As a college student, living off campus 10 miles away simply and absolutely SUCKS. But luckily i've discovered a way to cope - BIKING!
My SE Lager has become a part of me because of my daily commute. But everyday is a new adventure: flat tires, shitty street conditions, typical stupid drivers, and some aggressive, if not just outright threatening drivers, not to mention motorcycle cops that pull me over for turning right on a red light for a $450 ticket. And please don't get me started on the Metro Buses, namely line 33 and 733 - the bane of my cycling existence.
Nonetheless, j'adore biking in LA. And speaking about French, my experience of biking in Paris for 2 months this year was quite a different experience, especially with the Republique and Bastille roundabouts I encountered every day, along with the Velib system that has increased bike usage in Paris substantially. But all that is for another post. For now, let's focus on this strange phenomenon in Los Angeles of people commuting without going to the gas station to fill up, or as the patch on my messenger bag reads, the idea of "Zero Per Gallon."
Although according to the U.S. Census Bureau only 0.6% of the 3.8 million commuters in Los Angeles use a bike, biking has a definite presence in the city. From Midnight Ridazz, to Critical Mass, to the most recent International Bicycle Film Festival that came to Los Angeles, cycling is active and alive in a city that I've previously referred to as a "cartopia."
From my daily experiences, biking in LA can be one hell of a challenge. And despite the dangers and frustrations that come with biking in a city that if anything discourages cycling, I choose to ride everyday because I truly do enjoy it. Not only that, but riding my bike is environmentally friendly, healthy, and not to mention, its definitely really cool (aka hipster).
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