Conference noted::bicycle

1350.0. "Quake Hits Bay Area - 5 million People Survive" by VERVE::BUCHANAN (Bat) Tue Oct 24 1989 20:37

The BATVAX is back on the air after an unscheduled 4 day vacation.

All you easterners know what it's like to ride a bike in the cold, or rain or
snow.  But what's it like riding in a 7.0 earthquake?  I had sneaked out of work
early last Tuesday so I could be home in time for the Worlds Series.  I was
about 2 miles from home and had just slowed down for a red light and was
pumping up a slight hill, out of the saddle in the big ring when a huge gust of
wind hit me.  It pushed me around but not enough to knock me over.  I was
thinking "where the hell did this wind come from?" I looked up and sure enough
the trees were swaying and the telephone lines were swaying and a big cloud of
dust was raising from a lot with a couple horses so I thought "yea just a
strong wind".  But then it dawned on me that just 10 seconds ago there wasn't a
bit of wind and now it's all I can do to keep the bike up, hey there really
isn't any wind this is an earthquake.  

So I stopped the bike, cars were stopping, a kid on a mountain bike stopped
nearby.  When it stopped shaking I looked around, no trees down, no telephone
lines down, all the houses still standing with all their windows intact so I
just ride on home.  On the way home I see some tree limbs down and a few places
with water in the street but nothing serious until I notice that all the
traffic signals are out.  As I said I didn't dump the bike, but is was a little
hairy there for a few seconds.  I'm glad I wasn't in a tight pace line or
screaming down a hill at that particular time.

When I get home my wife and kids are upset and the power is off.  I say "what's
the big deal it's just an earthquake, after all this is California (there used
to be a pro soccer team named the San Jose Earthquakes and they are building a
new sports arena and it was suggested that they name it the Epi Center).  The
power being off gets me made because I had come home early to watch the ball
game and now the TV won't work.  So I get in the car to listen to the radio and
the first 4 stations I tune to are off the air.  Only at this point does it
start to sink in that this was a big one.

Not that we need another reason to commute by bike but this quake hit at 5:05
PM so the rush hour(s) were already in full swing.  When it hit everyone
immediately left work, got into their cars and ended up in total gridlock since
most of the traffic lights were out.  I have a friend who keeps his bike at
work so he can ride at noon.  He runs out, gets in his car and gets stuck
in a hopeless traffic jam.  While sitting there a guy rides past on a bike and
my friend thinks to himself "gee I wish I had a bike...aaaaahhhhhhh".  He gets
his car pulled off the road runs back to his office and then bikes home.

The pictures on TV are horrible but rest assured that the SF Bay area is not in
ruins.  A few places took some heavy damage, that is well documented, but most
of the area, 99%, was back up and running within one day.  Much like a New
England snow day.  In fact I put my vacation to some good use... I went riding!

    Was finding water any problem while riding?

>All you easterners know what it's like to ride a bike in the cold, or rain or
>snow.  
	Ya, why do I???

>>But what's it like riding in a 7.0 earthquake?  
	
Lets just say I wouldn't want to find out whats its like. And if its like
riding in strong winds I'm sure I wouldn't like it, UNLESS it was a tailwind ;^)

Tom