An open letter to Brian McGrory and the Boston Globe.

This ridiculous article was emailed around this morning and has caused quite a stir. To be honest, I didn’t read the entire article because I do not waste my time reading such useless pieces of sensationalist bullshit.
However, at first glance, anyone who has ever been discriminated against for being part of a generalized group or class ie. people of color, Jews, poor people, women, folks with disabilities, etc should rightly be alarmed that such bigotry is being supported by an “esteemed” “journalistic” publication.
While i will not speculate about the intentions or integrity of the author, the fact is, people who read this article will see either a justification of their own hate or they will see an assault of clear and open bigotry. The fact that the target of this article is “cyclists” rather than any other group of people is, in my mind, a very minor detail. The Boston Globe is showing by example that bigotry and intolerance and hate are perfectly acceptable.

Summer is on and so is the produce. Help bring it to your plate via pedal power.  We are “riding” full and the veggies and fruit from your Massachusetts farms is looking fantastic. If you’re looking for even more variety, look into the many farmers markets in your communities this summer. Local producers are providing all you need to have beautiful, full meals on your table without the plastic and styrofoam wrapping. It just can’t taste any better. The strawberries this week from Red Fire Farm are divine.

So, I just got back from a little vacation time and the one thing I noticed instantly was the car horn. I traveled through multiple states and even out of the country and did not hear one car horn the entire time. I got back here and that was the first thing to greet me. I was also rudely awakened at 2:00 am the other day when a car horn blasted down my street. Why can’t we just relax a little bit and get along? Stop stressing over the 4 dollar gas prices and jump on the T or get out that ol’ bike of yours. For the same price of an oil change and tire rotation, you can be riding your finely tuned cruiser down the beautiful boulevards of Boston. I understand it takes a little longer and you don’t have the GPS, car stereo, nice flashy rims and stuff, but just give it a try.

I am liking all of the filled bike lanes these days.  Other than that, just keep supporting your local businesses, eat locally produced foods and give at least one high five to someone you just met. That’ll change that frown upside down.

See you in the bike lane. (Not you commercial trucks and 15 min parkers)

So Chris noted that maybe I should do one final post about the positive attributes of the industrial revolution before I leave MetroPed. Well, although I can’t think of much, I will applaud our desire and accomplishments on making so much of our work easy these days by creating things that help us lay back and enjoy the ride.

I’ve been reading some Wendell Berry lately and I relate to his arguments so much these days about our physical laziness as a human race. So, there is is. Congrats everyone! With our amazing technological advancements and our smart ways, we are creating things to make our minds spin that require less physical effort. Which can go either way I guess. I applaud the people out there that have created things that can make things so easy for everyone.

Now, with the touch of a button we can unlock our car, turn off an alarm, start the engine, and hell why not, lets open and close the back door too. So, there. I am amazed that we as a people can create such advanced things and we are able to move ourselves around the world within hours; minutes even. We can push our foot down and accelerate from 0 to 100 mph in seconds. We can speak our voice to a machine that recognizes us and plays our favorite tunes. We can have a machine tell us our bread costs 3.99 and it tells us to put it in a bag. Don’t forget your receipt. Is that Debit or Credit? Did you scan your frequent shopper card? It’ll earn you extra mileage and money back, you know! Wait, lets open that door for you. Remember to look both ways. I hear beeping. Is that a vehicle exiting the garage? Oh shoot, I need to service my engine soon. The light is on. And my tire pressure is low. Remember to turn on the AC. It’s a hot one out there.

My only question and argument is why? Why do we need all of this? Why do we create these things to make it so “easy” on us? Is life really that complicated? Why do we let a computer do our job? Is our goal in life to sit back and let something else do our natural intended uses for us? I prefer to work, get my hands dirty, get caught in a rainstorm occasionally, grow things I can eat, make things I can use, talk to real people, open my own door, etc. What happens when technology makes a turn for the worse. Internet fails, power goes out, industrial farms can’t produce any more food, our water supply becomes too dirty to drink, our air, too dirty to breathe?

There is a line out there in which we need to understand when and where we as a human race have gone too far. Do you think your life is too busy? Write a list of where you spend your time and what you do. Are you happy doing it? Do you think all of our technological advancements are worth it? Some people will say yes, for sure. Me? Nope.

I am moving all of my belongings 1,000 miles soon and I will be using a car to do it. If I didn’t have a car, I would be a little worse off. I am glad I have it. But I also can’t assume I will always have it and my life will always be that easy. I like to make priorities and do things I enjoy and ultimately believe in. Over and out.

Enjoy the ride and thanks for the reminder from Chris, wear sunscreen, or don’t sit in the sun too long. Summer is almost upon us.

Hey, we are human beings that have spent thousands of years perfecting and diversifying our languages. Lets actually use them and not resort to honking horns. I’ll get it from time to time when someone recognizes me and thinks its a gesture of hi, how are you? Please STOP. I don’t care for it at all and we can’t have a conversation if you are in a car idling in the street. I’ll talk to you on the sidewalk, out on the bike, or wandering the neighborhood stores. If you can see my bicycle I’m riding, it isn’t equipped with a horn. I have a bell, but it sounds nice and I mostly use it for emergency purposes like when pedestrians step into the street without looking. If you really want, we can arm bicyclists with air horns and we can add to your frustration behind the wheel. Except we will be able to do it for fun and then just ride around your ball of traffic. Capiche?

Remember to check out those farmers markets. They are going to be sprouting up everywhere. Also remember to support your local businesses, local food establishments (Not Mickey- D’s) And remember us, your local delivery service.

Enjoy the nice weather and stop laying on your horn.

Well, Its just about that time to start heading to the weekly farmer’s markets. The farmers have been hard at work and have been tirelessly working away in their greenhouses and fields planting and growing this season’s produce. What I’m seeing right now is asparagus, spinach, radishes, arugula, lettuce mixes, kale, chard, herbs, and the like. That means there is no reason why you should be relying on food that doesn’t grow around here, or buying food that is grown in new zealand, australia, or south america, when it can be grown 5 miles away. I’m just trying to remind everyone its your choice of what you spend your money on and who you support. As the gas prices keep rising and food gets harder to ship around the world for cheap, your weekly farmers markets will still be offering the freshest and best quality foods for the same price they always have. Plus, the food goes from the FARM to YOU, not a farm to someone else, to a truck, to someone else, to the store, to you.

If you are curious on finding your nearest market and the days they will be there… CHECK THIS OUT

If you’re in another city/state/location around the world, I urge you to find your nearest markets or farm organizations because that’s who you should support. Fresh asparagus, local pork, and mashed potatoes on my table tonight. Sounds good to me.

Stay dry.

Hey, just a reminder to stop honking your horn every chance you get. Your anger and aggression isn’t helping your mood or that of anybody else.  Today was especially bad because with a little wet weather, people are freaking out. They have their windows rolled up, traffic is snarled, you can’t ever go outside ever again because there is water everywhere and you might get wet… blah, blah, blah…. Did you see me? I put on a raincoat, some rain pants and accepted it. I rode through puddles, stopped for crazy pedestrians jumping into the road, kept my cool. You honkers on the other hand had your windows rolled up, windows tinted, music blaring, phone stuck to your face and the like. Just because you hear the muted version, doesn’t mean everyone else does too. I suggest you aggressive drivers out there should try going to a boating/marine supply store, buying an air horn and blasting it in the direction of your friends, wives, husbands and children just to see their reaction.  It will be frightening, annoying, severe and you’ll get to see in real life what its like being honked at. This means, use it only in an emergency situation, when it is supposed to be used. You’re not helping society. Lets be friends. I’ll start the conversation.

Ride safe out there. Its still swinging car door season, pedestrian jumping over the puddle into the street season and oh my gosh, I need to get home really really fast, lets drive 50 in a 20 season.

Happy spring!

Hey Bostonians, Cambridgers, Somervillans and not so far neighbors. Just to let you know, the CSA and local food movement is building and we can get just about anything to your door. Afraid of the vegetables that you don’t know or have never cooked? We have a lot of options for you if you are looking for something a little different. Community Supported Agriculture, Community Supported Fish, Community Supported Meat. I kind of made up those abbreviations in the post title, but we have partnered with farms to bring you these local options. Now is more important than ever to support the local food movement because it is only getting more expensive out there to produce and ship food from around the world. Now, locally sourced foods are not only becoming more affordable, they are supporting local economies (they always have), putting more money in people’s pockets. If they decide to spend that extra cash on something else locally sourced, the money just floats around like a good game of poker and I think it is a win-win situation.

Yea, I spend more on groceries, but I save on health bills, car bills, insurance, you name it. If you haven’t been around to some local spots, pick up a Somerville Local First Coupon book for only 10 bucks and or/ the cambridge version and find those spots you should be frequenting often. They need our support.

I don’t want to have to go to CVS for my eggs and bacon, you know?  I would raise chickens and hogs before that would ever happen. P.S. Extra thick sliced bacon from Stillman’s farm. Freaking amazing! Remember… who’s your farmer? And who’s your delivery driver?

Remember to recycle your cars and get a sweet commuter.

Riding bikes is good for you! And your wallet! Today I’ve already saved over 4 bucks just by NOT DRIVING. Plus I got a good workout in my mobile outdoor gym and I got to watch the sunrise and say good morning to 9 people. It was a crisp, clean morning. After the night of rain, It was good to get out at 5:00 am. This is a side note, but the intersection of Willow Ave and Summer Street has been fantastic lately. They are raising the crosswalks so cars don’t fly through the neighborhood at 50 miles an hour and its been completely closed off for the past three days. I wish they could just keep it closed. I’ve been getting some great sleep lately and some good porch time. No traffic, no idling cars, no obnoxious “music” at 3:00 am. At least this project will hopefully slow cars down and let us pedestrians enjoy our walks a little more. Also its funny how many cars think the rules don’t apply to them, so they drive around the barricade and end up finding that the road really is closed because there is a 3 foot hole encompassing the entire intersection. Then they have to back up into someone’s driveway and drive back out the wrong way on a one way street. Take that! Also, thank you Somerville for finishing the construction on the sidewalks first and keeping them open for us. There are a lot of people using them.

So back to our services. I mentioned we are not just a delivery service. We have been adding our skill sets and functions to include compost pick up, recycling collection and general hauling services. With collaborations between the City of Cambridge and Groundwork Somerville, we are adding to more sustainable systems in our communities. If you are in our communities and are interested in these services, check it out here.

Otherwise, this is another reminder for all residents of Boston and surrounding communities. We will deliver fresh local produce, meat, fish, chocolate, books, you name it… right to your door! Stop worrying about the $4 gas and have us deliver it to you via pedal power. Now is the time to sign up for delivery of your favorite share from your farmer. Curious about the details? What exactly is a CSA? What can I do with Collard Greens? Ask us! We’ll be happy to let you know why fresh veggies from around the corner are better than that square frozen green thing in shrink wrap from a place you haven’t even heard of. I’m still searching for bad things about local food and haven’t found a thing.

Find Out More About Veggies At Your Door RIGHT HERE

And a final note…

I, Courier Brett will be finishing my time with Metro Pedal Power this summer and heading back West. If you have been curious about any of my references, oddly positive attitude, weird side notes, that might explain it. Boston is still pretty new to me. I’m originally from Colorado and have spent a good amount of my previous years in Montana. Most of my friends are still out there and I will be returning to try and use my gained knowledge from out here. Yes, the bike rides will be a little longer and yes there are a lot fewer people to coax into supporting local businesses, but there’s still hope. I don’t plan on using the car out there much either. I’ll just have to get some better tires for that trail riding. I plan on making it about a 4 week journey to Colorado by bicycle. Then a couple more to Montana. Yep, why fly or drive when you can spend the same amount of money and ride? Plus I get to spend it on food, coffee, and roadside finds. Camping and visiting friends along the way sounds more fun than waiting in an airport too.

So why do I bring this up? We are seeking a talented, eager individual to fill my spot. Metro Pedal Power is seeking a fit, highly energetic, punctual, knowledgeable route driver and fleet mechanic. Want to learn the ins and outs of some serious cargo bikes, tricycles and trailers? Don’t mind getting your hands dirty? Do you have a mechanical background? Like to support local businesses? Do you have 3 bikes and no car? This might be your opportunity. Please email me at brett@metropedal power.com with a (brief) cover letter and your resume. We are seeking someone who can commit to riding various pedal-powered vehicles long distances and maintaining our fleet in all conditions all months of the year in Boston and surrounding communities. (With a positive attitude)

Remember to eat what’s in season! Greens, Greens, Greens! Oh, eggs, meat, cheese, and chocolate if you’re in to those things like me.

See you in the streets!

So, do you not know who’s responsibility it is? That of Boston or Cambridge? Cyclists know exactly what I’m talking about although most can get by from what the cars, trucks and buses have blown away. Us on trikes, however give that right rear wheel a beating because there’s gravel, sand, trash, sticks, you name it pushed up towards the curb. When its raining, the drains are so clogged that its a consistent puddle/river on top of the bridge. First of all, I ask for you motorists, pedestrians, people with a choice; choose to throw your miscellaneous objects in the recycling bin, compost, trash, etc. not the sides of the road. I’ve spent enough time telling motorists that their tires are flat and they are driving around on their rims. Your bad habits affect all of us. All I’m asking is to do your part in keeping our roads and sidewalks clean and clear as well as get something out there on those bridges to clean em’ up.

As for a better read, the trees are all in full bloom and the warmer temps are pleading us to enjoy the outdoors. Remember to pack that rain gear because its also rainy season. I’m also hinting that you should be outside as much as you can which means leaving the delivery/transportation logistics to us and for you to ride your bike and or walk. After all, its good for ya!

Well, I saw the gas sign for the first time in a while and yep. its over $4 a gallon now. Still didn’t see any less cars out there, but I’ll bet people are thinking about it and realizing the $2 T ride is looking pretty good right now. The $4 dollars I saved today, I used on a huge slice of pizza and a tip for the kitchen dwellers who made it for me. Just saying, I’d rather be spending my money on food and fun projects rather than gas that burns and turns into fumes that then dirties the air I breathe and pollutes the water I drink. Remember now… I actually own a car! I still know how to drive, have my license and drive from time to time but its out of necessity, not because its there and the easy way out. I think of where I want to live, the amenities that are around and how I can make it without the car. Its like I get a tax refund every time I don’t have to fill up or turn it in for repairs. Speaking about repairs… If you’re ever looking into getting a trike. Please, please don’t look into Cycles Maximus. They are a pain in the a____ and not worth your money or time. Talk to us and we’ll give you some advice, maybe even build you a trike from scratch. You want to be able to find parts for it when it needs repair, you want to have the tools to use for it .  You want to have people to talk to that can give you advice and get you the parts you need. Cycles Maximus isn’t there for us and I don’t think they will be there for you either.

Can’t wait to say hi to you in the bike lanes!

Courier Brett.