I believe that bicycles and videography are enabling technologies that can solve many of the energy, health and social problems now challenging modern humans" And the USA, of all places on Earth, is where the global cycling movement which I call GLOBIKE will surge.
I'm just back from two months in the Philippines and Maui, topping off the trip with a visit to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where 2010 is already becoming the year of the E-bike. Hi-tech is combining with classic bicycle mechanics to give extra power for those who might need it for commuting and shopping.
Check out MITs Copenhagen Wheel.
Dateline: February 21, 2010 - Bob Kiger, Oceanside California, USA
Residents of coastal Oceanside, a bustling travel hub in the northwest corner of San Diego County, number anywhere from 30,000 - 50,000 folks, depending on who is counting. It's hard to get a real number because we are just a part of greater Oceanside, which extends inland for many miles and has a population over 170,000 and growing.
In it's glory days, before and during the Viet-Nam War, coastal Oceanside had six supermarkets including one Piggly Wigglies, two Safeways, two Mayfair and one Outlet Store. This according to Larry Hatter whose family owned the primary commercial insurance agency in Oceanside since 1947.
Our research indicates that the mass extinction of Supermarkets was linked to the riots of July 4, 1973. This difficult episode in Oceanside history is well documented in the July 5, 1973 edition of THE BLADE-TRIBUNE, predecessor of the North County Times, as well as a book, “Oceanside . . . "Crest of the Wave", and interviews with Len Hayes, Executive Director of the "1st Marine Division Association" and with current Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood, who was serving as an Oceanside police officer at the time. Whatever the reasons all coastal Oceanside Supermarkets disappeared and since that time bicyclists and other non-motorists have had no local source for inexpensive groceries. Coastal Oceanside is part of a national problem of "Supermarket Shortage or Food Deserts" which is according to the Obama administration is contributing to the epidemic of childhood obesity.
We ran a phone survey of Chambers of Commerce for comparably sized beach communities, that were situated west of I-5, including Imperial Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Malibu, and Morro Bay. On average they had one Supermarket for every 10,000 residents. So if things were running normally, coastal Oceanside would have at least 3 Supermarkets. But we don't have one today. Not one. Zip. Nada! How can this be?
Coastal Oceanside has three, maybe more, tactical weapons accessory shops, a dozen laundries, too many barbers to count, used car lots for miles along Coast Highway and some of the best beaches in Southern California. In fact the climate and geography here are ideal for bicycling a few miles to get groceries and, if we had a Supermarket or two, many residents would start packing their groceries in their bike bags. This would reduce the traffic congestion in the area and promote better health for coastal residents. These are tough financial times and everyone is scrambling to save money wherever they can. An average family of four could save thousands of dollars per year if they could walk or bike to their local Supermarket.
Albertson's, Ralphs, Vons, Stater Brothers, Trader Joes, Fresh & Easy, Henry's, Gelson's are just a few names of chains that could find a golden opportunity to be the first new Supermarket in coastal Oceanside. Here's a map of our boundaries.
Coastal Oceanside is 3 1/2 miles long and averages about 1 mile wide. The white circles represent routes that we can take east of I-5 to all the inland Supermarkets. NONE of these routes are viable for average cyclists or non-motorists. With public health a major concern and the certainty of increasing costs for operating motor vehicles, we urge Mayor and City Council to take pro-active measures to bring back a supermarket to Coastal Oceanside.
In the past 15 years I made two round the world trips with my bicycle. It was that experience that taught me the joy of being content in a minimal environment.
Today I live in Oceanside, California . . . in this high tech "hacienda" formed by circling the wagons - a Vintage 1966 Airstream Safari Trailer, vintage 1973 Ford CamperVan, storage shed & lots of beautiful plants, and custom garden furniture. See Pacific in the background . . . barely.
I live and operate Videography Lab in the Mira Mar Mobile Community, located on a bluff overlooking the Rio San Luis Rey and the Oceanside Harbor . . . only a few hundred yards from the white sandy beach of the Pacific Ocean.
Oceanside provides a lovely home base during the hot summer month's. When fall sets in I yearn to travel to warmer, even tropical locales. To facilitate such touring, several years ago I bought a vintage 1973 Ford CamperVan which gives me "hot wheels" for my adventures around the Southwest & Mexico.
My vocation has been videography for nearly 40 years. My time is devoted to combining a minimalistic approach to living/travel with state-of-the-art communications on my journey down "That Long Lonesome Highway".
