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lydyFor reasons, (but not Because Internet) I drove to Brooklyn to be with Patrick and Teresa. Just at the moment, they still aren't doing sleep studies in Minneapolis, so there are no jobs to apply for, and I have a perfectly good car with great air conditioning and surprisingly good gas mileage. I got a COVID-19 test before I left, and P&T got tested while I was en route. We all tested negative. Driving alone in a car, stopping for gas and staying in fairly empty motels seems like a very reasonable risk, not really worse than going to the grocery store. (I absolutely would not fly, take the train, or god help us all a bus. Much too dangerous.) The other safety factor I definitely considered is that cases are actually _falling_ in NYC, which is not the case in Minnesota.
Patrick and Teresa live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and I must say that even in relatively abandoned NYC, "Park" is deeply misleading. On the other hand, they've suspended the appropriately acronymed ASP (Alternate Side Parking), so I haven't had to move my car every ten minutes. (Ok, if you find a good spot, you can go several days without moving it, but man, finding _any_ space is hard.) I also went out to Yonkers to spend time with Kevin at Castle Valentine (all of them have also tested negative).
All of which means that I have now driven a car in NYC. I was _extremely_ trepidatious about this. I am not a great driver. I timed my trip so that I got to NYC after only having been on the road for about 3 hours, and mid-day. I did end up driving to Yonkers in rush hour, because I screwed up my leave-time. And I would say that New York City drivers are not so much aggressive as...concerned about maximizing through-put. Kevin's rules for driving in NYC include "any space that can contain a car does or will immediately contain a car, including spaces which look too small to contain a car." And this is true. But I find that if I take my time and don't get stressed about being honked at (which doesn't happen very often, to be honest), there is space for me. Other drivers have been remarkably willing to let me change lanes and make space for me. It may be that my out of state plates help. Possibly they are all thinking, "Oh, god, another incompetent tourist." I do not care what they think, provided they don't run into me, which so far they have not.
Patrick and I have also been on a number of bike-rides. In this case the relevant part of Park Slope is "Slope," and so we have been using the ride-share e-bikes. Patrick owns his own e-bike, so what we've worked out as optimal is to have him ride to the closest station that has an e-bike to rent, and then I walk (or, if necessary, take a Lyft) to where he's already check the bike out, and then we ride. Usually around Prospect Park, which has this amazingly wonderful loop through the park. There was a day where we did largely city streets, and I neglected to put on sun block, and got the most amazing burn. Oh, well. I ride in a skirt and without a helmet (not legal, I know) and no one on the planet crowds me, even on busy streets, because no one looks at me wobbling along and thinks, "That is an experienced rider." They all think, "My god, that old woman has no idea what she's about, does she?" Which is fine by me, because, again, I don't care what they think as long as they don't actually run into me, which, again, so far they have not. The e-bikes are wonderful, I quite honestly could not make it around Prospect Park on a normal bike, I am just not that buff. I am having trouble with my knees. I bought some cheap-assed knee braces, which do seem to help. If I had health insurance, I would see a professional, but since I don't have health insurance, I'm doing the best I can with compression and Advil.
It has been a very good trip, so far, and I have also done a lot of the work that I came here to do, so it has been both useful and enjoyable. I do understand that there are issues with traveling in this time of The Plague, but I believe I have been prudent and responsible. We don't socialize (except via Zoom), and always mask when going out of doors. Brooklyn's mask game is pretty good, I must say. I do see chin-slings and dick-noses, but they are in the minority. Almost everyone over the age of three wears a mask when on the streets, and all of them wear masks in shops.
My current plan is to leave next Tuesday, and drive home via Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is about a seven hour drive (including rest stops) from here, and I have not seen my home town in a very long time. That route does add about two total hours, which is to say it's a 21 instead of a 19 hour driving trip. I am planning on staying over one day in Pittsburgh, and just driving around the place, looking at things. I long to see the Cathedral of Learning, again, and Heinz Chapel. I might drive out to Penn Hills and see my childhood home, not sure. Mind you, all of this does require driving in _PIttsburgh_ and I am worried about that, too. I'm not sure that the traffic is more aggressive, but I guarantee the streets make far less sense.
I miss my cats. I miss my sourdough starter. I miss my bike Jasmine. I miss my David. But it has been a good trip, and I'm glad I came.
Patrick and Teresa live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and I must say that even in relatively abandoned NYC, "Park" is deeply misleading. On the other hand, they've suspended the appropriately acronymed ASP (Alternate Side Parking), so I haven't had to move my car every ten minutes. (Ok, if you find a good spot, you can go several days without moving it, but man, finding _any_ space is hard.) I also went out to Yonkers to spend time with Kevin at Castle Valentine (all of them have also tested negative).
All of which means that I have now driven a car in NYC. I was _extremely_ trepidatious about this. I am not a great driver. I timed my trip so that I got to NYC after only having been on the road for about 3 hours, and mid-day. I did end up driving to Yonkers in rush hour, because I screwed up my leave-time. And I would say that New York City drivers are not so much aggressive as...concerned about maximizing through-put. Kevin's rules for driving in NYC include "any space that can contain a car does or will immediately contain a car, including spaces which look too small to contain a car." And this is true. But I find that if I take my time and don't get stressed about being honked at (which doesn't happen very often, to be honest), there is space for me. Other drivers have been remarkably willing to let me change lanes and make space for me. It may be that my out of state plates help. Possibly they are all thinking, "Oh, god, another incompetent tourist." I do not care what they think, provided they don't run into me, which so far they have not.
Patrick and I have also been on a number of bike-rides. In this case the relevant part of Park Slope is "Slope," and so we have been using the ride-share e-bikes. Patrick owns his own e-bike, so what we've worked out as optimal is to have him ride to the closest station that has an e-bike to rent, and then I walk (or, if necessary, take a Lyft) to where he's already check the bike out, and then we ride. Usually around Prospect Park, which has this amazingly wonderful loop through the park. There was a day where we did largely city streets, and I neglected to put on sun block, and got the most amazing burn. Oh, well. I ride in a skirt and without a helmet (not legal, I know) and no one on the planet crowds me, even on busy streets, because no one looks at me wobbling along and thinks, "That is an experienced rider." They all think, "My god, that old woman has no idea what she's about, does she?" Which is fine by me, because, again, I don't care what they think as long as they don't actually run into me, which, again, so far they have not. The e-bikes are wonderful, I quite honestly could not make it around Prospect Park on a normal bike, I am just not that buff. I am having trouble with my knees. I bought some cheap-assed knee braces, which do seem to help. If I had health insurance, I would see a professional, but since I don't have health insurance, I'm doing the best I can with compression and Advil.
It has been a very good trip, so far, and I have also done a lot of the work that I came here to do, so it has been both useful and enjoyable. I do understand that there are issues with traveling in this time of The Plague, but I believe I have been prudent and responsible. We don't socialize (except via Zoom), and always mask when going out of doors. Brooklyn's mask game is pretty good, I must say. I do see chin-slings and dick-noses, but they are in the minority. Almost everyone over the age of three wears a mask when on the streets, and all of them wear masks in shops.
My current plan is to leave next Tuesday, and drive home via Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is about a seven hour drive (including rest stops) from here, and I have not seen my home town in a very long time. That route does add about two total hours, which is to say it's a 21 instead of a 19 hour driving trip. I am planning on staying over one day in Pittsburgh, and just driving around the place, looking at things. I long to see the Cathedral of Learning, again, and Heinz Chapel. I might drive out to Penn Hills and see my childhood home, not sure. Mind you, all of this does require driving in _PIttsburgh_ and I am worried about that, too. I'm not sure that the traffic is more aggressive, but I guarantee the streets make far less sense.
I miss my cats. I miss my sourdough starter. I miss my bike Jasmine. I miss my David. But it has been a good trip, and I'm glad I came.
