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 |
Getting There 
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