Get Around, Round, I Get Around

It's totally safe to text and bike, right? That's not illegal yet.

Visiting a big city with mass transit was always something of a novelty when I visited from the backwoods or New Hampshire or Salt Lake City. You don't have to drive! It's relatively cheap!

When you move to the big city, you get a little perspective. It's not that you don't have to drive, it's that you would never want to. It's relatively cheap but you can forget about seeing your wife wear any type of shoe with a heel on it to walk to the subway.

Oddly, I sort of love driving in the big city. More specifically, I love driving under it. Driving through the tunnels is fun. And for, shall we say, "aggressive drivers," there's not much to adjust to. Just stick the nose of your car into traffic and go. And expect others to do the same.

The more tentative drivers among us do not necessarily fare well. The Wife is probably still annoyed by an incident on Monday. We were trying to make a right turn onto a not-terribly-busy street. There was a city bus to our left and a few cars were coming up behind it. The bus driver waved to TW to encourage her to go ahead and make her turn. Her foot went off the brake, then back on the brake. Off the brake, then back on the brake.

"Well, what about those cars behind the bus?" she murmured.

Go. Just go. That's how you drive in Boston. Gogogogo and do it right now. This is not a problem for me.

TW eventually pulled out in front of the bus, muttering, "I *hate* it here."

City life is an aquired taste when you are used to suburbs and air conditioning. The subway is particularly loathesome because it requires a 10-minute walk, then standing around underground in a station that is a solid 10 degrees warmer than the outdoor air temperature. I'm not even sure how that's possible. Isn't heat supposed to rise?

Again, this doesn't really concern me because I'm just going to the movies, out for a beer, or doing touristy things. TW will be going to work and likes to look cute. This is a problem when riding the subway.

There has, however, already been one transportation victory in Boston. It's called the Hubway, and it is glorious. My God, just look at the station map. They're everywhere!

Riding a bike might be the easiest way to get around town. There are, essentially, no significant hills in Boston, so the riding's easy. You can run stoplights, when safe, with aplomb because ... you're on a bike! It's a lawless land of bike ridin'.

They're great when tourists are in town, which works well for Hotel Patrick. I've had family in town for the past couple of weeks. The bikes are a superb way to get around town, avoid crowds, and prevent cranky tourist feet.

Here's the technical info: Bike rentals cost $5 for a 24-hour period. But. You have to return the bikes within a half hour or you get charged an extra $2. Bonus: You can get an annual membership for $70. I'm getting one next summer. TW just found this out just now. Back there. Three sentences ago.

We're figuring it out. Driving: Generally bad. Subway: Sweaty in the summer. Bikes: God's gift to Boston.