Tucson couple moves by bike

April 11, 2012 • Posted by: Michael McKisson

I took a few items on the bakfiets.

A Tucson couple took their car-free commitment one step further this month by opting to move to a new apartment by pedal power instead of motorized transportation.

In the last few days of March, Jimmy Payne and Anika Bakken decided to move out of their apartment near Pima and Columbus to a bigger duplex near Dodge and Ft. Lowell. They decided they wanted to move the entire contents of their apartment by bicycle.

Payne said they decided to move by bicycle because they make a conscience decision to live without vehicles and since they don’t even own one, it seemed like the logical choice.

Payne said moving by bicycle created a mix of emotions.

“Stressful, hard, fun, it was easily all of those,” he said.

He’d certainly do it again.

“It is very doable,” He said. We only had two to three days to organize and still got it done. All you need are a few friends with capable bicycles.”

Check out the photos and a short video from the move. Mike McCambridge brought his Sun Atlas and assisted with the move.

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11 comments

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Peter Van Keuren

Tucsonvelo said "Someone asked me if a motorist running a stoplight gave all motorists a bad rep. In my view it does not, so why should it for cyclists?" Someone else once said "Laws are made to be broken". I agree with both, as long as said "breaking of the law" is done with full consciousness, and full knowledge of the consequences if caught. When driving a motor vehicle, I really dislike having to stop for a red light at 2 or 3 in the morning, with absolutely no one else at the light but me. Another situation I dislike - having to stop at a light, so I can watch someone else who had been going in the same direction as me, make a left turn. Case in point - the intersection on Oracle Road at El Conquistadore. It's 7:30 am, there are at least 20 to 30 vehicles heading south into Tucson. Someone pulls up in the southbound left turn lane, to go into El Conquistadore. There is no one coming the other way (northbound), yet, 20 or 30 vehicles all have to come to a stop to watch that left turn being made. Seems to me that it's a huge waste of finite resources. Does anyone have any idea how many gallons of fuel are used in getting those 20 or 30 vehicles moving, uphill, back up to speed again? Multiply that every few minutes. I'd think that Oro Valley could make a name for itself as "the greenest town in Arizona" just by modifying the traffic light programming a little bit. Just my humble opinion. :-)

tucsonvelo

You know, sometimes I don't stop at stop signs if I have a clear field of vision, no cars are coming and two bookcases and chiminea on my bike. Being so much more aware and connected to our surroundings is just one of the many benefits of being on a bike. Would I have slowly coasted through it if there were cars around? Absolutely not.

PsiSquared

Unfortunately, ignoring the law to suit our own conveniences is not one of the many benefits of being on a bike. It is a bit hypocritical to expect cars to toe the legal line but not to expect the same of ourselves. Perhaps the bike community needs to be a bit more aware of the hypocrisy it projects and that drivers and pedestrians see. As for the bike move, good on everyone for that effort.

tucsonvelo

I've given up expecting motorists to obey the laws. No one obeys all of the laws all of the time. Sit at a stop sign and watch. Motorists roll through stop signs all the time, as do bikes. What I do expect is that people yield to the people who have the right of way. When I come to intersections where there are pedestrians and motorists I "stop." (I don't think putting ones foot down is necessary to be considered stopping. I have never intentionally taken the right of way from someone else.

Red Star

Discuss this -- assume the Idaho stop bill fails in AZ legislature. Resolved: City of Tucson Department of Transportation should replace certain stop signs with yield signs. What are the pros and cons? What might keep COT DOT from this course (cost, indifference, fear, etc.)?

tucsonvelo

I guess your classification of my views is your own judgement call. It feels a bit extreme to me, but that's my own judgement. I think these types of discussions are really good and help hash things out. I remember one such discussion in which a cyclist rode through a stop light in the middle of the day in front of lots of people. I thought that action gave all cyclists a bad name. Someone asked me if a motorist running a stoplight gave all motorists a bad rep. In my view it does not, so why should it for cyclists? I'd be pretty amazed that everyone on this forum hasn't willfully broken a law. Ever crossed a street on campus without using a crosswalk? Ever gone more than 10 or 15 (I forget which it is) miles per hour in the Speedway underpasses? Wasn't there something also said about Judge not, lest ye be judged or he who casts the first stone? I do really appreciate the discussion, though. I think it's good to get these things out there.

PsiSquared

We all should all just piss on the law and do as we please, and at the same time we can demand justice from the law when we're wronged. It really puts a fine point on things. So, to sum things up: it's a judgement call, and screw the law...........except when that's not to our benefit. Hmmm. Wasn't there something said about eating cake and having it, too? I guess when we get down to it, who has the right of way is just another of those judgement calls.

3wheeler

I think we can safely say that Tucson Velo is in favor of the Idaho stop law. : )

Nathan Saxton

Well done, y'all! Too bad the video caught you blowing right through a stop sign, ahem... But still, an impressive feat, and an admirable commitment to destroying the fossil fuel beast.