| On officers and bird-watching » |
Damn lies
07/01/10
My daily commute, one way:
| Statistic | Bike | Car | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average commute time | 22 minutes | 12 minutes | Car |
| Average commute distance | 5.3 miles | 4.8 miles | Car |
| Average tail/brake lights seen (pairs) | 4 | ~60 | Bike |
| Average sudden applications of brakes | 0 | 4 | Bike |
| Incidents of aggravating lane mergers | 0 | 3 | Bike |
| Average distance behind next road user | 1 mile | 100 feet | Bike |
| Billboards passed | 1 | 6 | Bike |
| Other business signs passed | 9 | ~30 | Bike |
| Sunrises specifically stopped for | 6 (2009) | 0 (1999-2009) | Bike |
| Average pacecar | jackrabbit | “urban camouflage” Honda Civic | Bike |
| Other R&R stops * | 8 (2009) | 0 (1999-2009) | Bike |
| Traffic signals encountered | 3 | 10 | Bike |
| Radio listened to | 0 minutes | 12 minutes | Car |
| Most intrusive noise | Hawk’s cry | Semi’s air horn | Bike |
| Time spent warming up on a cold day | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | Tie |
| Calories burned | 480 | ~50 | Bike |
| Gasoline used (@$2.999/gallon, 25 miles/gallon) | 0 ($0.00) | 0.21 gallons ($0.64) | Bike |
| Exposure to fresh air | 22 minutes | <1 minute | Bike |
* (neat photo ops, R&R, quick dip in the river on a hot day, etc.)
If I ever care enough, I’d like to get some decibel measurements and add “average noise”, but that hardly seems worth it. It’s nice to (be able to) stop for pictures, but it didn’t occur to me until my coworkers were discussing a billboard ad campaign that I hadn’t ridden by one in nigh on forever. If someone had told me bike commuting would also cut my advertising intake, I’d have started biking much more aggressively much longer ago.
The advantage to driving is that it’s quicker, but that’s about all. Since I’m commuting more by bike than car these days, I’m more aware that the entire driving experience is one of anxiety. Billboards race past, each trying to steal your attention. Brake lights flash on and off. Horns honk out of nowhere. The next light teases you. You merge lanes with an eye on the guy who might merge into you. It’s one big distracting mess, and there should be no wonder there’s so much stress and road rage on today’s streets.
What is a car better at? Getting you from point A to point B quickly and more agitated.
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