Goodbye Michael, Hello Erin, and Biking to Watsonville
A lot has changed since our last entry. Michael, beloved PedX member since 2004 broke his foot performing spectacular stunts not related to bikes and then transitioned out of PedX. We took on Erin as a new apprentice in the fall of '08. She has matured from fuzzy feathered duckling to a full member. Elaina, who has been a member since 2005, quit her jobs and left the country with a 1-way ticket to Barcelona. She has been bike touring and traveling around Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East and will continue to do so for many more months. This means PedX is being run by Erin, Darren, and Kelly.We have been biking to Watsonville 5 days a week for a handfull of months now, a new thing for PedX. This exciting change has made us stronger, more connected to this part of the county, AND more able to offer affordable rates for this trek. We are looking for more regular clients to add to this route so please spread the word about bike-powered cooperatively organized deliveries to Watsonville!
All Woman Courier Company?!?
Well, this week anyway! With Darren on vacation and Michael injured, it's just Kelly and I (Elaina) running the show this week. The courier industry tends to have a low concentration of women in general. PedX recently became half female last month when, after Sam and Jesse retired, Kelly decided to pick up more hours and work here full-time. Little did we know we'd be all on our own for a while. Good news is that, despite being understaffed this week, things are going smoothly. And the boys should be back soon.
Cyclist Killed in Santa Cruz
Lucian Gregg, an 18-year-old Santa Cruz local was killed an accident involving a delivery truck on January 2, 2008. Over 50 community members participated in a memorial bike ride for Lucian on January 12th. This was the second death of a cyclist in Santa Cruz in the past 6 months. Both accidents occurred when trucks made "right hooks", a sudden right turn either without signaling or signaling too late. In Lucian's case, in is unknown whether he and the truck collided or if he lost control trying to avoid a collision. All of us at PedX are deeply concerned about the safety of cyclists on the road. We found a great video for cyclists and drivers, produced by the League of Illinois Bicyclists. Check it out at this link!