Park it, Angelenos!

Here's a letter I wrote to the LA Times today in response to an article entitled "Evidence suggests commuters are abandoning transit habit".

It was a sad commentary to see that with the decline in gas prices, comes a return to car-commuting for many residents. It surprises me a little that in a city recognized for being on the vanguard of the "green" movement, a spike in fuel prices would be the only motivating factor for commuters to give mass transit a try. Does the thick, gray smog obscuring the mountains to the north provide no impetus? I think we can all rest assured that oil prices will go back up, and I will not complain. I will breathe easier knowing that fewer cars are on the road, and hopefully, in the future, the children of today's commuters will as well.

I mean, come on people! Where are your principles? One of the reasons for the drop in price at the pump was a decrease in demand! You made that possible by hopping on a commuter train or a bus. And admit it, even though the trip was longer and maybe you had to stand for a portion of it, didn't that crazy homeless man talking back to his am/fm radio make for a great story when you got to work? And didn't you enjoy the time you got to spend reading the paper? Maybe you even snuck in a nap as I like to do.

And lastly, yes, removing your carbon-emitting vehicle from the freeway does improve our air quality in Los Angeles. But, to make any kind of lasting impact, behavioral commitments must be made. Everyone wants to save a buck, no doubt, but isn't it even more grand to save the environment in the process?

Here's to choosing the most noble option, not just the least expensive.

It's my first week as a bicycle commuter. I ride about four miles from West Hollywood to Beverly Hills at 5 AM in the morning. My route begins westbound on an empty Melrose Avenue. There I come face to face with some of the most creative trendsetting shop windows in all of Los Angeles. For nearly two miles I am flanked by motionless, plaster suggestions of what is ideal and desirable. When I cross Santa Monica Blvd at Doheny, I enter the fabled residential streets of the 90210. From there on, I run every stop sign on broad, tree-lined Carmelita Avenue.

I am becoming familiar with my wealthy neighbors' landscaping and lit-up windows. Eventually I will recognize which car belongs in which drive. Maybe I will memorize some personalized license plates. I will say good morning to the pre-dawn walkers. Some will return the greeting, other will not. This is, after all, Beverly Hills.

But, the issue of the greeting has puzzled me these last few days. In Tennessee, the Country Wave is standard when driving past someone. It's a little gesture to suggest kinship on a sparsely populated road. I liked it and would use it often.

So, my assumption was that cyclists would behave similarly on the streets of the city - that there would be a mutual acknowledgement of likeness to one another. That just like Harley riders and military men, we would punctuate the association with a gesture. So, that's what I did. I started nodding and waving to each biker I passed.

But, not everyone waved back! I was shocked, but I remain determined. I am going to keep up the wave, the nod, maybe even a spoken "Power to the cyclists!" just to really drive it home. I'll do this, in order that the community develop threads that tie one member to the next.

For cycling really is a beautiful thing. Especially through a not-yet-woken-up city. For how else would I get to experience the scent of the morning's first everything bagels baking on Bedford or catch the fragrance of a flower that I assumed only bloomed in the Spring? When else could I spend 25 full minutes feeling superior to everyone around me operating gas and brake pedals (even you, you high and mighty Prius drivers!)?

So, I hope that if I pass you on your bike in and amongst the streets of LA, you'll lift a finger or two in salutation. That would really make my day. And I hope that when I smile and nod back, it makes yours, comrade.

Here's to getting off of four wheels and onto two as much as possible.