Bike box

When I went back to school last year I planned on a multi-modal commute. I live about 20 miles from campus. As a student: you get a bus pass. This is a no-brainer for me. I'm amazed by how many people drive their own cars out to school every day.

If you just calculate that cost based on the IRS 2013 mileage reimbursement rate of 56.5 cents a mile, I would be looking at a cost of $22 a day to drive! Assume you drive daily, that's over $100/week. For a school year, you're looking at around $3500. After a four-year degree? Hello: around $14,000.

And as a student, you're already paying fees to cover a bus pass. So why throw this money out? This is easy math. I realize that everyone has different circumstances that dictate what and how they do stuff... but I digress.

So when I started going back to school, I was aware of the bike boxes down by the park and ride. I assumed there would be a huge waiting list because they're so rad. When I investigated I was astonished to find that they only cost $5/month and that not only did they have a box available at the freeway park and ride, but four of the six were available and had been for years!!

WTF??

Bike boxes are f'ing awesome. Every quarter is different, but for example, this quarter: I ride home from school three days a week. This means, I ride to the bus in the morning, put my bike on the front, then ride home.

The other two days, I ride down to the park and ride, put my bike in the bike box, then hop on the bus. Sometimes on those days, I catch a ride home with a buddy and we stop at Bennitidos for a beer. Then he drops me off at home. No big whoop: my bike is safe and I can pick it up some other time. (Yes I see the mild irony of relying on my driving buddy here... whatever, it's for a noble purpose: accompanying him for a beer).

For $60 a year! Crazy. And I have never ever seen evidence that any of the other bike boxes down by the freeway are even being used. Whatevs...