thing that saved me time and was easier to do was to go over to the Scottsdale Fashion Square to return some things I bought by mail. I did do some big grocery shopping too.

Honestly, I might have had some additional fun if I had had extra cash that week, but aside from a spur of the moment trip to America's Taco Shop there wasn't anything that I couldn't/wouldn't do without a car. And I would go to America's--just on a weekend day and I'd have to plan it.

Maybe I would not have reawakened my love of Sonic, its chicken sandwich, and my discovery of the cherry limeade chiller. Oh, and I did go to Trader Joe's 3 times.

This illustration gives a breakdown of costs associated with owning a car. Honestly, if you own your car outright it's maintenance, insurance and gas that are really your only expenses.

Zipcar in Phoenix

The Arizona Republic covered the idea of carsharing services and noticed that Zipcar is available in Phoenix.

I belong to Zipcar, although it's not the most convenient service for me. I hope that perhaps it might spread in Phoenix to my neighborhood--my other option is to eventually move downtown where there's fewer daily services within walking distance but access to the cars would be easier. Zipcar has a partnership with ASU, so the cars are located downtown, in Tempe, and at one apartment complex in Scottsdale by ASU. I have to take the light rail to get a car and return home by bus, so a lot of the time it just makes more sense for me to take a cab or the bus to get places. I'm undecided on whether to renew my membership this fall, but for the $50 membership fee it might be worth it just to see how often I would use it in the next year. I do want to read the IPO papers to evaluate it for an investment.

Sweetest Bus Driver In Phoenix #1

Yesterday's driver on the 17E (bus number 6531) said "Take care!" every time passengers got off.

Walkable Neighborhoods And Housing Decisions

NPR's Marketplace Money (a show that we now have on KJZZ! Yea!) featured two stories on housing, commuting costs and walkable neighborhoods this week that are worth a look.

I have the opposite problem of what these stories depict: I live in an apartment that isn't very nice, but it is cheap and incredible conveniently located to work and shopping (although the transit cuts Valley Metro is imposing on the light rail will sting). It is so convenient, that I would not like to move to the nicer apartments in my neighborhood because I'd have to walk farther with my cat litter and groceries. So even if my neighbor hocks a loogie off his balcony and narrowly misses hitting me* with his spit, and even if my roach problem recurs this summer, it's going to be hard to leave.

*It wasn't on purpose, and he did apologize. But still!

Recently Seen On The Bus

I had a window seat on the 29 at 7-something am when a fellow rushed past us on his motorcycle. He seemed to have all his worldly goods attached--multiple bags, an American flag and a little brown tabby cat in a carrier enjoying the breeze.