Park(ing) Day: String (or SF Public Library)

This one caught me by surprise, but I think it was intended to be an old barn with hay bales and string representing cobwebs. Its users certainly seemed to love it! There's barely enough space in there for everyone to sit!
I found it by accident when I swung by the public library to return some books. This is 24th Street and Bartlett just up for the 24th Street BART station.

Park(ing) Day: Bridge

Park(ing) day is wonderful for several reasons:
1) it engages local artists in the re-design of public space.
2) it makes a critical statement of the role of public space. For example, I have never understood why it is in the public interest to provide public space for people to store private property (their cars). I mean, it can make sense for short-term uses in commercial zones to promote economic activity, but beyond that....
3) it beautifies our streets.
4) it provides us an additional reason to ride around town to see our beautiful city.
5) it provides us an additional reason to interact with each other, creating community and building relationships.

This Park(ing) instillation was near the Bay Bridge along the Embarcadero. It looked like such a sweet spot below the dramatic infrastructure that allows cars and buses to get across the Bay. (I'm looking forward to a time of equality when bikes and pedestrians can use this massive investment as well.)

Park(ing) Day!!!

PARK(ing) Day 2009 is Friday, September 18th!

"Originally created by Rebar, San Francisco art and design collective, PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.

"Anyone can participate in PARK(ing) Day, though it is strictly a non-commercial project, intended to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, unscripted social interactions, generosity and play."

This week, I'll post new photos of Park(ing) day 2008 instillations each day.

French work ethic

The Car Talk guys just shared that France is now fining employees who work too many hours. Government workers have a 35-hour work week in France. If people work more than that, it takes work away from other people. In these difficult times of high unemployment, maybe Americans need to look at our work priorities too.

(To illustrate this point, I have added a photo I shot in Paris last month of a beautiful cyclist.)

Improvements coming to Market Street

SFGate: Pilot program to limit traffic on Market Street, Heather Knight, September 10, 2009

I was really excited to learn about these improvements planned for Market Street and the restrictions of cars there as a step in the right direction. However, I didn't like it when Heather called Market Street "dirty"; it's only really dirty between 5th and 7th Streets and anyway that's a subjective assessment. Don't dog my boyfriend!

decorated bikes

In Paris, last month, I spotted these gorgeously-decorated bicycles on two separate occasions. Decorated bikes always make me smile.


My town bike, which I bought used in 1997, has a front basket where I have woven cloth flowers and a lei from my Hawaiian vacation several years ago. She's out of commission right now after the cable to my rear break snapped early one Saturday morning when I was on my way to clean the beach. I rode her the rest of the day with front brakes only. But considering that both cables are the same age, I won't do that again.

Potentially Rad

Li-Young Lee

KQED Radio over the weekend played a program called Sacred and Profane including Al Green. I enjoyed that part, but Li-Young Lee's poetry, as always, moved me nearly to tears. He read a poem about how, when he speaks, his wife falls asleep. I believe the reader is supposed to initially think she is bored by him. But I never thought that. The poem went on to describe how he speaks to her when she has insomnia and it calms her. He loves her so much that his ego doesn't get caught up on the calmness he brings to her. He is clearly brilliant with words, but she is moved more deeply, subconsciously, by his presence. I'm also an insomniac who can sometimes only fall sleep in the arms of someone I love; I found it so refreshing to hear described in loving words the other side of that.

[BBC] Fueding Mayors block traffic

Mayors in two Paris suburbs decide that a single road is one-way in opposite directions. Signage directs cars in both towns towards each other resulting in gridlock.

I love the absurdity of it!

[The Sartorialist] Cycle Chic in New York and Paris

Everyone has probably already noticed that the Sartorialist is cycle chic blogging, but I thought I would make an official proclaimation.

Sunday Streets slideshow

The summer's final Sunday Streets is tomorrow at Ocean Beach, and I'm so looking forward to playing in the streets with children, dogs, and other friendly faces. The slideshow below is from one earlier this summer in the Mission including both new and already-posted photos. Enjoy!

Money CAN buy Happiness!

[Boston]Happiness: A buyer’s guide

While material wealth doesn't correlate with happiness, what people spend their money on does. Spending on experiences (vacations, bar crawls, meals with loved ones), gifts for others, and charity does make people happy.

Sunday Streets: The Next Generation

Pretty much the greatest thing about Sunday Streets is that it makes it possible for children to fully enjoy urban space and San Francisco's fun community.

Little girls can scoot around independently without threat of massive motor vehicles.


Little families can share one human-powered vehicle together.


Training wheels can come off...

...Or stay on, clad entirely in pink on a pink bicycle.


Mom's can look gorgeous in platform shoes and floppy hats while transporting their little ones through the fun!


Finally, these angels were kind enough to pose for me looking unbelievably cute. They didn't need Sunday Streets to do that. They just needed the safe place to ride their bikes that Sunday Streets provides.

Sunday Streets: Lovely Ladies and Friends

This post contains another series of photos of a Sunday Streets event in the Mission earlier this summer. I'm getting excited about this Sunday's event at Ocean Beach.

Amsterdam allows "beer bike".

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The beer bike will ride on in Amsterdam.

The outsized bikes, seating groups of people around a central bar, are something of a fixture in the city's center. But two accidents within two months prompted the city councillor responsible for transport to launch an investigation in June. [article continues]

Sunday Streets!

This week, I'm getting excited about Sunday Streets. This Sunday is the the last one of six this year. It will be on the Great Highway at Ocean Beach. "Sunday Streets creates a safe, fun, car-free place for people to get out and get active in San Francisco neighborhoods. ...opening the streets to San Franciscans to explore four different neighborhoods and participate in a wide variety of activities, including: dancing, biking, skating, walking, hula hooping, yoga, and just people watching." I couldn't make the most recent one at Ocean Beach, but I am taking this opportunity to post photos I took at a Sunday Streets earlier this summer in the Mission.

(Love the sunglasses, girlfriend.)

You know that I love taking pictures of beautiful people on bicycles. This post contains photos of beautiful women. I'll post photos of the Mission Sunday Streets with a different theme each day this week.

OK, can we all agree that not enough is said about about beautiful people petting dogs. I know several people who met their long-term partner while out with the dog.


Most people don't bother with a helmet at Sunday Streets because there aren't any cars to hit you, but if it's part of your outfit...


More proof:
Bicycle + you = Happiness

Plus, isn't this an awesome dress?

Freakonomics: Causes of cyclist deaths?

Turns out it's cars. Go figure.

CM: Bicycling makes everyone happy.

Nearly everyone looks happy when riding their bicycles (except maybe when they have a heavy load riding in the rain, but that wasn't the case here). We have a good reason for that: we are happy.

Who knew you could get a basket the same color as your turquoise bicycle:


What a great smile:


This girl was so cute, I wanted to introduce her to my mom. Unfortunately, my mom couldn't make Critical Mass this time.

Yay! One thing I love most about Critical Mass is when the drivers get irate from having to wait an extra 5 minutes at a stop light during rush hour in downtown San Francisco (where/when/and they shouldn't be driving anyway) and the cyclists respond by "mis-interpreting" drivers' honks/yells as joining the celebration. After all, what is life for if not to celebrate! This photo reminds me of that.


And of course, shown here is yours truly, happy with the others and well-labeled:

CM: Tough guy, happy

This guy scared me a little so that I was reluctant to snap his photo. But when I did, he seemed fine with it. He even posed a little for me, making himself look tougher and less approachable to improve my photo. I love his look.

Once the ride was underway, I caught his likeness again. This time, he glowed. No scowling tough guy was he. Bicycling made him a beaming puppy-dog man.

I almost felt encouraged enough to speak to him... but not quite.

CM: Socks!

I was quite taken with this guy in his cap, corduroy sports coat, jeans, snazy striped socks, and brown leather shoes texting his pals: "Are you here yet?" or "I'll meet you after the ride..."

I caught up with him later in the life of Critical Mass for a bit more quality time with those magnificant socks....