Why I Like My Bike/Train Commute

I like the bike ride to the PATH Station. I like getting work done on the train. I like the ride to campus. I like not having to hassle with traffic.

(Yesterday's weaving text-messenger was a particularly odious instance of having to share the road with actual other drivers.)

I'm not so crazy about cycling from campus back to the train station in the dark. NYC's streets are well-lit at night, but those in Long Branch, not so well lit. Even in my reflective vest and even with my lights, I feel invisible -- and according to a study Planet Green reported on the other day, I probably am.

I'm not so crazy about having to share the Long Branch train station with smokers.

And there's the perennial problem of, well, personal hygiene; it's hard not to work up a sweat while riding, unless I'm completely underdressed and therefore freezing. I've had a spare blazer in my office for some time now; I might add a spare shirt or two for the days when I miscalculate.

(Week ten, and thus far I've kept up with my plan to take public transit at least once a week, starting with the department meeting the week before classes started.)