Testing the commitment to environmental commuting ON MONDAY I joined the ranks of the huddled masses at bus-stops across our fair metropolis. . ‘ECO INFO - On Feb. 1, the day the transit fares increased — O, bitter irony! -~ I traded in my work-at-heme, freelance writer persona for that of a downtown (well, Burnaby) carecr person, Faithful Ecolnfo readers — hi, - Mom —- will recail that I gave up my car in honor of Environment ‘Week. Eight months later, it's still _ parked. No, I haven't taken the final, irrevocable step of selling my Honda...{ mean, it’s -been easy enough doing -without it to date, as I live within walking distance of shops and near two good bus routes. But what if my lite was to change dramatically? What then? Well, it’s happened... Life has changed with the acceptance of a two-month position in an office that happens to be’ near the Pat- terson SkyTrain station, and for the next eight weeks my en- vironmental. commuting commit- . ment will be put to a new test. *. Here’s an account ‘of the first day in the transit trenches: .:. The. experience actually -began ~well before my first day on the “job, upon hearing that Monday “would - begin with . an 8) am. meeting. Reaching for the bus. schedule ‘with dread, I confirmed that such a start time would indeed necessitate .an obscenely early bus from Lynn Valley, at 6:35 to be exact. | Now, all you dedicated shift SECURED DEBENTURES In high tech software company established in 1987 14% interest paid quarterly - . : (ARSP atigible) Minimum $25,000 to Sophisticated Investors ‘as defined in the . *. BC. Securities Act Convertible into Equity for two years Ctfecing Memorendum available an request For further information call: © . C Lome Brown DES International 669-0047 This advertisement ts neither an offer to sell new a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities. Any offering will be made only by Offering Memorandum. , workers, all-night employees, taxi drivers, and other like folk needn't scathingly point out that you've already had breakfast and accomplished a full day's work by 6:35 a.m, I realize that. | respect that. However, it doesn't make drag- ging my unaccustomed torso out from under the covers any easier. In fact, all weekend, instead of worrying about being able to do my new job well, Fitting | in n with So it was less than en- thusiastically that 1 performed my morning ablutions, donned my tunning shoes and stuck my pumps in my briefcase, and trudged to the bus-stop. However, even I couldn't help but notice that it was the begin- ning of a gorgeous day, The walk started shaking the sleepies out of me, to the point that I could exchange civil “good morning’ "s + with the other man at 4&4 Buses might mean early mornings sometimes. But they're worth it. 99 the gang, or any other of the normal first-day fears, those close to me could hear the following muttered mantra: “SIX thirty- five? Six thirty-FIVE? SIX THIRTY-FIVE?!" Sunday night, | had to haul out the instruction book for my clock-radio, as 1 had sever had to set the alarm before (that’s how charmed my lifc has been lately). As fate would have it, the in- struction book was for the wrong model, but 1! muddled through and set-the alarm for 6a.m. i knew that J] should have been up earlicr in order to complete all the appropriate grooming re- quirements that go along with corporate life, that setting the alarm for any time that began with a ‘5S’? would severely damage my psyche and likely send me into a tailspin toward an inevitable clinical depression, : Into bed at 10 that night, I counted the hours available for sleep. Eight. No problera.- ’ Except, of course, that | hadn't counted on the alarm: clock bursting into song at. midnight (oops). Nor had | counted on waking up every 10 minutes after 5 a.m., thanks to that pre-alarm. anxiety one gets before having to rise at an uncharacteristically early hour. but | also knew: the stop. The bus. rolled up. right when the schedule said it would. Having. boarded, 1 immediately settled’ in with a book and read undisturbed till the end of the line. There 1 had a 45-second wait for the SkyTrain, grabbed a seat and opened my book again for the 15-minute trip to the Patterson station. By the time | got to the office ! was refreshed from the walk, relaxed from my read -— and a commendable 15 minutes early for my meeting. Later in the day, | studied my bus schedule for an alternative Toute home that might get me there quicker than the route I had taken in the morning. Sighing, | resolved to try out one that would involve two buses and a short SkyTrain trip. At quitting time, I put on my running shoes again and joined the crush at the elevator -doors, but having reached the main floor everyone else headed for the park- ing lot, and, 1 set out for the SkyTrain station. Contemplating another carly morning meeting, I! wondered briefly how .much environmental and finaricial damage would be wrought by re-insuring my car for See.Car page 22 B Canadian Nalonat Sportgmen s Shows (1993) tid Friday, February 5, 1993 - North Shore News - 21 REGISTER NOW LYNN VALLEY MALL & CAPILANO MALL DAY DATE TIMES SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14 10;00 am-4:00 pm SUNDAY FERRUARY (4 (2:00 pm-4.00 pin LYNN VALLEY MALL Mt CAPILANO MALL DAY DATE SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 10:00 im-4:00 pm 12:00 pm-4:00 pm SUNDAY FEBRUARY 2] ‘LYNN VALL! EY MALL DAY - DATE TIMES THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25 4:00 pin - 9:00 pin NORTH VANCOUVER GIRLS SOFTBALL ASSOC. For information call 985-9651 or 988-3561 oe {A BOATER'S. 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