The Way to Work

     Holy shit, a poll popped up on my personal FB page from a store called Onion River Sports, or maybe it was REI, I just don't remember.  Anyway, it doesn't really matter because what matters is what the poll said, and it said "You are in mile 5 of a 12 mile bike commute to work, and you tire goes flat.  What do you do?" and then there were some options from which one could choose.  And I thought to myself, "Twelve miles?  Really?  Those people are out of thei fucking minds!"

Your commuter car
in some people's eyes.

     Here is the deal, Company.  I rode my bike to work today - from one end of the Worldwide Headquarters to the other, and it was maybe a mile.  Now I admit that I don't necessarily have what one would call a bikers physique, but I was sweating my ass off and had to change my shirt once I got to work.  And apply more deoderant.  And I was still sweating when I was done.  So I don't know how you could ride your bike 12 miles over hill and dale and still be office appropriate once you got there, unless you were amazingly fit or didn't care if you had B.O. or maybe you had a shower in your office or a private bathroom where you could wash up.
    There are even people in Finland who kayak to work like at Nokia and stuff, and I don't understant how that works either.  I have a kayak, and I really enjoy using it, and that doesn't usually make me sweaty unless I am trying to set the water speed record or something, but I have never once successfully been able to go anywhere in my kayak without getting wet in some way, shape, or form.  Never.  Never ever.  Maybe that is because I am a little clumsy, or maybe it is because it is actually impossible to do (I know it is not impossible to do, so I guess the former is true).  But those people are just as bad as the biker folks.
    Now I should be a little bit more clear in my line of thinking.  I don't really think that the biker and kayaker and walk to work folks are bad.  In fact, I try to be that way.  I am all about those who choose to commute in a way that doesn't involve driving their Acura 30 miles each way every day.  So if you are hiking or biking or taking the train or something to work, kudos to you.  I am it makes you feel better AND helps keep your wallet stocked.  But I just can't see how riding your bicycle 12 miles to work is practical.  At least not when you are a sweaty mo-fo like me.