I love getting around town.  Kingston is not a big place and you wouldn’t think of it as a traffic-ridden place, but at the right time of day, it gets pretty busy.  It sounds wierd, but I love my modes of transport.  Bike, walk, bus, to a ride with a friend.  I have started to make a sport out of how fast I can get from one place to another, without using cars.

Earlier this year I got my old bike fixed up and read up on riding in the city.  There are a tonne of great resources around for the urban cyclist.  (Pedestrians should also read some of these resources; I really hate watching people manoeuvre traffic in such an unskilled way.)

Yesterday I was on foot.  After dropping by home to feed, water and air out the beasts, I ran out the door to grab a bus on Princess Street.  Kingston is so bad for crappy light timing.  You get a good ten seconds of walk light, then five of flashing yellow, then the vehicles start flying and you’d better be out of the way.  Kingston is also bad for crappy, clueless drivers who are making a right turn at a light while your are in the cross walk and almost always curse you because they actually have to slow down during their turn.

Anyway, I’m moving fast trying to get to the bus stop which I know I am currently about a minute-thirty seconds late for.  (I have this fairly well timed from the house.)  I can see the bus coming down the hill.  Dodge right to avoid an inconsiderate “right turner” and break out into a full run. 

When I’m 20 feet from the stop, I hear a honk through my headphones, and with a quick glance right I see my friend Rob in the middle lane holding up traffic trying to get my attention.  Cool, wait for a hole, and make the dash.  (I spot a cop two cars back from Rob tapping the wheel impatiently.)  A nice lady slows down in the inside lane, and I make the dash.  I opened the door as Rob hit the gas, and all of a sudden I’m sitting in the leather interior, nicely air-conditioned space of his Accord.

 Who would want to own a car when you can surf traffic?