Commuting
I am a motorcycle commuter. There aren't that many of us. I say this because on my 17 mile ride to and from work, I see countless cars, but maybe 1 or 2 bikes.
Let me tell you how this all came about. In December 2002, I got a job working at LAX. All of the employees have to park off site, and pay $15 or $30 a month, unless you are in upper management. So after working there a few weeks, someone told me that if you ride a motorcycle you could park in the parking structure for free. I found it hard to believe, because those lots cost $30 a day. Then I started working with someone who actually rode, and they confirmed it. All you have to do is drive around the gate on the way in and on the way out. No one says anything to you. Meanwhile, I was parking off site, paying $30 a month for it and riding a bus that was pure hell. The bus back to the lot was always completely packed, standing room only. I was envious of the guys with bikes.
My wife had been talking a about getting a motorcycle for a long time. She actually did a lot of research, and found a Kawasaki EX500(Ninja) that we could learn on and afford. I was thinking at the time, boy I don't know about riding in this city(L.A.). It seems so crazy, so much traffic, stupid accidents all the time. But she was really into it, so we bought the bike.
I started riding it around, I knew how to operate it from my time on my friends bikes back in the late 80s. So with more practice on the quiet roads, I got braver and ventured into L.A traffic. Wow, I thought, this isn't so bad. I can out accelerate everything. The traffic wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. So once I was confident enough, I thought I have to try taking it to work. I already knew the parking benefits. Let me tell you, it changed my life. I was spending an hour less on my commute, no more taking the hell bus. I got my motorcycle endorsement, and started taking it every day. 6 months later I sold my car. I didn't make sense to me to pay for a car I wasn't using.
The thing I don't understand is why I see so few bikes out there commuting. There are so many benefits. Now with gas prices the way they are, it makes even more sense. So all you people with motorcycles, ride to work at least once in a while. I'm not saying you need to go hardcore like me and sell your car. Riding to work can change your boring commute into a fun ride.
