The Environmental Protection Agency  announced today that it would defer deciding on a request by Growth Energy, an ethanol trade group, to increase the allowable blending percent of ethanol in gasoline from 10 to 15 percent.  Public Citizen commented in July on the petition, strongly urging that EPA deny the request for a waiver.

EPA’s decision to defer the decision until the Department of Energy’s  tests of long-term durability and reliability of vehicles running a higher ethanol percentage is completed.  The final report is expected in August 2010, and EPA states in its letter to Growth Energy that it expects to evaluate interim reports and make a determination “mid-year” to potentially allow 15 percent ethanol for vehicles built after 2001.

Public Citizen strongly opposes allowing 15 percent ethanol to enter the fuel stream for vehicles built after 2001.  This assumes vehicles with sophisticated emissions control systems, which are capable of adjusting to higher ethanol content.  But Oak Ridge National Laboratory estimates that 50 percent of vehicles sold 15 years ago are still on the road, so there is a significant number of vehicles on the road that are not capable of making this adjustment.

Vehicles that cannot adjust to higher ethanol content and run the higher blend anyway are at risk of vapor lock, a condition created when water, which dissolves in ethanol, builds up in the gas line and prevents combustion, as well as corrosion damage to engine and fuel system parts.  Many manufacturers specifically advise vehicle owners from fueling with blends of ethanol greater than 10 percent.

Preliminary results of the DOE testing suggest that problems with greater ethanol blending aren’t isolated to older vehicles.  In a preliminary report, DOE found that 7 of 16 tested vehicles, including two model year 2007 vehicles did not adjust properly to 15 percent ethanol.  Running in these conditions could cause costly damage to emissions control systems.  Drivers who experience this damage may find themselves failing emissions inspections, and having to pay the cost of replacing the emissions control system out of pocket, since manuals state that running higher ethanol percentage may void the warranty.

Forcing a fuel on the market to meet an arbitrary volume goal without considering whether it is a worthwhile alternative could place vehicle owners at risk of doing costly damage to their vehicles.  Ethanol has dubious environmental benefits, and is supported by expensive subsidies.  Increasing ethanol blending to 15 percent could also have a negative impact on air quality.  EPA must consider raising the ethanol content of gasoline in a global context that considers whether ethanol is the right policy for achieving national goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting oil dependence.

Lena Pons is a transportation policy analyst for Public Citizen.

From the Los Angeles Daily News – When money gets tight, the natural reaction is to either cut costs or raise revenues. Reactionary moves might be instinctual, however, they are not always intelligent. Case in point is a proposal before the Metrolink’s board for a 6 percent fare hike.

If adopted, it would be the second fare hike in six months – fares were raised 3 percent in August – even as revenue is falling.

The idea is that it would help short-term money woes.

The problem is, it might make them even worse.

Projected revenues based on new taxes and fees are famously hard to estimate accurately because people often make other choices when prices go up. Pair that with a deep and protracted economic recession, and Metrolink could end up driving away the riders it desperately needs.

The board was set to vote on the hikes Friday, but put it off to study other options, including service cuts. We encourage board members to study this option: lowering fares. Maybe even eliminating them for some folks or days.

This might seem counterintuitive to a public agency. But it’s standard practice for private businesses. When customer traffic starts to slow, the last thing retail stores do is jack up prices. That’s only going to drive away more customers into more competitively priced stores.

Instead, they have sales.

Metrolink – and for that matter the buses, subways and shuttles operated by MTA and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation – can remain competitive in the people-moving business by having a sale of its own, a blowout with prices-so-low-we-got-to-be-crazy fares to lure in the budget conscious.

Riding Metrolink is not cheap. But for far-flung or environmentally minded commuters, it’s been reasonable exchange: $8.25 each way for a trip between Simi Valley and Union Station rather than fighting down the 118, Interstate 5 and into downtown each morning.

One of the reasons that Metrolink is having money problems is because ridership is down about 15 percent. That’s not a huge surprise considering the currently high unemployment rates. Metrolink is heavily reliant on a customer base of actually employed riders who can afford the luxury of paying as much as $20 a day for the convenience of sleeping or reading on the way to work. With pay cuts and jobs losses, there are simply fewer of those customers. What’s more, those who are still employed are finding that a perversely pleasurable side effect of the job losses is lighter rush-hour traffic.

If riding public transportation suddenly became a fantastic deal – like some of the dirt-cheap offers grocery stores have come up with to entice customers – people would put up with some inconvenience and, if not flock to ride, at least not abandon their preferred form of travel.

Only building up dedicated ridership is going to help Metrolink solve its long-term financial problems. Hiking fares won’t do that, but putting them on sale just might.

Opinion Page
Los Angeles Daily News

Cover of the 422 Master Plan Summary Report.

PHILADELPHIA PA – Today (Monday, Nov. 30, 2009) is the last day available for public comment on the draft executive summary of a report likely to affect the future of the 25-mile-long U.S. Route 422 corridor between King of Prussia PA and Reading PA, and its tens of thousands of residents.

• Read the 66-page draft report, issued in October 2009, here.
• Comment on the report here. To be able to comment, you must join the report’s host website – 422Corridor.com – as a member, in the same way you would join any social network like Twitter or Facebook. Becoming a member requires commenters to supply only a verifiable e-mail address and desired password. No personal information need be supplied unless desired.

“The U.S. 422 Corridor Master Plan Summary Report” is an overview of current economic, social, land use and transportation conditions along what the Philadelphia-based Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, for which the report was prepared, considers “the single most important and fastest-growing suburban expressway in the Philadelphia suburban region.”

The report’s statistics, tables, charts, graphs and supplemental materials also form a justification for what some members of the public describe as thought-provoking, even controversial, proposals. They include:

• The potential for open road tolling on U.S. Route 422, currently a free roadway, to raise funds for its improvement and other forms of transportation as well;
• The extension of rail service from Norristown into western Montgomery and Berks counties, possibly as far as Reading;
• The addition of new, and expansion of existing, bicycle and walking trail systems to accommodate alternate transportation; and
• Land use changes that would intensify development in certain areas, restrict it in others, and undoubtedly change the appearance and function of most affected towns and villages over the course of a decade.

Such suggestions are not new. Most have been publicly discussed and dissected for months, and some for years. The report, however, represents a comprehensive packaging of the proposals, and shows how they might be put into practice as various components of a single plan. Experts say implementing them is necessary to prevent further vehicular gridlock on 422, and prevent an unsustainable sprawl of development across the corridor.

Lower Pottsgrove, Limerick and Pottstown are prominent in the report.

Lower Pottsgrove and Limerick (PA) townships, and the borough of Pottstown, figure prominently in the report. Some of its recommendations deal specifically with existing or future scenarios in all three municipalities. They lie in the center of the corridor, and parts of each are foreseen as sites of intense commercial and residential construction through 2015.

Public comments made on the report will be incorporated into a final document to be published later next year, according to its author, the engineering and planning firm McCormick Taylor. Municipal governments must then approve the report to allow its advancement.

Related:

• Isolating Report’s Look At Lower Pottsgrove

Related (to U.S. Route 422 Corridor planning):

• Notebook Worthy (Aug. 24, 2009)
• Consultants Express Interest In Studying 422
• Don’t Like 422 Tolling? Website Wants Your Alternative
• Truckers Alerted On Highway Partnerships Bill
• In 422 Debate, Time A Hindrance And Help
• Notebook Worthy (June 29, 2009)
• Growth, Planners Say, Is 422’s Growing Problem
• Tech Used To Draw For 422 Meetings
• Route 422 Toll Meetings Next Week
• 422 Repairs, Delays Start Tuesday
• 422 Proposal, Like Traffic, Creeps Ahead
• Got A Route 422 Idea? Time To Air It
• Train Service On The Front Burner Once More

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A book is the best accessory you can carry.  It took me too many subway rides, waiting rooms, and early arrivals to understand this.  A book will transport you out of sweaty subway cars and muffle crying babies, I promise.  More importantly, reading makes the best use of daily unavoidable downtime like lonely lunches or business meetings.

Wrapping your brain around a good book will make you a more interesting person.  That’s another promise.

If you don’t carry a bag, shove it in your back pocket.  There is little cooler than a rolled up old classic sticking out of your jeans.

Remember, smart is cool.

The mundane evening commute, made a little more gray and moody.

I regularly read (and endorse) SpringWise.com. But the editors have really surprised me lately with an apparent emerging theme: online social networking meets transportation.

Articles have covered everything from social media sites to find taxi cab ride-sharers, to parcel package shipments addressed merely by twitter id#s, to facebook flight updates, to identifying fellow active twitterers in your airport. As social networking sites continue to expand beyond mere casual social contact into hubs of information, it makes sense that users would want to receive personal transportation and shipment updates while in-site. As email’s role as the primary online communication channel gives way to the robustness of social networking sites, the dynamic app capabilities of these sites offer infinite possibilities.

But I put it to you - do you want to have immediately available, in your facebook and twitter pages, info about your package shipments, flights and train arrivals and departures, taxi cabs and availability? If so, your ship is coming in…

-jakeaull

SANATOGA PA – On his wish list for the coming New Year, Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township Board of Commissioners‘ President Bruce Foltz has penciled the words “loitering ordinance” in large block letters.

“It’s something we need to tackle,” Foltz said during the latest commissioners’ meeting in the municipal building, 2199 Buchert Rd., Pottstown PA.

Property owners apparently have complained to Foltz and other commissioners in recent months that youths – mostly teen-agers, he said – have been “sitting in the middle of the street” after dark in some township residential areas. “And they refuse to move when cars try to go by or get around them,” Foltz added.

Do they purposely want to be injured?, Foltz was asked. He didn’t know, he admitted, but said township police have already been called to several locations to “move them along.”

Foltz’s tentative solution is creation of a loitering ordinance, which would allow police to charge the asphalt campers with something other than stupidity or stubbornness. The township already has a curfew law in place, but discussions with Solicitor R. Kurtz Holloway led the commissioner to think that ordinance may be “too vague,” Foltz said.

The board’s final, or close-out, meeting of 2009 will be held Dec. 17 (Thursday) in the municipal building. Foltz indicated he wanted to consider the loitering issue in early 2010.

Related (to the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners’ Nov. 19 meeting):

• Sanatoga Soil Mound Concerns Its Neighbors
• Putting The Pizza Place On Hold
• No Change Expected In Township 2010 Tax Rate
• Lower Pottsgrove Introduces Budget Tonight

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See our galleries for photos that appear in The Post. Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

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Tiger Woods recently made the news for a bad drive-a crash in his SUV. While such accidents are not unheard of (I once accidentally backed over a friend’s mailbox), this incident has gotten considerable news coverage for two reasons: first, it involved a celebrity. Second, there is speculation that the crash might be the sign of something more. To be specific, there is speculation that Woods is having an affair. The fact that Woods declined to talk to the police (which is his right), issued a somewhat odd apology and said that any assertions that his wife was not the first there are lies raised additional questions about exactly what was going on.

Obviously, it is reasonable to be suspicious about the situation. After all, if there had just been a simple crash, then the matter would have closed quickly without the oddities noted above.

While I am not interested in golf at all and I am not really a fan of Woods (because I’m not really the fan sort), when I learned about the odd aspects of the situation, I was vaguely concerned. After all, while Woods has clearly crafted a public image that serves him (and his bank account) well, he does seem to be a decent person. Also, he has been quite actively involved in charitable works.  As such, if there is something unfortunate going on, then this would be rather damaging to Woods as an individual and also as a role model. While I am cynical enough to know that people are quite capable of failings, I rather hope that this has not happened. After all, it would be rather bad for Woods as an individual. Further, since Woods is a role model, any serious failing on his part would have repercussions beyond his own life.

One final point to address is the question of whether the public has the right to know about what is going on in Woods’ life.

Obviously, when someone crashes his vehicle and the police are involved, then the expectation of privacy is lost-at least in terms of there being a public police report about the incident.

Of course, the coverage of Woods is going beyond that sort of “one car accident” reports that make the local news and includes the sort of speculation that was mentioned above. Obviously enough, folks are eagerly trying to pry into Woods’ life and learn what (if anything) is going on. But, do people have a right to know what (if anything) is going on?

On one hand, it could be argued that they do. After all, Woods is voluntarily a public figure and benefits greatly from his fame and from positive press. He also profits considerably from appearing in commercials-including one in which he is reading a bedtime story to his child. If he is willing to accept the public eye and invite cameras into his life when it is to his advantage, then it would seem that he must also face that eye when it is to his disadvantage.

On the other hand, it can be argued that even if Woods benefits from the public eye, this does not entail that the public has a right to know about his private life insofar as it is a private matter. To use an analogy, I make my living by appearing in public as a professor. While this means that people have a right to view my public activities in class, it does not entail that they have a right to know about what is going on in my private life. While Woods fame is vastly greater than mine (if I can even be said to possess any) and he makes a  considerable fortune from his public persona, he should be entitled to the same right to privacy.

It might be countered that Woods is a public figure in a way that someone like me is not. The analogy that might be used in this case is to a politician. They are public figures and the public has a right to know about what is going on in their lives. Likewise, Woods is a public celebrity and hence the public has a right to know.

This can be countered by pointing out two things that might break the analogy: politicians are elected and are (in theory) accountable to the people. As such, the people have a considerable right to know because it can directly impact them. However, while Woods popularity rests on the public, he is not in a position of authority and he is not accountable to the public in that manner. As such, his private life is no more the business of the public than their private lives are his business.

Ministry of Sound will be invading the London Underground to advertise their monster New Year’s Eve bash featuring electro-pop heavyweights including Eric Prydz, Calvin Harris, and Justice. To promote their upcoming party at London’s O2 Arena, Ministry of Sound will be decking out trains on the aptly-named Jubilee line leading to the arena with speakers, lights, and branded decor that create an immersive club atmosphere for riders. With this epic moving pre-party, Ministry of Sound delivers on its mission ”to create the moments that people live for,” and truly brings the spirit of the event–and the Ministry of Sound experience–right to audiences.

Ministry of Sound NYE @ O2

I’m trying to reinstate the habit of reading on the train subway, at least in the morning.  It’s that one (usually) uninterrupted moment of the day, and seeing as that I never have enough elbow room for knitting, reading becomes the most productive option – that is, over listening to mp3s with my eyes closed.  The ride home is reserved for me attempting to finish both an easy and hard sudoku and a crossword puzzle in roughly half an hour (it is possible).

Anyway, reading Manifestos on the Future of Food & Seed, edited by Vandana Shiva as inspiration for an essay for school.  It may be a small collection of essays, coupled with the mission statements-of-sorts for a new vision of sustainable agriculture, but this book is a powerful force.  It reinforces my decision to build a professional career based on the creation of sustainable, equitable spaces that support and in turn are cared for by communities intimately linked by a sense of place and stewardship.

Carlo Petrini, father of the International Slow Food Movement, from Manifestos:

“Solidarity and subsistence are the strength of the local community, and it is in this way that people can produce food… Look!  The communities are primarily a place, a place and a people: the people of a certain place and their local economy are extraordinarily compatible with a philosophy of sustainable development.”

It is necessary cast aside the stigma associated with agriculture and pull back the curtain on industrial food production.  The farmer should be a valued member of the local or regional community and each of us should know the texture, color, and warm smell of our local soil.  Certainly community supported agriculture (CSA) programs and urban gardens are a step in the right direction, but the path of divestment, from the looks of things, is difficult and without end.  Time to take that real first step.

Setelah pemesanan tiket yang melelahkan TUJUH (7) bulan sebelumnya, sampailah trio kwek-kwek ini ke Thailand, sebelum nantinya pindah-pindah ke negara-negara Indochine lainnya. As planned, we were in Thailand for 10 days, starting with Bangkok, Phuket, island hopping to Phi-Phi Island, and Krabi. We wanted it as easygoing kinda trip, manage to make it to several attractions, but also at least could unpack and spread the backpack into the wardrobes, so we stayed at each place for about 2-3 days. Karena storiesnya boanyak, dan gak mungkin sangat detail, pastinya gue pecah jadi beberapa bagian ya…enjoy the reading trip!

Bangkok

Karena termasuk happy traveller (maksudnya murah meriah ketimpring) (gak menjelaskan juga yah), kita nginep di area backpackers, di Khaosan Road, kira-kira 1 jam deh dari airport (yah kayak di Jakarta aja deh macetnya). Kita mesen kamar di Rambuttri House, harga kamarnya 1100 baht/malam untuk bertiga (harga berdua sih beda) – dari www.khaosanroad.com dan karena kita newbie, kita pun memesan penjemput yang costs us about another 1000 baht also! Gaya-gaya an pake limo private taxi, padahal pake taxi dari airport Cuma sekitar 450 baht aja. Jadi, gak usah lah mesen penjemput, kecuali dateng ke airport malem banget setelah jam 9 malem.

Kamar di Rambuttri House cukup lah untuk sekedar tidur aja, minimalist room and shower room, but it was clean, and the bedsheet didn’t smell nor stained of something suspicious J. Tapi sempet tuh di malem ke dua, kita mendengar ribut-ribut tetangga di area sebelah hotel (apa belakang ya), saking itu area kecil dan dempet-dempet, bagusnya (apa sebelnya) mereka ngoceh pake bahasa lokal jadi kita terpaksa denger tapi gak ngerti hehehehe.

Area Khaosan sih sebenernya enak buat stay in, selain murah meriah, mau jajan dan makan apa aja juga ada, dari rujak, salad mangga yang seger-seger itu (Cuma 25-40 baht), padthai (25-40 baht), nasi goreng, mie tek-tek, sampe cafe-cafe, bar dengan segala minuman warna-warni dalam bucket (yes bucket) lengkap berderet di sebelah hotel dan di depan kita. Mirip area Kuta Legian Bali lah. Mau belanja juga ada pasar kagetnya yang ada dari sore-malem, dari kaos-kaos (100-300 baht), celana (yang ada di kuta juga!), topi, tas, anting, kalung semua murah meriah – sampe kartu keanggotaan ISEC palsu seharga 100 baht aja! (FYI, thic card, is supposedly a student card, which entitles you discount exe :for flying or public transportation if you go overseas). Hebatlah. Ginian aja sampe dibajak juga. Dasar turis murahan, dapet harga 100 baht aja nawarnya sampe mampus. Yang akhirnya mengakibatkan ketidakpuasan di dua belah pihak dan hilangnya transaksi kaos, topi dan lalin-lain. Padahal pas diitung, 100 baht itu kan 30 ribuan yah….hehehehehe

Bangkok by Day : kita gak mau buying stuff dulu, karena kalo udha belanja gawat bener, berarti bawaan sampe negara-negara lain bisa kacau kan. Backpack kecil pula, mana muatttttt. (hoorah for my small backpack that stopped me from shopping), so we decided to go sightseeing by day. Ada banyak temples penting sih di Bangkok, tapi dari segala WAT, kita putuskan hanya ke Wat Po dan Wat Arun aja.

Wat Arun, temple of dawn, better to be visited at dawn karena cahaya matahari nya akan jatuh pas di kepala candinya katanya sih..tapi tentunya kami-kami kesana pas siang bolong dan pas banget panasnya pas kita harus manjat steeps nya yang setinggi nyaris 100 m dan tanjak abis! Itung-itung latian sebelum ke Angkor Wat sih, tapi akibatnya paha jadi kenceng maksimal dan pegal edan. Masuk Wat Arun ini 50 baht aja, dan kita nyebrang pakai kapal nyebrang lewat belakangnya Grand Palace, pp per orang 6 baht aja yang sekaligus bisa nyebrang ke Wat Po.

Wat Po, selain terkenal dengan giant reclining buddha, juga terkenal sebagai pemasok Thai Masseuse paling top, pokoknya semua tempat pijet biasanya majang “masseuse from Wat Po” sebagai penarik pengunjung. Masuk ke sini juga bayar 50 baht, tapi sayangnya kita gak sempet nyoba Thai Massage disini. Capek foto-foto sama patung Buddha yang besoar itu, walhasil kita malah jajan-jajan aja disitu. Di luar banyak tukang sate tusuk ayam mangkal, dimana per tusuknya 10 baht, jadi mari kita ngemil!

Grand Palace termasuk prioritas untuk dikunjungi, dan ternyata walking distance juga dari hotel, kira-kira 15-20 menit lah. Cuma karena panas total bikin gue kepusingan, apalagi harus nyebrang lapangan besar. Gue dan menyebrang memang bukan teman baik. Banyak scam yang terjadi di Bangkok ini terjadinya di depan Grand Palace, dan sudah gue ceritakan di postingan sebelumnya, jadi gak gue ceritain lagi di sini ya. Grand Palace sendiri buka dari 9 pagi sampe jam 5 sore, nonstop-tanpa break. Jadi kalau ada yang bilang di jalan kalo Palace lagi tutup dan silakan balik lagi 2 jam lagi, jangan percaya!

Entrance fee Grand Palace 350 baht, dan jangan lupa pakai pakaian yang sopan, baik baju lengan dan celana panjang, otherwise you can always borrow in front of the gate. Di bulan April pun tempat ini sumpah mampus penuhnya, antriannya cukup panjang karena kita bertarung dengan tour group. Tapi enaknya adalah kita bisa nyelip di antara tour group untuk nguping guide nya, sialnya kebanyakan yang gue nguping-in adalah group Taiwan (bahasa cina), group Jerman (pastinya bahasa Jerman), dan group dari Itali (yo mama…non comprende..), intinya susah nguping hehehe.

Selain scams, akan banyak juga yang menawarkan tour di Chao Praya river selepas keluar pintu gerbang (malah belum keluar lho), dan akhirnya kita pasrah terhadap 1 bapak-bapak tua yang kita pikir baik hati (haaaaa….)menawar dan akhirnya membayar 550 baht each untuk keliling sungai Chao Praya, yang menurut gue – kok kayak menyusuri area banjir Jakarta yah??? Soalnya sungai ini membelah residential juga jadi kita menyusuri area belakang rumah orang-orang, bener-bener berasa lagi naik kapal penyelamat area banjir. Yang nyebelin lagi, kamera gue kok habis batre, jadi gak sempet foto-foto juga (masalah klasik ketika gue jalan-jalan). Yang seru justru perjalanan menuju ke tempat kapalnya yang ada di area belakang Palace, jalan kira-kira 10 menit, melalui pasar dengan aneka makanan, buah yang bikin ngiler… Perjalanan dengan boat di Chao Praya ini juga diakhiri dengan bayar 10 baht di landing pier.

Selain sibuk wisata kuliner kiri-kanan dari pad thai-lumpia-sate ayam-tentunya nyeruput teh thai yang khas itu, dari pinggir jalan, sampe resto di jalan besar yang dari luar tampangnya gak meyakinkan (tapi ada tanda halal, jadi kita coba), turns out tepatnya di belakang besar dengan hall dan meja-meja dan makanan yang super duper enak dan murah! Gak semurah pad thai atau nasi tek-tek pinggir jalan sih tapi selalu ada saat dimana eating spree harus dilakukan, masa mau berhemat terus, itu pun hanya keluar gak lebih dari 400 baht untuk ber3 dengan lauk nasi biryani daging, ayam, lumpia, dan cemilan-cemilan lain. Buat yang bit foodaturous alias food adventurous (gue kok asik-asik aja nyingkat kata), boleh lho beli fried insects (cockroach, dragonfly, and other bizarre insects that I was so disgusted to know more) yang banyak di pinggir-pinggir jalan. Tapi hati-hati makanan ini gak bisa sembarangan difoto, karena banyak tukang jualan yang majang tulisan “kalo motret mesti bayar 10 baht!” walhasil gue mesti kucing-kucingan dan berlagak kayak motret orang lain hehehehe.

Bangkok, kebanyakan orang datang ke sini buat belanja gila. Gak salah sih, beberapa hal memang murah, walaupun ada barang-barang lain yang menurut gue di Jakarta gak kalah murah atau sama. Kaos-kaos standarnya 100-200 baht, dress-dress 150-250 baht. Kita gak masuk ke Chatuchak (padahal jadwal sudah disusun sedemikian rupa biar sampe kesana, eh tetep gak sampe), dan hanya shopping di Suan Lum Night Bazzaar, beli silk scarf yang harganya kira-kira 70-100 baht, jam tangan gelang cute hanya 100 baht, tempelan kulkas 100 baht untuk 3 buah, gantungan kunci 100 baht untuk 5 buah. Lumayan, skill nawar gue bisa diuji disini, dengan sedikit jual mahal tapi dapet! Pengen karaoke di karaoke box disitu, apa daya semua nya dalam bahasa Thai kriting, gimana cara….?

Capek keliling, paling enak relaksasi pake Thai massage yang terkenal itu. Jangan kuatir soal jam operasi tempat pijet disana, panjang! Khaosan, is also heaven for massage places, karena banyak tersebar di antara gang-gang kecil, dan gak bosen jerit-jerit “MASSAGE MADAAAAAAMM..CHEEEEAAP CHEEEAP MADAAAAAAM…MASSAGE FOR YOUUUUU MADAAAAMM..YOU SIRRRRR???”

Harga massage bervariasi, sekitar 120-250 baht tergantung tempat dan durasi. Kita ngambil yang agak masuk gang, karena jam 12 malem masih buka juga, dan masih mau terima pelanggan (kita ngambil yang 1 jam an lho), dan bayar 190 baht. Gak tau deh mbak-mbak nya lulusan Wat Po apa bukan, yang penting pijet! Tempat pijetnya sendiri sebenernya kayak warung germo setelah gue pikir-pikir, kecil, di rumah, lantai 2, tangga nya kecil, dan di atas temaram banget. Tapi karena udah lelah banget, kita langsung buka baju dan telentang pasrah, dan Cuma mengguman “hmmmmmmeeerrrr” pas mbak-mbak nya bisik-bisik “please turn around madaaaaaaaammm” dengan logat khas nya itu. Dan setelah kelar tampang kita kayak habis ‘dipake’ dengan mata kuyu siap bobo, sambil dapet pemandangan bos tempat pijit yang ngorok abis dengna kencengnya di salah 1 bangku disana. Dan pemandangan ngorok itu berlangsung kira-kira sampe sejam kemudian karena di luar hujan sederes-deresnya….

Untuk transportasi, karena kita nginep di Khaosan, sebenernya agak repot dari tempat-tempat belanja kayak Siam Square, Suan Lum, Chatuchak etc, karena gak tercover oleh BTS (monorail). Pake tuk tuk kayaknya kisruh ya, kalo siang-siang muka kita bisa tebel karena polusi dan asap, mana tuk-tuknya brutal ngebutnya, sedangkan pake taksi macet total. Biasanya kita pake tuk-tuk untuk yang deket-deket aja dari hotel, one way sekitar 50 baht aja. Pengalaman kita pake taksi dari hotel ke Siam Square untuk ketemu temen yang dateng dari KL untuk jumpa depan Hermes (gak penting ya), makan waktu kira-kira 1.5 jam, dengan supir taksi yang rada tricky, sok-sok muter padahal kalo kita liat di peta dia salah jalan, dan baru muter ke arah yang agak bener setelah kita protes. Huh! Bagus dia pake argo, gak kayak taxi yang kita pake sebelumnya, tawar-tawaran dan brutal. Cuaca panas, AC mati, padahal taxinya toyota Altis pink! Setelah dipikir-pikir mendingan taxi di Jakarta, asal tau perusahaan taxi mana ya.

Ngomong-ngomong soal taxi, bahasa tubuh sangat berperan penting dalam komunikasi. Kita dari Chatuchak area dan gak ngerti cara tercepat ke hotel gimana caranya, akhirnya naik taxi karena kita ngejer flight ke Phuket dalam waktu kurang dari 1.5 jam lagi. Untung backpack udah siap semua, tinggal diangkut. Perjalanan dari sana ke Khaosan aja udah nyaris sejam sendiri karena macet banget, dan temen gue yang udah sampe di airport duluan karena sebelumnya pisah sama gue sedang berusaha keras merayu airasia untuk nungguin kita (jiaaahh hebat!) – walhasil bahasa Tarzan beraksi “HOTEL RAMBUTTRI-KHAOSAN-BAG-AIRPORT-FAST-FAST-FAST-WE-*adegan tangan gesek-gesek fulus*MORE MONEY MORE MONEY-FAST” – dan akhirnya dia zig zag nerobos lampu merah dan antrian – zinggg zaaaangggg zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang – dan ngebut di tol – dan alhamdulillah – SAMPE. passssss banget sebelom pesawat boarding. Dan gue bisa pipis! Lesson learnt : money, isn’t always everything, but surely can speed things up!

-kericuhan dalam perjalanan gak berhenti di adegan kejer pesawat – adegan kejar mengejar juga terjadi di tempat lain…continue di postingan berikutnya!

more pictures can be seen at:

http://narizza.multiply.com/photos/album/95/bangkok-phuket-krabi

lakestreet, originally uploaded by sherrykeating.

Under Lake Street green line tracks.

Many people will be traveling this holiday season to see parents who live in other cities or states. But in some cases, it is the parent who will do the traveling, sometimes alone. Even for seniors who are in good health, traveling can be extremely difficult, as the confusion and crowding found in many large airports, train stations and other transportation centers is enough to stress out anyone, not just seniors.

As an example, my mother, who turned 80 this past year, flew from Florida to Chicago to be with my sister and her family for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, due to work schedules, no one in the family was available to pick her up when the flight landed. This posed a problem, since we didn’t want to have my mother waiting several hours at the airport, where she would be a potential target for criminals and other undesirables.

My sister arranged for a taxi service to transport Mom from O’Hare to their home. The trip was pre-paid, tip included, and all Mom needed to do when she arrived was call the company’s number to send for a driver, who arrived in about ten minutes. This was good, but next time we’ll opt for a limo service, where the driver meets the passenger as soon as s/he reaches the baggage area. Limo drivers not only have those little signs with the passenger’s name to identify themselves, they also carry the passenger’s bags. Many limo and taxi services have web sites where you can book the trip in advance.

Of course, limos are more expensive, and not everyone can afford that level of service. In that case, there are some measures adult children can take to help ensure their parent’s safe transport.

• Provide your parent with details about the airport/station s/he will be arriving at, such as: how to get from the gate to the baggage area; what landmarks or signs can be found along the way; how to negotiate the airport shuttle system if necessary. Much of this information should be available on the airport/station web site.
• Airlines can often be helpful in assisting and directing seniors through an airport. A call to the airline’s customer service can arrange for someone to assist your parent from the check in to the gate, or vice-versa. Your parent can also ask for help at the ticket counter, or when s/he arrives to get from the gate to the baggage area.
• Although my Mom has no difficulty walking, she often asks for a ride on an electric cart because the trip to or from the gates can be crowded and confusing. Seniors should not feel embarrassed about asking for help, even if they are physically able to make the trip.
• If you can’t pick your parent up, arrange for transportation ahead of time, even if it is just a friend with a car. Make sure your parent has all the details s/he needs to reach and recognize the transportation provider.

Senior Care Stories is interested in hearing about your parents’ experiences while traveling, especially if you have any helpful tips on how to make traveling alone less dangerous and stressful. Please leave your comments by clicking on the link under the title of this post.

What if this was your husband, brother, father or son? Would you not fight to do the best you could to prevent something like this happening to anyone else.

As an over the road driver it is hard enough to figure out how to get right directions to your shippers and recievers and stay in compliance with the D.O.T. But what happens when you are close on your hours and you are not close enough to get somewhere safe. These men and women over the road, get us the things we purchase everyday, don’t you think they at least deserve to have a safe place to park.

Someone once told me that the definition of “crazy” is doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get a different result. This holds true in a struggling marriage. The argument topics may change, but our reactions stay the same day after day, month after month, and year after year. Next time you get into an argument, why don’t you try reacting in a different way? For example, guys, act in a loving manner toward your wife and ladies, act in a respectful manner toward your husband. Then watch what happens. Comment here.

For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.

Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.

Send an e-mail to join-driverwellness@pr4.netatlantic.com to subscribe to this blog for free. These messages are brought to you by Drivers Wellness, an initiative of Transport For Christ. If you would like to give a donation to help us reach drivers, click here.

This is a reminder that the next public hearing on the various options proposed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for I-395 access to Mark Center will be held this Wednesday, December 2, at 7:30 PM. The hearing takes place in Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street, in room 1101 (Sister Cities conference room). For more information on the hearings from the City of Alexandria, please call 703-746-4086.

For background on VDOT’s seven options for connecting I-395 to Mark Center, click here. For additional information on the public hearings, click here.

Residents of Lincolnia Hills and Heywood Glen—and other parties concerned with the increased traffic that will come to Alexandria’s west end when the BRAC-133 project is completed—are urged to attend these hearings.

The Angeles Crest (2) Highway between La Cañada Flintridge and Wrightwood reopened today after it was closed during the Station fire.

The California Department of Transportation opened the stretch of windy highway at 5 a.m. after crews spent months shoring up debris basins and protecting the mountainous roadway against landslides.

Caltrans crews “worked day and night” to replace guardrails and re-strip some sections of the highway, Dan Freeman, the agency’s deputy district director of maintenance, said in an announcement.

With the Station fire stripping steep road shoulders of rock-shoring vegetation, crews also had to clear dislodged debris and make needed repairs.

Lancaster Online posted their regular Flashback column, which often has news of the Lincoln Highway. This story from December 1934 explains how the highway was to be widened east of Lancaster through Soudersburg. It’s interesting to see that this always-crowded stretch was already straining under its traffic 75 years ago.

State and local officials announced that an eight-mile-long project to widen the Lincoln Highway, from the east end of Lancaster City to Leaman Place, was beginning in a few weeks. Plans called for a four-lane highway from the city to Mellinger’s Church, and a three-lane road from the church to Leaman Place. The project was made possible by the decision to abandon trolley service from Broad and East King streets to Leaman Place. That move made available the land needed to widen the road, which was considered one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the area.

According to a Denver Post article, RTD (mass transit entity for the Denver, CO area) may be unable to build a number of lines it proposed back in 2004 as a part of FasTracks.  A study was conducted by BBC Research & Consulting, and was prepared for the North Area Transportation Alliance.  The group was formed in response to announcements in the past couple of years that the taxes passed by Denver metro-area voters back in 2004 wouldn’t cover the cost of all the planned light-rail and bus lines.

Commodity prices skyrocketed in the years after 2004 – that certainly didn’t help the plans laid out during good economic times.  But what is really threatening the plan is the Great Recession.  Tax receipts have tanked in the past two years.  The 0.4% tax passed remains in effect, but is producing considerably less money because people simply aren’t spending.  Those that hate everything government does and stands for have wasted no time in attacking RTD in the Post article’s comment section.

I’m sympathetic to the very large set of hurdles the FasTracks and RTD is facing.  I think the system is good, but not perfect.  I like light-rail; I like the idea of high frequency bus service.  But the article shares the following view that I think deserves attention:

“Simply stated, and now repeatedly stated by others, RTD needs to contemplate and discuss Plan B, and perhaps Plan C and Plan D,” said Ford Frick, BBC’s managing director, in the report. “If revenues fall short, or costs rise, what’s the plan? At what point will it be triggered?”

I agree with this assessment.  RTD has lined up three pathways to get all the lines built on time and close to originally advertised.  If one of the three falls through, what happens to the project?  Which lines get the axe?  Which lines get reduced service?  Are most contingencies well planned for or not?  Because I know a large number of north metro-area folks are going to be very upset if we’ve been taxed to pay for lines that we’ll rarely, if ever, use.  Opening two or three lines by 2017 and having the remainder wait until 2034, as proposed earlier this year, isn’t a viable solution.  Perhaps asking voters to increase the tax from 0.4% to 0.8% is, but in this economic environment, it faces strong headwinds.  I maintain that those two solutions aren’t and shouldn’t be the only two available.  But whatever the solution set looks like, RTD needs to be more aggressive to engage the public.  Communication looks to be stagnant or intermittent.  The apparent lack of fall-backs doesn’t engender confidence that RTD will be able to handle further shifts in the picture.

Rocky Top Tour’s mini-coach takes passengers on scenic tours of the best sites in East Tennessee.  The tours available are the Smoky Mountain Special, Cades Cove, the Biltmore Estate, and a Cherokee Reservation.  Rocky Top Tours even offers transportation to University of Tennessee football games and Bristol Motor Speedway.  They accommodate individuals as well as large groups on the tours.  For more information email  info@rockytoptours.com or call(865) 429-8687.

Rocky Top Tour’s mini-coach takes passengers on scenic tours of the best sites in East Tennessee.  The tours available are the Smoky Mountain Special, Cades Cove, the Biltmore Estate, and a Cherokee Reservation.  Rocky Top Tours even offers transportation to University of Tennessee football games and Bristol Motor Speedway.  They accommodate individuals as well as large groups on the tours.  For more information email  info@rockytoptours.com or call(865) 429-8687.