Curse

I pwnd U · Sep 18, 2014, 11:08 AM // 11:08

Cars are a necessity here, due to the reasons cosy stated. Our country is just too spread out for good public transportation to work. I think the average commute time here is like 25-30 mins. I can drive 3 hours and still be in the same state, some countries in Europe can drive 3 hours and be in a totally different country. Would be nice to use public transportation, probably much cheaper, but it just isn't available here.

azzer20 · Sep 18, 2014, 04:29 PM // 16:29

To be fair our public transportation is major shít as well except in big cities like COpenhagen and so on, there are some one reliant on cars as our roads aren't the best further out, so it's earn a little more and pay for an expensive car or earn a little less and save money on public transport.

So no it's not always available here :P

You can just bike it instead you lazy people! :P

**cosyfiep** · Sep 18, 2014, 04:56 PM // 16:56

very hard to bike here in the winter with the snow and NO sidewalks--not to mention when you work more than 30 miles from home (I will let you do the conversion to kilometers).
AND very hard to put your kids and their junk on a bike with you ---tons of parents drop their kids off at work/practice/sitters while either going to or from work.

(and my knee wont allow me to ride a bike anymore)

I pwnd U · Sep 18, 2014, 10:48 PM // 22:48

Biking 23 miles to work on roads without a shoulder? No thank you. That is a death wish. If I lived closer and there were shoulders on the road I might.

azzer20 · Sep 19, 2014, 05:59 AM // 05:59

Maybe it's just my country then, around 50% of people that work uses bikes, even at winter caus we're weird haha.

I get the comfort of cars but winter is nice and cold and can give you sexy leg muscles :P

I pwnd U · Sep 19, 2014, 11:12 AM // 11:12

Your country is also again, much smaller. You may have to bike a few miles, but not 23 or something like that. But ya, it would be nice to be able to bike to work, save on gas.

azzer20 · Sep 20, 2014, 07:33 AM // 07:33

23 miles isn't even that hard to bike, really it ís not, lots of people do it, we might be a small country but upwards to 30 miles is not really hard for biking when you've done biking since a kid

**cosyfiep** · Sep 20, 2014, 08:16 AM // 08:16

not around here---there is no place to bike, you cant do it on the road and you cant do it on the sidewalks, and there is no 'bike path' on the sides of roads. Makes it very hard to do it to get anywhere---

and some of us have medical issues that wont allow it (trick knee anyone?).....so not really feasible, not to mention the weather, nothing like trying to bike in the snow when they havent even plowed the roads let alone sidewalks or shoulders. Last time I biked anywhere was in high school and that was back when roads were 'safe' to bike on, I wouldnt suggest even trying it now.

I pwnd U · Sep 20, 2014, 03:03 PM // 15:03

That is the problem, no place to do it. You guys may have nice designated bike lanes or enough bikers that drivers are used to seeing them and know what to do. Here, not so much. Good chance of getting hit.

azzer20 · Sep 20, 2014, 06:31 PM // 18:31

That sucks then, but you guys always have excuses (just teasing!)

Yes we bike so much we have the best biking system in the world where biking people actually have rights before cars <3.

And i know about the problem if you have medical issues, that's fine and all, but weather?, that's no excuse!

**cosyfiep** · Sep 21, 2014, 01:54 AM // 01:54

last winter was horribly cold-- negatives on the F scale (which is like what -20c?)

and have you ever biked thru the snow piles on the side of the road? Around here they can be taller than I! (much taller than a bike)...they wont clear those areas since cars arent supposed to drive there.

Yeah the USA isnt very bike friendly--a few places are, some of the bigger cities and such, but for the rest of the HUGE country, nope. We do have a bike path around here, but it just goes from one forest preserve to another one, a winding way and doesnt really go anywhere else.

azzer20 · Sep 21, 2014, 07:47 AM // 07:47

I have biked through snow a lot, not huge piles though :P i think all countries should get some focus on biking as it's great for the environment and yes i know big countries are hard to bike in as well :P

I pwnd U · Sep 21, 2014, 04:11 PM // 16:11

They don't even do a good enough job of plowing here to make the roads safe for cars, let alone bicyclist. Plus those hills. No thanks. My brother-in-law bikes to work some days, but I think his work is 10-15 miles away along bikeable roads.

**cosyfiep** · Sep 22, 2014, 07:06 AM // 07:06

I dont even own a bike--never have.

been having some nice weather---and the next week has NO rain in it (so far----).

they are replacing our driveways this week, had to clean out the garage and move the cars....so noise and having to walk to get to the car---good thing about the lack of rain in the forecast! Guess its time to have that leaky gasket replaced while the car is out of the garage (and into the mechanics---).

I pwnd U · Sep 22, 2014, 11:06 AM // 11:06

I have a mountain bike, but not a road bike. And my mountain bike is at my parents house, so it isn't doing me any good there.

The weather has been nice. Supposed to be in the 70's all this week.

Leaky gasket, hmm, that can either be a fairly cheap repair or it can be a super expensive one. Hopefully its a cheap one!

**cosyfiep** · Sep 22, 2014, 03:42 PM // 15:42

I have been putting it off since spring since they told me what it will cost (and its not cheap).
sounds like they are almost done with our driveways...started at 7am this morning---

I pwnd U · Sep 22, 2014, 11:17 PM // 23:17

Bummer on it being an expensive one. Is it a head gasket? Because I know how expensive those are...

**cosyfiep** · Sep 23, 2014, 08:05 AM // 08:05

not sure (not a girl thing ya'know)....but I know they are replacing the timing belt with it....which I guess is ok since the car is 12 years old and has never had it replaced (though it only has about 45k miles on it).

our driveway is now.....packed dirt! So tomorrow (I hope) they will put some paving material down in its place....so I look forward to the 7am wake up call again.

on the food front: had steak and corn on the cob--sometimes I really like living in the middle of corn country! (yum!)

I pwnd U · Sep 23, 2014, 11:09 AM // 11:09

Timing belt and water pump should be replaced at the same time. I need to price out a new one in my wife's car this summer since it is a 11 year old car with the original timing belt. They may also be replacing a oil gasket as well when they do it. So the chunk of it may be replacing the timing belt and they lumped the gasket in there.

They tarred and chipped a road I take every day, which was great, except they didn't fix the problems with the road. So all the low spots on the side of the road that make it feel like you are driving on a railroad track, still there. >.>

**cosyfiep** · Sep 23, 2014, 01:21 PM // 13:21

my favorite thing is when they take the time to redo the road (not just blacktopping over it) and then within 2 weeks another crew comes by and rips it all open, does their work (usually sewer or some such) and then patches the nicely paved street with horribly done fixes....never fails to happen.