Long trip

[bikesntrikes]

So I posted the Nirve Kilroy that I have for sale on Craigslist yesterday evening. Around 11:30pm, I get an email from a gentleman asking if the bike is still available. I respond to him this morning and we conversate a few times over email. He tells me that he's from San Francisco and will leave his house around 2:30pm and will get to my house around 6pm. I thought that it was strange that he would leave his house almost 4 hrs before he was to be at my house, but I thought that he had to run some errands.

He just showed up at my house about 15 minutes ago, rode the bike around the front to test it out, paid me and then said that he has to get going before it gets too dark. I offered to help him load up the bike and that's when he stated that he took public transit from his residence in SF to me. :shock: That explains why it took him almost 4 hrs to get to my house. He told me that he's only been in the U.S. for a few months on a work visa. He's originally from Portugal and used to public transportation. He plans on taking the bike back to Portugal when his visa expires.

This goes to show how some of us take our bicycles (and public transportation) for granted.

Just thought I'd share this story...

 

[Rat Rod]

Man!!

He may have got back home quicker if he just rode the bike. :shock:

 

[Lee]

I only wish I could do that! In Southern California, public trans is a joke. However the few times I go to S.F. every year I spend around $10 bucks for the week to use the busses! It's awesome!

 

[bikesntrikes]

San Jose has a joke for public transportation, too. One of the issues is that the city is spread out and not as condensed as SF. SF has a much better public transportation system.

 

[tikiharl]

Here in the Phoenix metro area we just got a light rail system. I havent used it yet but it is supposed to be doing better than expected.On the busses here you can put your bike on the rack out in front of the bus.Well on the light rail cars you can bring your bike and hang them inside :shock: . When I was with the Phoenix Phreaks the other day I asked if anyone had used the light rail w/ thier bike,they all laughed and said that none of thier bikes would fit :lol: I would like to try it out since several of the rides are in the downtown area.

 

[elvis51]

we dont have the light rail here in KC MO, it got turned down , but we do have the KC Metro busses running all around. just carry a knife(some bad parts of downtown) and some change with ya and you can ride it all around town all night! a few friends and i like to ride down to the bars, get hammered then take the bus back home so we dont get no tickets!!!

Easy E

 

[Ed_Straker's_Rat]

Toronto isn't too bad as transit goes but it is getting almost too expensive to use. A round-trip anywhere in the city will cost you $5.50 and they don't allow bikes on the subway between 6:30-9:30 am and 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm on weekdays. They do however have bike racks on the fronts of most buses but I can't imagine putting your vintage twin-bar on the area most likely to hit another vehicle.

I have used transit to go and pick up bikes that I bought off craigslist and people are always amazed that you don't have a truck. If the bike looks ridable, I'll take along a small toolkit and a spare inner tube and ride it home, that way you can see what needs to be worked on when you get home. That being said, I've never attempted a 4 hour return trip on a new bike, the guy was pretty determined