BIKE: Showers at Work

[D'Amico]

On another issue (and I apologize if this has come up
before, since I haven't been able to follow the list
for awhile) has anyone heard any new news on the
federal grant money the city has (upwards of $400,000
at last check) for construction of showers/lockers in
area businesses?

Dupriest got this money a long time ago and it
languished unspent...last time I pressed Austan
Librach about it in April, he said the city didn't
have the manpower needed to spend the money...which
was the case, he said, with a lot of grant money.

Pretty ridiculous. I'm out of the transportation game,
so I haven't kept tabs on what progressed, if
anything.



--- Mike Dahmus <mdahmus> wrote:

> Lane,
> 
> I was commenting on the general idea - that all one
> had to do was ask 
> their coworkers if they were stinky. If you think
> that's reliable enough 
> to be worth affecting your work relationships, then
> I don't know if we 
> can bridge this divide - because I think it's not
> (reliable enough) in 
> most cases from personal experience (i.e. I've
> worked with people who 
> were stinky, and never told them about it).
> 
> This is very different from accusing you,
> personally, of being stinky. 
> Had I meant to do that, I'd definitely have deserved
> a diatribe like 
> this one!
> 
> - MD
> 
> Lane S. Wimberley wrote:
> 
> >Fairly presumptuous of you, Mike, to assume that I
> or anyone else is
> >deluded, or that my (or anyone else's) coworkers
> are somehow dishonest
> >in this regard.  I can absolutely guarantee that
> neither is true in my
> >case.  I *know* that I am fully presentable while
> at work (in my
> >office job, casual as it is), as I *know* that both
> my boss and my
> >coworkers would definitely let me know if this were
> not the case (as
> >they have on other rare occassions, not related to
> biking, etc.).
> >Over five years, there have been innumerable
> opportunities for me to
> >learn from trusted others that I stink or am
> otherwise unpresentable,
> >including from my wife and kids, and it just hasn't
> happened.
> >
> >Do you think my boss would let me meet with clients
> and business
> >partners if he thought I were not presentable?  Do
> you suspect him (and
> >the rest of our executive management) of bad
> business sense?
> >
> >And, for the record, I'm a pretty sweaty mo-fo on
> the bike myself.
> >
> >(funny story: one of the very few times I had any
> sort of aroma issues
> >at work was one rainy day when, pleased with myself
> for my creativity,
> >I thought I'd dry my wet socks on my warm computer
> monitor.  WARNING:
> >do not do this!  I don't know the physics, but
> suffice to say that my
> >coworkers made me promise to never do this again.)
> >
> >As I said, my suggestion may not work for everyone.
>  If your job
> >requires you to be prim and proper in a pressed,
> starched suit, gleam
> >in eye, sparkle in tooth, and reeking obnoxiously
> of cologne, then a
> >shower may be an absolute must.  Fair enough.  On
> the other hand (and,
> >this is the reason I mentioned it in the first
> place), there may be
> >some for whom my suggestion will work, and who may
> not have otherwise
> >considered it or believed that it might work for
> them.
> >
> >Unrealistic advice?  Well, your mileage may vary, I
> suppose.
> >
> >All this is not to say that the bus recommendation
> is not a good one.
> >
> >Pondering whether Mike's issues might be
> diet-related,
> >
> >-Lane
> >
> >Mike Dahmus writes:
> >  
> >
> >>I'll dissent,. Not only am I way too sweaty to
> make a full ride in 
> >>"undetectible" most of the year, I'll bet most of
> you are too, but your 
> >>coworkers would never tell you (how do you tell
> somebody when they 
> >>stink? even when they ask, most people would lie
> and say you're fine - I 
> >>know I wouldn't want to go on the record telling a
> coworker that they're 
> >>stinky even if they asked).
> >>
> >>I second the bus recommendation. Take the bus in
> the morning, ride home.
> >>
> >>I'll be riding in fully in the mornings some more
> this year, but I'm not 
> >>going to fool myself into thinking that
> >>
> >>a) I don't stink
> >>and
> >>b) my coworkers would tell me if I did
> >>
> >>Trick for me is that I'm willing to accept some
> stink as the price to 
> >>pay here, and I work in a very very casual field.
> I think people need to 
> >>give realistic advice on this subject and not
> sugarcoat things, though.
> >>
> >>- MD
> >>
> >>cjwyche wrote:
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>>I concur. I biked 7 miles from downtown out 290
> at 
> >>>JohnnyMorris rd. I would ride in shorts &
> t-shirt, carrying 
> >>>work outfit in my pannier. In the restroom I
> would 
> >>>cool my face and hands, disrobe, paper towel off,
> don my 
> >>>work clothes, stick the discards in a plastic
> bag, comb 
> >>>hair, and emerge. 3 to 5 minutes in there.
> >>>
> >>>Over 2 years I never had a complaint or even a
> raised 
> >>>eyebrow.
> >>>
> >>>On Fri, 16 Jul 2004, Lane S. Wimberley wrote:
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>[SNIP]
> >>>>While many people find it hard to imagine bike
> commuting without
> >>>>access to showers at the destination, especially
> considering the
> >>>>summer heat, I've been commuting for about five
> years and have never
> >>>>bothered with post-commute showers.  You might
> be surprised how far a
> >>>>towel and some deodorant can go.  I never feel
> grimy or sticky
> >>>>during the day, and never get complaints about
> my appearance from
> >>>>coworkers or management.  Not for everyone,
> perhaps, but it works for
> >>>>me.
> >>>>-Lane
> >>>>
> >>>>jduthie writes:
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>>>Hi,
> >>>>>
> >>>>>This email is on behalf of my roommate.  We
> live in Central Austin and she would
> >>>>>LOVE to bike to work (office building between
> Far West and Anderson Lane off of
> >>>>>Mopac) but there are no showers available.  She
> and a coworker have tried to
> >>>>>get a shower installed, but have been
> unsuccessful.  My questions are 1.) Are
> >>>>>there any places for a bike commuter to shower
> in that area?  and 2.) Anyone
> >>>>>have a helpful hint on how to get showers
> installed in an office building? 
> >>>>>Does the City offer any incentives to
> businesses that do this?
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Thanks!
> >>>>>Jen Duthie
> >>>>>     
> >>>>>
> >>>>>          
> >>>>>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
=== message truncated ===


=====
woof...woof woof. Hisssssssss. Grrrrrrr.
D'Amico
damico
http://www.damicoaustin.com


		
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