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  • Waiting for a ride

Tuesday, June 15 ‘your cheatin’ ride’

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Commuter Gal

I’m in the front seat of an older Mercedes Sedan after a 15 minute wait today. I love Mercedes. Classy, safe, well-designed cars, although this car is pre-airbag, so I don’t feel quite as secure. But still, it’s a nice ride. As I approached the Vallejo carpool area, 2 women were standing alongside the curb waving for a ride, holding up 2 fingers to indicate they both wanted a ride. This is the area before you turn into the car pool pickup – about a block from where the riders line up. Blatant Cheating, ladies! I join the long line of riders and we slowly shuffle up to the front of the line and then I see those 2 cheating ladies walking to the end of the now even longer line. Ha. No one would give them a ride. How sweet it is sometimes.

This is a no talk ride. KBLX radio. Another cool morning and as we approach Berkeley and the view of the city, there is no view today. Just fog stretching across the bay.

Filed under: Car Pooling Etiquette, Casual Carpooling, commute, casual car pool, Today's Commute, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Monday June 14 Pelicans and Tolls – Signs of Summer

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Commuter Gal

The hot weekend felt great but waiting in the cold foggy wind at the carpool lane made it seem a dim memory. After 10 chilly minutes I have a ride in a Chevrolet Trailblazer, a big SUV. I’m comfy in the back seat of this big warm black vinyl interior. A friendly alert lady is driving. A small charm, a pale green bead, hangs from the mirror and a large San Francisco Giants decal is on the bottom of the windshield.

Enroute to the carpool this morning I saw a sight I’d never seen before. A group of about 20 pelicans at rest in the Carquinez Strait on various pieces of driftwood. “A flotilla of pelicans”, my husband commented. Although I’ve often seen pelicans flying in their swooping formations all over the bay, I have never seen them sitting in groups like that. Their huge white bodies against the backdrop of the softly lit morning fog was spectacular. This group at rest may very well have been flying all night, arriving just in time for the Summer Equinox – the first day of summer is next Monday, June 21, and pelicans are always a sure sign that summer is here.

Today’s ride is pleasantly uneventful. Traffic is heavy but it’s smooth sailing in our lane. I break the silence to ask the driver about her views on the impending toll. She’s not happy about it, but says “there’s not much we can do about it – not with this economy.” She’s not sure yet how she’ll deal with riders contributing.

We’ll all have some decisions to make this summer when the toll goes into effect – 2 weeks to go.

Filed under: Car Pooling Etiquette, Casual Carpooling, commute, casual car pool, Today's Commute, Tolls for car pools, Uncategorized | Leave a comment »