Two years ago my wife, Diana (Di or Charlie), set out on planning “The Trip”. Where? To Corfu. Corfu? Yes, Corfu. Why? Well, because one of the authors (Gerald Durrell) she enjoys spent time growing up there and wrote about it. She also planned to spend time with her family in England and invited them, and some American friends, to spend time with us at the villa she was renting on the Greek island of Corfu.
Along the way there have been a few bumps in the road. First, her British passport expired and she had to renew it — by mail. Eventually, she got her new passport and then another bump appeared.
Because she is a British citizen she needs a “green card” to live in the United States. She’s had one for some forty years — yes, she is a legal Permanent Resident of the United States. These cards are good for ten years and must then be renewed. The last two renewals were difficult and involved crowds and standing (and/or sitting) in long lines.
Owing to her medical problems of the last few years (and her forced retirement) neither of us realized that her card had passed its expiration date. She was still a legal resident but not having the card would bring about problems traveling out of the country and then trying to re-enter.
We filed for renewal of her card online but had a great deal of difficulty using the government’s site. The customer service phone help people were quite good in helping us navigate its foibles, but we had to use them each time we went to the site as it refused to recognize her username and password.
She paid her renewal fee online without any problem, but we then found out that it would require up to nine months for her to receive her new card — that would be long after we would have returned from our travels. So, we would have to set up an appointment with Immigration to get her passport stamped with an extension.
We arrived at the appointed Immigration facility a few minutes early for her appointment and were pleasantly surprised that there were only three other people in the office. Our appointment with the Immigration clerk (?) went quickly and twenty minutes later we left with my wife’s passport properly stamped and signed with a nine-month extension (to her green card) so she could travel out of the country and re-enter with a minimum of hassle.
The nine-month extension was because replacing her Permanent Resident card could take up to nine months.
A week or two later we received a letter from Immigration informing us that we now had another scheduled appointment at another building for “biometrics” processing. This appointment was for two days before our departure for the UK.
We again arrived a few minutes early and found a couple of dozen people sitting and waiting for their appointments. However, luck and kindness made things a bit easier. After filling out an appointment paper — name, nationality, etc. — the gentleman in charge moved us to the front of the queue as my wife was in her wheel-chair.
Twenty or so minutes later, her picture and fingerprints taken, we were set to go. Immigration also updated her now-expired Permanent Resident card with the new information and a new nine-month extension. (Although her new card will still require not arrive for about another nine months.)
Legally we were now set to leave and re-enter the United States.
While I was growing up in the southern California city of Arcadia, we got around by walking, cycling, bus or my dad’s car (mom didn’t drive until after I got my driver’s license as a teenager). Transportation, to me at least, wasn’t a problem. It was a mile to school, a mile to the market, two miles to the doctor and half a mile to the bus stop. My high school (Bosco Tech) was in Rosemead/South San Gabriel and I took the bus until my friends got licenses and cars.
Note: We lived a five-minute walk from Arcadia High School, but dad said that my brother and I could go to any Catholic high school in the area we wanted–Arcadia High was not on the list.
Transportation becomes commuting
After high school, I attended Cal State Los Angeles and was introduced to the joys and choices of commuting. Buses with their schedules and necessary transfers were not a viable option. Neither were cycling or walking. A used Ford Galaxy provided the answer.
But other questions remained: what route to take and where to park? Route was determined by class times–the I-10 (the San Bernardino Freeway) and/or surface streets. It was at least a half-hour trip either way. Free on-street parking or pay to use the on-campus lots; pay money or hike and climb a lot of stairs? The answer was usually a free hike and stair climb–assuming there was any street parking left.
My first year and a half working in Orange I lived with mom to help her after dad passed away and to save a bit from my beginning teacher’s salary (about $8,400/yr). Forty miles to Orange and forty miles back every day with night classes at Cal State a couple of nights a week thrown in–twenty-two years old and commuting eighty to a hundred miles a day.
I moved to Anaheim and for several years enjoyed a four-mile commute. I could drive, cycle or jog depending on mood and weather–bliss.
I lived in Riverside for about a year and a half in the late seventies and carpooled with two other teachers at my school–twenty-nine minutes from Riverside to Orange. Today that’s impossible; it’s at least an hour and a half drive.
Then I moved to Huntington Beach. For most of the next 30+ years I carpooled with other teachers who lived nearby, but even when I went in to work alone the drive was never more than thirty minutes. Orange County traffic patterns were the opposite of our commute: south in the morning while we went north and the reverse in the evening.
That’s better than a quarter million commuting miles by car, motorcycle, bicycle and foot over a forty-year teaching career.
Thoughts on transportation in Orange County today
I no longer have to worry about my commuting but tens of millions of other Americans and tens of millions more people throughout the world do.
Instead of engaging in commuting these days, I drink coffee, read the morning papers, work on puzzles and watch the morning news shows. Are you a commuter? These news shows are scary.
Each of them, at least here in SoCal, has traffic reporters and graphics showing the state of traffic on freeways and some major surface streets. Green roads are moving freely, yellow are moving slowly and red are creeping along or completely stopped. Most mornings and late afternoons have the majority of the roads shown in RED. And, almost never, it seems is there ever a time when at least some of them aren’t red–even on weekends and at night.
Our population is increasing and we are approaching the point where in places like SoCal it is becoming nigh on impossible, both physically and fiscally, to expand our road and freeway systems.
Adams Avenue, which runs east-west through Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach, is already a six-lane arterial highway with half-mile back-ups at major intersections during the prime commute times, especially in the evening at Brookhurst Street heading west. It cannot be widened any more, yet as our population increases and Huntington Beach adds more high-density housing, its traffic load will increase. The same is true for Beach Blvd and Edinger Avenue.
I’ve been stuck in commuter traffic in San Francisco/Oakland, Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington–Their problems parallel ours and in some ways are actually worse.
If this continues, life is going to turn into a Doctor Who episode with everyone living in their vehicles and constantly on the “move” and stuck in traffic.
I do not believe that more cars and more and wider roads with signal syncing are going to be the answer to our commuting problems.
Population is not going to stay static or decrease in these areas. No, it will only grow. The Orange County I moved to in 1974 had a population of about one and a half million–today it is over three million, and growing.
People who can’t afford to live here move to Riverside and the ex-urbs and commute, most via car.
We are building, and being pressured to build, more high-density housing–more people in a small area, each with his own car on roads which are already saturated.
Multi-billion dollar subway lines are not the answer–they’ll be out of date before their environmental impact reports are finalized, much less have their financing in place.
How about double-decker freeways and roads? Hmmm . . . like I want to be on the lower level of the San Diego (I-405) or Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway when we finally get a 7+ earthquake? Thank you . . . but NO!
As much as most of us are loath to give up our cars and the freedom to move at will through our lives, we may have to do so in order to be able to move at all–at least, part of the time.
How about we take our arterial roads and run “free” buses and shuttles on them eighteen hours a day–from 5 in the morning to eleven at night–every day. If we do this throughout the county on north-south roads such as Beach, Magnolia, Brookhurst, Euclid, Harbor, Fairview, Bristol, etc. and do the same with those running east-west, there are few areas where anyone is more than a half mile from a stop.
Some of these routes will cross the entire county and some will only run a few miles. Run them often enough that people don’t have to worry about schedules or being stranded for half an hour if they miss their usual. Make transfers free. Make the service grid complete enough and you should be able to get anywhere in the county with no more than two transfers.
How many cars does your family own? Does everyone over fifteen really need a vehicle of their own? Does your daughter really need her own car to get to high school? Does your son really need his own car for that after school job at Target? Do you really need a car to get from your home in Fullerton to your worksite in Irvine, especially when ninety percent of the time you just go back and forth to work?
Such a system is expensive and the government will raise taxes, you say. Yes, it is and it must be paid for. But how much would you save if you had one or two fewer cars along with their attendant payments, insurance, maintenance and fuel costs?
It’s not as convenient as driving. Really? Buses running continuously and often; you don’t have to remember a schedule. You have no more than a half-mile to walk at either end of your journey. You don’t have to worry about parking or getting a ticket. You can sleep, read, do puzzles, look out the window, talk on the phone, text, play games, etc. to your heart’s content and not bother with traffic on the 57, 55, 91 or the I-5–less stress and no ulcer. And, on the days you do have to take your car, there’ll be less traffic because others will be using the buses and leaving the roads free of their cars.
We have enough roads. Let’s not build new ones; let’s maintain the ones we have.
Smoke and Mist assist the blogger.
Want to attract people to public transportation? How about an elevated monorail (yes, like the one Disney had a half century ago) running over the medians of Beach, Harbor, Lincoln and Katella? It is not going to cost as much as adding new lanes to the I-5, the I-405 or the 91.
Have you tried going to the beach on a hot weekend? Isn’t it fun driving south on Beach or Harbor or the 55? Take a monorail instead and enjoy the view. You’ll also avoid the $15 parking fee or the mile walk if the lots are full.
Do you really enjoy fighting end of rush hour traffic to see an Angel game and then trying to get out of the parking lot at the same time as 15,000 other cars? This’ll fix that too.
If Los Angeles County had the same kind of system (or it was a true regional system), a multi-county commute would be a lot easier than today. You might even be able to enjoy your trip to Dodger Stadium or to see the “new” L.A. Rams or even play the horses at Santa Anita.
Enough ranting for today it’s time for some Jack-on-the-rocks and then to bed. (And can you believe the Lakers actually beat the Warriors this afternoon?) To be continued . . .
Two years ago we traded in my wife’s Jaguar S-Type for a Buick Enclave. The Jag, which she no longer drove, was not a practical vehicle to drive half way across the country on vacation with two people, two cats and their luggage and assorted paraphernalia. We looked around for a replacement vehicle — not a van — and selected the Buick. Roomy, comfortable and quiet, it suited our needs. I added a roof-mounted 17′ Thule carrier and we were set to go. I’d rather have purchased a Cadillac SRX, but it just didn’t have the room we needed. The only gripe I have about the Buick is the in-town gas mileage — 14-16 mpg; on the open road, even at speeds above 70 mph, it averages better than 20 mpg. (See: Summer 2015 Gas Prices)
Carrier with Scooter
Future Needs
My wife has had a GO-GO Elite Traveller 3-wheel battery powered scooter. She used it at work (teaching) for the last few years for going across her intermediate school campus (1800 students). We kept it in her classroom, and when she had to go to distant classrooms and meetings it was there and ready for use.
I foresaw a time when we would have to take this scooter with us — when her rollator (walker) or cane would not be enough. Therefore, I purchased the Buick with the trailer package. While I never intended to tow a trailer, I saw hitch-mounted bicycle and scooter carriers on many vehicles. I figured we’d need to take the scooter with us eventually and the time has come.
Purchase
I looked on-line at a number of sites for dealers and manufacturers, at weights, features and costs and eventually chose Discount Ramps (DiscountRamps.com).
My wife’s scooter weighs in at just under 90 lbs, and I selected an SC400-V2 Hitch Mounted Mobility Carrier with Ramp which has a carrying capacity of 400 lbs. The carrier itself weighs in at about 80 lbs.
Of course, there was some assembly required.
In addition to the carrier I purchased:
Tie-Down Strap Package Includes: (4) 1″ inch wide x 6 ft long ratchet straps. 3000 lb capacity each. (The tag attached to the straps says 1000 lbs, not 3000 lbs.)
5/8-inch Silent Hitch Pin(TM), Barrel Locking for 2-inch receivers. Includes wrench and set of keys
Cargo Net 30″ x 45″
Total price for all of the items (including the carrier) was $276.96. No shipping charges.
I placed the order on October 7, 2015 and received it via UPS ground on October 13 in the afternoon with plenty of time to put it together before dark.
Packaging
The packaging was a thick but flimsy cardboard; it appeared to have gotten damp and then dried out and there were several punctures and tears. The smaller items arrived at the same time in a smaller box that suffered no damage.
The carrier suffered some damaged en-route but not enough to return the carrier–of course, I couldn’t return it in the original packaging and would have had to find some other packaging to do so.
The damage suffered by the carrier amounted to some bending of the sides, where the handholds and holes for the tie-down strap hooks would go. My 36″ pry-bar was able to straighten, mostly, the sides so that the lift-ramp and pins lined up correctly. And, I didn’t even scratch it.
Putting it Together
The instructions are “fairly easy” to follow — suggestion: watch the video several times first (but it’s not quite that easy).
I used the 5/8″ Silent/Locking Hitch Pin I purchased to install the assembled Carrier Main Tube / Hitch Receiver Tube instead of the included parts and mounted it first. I then worked on the carrier basket / carrier ramp (on the grass because I did not have the same tools you see on the video). It was here that I had to do some “convincing” to get the carrier parts to function correctly.
Eventually, I got to where I was satisfied that everything fit and functioned correctly. I lifted the carrier (side toward the car) up and placed some blocks under it so that the tube was about even with the tube in the hitch. I then lifted the other side and shoved the carrier on to the hitch attached tube and secured it with the provided pins and bolts.
And, what do you know — it worked. I tried it in all positions — so far so good. And, then I rolled her scooter on to the carrier — it fit.
I then took two of the tie-down straps and secured the scooter to the carrier. Scooter didn’t budge. Brought Charlie out to show her (the whole thing was a surprise to her) — thank you, Honey, X O X O X.
The next morning I took her to her hair appointment. The scooter was not on the carrier. Nothing came loose; it wasn’t noisy and didn’t seem to bounce around.
Later in the day, I mounted her scooter and took her to a meeting at a local high school — to which we’d never been. She was able to use it and navigate around the large campus without trying to walk. The carrier was a success.
I checked the carrier and, again, nothing was loose or out of whack — same when we returned home.
In a week or so I’ll readjust some of the bolts and nuts to smooth things out. I’ll also use some Loctite to make sure nothing comes loose on those days we travel three or four hundred miles.
Conclusion
It seems like a good investment, so far. Long term? I’m hoping it’ll work.
Addendum
Tools Required: 17mm wrench, 3/4″ or 19mm wrench, 7/8″ or 22mm wrench, 1/2″ or 13mm wrench, Phillips screwdriver, 10mm allen wrench
If you’ve got a good adjustable wrench, use it. 10mm allen wrench? That’s not in my set — they should include this in the kit. You’re not going to use it anywhere else, and you’re not going to want to go to the hardware store in the middle of assembling the carrier.
Tie-Down Straps — Get good ones; do NOT use bungee cords or twine. The tie-down straps above are good. If you’ve never used them before, they’re not too hard to figure out. If in doubt, buy them at an auto supply or camping store and have the clerk demonstrate how to use them. Work them yourself and make sure you strap something down and loosen the straps before you purchase them.
Auto: The rear lift-gate on my Enclave will not function if the carrier is in the unloaded vertical position or is loaded with the scooter. There is an additional Scooter Carrier Swing Away Kit available for $135. Also, with the scooter carrier attached the parking assist on the Buick does not function. And, if the carrier is unloaded and stored in the vertical position, the rear back-up camera is just about useless.
Oh yeah, get some reflective tape to put on the carrier. The two included reflectors are inadequate.
Update on Scooter Carrier–Nov. 5, 2015
It already shows signs of rust (cheap Chinese manufacture and finishing?). I am not pleased, but I can purchase a can of Rust-Oleum black paint for the carrier. Some of the bolts and nuts are also showing rust–very cheap plating.
Unloaded carrier in vertical position.
Vertical
Unloaded horizontal
Unloaded — ramp up
Loading
Loaded
Tied down
Rear camera view – carrier unloaded and vertical.Rear camera view – scooter on carrier.
I’m one of those people who keep track of what they spend on gasoline and what kind of mileage they get. I used to to this on paper in a booklet I kept with my car or motorcycle. Nowadays I use a little app on my phone called Car Logbook. Our little vacation trip to Minnesota put about 6,000 miles on our Buick Enclave. Both mileage and prices varied widely.
Buick Enclave
May 22 — Union 76 — $56.15 — 14.6 gal — $3.86/gal (87 octane regular) — HB, CA
Jun 25 — Union 76 — $56.13 — 16.5 gal — $3.40/gal — HB, CA — 14.83 mpg
Jul 02 — Union 76 — $24.60 — 7.2 gal — $3.40/ gal — HB, CA — 14.51 mpg
Jul 03 — Union 76 — $56.74 — 17.3 gal — $3.28/gal — Gilroy, CA — 20.87 mpg
Jul 04 — Chevron — $62.45 — 17.4 gal — $3.60/gal — Arcata, CA — 21.03 mpg
Jul 05 — Chevron — $50.13 — 14.7 gal — $3.40/gal — Albany, OR — 23.87 mpg
Jul 05 — Exxon — $59.50 — 19.6 gal — $3.04/gal — West Spokane, WA — 21.09 mpg
Sep 22 — Conoco — $25.68 — 10.1 gal — $2.55/gal — Belgrade, MT — 15.78 mpg (back and forth city driving between Belgrade and Bozeman dealing with my wife’s toothache)
Sep 23 — Exxon — $38.32 — 14.7 gal — $2.60/gal — Spokane Valley, WA — 25.91 mpg
Sep 23 — Exxon — $30.03 — 12.7 gal — $2.37/gal — The Dalles, OR — 22.01 mpg
Sep 24 — Chevron — $15.53 — 6.0 gal — $2.60/gal — Albany, OR — 25.10 mpg
Sep 25 — Chevron — $45.26 — 15.1 gal — $3.00/gal — Arcata, CA — 23.98 mpg
Sep 26 — Union 76 — $44.14 — 16.2 gal — $2.73/gal — Gilroy, CA — 22.07 mpg
Oct 10 — Union 76 — $50.83 — 17.7 gal — $2.88/gal — HB, CA — 21.69 mpg
So, the best price of the trip was $2.29/gal in Moorhead, Minnesota and our best mileage was 25.91 mpg between Belgrade, Montana and Spokane Valley, Washington.
The Highest gasoline prices were (are) in California and the lowest were in Minnesota.
Here I am on vacation again. I know some of you think this is a redundant statement as I have been retired some three years now, but it is not. There is something about being away from home that adds to the experience.
While reading today’s edition of the Grand Forks Herald, I came upon the following recipes:
White Wine Sangria:
2 bottles of dry white wine
1/2 to 1 cup of brandy
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
3 cups of assorted sliced fruit
Combine all ingredients in a clear glass serving pitcher. Stir gently and let ingredients sit for 8 to 24 hours. Serve chilled.
(Wine snobs, please, omit the brandy, agave nectar/honey and fruit.)
Root Beam Float:
8 ounces of root beer
1 ounce Jim Beam or bourbon of choice (here’s a chance to get rid of/use the bottle of Old Crow your great-aunt Matilda gave you twenty years ago)
2-3 curls of zest from an orange
1/2 cup vanilla bean ice cream
Combine the first three ingredients in a float glass. Stir gently to combine bourbon and root beer. Top with vanilla bean ice cream and serve.
