Free Parking on Riverside Today!

Parking is a lot easier downtown when I ride my bike. Even better if I walk. But, I had to drive this morning for a long series of errands. The first of which was downtown. I instantly spotted one empty parking spot on Riverside! Wait, it's not really empty. It's half-empty (if you're one of those kind of people, half-full if you're not).

The person driving the aptly-named Lincoln "Navigator" had a hard time piloting his/her Dreadnought into the actual parking spot, and wound up half-in the metered parking area and half-in the 10-minute loading zone. There was plenty of space for the Geo to nestle completely into the Navigator's empty designated area. There was also plenty of room for the driver behind me to get out. Yes - the meter was maxed out.


It seems that the bigger the auto/suv/truck, the harder it is for some to drive. I've witnessed this at work, walking, and on the bicycle. Sometimes I really feel bad for the person driving. I can imagine some guy buying one of these penis-extenders and justifying his purchase by telling his wife - "Honey, I bought this for you because I care about your safety," while she's thinking, "Holy shit. This is ridiculous. This thing's bigger than our living room." Yet, she smiles bravely and climbs onto the seat (without belay) balancing a latte and a cell phone, starts the engine and rolls the dice. Statistically, these are the unsafest cars on the road. I really think there ought to be a mandatory class for anyone who wants to steer these barges down our streets.


Oh yeah, I guess it's pretty obvious that I am one of those types whose bicycle costs a lot more than their car. And my bicycle is not very fancy. Plus, it's washed and waxed, unlike the White Rocket. But the Geo is a chick-magnet. No doubt.