Passivity

My officemate commutes over 1.5 hours every day. Each way. Apparently, Santa Rosa is far. In fact, even when she utilizes public transit, she still has to drive 10-15 minutes to get to the bus stop. That's my whole commute.

Yesterday, in a spout of laziness and self-perceived genius, I decided to ask her for a ride to the gym. After all, it is right on her way home and we were leaving from the same exact spot. At the time I congratulated myself because I would be able to avoid a hill (and I am forever daunted by hills) and it usually takes around 30 minutes. A seemingly long time a car could certainly beat.

I think what I neglected to remember (or purposefully forgot) is that when I ride to the gym, I see a line of cars a mile deep due to the Doyle Drive construction. So my 30 minutes bike ride became a 45 minutes car ride. Plus another 15 to wait and then walk with my officemate. That’s double the time.

While this happens all the time around the city, what really surprised me was on the last leg, when we hit the traffic and I really should have gotten out and biked but was encumbered by social etiquette to stay and keep my officemate company, I was surprisingly relaxed. When I pass the same line of cars on my bike, I always peer into a couple to see what these foreign beings are feeling. I’m always surprised it isn’t rage, but rather apathy. In fact, I could easily be convinced they are serene.

And in the car last night, surrounded by metal, cooled by AC and shielded from the world, I didn’t mind that not only bikers but JOGGERS were passing by. Because it was stop and go traffic, I wouldn’t have noticed the true [lack of] speed if it weren’t for the conspicious comparison right beside me. But even then I decided to ride it out, what could I do about traffic? What a passive stance! So unlike my problem solver, always demanding for peak efficiency, self.

So I guess although I can’t fathom doing it day upon day upon day, and I certainly won’t be asking for another ride ever again, yesterday I had a moment of community with my fellow car riders. And then, when I was finished rock climbing, I rode home over an even bigger hill.