Day 3.74 You can do better

Took us four hours to change the oil in two Volvo Penta diesel engines yesterday. Would have been half that had the new excavator worked properly. We struggled, but finally got the old, filthy 40W lubricant out and the new, honey-colored oil in. Without sloping too much into the bilge.

En route to the marina I passed one of the new rent-a-bike stations. I stopped, checked it out, read the instructions and made an initial assessment.

Bureaucrats win again.

Shitty bikes, a confusing system (including helmet exchange) and way too expensive ($8/day or $16 week-end). Way to miss by a mile Seattle Council.

So you say that it is better than nothing and at least a start? OK, fine. But how much time and money has been wasted to get to this point? Some anti-auto council member wants to show Seattle in a greener light, or as hip as Portland, so this ends up a white-collar feel-good, not something that is a transportation option or has any transit value. Tourists better love it like the Space Needle. Sheesh.

I wonder what the success rate is Nation-wide of those cities that offer bicycle street rentals? 20%, 10%? Less?

Take a cue from the locals: Make it easy and make if affordable.

Please do not take the thread strike looking. Swing for the fence, Seattle. You can do better. As we can change oil faster.