BUSES and BIKES

If you live in a community like Austin, Texas, you'll be fortunate
to have a good bus system and plenty of bike lanes and places
to lock your bike when you arrive at your destination.

Buses are said to use less gas and may be less expensive than
cars if you consider maintenance, depreciation, insurance and
taxes as part of your car expense - not just the price of gas
and car payments.

A good bike may cost you two or three hundred dollars or more,
however it is nothing like regular car expenses to operate and
maintain. Plus, assuming you can avoid being in an accident,
bicycling can be very healthy.

All good reasons for traveling by bus or bike - even between
cities, if you have the stamina. So why don't more people
use them?

One reason is much like taking the train: they usually take longer
(unless you are riding a bike or frequent bus for a short distance).
You are also more vulnerable to weather and human interaction.
Americans like to be cool in the summer, warm in the winter and
above all, dry in wet weather.

If you ride the bus, you might have to sit next to someone that
you'd rather not sit next to (and vice versa), though this can also
be a great way to meet people you might not otherwise meet.

It is more likely that you'll have to listen to someone yelling at
their significant others on cell phones or have to listen to the
throbbing base rhythm of someone's ipod.

A few folks ride bikes out of necessity, most enjoy riding them.
Some people enjoy riding the bus, most do so out of necessity.

Ultimately how you choose to travel and how you react to your
travel conditions has something to do with how you understand
yourself. Buses and bikes allow you to experience the world
with many of it unforeseen, less controlled human variations
of nature!