Report: January 30-February 5 (How to Fight a House Bill)

Trips -
MinusCar: unknown
Multi-occupant Auto: unknown
Single occupant Auto: unknown

Three weeks in a row of mid-winter blahs? Actually no! Monday morning I awoke inspired to put the previous horrible weeks behind me. On my ride to work I crashed! But that’s not the story.

Monday morning three of us met to strategize and mount a push to get the South Dakota Legislature to change HB1190, a bill that was generating much laughter because it would allow drunks to ride bicycles and horses. This bill was anything but funny in that it would (unintentionally?) remove bicycles from the definition of vehicle in State Law. This is a very bad thing for a vehicular cyclist.

Ultimately I took Monday and Tuesday off from work. Over the next five days I was directly involved in the writing of a press release announcing a press conference, contacting every South Dakota cyclist possible and many national organizations, a television interview, the writing of an HB1190 fact sheet, the development of a web page, a press conference (yes, any idiot can call a press conference), and three radio shows. Not to mention 11 blog posts, countless hours of discussion, some of the regular family obligations, and a couple hours of sleep a night.

One of my favorite parts of The MinusCar Project is the simplicity it forces on me. Part of that simplicity comes from lingering in a grassy area while waiting for a bus with The Boy 8 and his friend. Or riding bikes to the park and making the trip there part of the fun of actually being there. Or sitting on a bus and looking out the window and enjoying the sites instead of the license plate in front of me.

This week was anything but simple. But the cause fit the project. And the project fit the cause.

Here is the fiasco that occurred Monday because I didn’t have a car. Mom picks me up at Cyclists Against HB1190 Central. I take her to her teaching job. I return in her car for ultimately postponed television interview. I pick up The Boys. I feed The Boys. We pick up mom at conclusion of her teaching job. She drops me at Cyclists Against HB1190 Central for interview and takes The Boys to her house. At completion of interview The Owner takes me to mom’s house. Mom takes me and the boys’ home. OUCH! Thanks mom. I drove the remainder of the week.

My Car Miles: 223*
My Bike Miles/Hours: 25.6/2

* 223 miles over the course of two weeks.