BIKE: Showers at Work

[Eric Anderson]

Folks:

I meant to comment earlier, but having heard Colly Kreidler at the ACA
meeting last night, I can report that this (thank you Lloyd) project is
moving toward some sort of application process...

Colly thought some 10 private installations to begin with, and an
undetermined number of intallations in public buildings. Defining the
parameters of such facilities has been a more complicated task than
anticipated.

Also, Colly reported that construction on the Lance Armstrong Bikeway will
occur in December.

Eric Anderson <bikeeric>
(512) 476-7304

--- Fred Meredith <bikin-fred> wrote:

> Cycling News is all ears on this subject if someone has hard data and 
> info and willingness to write a letter to the editor or even a guest 
> editorial about the situation. Just contact me.
> 
> Fred (enjoying his last few days of cool Irish weather before coming 
> home) Meredith
> editor
> 
> P.S. Unless, of course, the subject appears in the next column from 
> the bike/ped program coordinator.
> 
> At 11:00 AM -0700 8/9/04, D'Amico wrote:
> >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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> >_______________________________________________
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> 
> 
> -- 
> When in doubt ... ride your bike (or at least write about it).
> 
> Fred Meredith
> P.O. Box 100 (12702 Lowden Ln for UPS/FedEx)
> Manchaca, TX 78652
> 512/282-1987 (office/home)
> 512/282-7413 (fax)
> 512/636-7480 (wireless)
> More than you want to know at: http://2merediths.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Get on or off this list here:  http://BicycleAustin.info/list
> 



		
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