The Loma Prietan
February-March 2003
Meandering
by John Maybury
Please pass the buck
Hitting the deer at 70 miles per hour took about a millisecond but felt like an eternity. I was so focused on the image of the deer in my headlights, a freeze-frame death aura, that I didn't have time to brake or swerve. (Best not to anyway, lest you wind up in the ditch.) I noticed the crumpled front end of my brand-new Subaru. I had no idea where the deer was but hoped it somehow had survived or (more likely) had died instantly. Limping into the nearest town, I found everyone there knew about hitting deer on the highway. It was a common occurrence. A guy with a pit bull, a Buck knife, and a few front teeth missing showed particular interest in the location of my roadkill. Postscript: In Denmark the humane society gives ribbons to drivers, so if they hit a deer they can mark the spot, then call 112 (their 911) for a sveitserteam (volunteer rescue team consisting of a man and a specially trained dog) to find the wounded deer. In deer country, knowledgeable drivers attach special whistles to their front bumpers. These simple, self-adhesive devices cost about $6 at sporting goods, auto parts, and hardware stores. At speeds over 40 miles per hour, the whistles emit a high-frequency tone that only deer can hear.
Green sweep
Environmental candidates Jim Vreeland, Julie Lancelle, and Sue Digre won Pacifica City Council seats Nov. 5, joining "green" incumbent Pete DeJarnatt. The new majority already has begun work to convert the old Sharp Park water treatment plant into a library and civic center. They aim to revitalize Pacifica's economy while protecting its environment. For starters, the famous fishing pier landed the biggest catch of all, a half-million-dollar state grant to shore up the teetering structure. And 6,967 Pacificans who voted for the green slate (a two-thirds majority, by the way) also said NO to quarry development (Measure E).
Excellence in Motion
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has given a 2002 Transportation Award to Arthur Lloyd, my old boss at Amtrak (in a past life I was a train bartender and labor reporter). Art retired from Amtrak in 1991 but has continued working for better passenger train service and safety. He was a founder and director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers and has served on the boards of Caltrain, SamTrans, Coast Rail Coordinating Council, and California State Railroad Museum Foundation. Above all, Art is a passionate train buff. Highball, Art!
Easy rider
New express buses are coming to Samtrans and other transit districts. The low-emission vehicles will be used in diamond-lane freeway service to speed commute times. They have comfortable high-back seats, more legroom, overhead reading lights, and luggage racks. They meet all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also of note, the new
511 traffic information service gives up-to-the-minute reports on road conditions, transit schedules, carpools, vanpools, and bicycling in the Bay Area. Dial 511 or visit www.511.org.
Get a horse
In a Washington Post review of the new Hummer SUV (1/8/02), tongue-in-cheek staff writer Warren Brown said the "What Would Jesus Drive?" environmental campaign should endorse the Hummer because it easily could carry Jesus and the 12 apostles with less pollution than 13 mules produce. Brown also wisecracked that a Hummer makes an ideal missionary vehicle for delivering food and medicine to poor people living in rugged terrain. On
a more serious note, another Post writer asked Robert Redford for his views on the WWJD movement. Redford cracked: "Oh, that's great! But Jesus would ride a horse is what he'd ride. You know, I spend a lot of time on horses. As for SUVs, I now have only one, which I use in the mountains. Do I need an SUV in Los Angeles? No, that is wasteful." (For more on SUVs, read the book High and Mighty.)
Blue jay way
Ron Maykel collects acorns knocked off oak trees during winter storms and hangs them in a mesh bag from the eaves of his house. Blue jays take the acorns and bury them in the ground for future use. But many are lost or forgotten and end up growing into mighty oaks, which is the whole point of the exercise.
Peace Poles
From Ithaca to Issaquah, prayers for peace are popping up on poles. It's an unusual way to display your concern about weapons of mass destruction, whether they be ours or theirs. Info: www.peacepoles.com.
See change
California's dramatic coastline is featured in high-resolution photographs by Ken and Gabrielle Adelman, who document development affecting the coast: See the website www.californiacoastline.org
Swallow your pride
Whenever a road hog cuts me off in traffic, I recall Rob Morse's "Go Slow" column (S.F. Chronicle, 1/6/02). He cited
a traffic expert who advised not defending space in front of you but staying back a safe distance and letting angry, aggressive motorists race ahead to their next heart attack. See www.amasci.com.
Keep in touch with Meandering John Maybury, Mayburrito@goofbuster.com