OK, this IS a bit off-topic, but it is environmentally-related...
If you watch the WKRG news, you might have seen my husband interviewed tonight in this story on alternative transportation.
Incidentally, May is National Bike Month, and Bike to Work Day is this Friday, May 16.
Bike commuting may not be for everyone, and Mobile is not a bicycle-friendly city, but it is easier than you might at first suspect. After commuting for a month Chris told me, "You know, I don't have a car and it's not a disaster. I haven't regretted it once."
If you want to learn more, bicycle enthusiasts are eager to share information and help you get started. We bought our bikes at Mobile's Cadence 120 (owner Brad is also interviewed in the WKRG story), and the staff there are knowledgeable, friendly, and very helpful. There is also a substantial bike commuter online community; one of my husband's favorite sites is Bike Commuters.
Some folks in the biking community informed Chris, after seeing the video, that the hand signals he’s shown using (the ones we learned as kids 30 years ago) are no longer used. These apparently originated for use in cars before cars had turn signals, and now the standard practice is to point in the direction you’re going to turn, with the hand on the appropriate side of your body. It was news to me as well!
The old driver’s ed hand signals are still used, but the danger is that no one driving a car knows how to read them anymore. (From what I can tell, there is no official or legal guidance on correct hand signals for bicycles on the roadway.) The folks at bicyclecommuters.com advised me to just point in the direction I plan to turn. What is disappointing to me is that the old hand signals strike me as abstract (less representational) and therefore more interesting. Oh well.
Also, just hit 425 miles on my bike.