Commute

My recent new job has meant a new commute to get used to. It is one, however, that is far more difficult than I could have ever anticipated. My new job is in the Potrero Hill district of San Francisco, and I have to get there from the Sunset district. Sounds easy enough as it is across town and only 4.5 miles away, right? Wrong.


I have tried to use MUNI to get to work, but it is unreliable and very unpleasant. On average it takes 1.5hrs to go this distance using MUNI, and can sometimes take as long as 2hrs! That is unacceptable for a city to city trip in my opinion. People who I work with are arriving to work in less time from San Jose using Caltrain! I have tried to take the 71 or 71L to the 22 Fillmore, the N-Judah to the 22 Filmore, and my least favorite - the N-Judah to the 19 Polk. The 19 Polk may as well be called the 19 Skidrow as it is the most...colorful...bus ride in the city, filthy, and consistently smells like weed and booze at all hours.

To further complicate things, MUNI has started requiring the use of Clipper Cards to pay for transit. In a strange twist of backward technology, it takes 3 days for money deposited to the Clipper Card online to be usable on the card! So if I decide right now that I want to re-up my Clipper Card so I can go out and use it, MUNI will take my money immediately but I will not be able to use those funds for 3 days. Waiting 3 days is absurd. The bank doesn't even take that long to cash an out of state check! This must be fixed.

With all the business flourishing in Potrero Hill, you'd expect there to be more reliable public transportation to and from the neighborhood. For as long as I've been in San Francisco, Potrero Hill has been "up & coming". I believe it will remain stuck in this status (for better or for worse) for as long as the public transportation is insufficient.

It is so sad to me that there is a public transit system in this city that I cannot use. This dilemma has unfortunately forced me to ride either my motorcycle or my car to work everyday, while the trend is to use public transportation when you can. Some people have suggested I take a bicycle, but the city streets are far too dangerous in my opinion for a bike.

So much for being green.

Harvest the Rain

If you want to take your personal contribution to a greener planet more serious (it starts at home), why not consider a rain barrel to help irrigate your garden and shrubbery?

I purchased one about 6 month ago shortly after moving into my new house, and since then I have not had to use my sprinkler system at all (granted, it is the rainy season). I have also seen a reduction in my water bill (see left). The key with rain harvesting is to reduce the amount of runoff water that the city has to process and to reduce consumption of potable water.

I would eventually like to install a drip irrigation system so that I don't manually have to water all of the plants, but for now I manually irrigate via the rain barrel every week or so. Unlike a sprinkler system which sprays water everywhere and is probably set to water too frequently, my watering is targeted so it reduces consumption and also helps with weed control by not watering unnecessary areas.

To help collect the water, I purchased a Garden Water Saver which helped me tap into my rain gutters. Most people put their barrel directly under the rain gutter, but I had to bring the water to the barrel given the configuration of my gutter runoffs and the confined space I have living in the city. You'd be surprised how quick the barrel fills up when it rains! (matter of minutes in a good downpour) I have a small urban space, so only need 1 barrel - but if you have larger property you can daisy chain multiple barrels.

The city of San Francisco has a Rain Barrel Program in which you can purchase a fully equipped rain barrel at a discount ($70 as opposed to $130). The barrel has necessary fixtures so you can attach a standard garden hose, and also comes with overflow equipment to help you keep overflow runoff away from your foundation. It's one per household and available at Cole Hardware. Just bring a copy of your SFPUC water bill.

You can also make your own rain barrel quite easily, but the hose fixtures are more challenging to install AND (most important) you need to procure a barrel for use or used in the food industry. You don't want to be spreading around chemical residue from industrial use barrels.

Reduce your Recycling

(Belated Earth Day Post)
I noticed sometime last year that my household had made such a great effort to recycle and compost, that we had hardly any trash -- but our recycling bin was always nearly full when it was time to put the trash out. Surely there is something wrong with that! One of the things that seemed to really fill it up fast too was glass and plastic bottles from sparking water.

We drink sparking water - a lot of it. I used to buy cases of it at Trader Joe's and have to carry it out to the car, into the house, then eventually out in the recycling. We found a great alternative to all that hassle and extra recycling: Seltzer Sisters!

Seltzer Sisters delivers sparkling water in those old-fashioned containers (except these are plastic instead of glass). They drop off 2 fresh cases (6 to a case) every few weeks, take the empties back, and reuse them. The water is purified and delicious, and we have a lot of fun using the bottles.

I get the impression they are a small operation, as the delivery guy only comes through every so often - but they call to remind you to put your bottles out when it's time. They are in Redwood City but deliver to me in SF, and pretty much the whole Bay Area.

You have to pay an initial deposit on the bottles, but you get that back when you eventually end up canceling. Bottles are $2.75/each and there is a $6 delivery charge every time they come. It ends up being about $3.50 a bottle. I have 2 cases in rotation (the minimum), but you can always order more if needed (ie: a party). Overall well worth it for the convenience, the great water, and the reduced recycling!

Extra Green for Being Green?

Ok, it's soap box time. Why do some businesses charge a "green fee" for being environmentally friendly? It is such a bogus fee. They are passing on the cost of doing business the way they SHOULD be doing business to the consumer. I know there are some music festivals, in particular, that you could add a fee to the already over taxed ticket price to "green up" your experience. So if I don't pay the fee, then they will not be green about running the event?

My experience at the Sundance Kabuki movie theater on Fillmore/Geary in San Francisco last night got me started. They charged me a $3 per ticket "amenities fee" (and on top of that they have a complicated pricing structure for the fee depending on when you are there - ??? - as if time of day makes a difference?).

When inquired about it, and also posted on their website, the fee is because they used recycled materials in building the theaters, and because they use real butter on their popcorn, and because they use compostable materials at their concessions, among others. That's all great, but that is what they SHOULD be doing. Why do I have to pay an extra fee for it? They say it is because they are providing me with a "superior experience", but they should be doing that without the extra fee. So without the fee I would be getting an "unsuperior experience"? (Read the "Our Amenities" section on their website for their reasoning)

Do it like any other business and work your costs into the price of your product. If you truly have a superior product, people will continue to come back. Don't do the right thing, and then charge an extra and added fee for it!

I sent them an email expressing my displeasure about it. If I get a response, I will post it.