Posted: Saturday, July 26, 2008 12:00 am
What did I do while I was gone for a week and a half? Among other things I pumped gas, paid a sales tax and rode my bike, and all this prompted a thought or two.
People elsewhere are amazed that, with some exceptions, Oregon still doesn't allow motorists to fuel their own vehicles. When I tell them we like it that way, they feel confirmed in the view that Oregon is just a little weird.
There is no indication that self-service at gas stations saves consumers money. All along the I-5 corridor in California last week and part of this, regular gas was sharply higher - ranging from $4.50 to nearly $5 - than in Oregon.
On the other hand, I quickly got used to the routine of filling up the pickup, and it was nice to be able to take my time and make sure not a drop of gas was spilled.
One morning on the outskirts of Coalinga, I rode my bicycle up a few miles into what the map says is the Diablo Range but some of the local signs call the West Hills.
Rising from the orchards in the San Joaquin Valley, this is a sun-dried landscape with never a building in sight. But what noticed, besides the serene scenery in the morning light, was the perfect pavement of a wide and little used state or county road, with bike lanes on either side about three to four feet wide. And absolutely no glass or debris.
I wondered how they are able to afford to build and maintain such roads off the beaten path. Judging by the stories in the papers, state and local governments in California all have budget trouble, pretty much the same as in Oregon. But they apparently had money to build good roads and keep them in good shape.
I had the fleeting thought that maybe the sales tax had something to do with that. You pay it, obviously, on nearly anything you buy. So even the casual traveler contributes his share to the upkeep of public services in California, even though he barely uses them. That's a thought that some people in Oregon have tried to get across from time to time, so far without noticeable effect.
We have the impression that in Southern California, the automobile rules to the exclusion of everything else. But it's not true.
Along the Santa Ana River, for example, just before it trickles into the sea, the local authorities have built a chain of bike and running paths that stretch for many miles. People use them by the thousands, but because the network is so extensive and the paths so wide, lots of times riding there feels as though you are practically alone.
When it comes to encouraging bike riding even in high-traffic areas, such as along the Pacific Coast Highway where it runs through Huntington Beach, Oregon has a lot to learn.
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When I got back Thursday afternoon, my e-mail box held more than 800 new messages. I scanned them for senders' names I recognized, read those and then deleted the rest en masse.
If you sent me something and don't get a reply, I apologize. You might want to send it again.
The D-H editor can be reached at (541) 812-6097 or by e-mail at hhering@dhonline.com.