James Mack's Weblog

Today marked my first useful escapade with the B.O.B. bicycle trailer my parents had given me for Christmas, after I had mentioned my uneasiness with driving my car 3-5 blocks to get my groceries each week. Not surprisingly, it turns out that using a bicycle trailer to replace a car is neither practical nor economical. Instead, using a trailer on a bicycle exemplifies the quixotic nature of Boulder and its inhabitants; doing something which belies better sense in the name of an honorable cause. And after my maiden ferry of vittles from Whole Foods to my home without gasoline power, I feel like I've found something good.

It's no accident that I framed the photo of my B.O.B. along with my car. It's my favorite "My other car is..." bumper sticker equivalent. I've never been a bike lover because I think cars are evil. For me, cars are intrinsically fascinating, an homage to inventiveness, excitement, and curiosity. I guess I feel like they're even a bit sacred, and using them for such trivial tasks as hauling an armload of groceries a few blocks betrays their true worth. So my car sits in the garage, reserved for twisty roads on Sunday mornings, full throttle benders on an open highway, and closing the gap to distant places.