Mission Mission

I just noticed these bike lockers by the 19th / Broadway BART Stop in Oakland:

The way this system works is you get some kind of smart card similar to Translink or FastPass. It maintains a balance of funds (like $20) which you use to gain access to the locker. The rates are an arbitrarily low 3-5 cents per hour.

I’m not sure I get the point. Sure it may be superficially more secure for long term parking, but it’s also a waste of space (only 4 bikes fit in the lockers seen above), nowhere near ubiquitous, expensive to maintain, and seems to encourage people to not carry a real lock. According to BART these are available in mostly east bay cities.

Has anyone used one of these and find it to be more practical or secure than hitching up next to a parking meter?

You could ride this badass beauty into a subterranean sledgehammer fight with Stalin himself and fare pretty well I think.

Gorgeous! (Even despite the terrible lighting down there, right?)

Found this stuffed between the bars of my front gate.  A sort of coming of age for the folks at TCB Courier.  While hardly as distressing as the ubiquitous Pizza Love flyers that blanket front doors throughout the Mission, these brochures represent a worrisome change of tactics from our favorite gourmet bicycle couriers.  I guess online advertising can only reach a certain demographic, and nothing can really adequately replace the soothing feeling of glossy paper in your hands as you ponder whether it will be a currywurst or katsu pork sando this time.

Nonetheless, it is mildly ironic that even green and local businesses powered by bicycle have to engage the paper-industrial complex in order to survive (imminently bankrupt USPS standard mail rant coming soon!).  Maybe they need to start delivering Ike’s?

However, before you get too indignant, check out the 20 page booklet delivered to everyone (by mail) advertising the San Francisco “Green” Festival:

"GREEN" SF

So save the faux-outrage for those capitalist Saigon Sandwich ladies and their 25-cent price hike!

Previously:

The Mission Finally Has Late-Night Bike Delivery: TCB Courier Service

TCB Courier Unveils Service Area Map and Pricing

TCB: The Motion Picture

TCB Courier Delivers Rhea’s Deli For Free, Gives You Fewer Reasons To Leave Home

TCB: “Jay’s Cheesesteaks? Yes, bro!”

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of checking out Mark Growden in an intimate house-concert setting at the Porto Franco Art Parlor. He opened up with with this haunting improvisation on the bicycle handlebars.

It sounds like the type of music that would be playing in the background while an elderly Asian man explains the spiritual journey I’m about to take, shortly before being attacked by bandits from a neighboring village.

Mark’s new album, St. Judas is great and it was recorded completely live, after he and the band took a week-long retreat in the woods rehearsing and speaking to wild coyotes.

Previously:

• Mark Growden @ The Porto Franco Art House This Friday

Not long ago, well-intentioned yet completely clueless city planning folks changed the traffic flow on Market to force drivers to turn right on 10th St. rather than continue to cause congestion problems while attempting to turn on the ill-suited 8th St.  However, this unfortunately put the squeeze on bicycle commuters as they tried to navigate the narrow, somewhat dangerous bike lane bestowed upon them.  It seemed a lot of valuable space was wasted, being used as an unnecessary “buffer zone.”

Fortunately, logic has prevailed and the buffer zone is history, replaced by a wider, safer bike lane. Cyclists win!  How often does that happen in San Francisco?

BEFORE courtesy of Streetsblog SF

Childishly amateur stop motion traverse through the new scene after the jump . . .

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 I get woken up by a monsoon outside my window at 4am, but by the time I’m leaving for work at around 8am, the sun is shining.  So I mutter a quick ”WTF SF?” and diligently forego BART to get on my bicycle.  Nearing Civic Center (Yay for Wednesday Farmer’s Market!) on Market St, I notice the Muni buses are beginning to pile up again, which can pretty much only mean one thing.

this doesn't look good

I approach an officer and ask what’s going on, and he just kind of shakes his head and more or less says (ridiculous paraphrase warning):

Well sir, a cyclist was trying to squeeze between some cars and a bus, and she slipped on those white circular raised bumps (in sweeping arrow formation) that attempt to separate the Muni and car lanes.  So she loses balance on her bike and thuds against the side of a bus, and then to add insult to injury Muni rolls over her bike.

I couldn’t talk to the “victim” because she (deduced from officer’s pronoun usage) was in an ambulance, but she didn’t appear to have any life-threatening injuries, and luckily Muni rolled over her bike instead of her leg or face.  Totally could have been much worse.

the culprit

Fellow cyclists!  We are very aware of how dangerous and slippery Muni rails can be in inclement weather, but there is another enemy in our midst!  Don’t let these unsuspecting lumps ruin your day!

More pics of the damage (and UPDATE) after the jump . . .

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This is looking like a trend! TCB Courier is adding another sandwich spot to it’s free-delivery roster: Jay’s Cheesesteak starting Monday.

I wonder how Philadelphians feel about BBQ seitan cheesesteak sandwiches? Don’t answer that, I don’t actually want to know. I’m sure it’s similar to how they feel about a London “Philly Cheesesteak”:

Philadelphian with a Londonsteak, feigning contentment

Wow, cyclist heroism is the theme of the week! You may remember a post from a couple of weeks ago about Jesse’s beloved green cruiser being stolen from his garage. Well, MM reader Emily posted a comment that she had a similar bike gathering dust in her yard:

hey, i’ve got a not-as-cool, but similar black schwinn cruiser in my backyard (that somehow hasn’t been stolen) looking for some love if you want a replacement. i’ve been meaning to fix it up, but would rather give it to someone who needs it!

Yesterday Jesse reported:

Just wanted to let you know that I hooked up with Emily today and grabbed her old cruiser.  She didn’t want anything for it, but I brought her a nice bottle of Amador Cellars Zinfandel I picked up when I went wine tasting there over Thanksgiving.  A very cheap price to pay for a replacement cruiser. Thanks for posting for me, and thanks to good hearted people.  I’ve attached a pic of the new bike.

Now that’s what I call an awesome neighbor. You rock, Emily!

(Say, you wouldn’t happen to have any French-threaded 58cm road forks in your yard, would you? )

Reader Anna K. witnessed some bikes getting jacked this morning, and served the thieves a heaping bowl of JUSTICE:

I was walking to get some coffee at Rogers this morning and saw two bums acting suspicious around a pair of bikes locked up in front of Jocelyn’s bakery at 20th & Lex.

On my way back I saw the bums running off with the bikes. Called the cops, they picked up the two douche-faces and the bikes are now safe with SFPD.

Thought I’d let you know, in case the owners email you in hopes of finding their wheels.

I only saw the bikes from afar, but here is what I gathered with my limited eyesight.

• Two (possibly dude’s) road bikes
• 20 inch frames
• one maroon
• one black

To reclaim the bikes, they should call the SFPD non-emergency number at 415 252 1426.

Some might call Anna a hero! Not me though, I’m more into RAZOR scooters.

Elizabeth Gilhooley (American, 1981-), Immovable Iconography, 2010, trash receptacle, washtub, bicycles, GAP bag, 4.5′ x 6′ x 5′, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO.