Pumped to Work

scooterdad · Pumped to Work

Well, I pumped to work for the first time today- it is partly on bike path and only 1 and 1/2 miles long. It felt really smooth, and it is getting easier after a couple weeks at it.

My coworkers got a kick out of it when I rolled in. They already give me a hard time for riding this to work most days.
http://powersports.honda.com/2009/ruckus.aspx
Or they give me a hard time for wearing Ted's Vibram Five Finger shoes, which I wore on my first LDP commute today.

When the weather is nicer I had been riding my bike sometimes as well. The only hard part is that there are days when I need to be able to pick the kids up after work, or pick up lunch on my 10 minute lunch break, or respond to emergencies at the hospital quickly (I am a pediatrician). I am finding more and more ways to work my longboard into my general routine though- especially riding it the Y a mile from my house to go swimming or cross train for my new LDP addiction.

I had a driver stop next to me the other morning and asked what I was doing and seemed genuinely impressed that I was doing this for exercise. I forgot to tell her how much fun I was having too.

bluebugbuster

You are right, taking the LDP rig into work is awesome. I might actually be infecting the (younger) guys at the shop, getting them away from riding thier harleys to work, to riding a board.

They do like what I do to my boards, With all the customization and tech know-how it takes to put together a rig.

I hope more people would ride to work...

scooterdad

I guess a lot of it is what people are used to. I never would have understood I could physically ride a board to work until I discovered this site. Plus, I never see other people longboarding where I live.

Skating, at least around here, seems to be regarded by most as a nuisance, rather than as an alternate means of transport, or exercise. The laws in my town are pretty silly outlawing skating in town at all except in the small, designated skate park that is seldom open. On the books, it states that one can be fined $5 for the first offense and/or your board can be confiscated and given to your parent Wink

It doesn't say what happens if you're 36 years old. You can't make this stuff up.

pavedwave

Cool to hear! Having a work-->home distance that's commute-friendly is a really great thing.

Nice to see you're raising eyebrows both at and outside of work Very Happy

scooterdad

Here you go James- pages 29-30. Funny you are allowed to ride a non-motorized scooter anywhere in town, but only if you're under 12...

Ooops, it looks like they do mention "minor" child in the context of the board confiscation. I guess I'm off the hook on that. Still I don't want to collect a bunch of $5 , then $10 tickets. So far I haven't been stopped. I do take care of some of the town police officers' children. That may help (or hurt). Wink

http://www.town-eastonmd.com/Code_Charter_2002.pdf

Landy

pavedwave

Thanks for that! Interesting that it's only 'skateboards and scooters' codified, whereas inlines and rollerskates appear to be allowed. Well, I forsee your commute is going to continue to capture attention, and soon enough you'll have a buddy or two out there-- criminals, all of ya!

Actually, if you do manage to earn $15 worth of skateboarding tickets in your town, I'll gladly send you a pavedwave t-shirt -- deal? Laughing

scooterdad

That sounds like a deal! So far, so good, though in the long run I would prefer to legitimize skateboarding as a viable way to get around town. I'm not sure why inlines aren't mentioned when it seems that non-motorized scooters were added not that long ago to the books.

Apparently, much of this code is going to be revisited fairly soon as there are plenty of outdated laws or things no longer enforced. I do know that they do take a fairly firm stance against skateboarding in the downtown where most of the merchants are located. Much of my riding has been in the wee morning hours (4-7 am) when I don't attract as much attention, mainly because my kids are asleep, and that's when I can fit it in.

I did see a woman on the street today that shouted "Are you crazy?" My face and mouth were a little frozen (it is 18 out this morning), and I couldn't think of a quick response. I'm not sure where she was walking so early in the morning anyway.