Category Archives: Travel

Chicago Toying with Rental Bikes

Mayor Daley is considering a test of 1,500 public rental bikes in a program similar to Paris’ Velib experiment. After visiting Paris this summer, Daley was very impressed with the Paris bike rental program; the Economist reports that Velib has seen daily rides hit 100,000 for its fleet of 10,000 bikes.

This would continue Daley’s long streak to make my hometown one of the greenest in the U.S., and transportation has always been a key component. Though its public transportation authority, the CTA, continues to face financial shortfalls and maintenance issues, Chicago still has one of the nation’s best transportation systems. Millennium Park also offers bike commuters a secure, public bike lock-up facility featuring public lockers and showers.

Travel like a gimp

Of all the things I’ve tried to do in the last several weeks, airport travel was one of the most difficult.  As mobile as I’ve become, I generally overestimate my ability to cover ground. It doesn’t sound like a long distance from the parking lot to check-in to the gate, and it didn’t even occur to me that I should check my bag.

Luckily, Andrew G. had more sense than me and dropped me off at the counter.

On the way home, I McGyver’ed a towing system and attached it to my belt. Ugly, but I got a ton of laughs as well as compliments on my ingenuity.