I drive to work every morning. My office offers free parking and
since it's only 10km from my house, petrol consumption is minimal
considering the quality of living. Approximately $2.10 per trip. It
usually takes 15 - 20min.
I could have taken bus to work though. It's just 2 service
changes but the routing make the distant further. I also have to
wake up earlier so that I can join the crowd, squeeze and cross 2
overhead bridges. It takes 45min to travel 10km. Bus fare is about
$1.71.
With the rising petrol prices, I decided to cycle to work. 10km
is manageable and I can probably reach there in 45min max. Also a
good form of exercise. But the issue is, I feared getting knocked
down my speeding cars and trucks.
I dun understand the rationale of traffic police that cyclists
cannot cycle on pavement and must cycle on open road with other
traffic. I am a driver and I know that cyclists on the tarmac is a
danger to both the cyclist as well as to other drivers who are
always trying to avoid them while maintaining their fuel efficient
speed and not letting other kiasu Singaporeans cut into their
lane.
The average safe speed for a cyclist is around 15 - 20km/hr but
that would be a complete road hog to motorists. And mind you
traveling at 20k/hr upslope is a killer!!!!
It seems that the traffic police favours road accidents
involving cyclist and motorist instead of cyclist and padestrian.
But I think the mortality rate for the formal is higher!
On one end, LTA is encouraging people to ditch their car and opt
for public transport but alternatives to car ownership have huge
disparities I think it's amusing. On the other hand, there is no
support to make road suitable for cycling as a decent mode of
transportation beside leisure/sport.
Say I manage to survive my ride to the nearest MRT station. I
cannot bring my bike onboard the train and locking my bicycle there
is a sure way of having it stolen.
Ok, enough of that. I was ordering my lunch and I realized that
most stalls are using disposible utensils? Wow...not only the cost
is passed on to me, the utensils are filmsy. After all the money
spent in ads telling us to conserve energy, I think NEA is not even
close to pass. Peole are still using disposibles. More resources
have spent on picking the wrappers of the chopsticks from littered
floor.
Is it really that costly to hire someone or buy a machine to
wash the untensils instead of using disposible utensils and getting
rid of them?
I think we need to be conditioned to live in an environment. I
am talking about air-conditioning next. As I am typing this out, I
am wearing a nice cozy sports jackey in my 22.4 degree Celsius
office. Today is consider 'warmer' already as it can go to 21.5
degree Celsius on cranky days!!
Frankly, I find any air-con below 25 degree Celsius too cold for
comfort. I dun need the static chill of 21 degree Celsius. I want
moving air of 26 degree Celsius. It's not just my office -
malls, libraries, movie theaters, buses, and food courts are all
damn cold.
Can someone coordinate with the agencies and come up with a more
comprehensive and wholistic plan?