Flawless Abandon

Do you BIXI? Testing out Montreal's New Bike Share Program

When visiting any large city, one of the first things people question is how to get around effectively without breaking the budget.  Sometimes the answer is subway, others it’s taxi or bus, or even by foot. But the next time you’re in Montreal, you may want to say, “lets BIXI!”

BIXI is a new bicycle-sharing program Montreal launched in May 2009 the city hopes will be a successful example for others to follow.  With a concept already popular in Europe, BIXI is the first of its kind in North America, and has been hailed by some as the world’s most innovative bicycle sharing program to date. 

BIXI means literally “bike” plus “taxi”.  And aside from the notoriously cold and long winters, Montreal is a perfect place for such a program because of its abundance of well-maintained bicycle paths that both encircle and slice through the city’s main thorough fairs.

How BIXI works
Getting a bike is easy.  Simply stop at any of the 300+ strategically placed self-service BIXI bike stations around the city.  Each station houses 10-20 bikes.  Swipe your Visa or MasterCard for $5, click to agree to the 49 pages of Terms & Conditions (not kidding), and take your  4-digit code.  Now choose a bike from the rack, plug in your code and be on your way! 

Sounds pretty good so far. But here is where it gets complicated. The clock has started ticking and you have 30 minutes to get your bike to another BIXI rack and park it before being charged another $1.50 for the next 30 minutes, $3 for the second 30 minutes, and $6 an hour every hour after that. Do you hear the Wicked Witch’s demonic bicycle ride theme song in your head yet?

Ouch.  Suffice it to say BIXI is best to use when you just want to jaunt about and drop a bicycle, perhaps to work, coffee, lunch, or more throughout the day. You can ride all 24 hours on your first $5 as long as you drop the bike and select a different one every 30 minutes at one of the locations.

A Cautionary Tale About One BIXI Experience
BIXI seemed like the perfect solution for my family on a recent trip to Montreal. We made a point of trying out BIXI for the pure convenience and novelty.  We easily found bikes to ride, and began our tour. The bikes were sturdy, comfortable and clean.  But the stress-o-meter went through the roof when we, much like the Biblical Joseph and Mary, could not find an available place to take a rest before the clock ran out.

We had been headed to the popular St. Catherine’s Street for a bus tour and considered this a quick 20 minute pleasure ride.  But soon we found ourselves racing around the busy city streets in search of a single open spot to drop even one of  our four rented bikes.  Perspiration and panic quickly set in as the clock ticked away and we became more and more desperate – riding on sidewalks, going against traffic, crossing against lights  - you name it – to get our bikes parked and to our next destination on time. We came within a hair of missing our scheduled bus tour but eventually did find homes for all 4 bikes – each in a different location. The mad dash left us sweaty and a little reticent to pick up another BIXI in our 24-hour period, for fear we’d always be driving around all night long looking for an empty drop spot. 

In the end – only you can decide – are you a risk taker?
Overall, BIXI provides a convenient, inexpensive, and very green way for visitors and locals alike to see the city’s top sights, or just get to work three out of four seasons a year (BIXI bikes are evidently not available in the coldest winter months).  And the risk / reward? Well you’ll have to decide if the location you are headed is more popular than the one you are dropping – and maybe the city will improve its bike moving soon.

 If you go – Pricing & Locations
Locals can purchase an annual pass for $78 or $28 a month.  For day-trippers, the price is right at $5 for 24-hour access ( in 30-minute increments). Customers are charged an increasing hourly rate for any time beyond any single 30-minute period at an escalating price.  

Expert tip: If you get stuck with your bike it turns out you CAN type a code into any full station to receive a 15-minute reprieve to find another station. 

Sao Paulo – the Helicopter Capital of the World?

While telecommuting one afternoon from the 23^rd floor of the Sao Paulo, Brazil Renaissance Hotel waiting for a client meeting, I noticed a trend.  Every few hours the rumble of an engine disturbed my tranquil surroundings and as a helicopter roared overhead then landed two stories above me on the roof of the hotel.  “Flight for Life?” --  I naively thought at first.  But what I soon learned was much more intriguing. Sao Paolo, Brazil, the 7^th largest city on the planet that is home to over 19 million -- is in fact also the helicopter capital of the world, boasting over 450 personal helicopters as of mid-2009 – a number that (depending on the source) tops even those in New York and Tokyo.

 

The trend to buy a helicopter, hire a pilot, or in some cases even become a pilot --  and use it as your daily commuter -- is the mark of the rich and time-strapped in this bustling, traffic-choked city where a simple 5-mile trek by car across town can easily set you back two hours during rush hour.  With epic traffic jams that can span 130 miles of mind-numbing stop and go traffic, the city is a reported urban planning nightmare.  So until we can each have our own personal jet pack, the helicopter has become the transportation mode of choice for those with the funds to support it.   

Want to see what it may look like flying high above this quickly transforming city?  Check out this Youtube video that while I didn’t take it, seemed to embrace the city’s spirits well. 

 

Brazil Stats At a glance

6 million Cars in Sao Paulo

20 million residents of Sao Paulo

70,000 – estimated number of helicopter flights within central Sao Paulo each year

820 - Helicopter pilots work in Sao Paulo with six figure annual earning potential.

Between 300 - 420 Helipads in Sao Paulo (depending on the source)
210 of which are elevated - 75% of Brazil's total and 50% more than the whole UK

 

 

Fly, Frontier, FLY! The Top 6 Things that Make Frontier Airlines the Best Commercial Airlines Today

Frontier Airlines was in the news this week with Southwest’s surprise $113.6 million bid to acquire it in bankruptcy court.  Since the company defaulted into bankruptcy in 2008, it has remained steadfast in saying it would reduce costs and emerge intact, initially touting plans to do so this summer. And until yesterday it seemed that might just happen. But this new competitive bid could turn that all upside down.

So as I sit here pondering life in Denver without Frontier Airlines, I found myself melancholy considering its possible demise. And while it maybe too much, too little, too late, I’d like to share the top six reasons I think Frontier Airlines is the best commercial airlines in the market today. 

1) Low cost does not mean poor service

In a nutshell, what differentiates Frontier IS the market position they have aspired to own. They are competitively priced airlines with strong service philosophy. And if this alone can’t keep them afloat it’s a shame – because this is a market space nobody else is filling well.  Yes, I can fly Southwest for $10 less, but when on business, I want a comfortable, solitary, no-nonsense flight and I’m willing to pay for it.  I don’t want to sit alongside Marty and his family of 5 sticky-faced kids headed to neither Disneyland – nor fly on the Las Vegas party bus where I’m asked to join in on a sing-along.  I want a business atmosphere and Frontier provides that.  

2) Their people are humans, not cranky robots

If you’re a frequent flier, you’ve undoubtedly witnessed the dramatic decline in airline employee attitudes over the last few stressful years.  With the move toward automation and the attempt to squeeze costs (read people) out of the process, the airlines have turned their remaining few employees on-hand into overworked, disenchanted, unhelpful inane rule-enforcing shadows of their former customer-friendly selves. It’s as if, not unlike the Grinch, their shoes are just a little too tight and it’s given them an edge they cannot shake despite their forced smiles and canned greetings.

But not at Frontier Airlines.  From the moment I pick up the phone to the time I exit the plane, I continue to have a friendly, human experience with each employee when I fly on Frontier. You can tell they believe in the company, its purpose and have pride in their work that has become almost extinct in the airlines industry. 

3) Friendly voices answer their phones

Ok United I’m picking on you.  When I call Frontier, I don’t get immediately routed to “Shirley” in India, I don’t reach full voice mail boxes after 10 minutes on hold, and when I am looking to finally cash in my hard earned miles, I can talk to a person who is willing to get me a flight.  Halleluiah! This alone almost makes me cry tears of joy.

4) Legroom + Creature Comforts

I’ll start by saying Frontier was the first to offer DirecTV on every seat, which is nice when you want it.  But more importantly I’m talking about seat comfort and legroom, an area where Frontier really shines. With two additional inches in seat space (33” vs. 31”) of legroom over most airlines tp://www.cheapflights.com/travel-tips/legroom-guide/ and seats that support and cushion you properly, it’s a world of difference.  Flying on other airlines, most of the time I feel like my seat was previously occupied by a 350 lb sumo wrestler who test rode it hard it for six months straight.  Can we just agree that a 135 lb woman’s butt should not bottom out an airline seat?  Frontier gets this and has built its cabins for people, not cattle.

5) They get me to the beach in time for lunch

 Denver may not be seaside, but Frontier has flights that will put my toes in the sand by lunchtime across Mexico.  From Cabo san Lucas to Puerto Vallarta and anywhere in between. I can be shopping for silver and sipping a margarita beachside by 1:30 pm most any day of the week.  I’m kicking myself now that I don’t take advantage of this more often. 

6) They’re smart enough to call Denver home

While some folks have a rabid fanaticism for local sports teams, I prefer to root for local companies. Afterall, we share a big secret - knowing that Colorado is an awesome place to live.  Denver enjoys an almost perfect climate, and is home to the most educated and fit people in the nation.  Unfortunately it is NOT home to many large headquartered companies, so we need to protect and encourage those who choose to put their roots here. 

Frontier, we love you – please don’t go away!  Perhaps we’ve taken you for granted, or not shown our loyalty to you enough and this is one reason you are now suffering.  I admit I’m guilty of whoring myself out to the cheapest airfare option from time to time, but I’d like to say that from this moment forward I’m going to put my values above my dollar whenever possible. And maybe if we all stand up for what we believe in like this, our society will benefit.

For now suffice it to say... fly, Frontier, FLY! 

Open letter to the Internet from Neva the Dog

Dear Internet,

I’m writing you because I’m not sure what else to do.  My owner has changed and I’m not liking it. I think you may have something to do with it .  I’m writing to ask you to stop sucking the life out of her. 

Things used to be pretty good. While she works on weekdays, I pretty much had her to myself on weekends and evenings. We’d go for long walks, I’d follow her around the house as she cleaned up and jabbered on the phone, we’d run errands in the car and frequently stop at the dog park along the way.  But not anymore.

You’ve done something to her that is changing her brain chemistry.  Worse than that glass of red stuff she drinks in the evening, now she just sits in one spot and bangs on a keyboard, staring intently at some screen like a zombie, instead of lovingly at me.

I try to get her up but she just ignores me.  And I’m not the only one to suffer.  The house is falling apart.  There is no food in the fridge, her laundry is constantly piled up, and the yard is full of weeds.  We live in gorgeous Colorado but I’ve not gone for a decent hike with her one time this summer.   She used to cook dinners at night but now its just cans of soup and Kraft Dinner for the family. 

Her stack of unread books is piling up on her bedside table, she hasn’t gone clothes shopping in months, and even her personal hygiene seems to be taking a dive. She used to talk to friends on the phone all the time, now she just instant messages them from Facebook or Twitter. 

I just don’t get it. You ask her about it and she says its important. She is learning and communicating with like-minded folks.  But I think she is sick and needs an intervention.  Are other dogs out there noticing the same thing in their families ? Or maybe worse… husbands and children?  Sad to think.  I hope everyone wakes up and takes their mouth off the Internet crack-pipe soon.  We need to find a better way to balance our lives because this growing addiction can’t be good for our society. 

Sincerely,

Neva Pearson

Going Kicking and Screaming into the Social Media Age

Finally a remedy for the agoraphobic, the stay-at-home moms who crave adult conversation, the corporate disgruntled Gen X and Gen Y-ers, and all the college students needing a study break from Eastern European Lit.  It’s called Social Media! 

Ok call me an old curmudgeon – I suppose I almost qualify.  But for those of us who don’t even have the time during the day to fill up our coffee mugs, social media is just NOT something I WANT TO EMBRACE! Yes I know it’s all the rage… it’s all the thing to do and saying this pretty much disqualifies me as marketer of the year.  In fact, I know marketers everywhere who are building their PowerPoint decks, pitching their expertise and even running to the bank to cash their checks after helping their clients get up and running on “social media”.

Let me clarify - you cannot blame me for just being ignorant. Oh contraire!  I am all TOO in the know. I have a blog, a Facebook page with gawd knows how many “friends”, Linked in and Plax profiles with 140+ contacts, and I even have two Twitter accounts.  Yes I’m there.  And I get it – it’s easy – it’s NOW and it’s viral.  It helps with SEO, it connects you to the world, and it even does your laundry.

 But really…  are we so distracted and suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder that we all need to get our news in 140 characters tidbits and constantly alt/tab back and forth 100 times a day to see what our high school friends are doing RIGHT NOW?

Is Social Networking Connecting us or Really Isolating us Further?

Last night I joined the ranks of

Facebook. My Mother dragged me there, a recent retiree who has found this the perfect place to connect with long-lost cousins and show off photos of her new boat.  My hesitancy was mainly because I already feel so over-obligated by daily requests on Plaxo, LinkedInand the like, but I was told THIS is personal. No business allowed.  Ok.  So I shrugged of the tinge of embarrassment from being brought into a new technology by my Mom, and began scouring for that perfect photo to show my mug to friends. 

The first thing that happened was I found someone I’d not seen in 10 years, now living in Michigan.  I immediately asked her to be my friend and now I know everything about her again. I’ve seen pictures of her two kids, read that she was reading a book to her youngest RIGHT NOW, and immediately felt “in sync” all over.  I sent her a note saying hi and suggested I’d give her a call today to catch up. But today, as I sit here typing this, I wonder if my suggestion to call was overkill – after all, I already know everything I need, and calling may make me seem a bit desperate.  What am I, a stalker?

Then I found a good friend’s Dad I’d enjoyed visiting last time I was back in California.  As I think about my Facebook relationship with him, perhaps I’ll be less hesitant to call him up next time I’m in town for breakfast or something.  I’m going to chock that one up to a plus for Facebook.  Fear reduction in reaching out to those when you have a purpose.

But overall, my take is this.

On the one hand its sort of comforting to know your friends are sitting in their sweats eating ice cream typing away AT THIS VERY MOMENT just like you… but wouldn’t it have been better for us both to pick up the phone to catch up – or better yet go take a hike together rather than sharing pictures of our dogs over the Internet?

As I share my pictures of my summer trip to Budapest and talk of good times I’m having… I wonder if the pictures I’m putting here represent me or just represent what I want people to see.  I’m not going to mention the horrible day at the office or the deep rifts growing inside my marriage (don’t worry, just an example).  But as we plug more and more into the online, I find less and less time to have those honest conversations with those I truly DO find to be my friends. 

Its Like Having Air Friends

Perhaps I feel connected to my newly rekindled friends like fanatical football fans feel to one another about their given team.  Yes, we have something deep in common, but do you really know me or do you just know what I choose to portray as my life? And if we’re really daily friends, I’ve already SEEN your pictures when I came over for dinner and you TOLD me about your trip.

For some levels of friendship in this increasingly global community that is as much as we can hope for.  For keeping in sync with loved ones far away, its great.  And for those who have touched our lives in some way in the past, it’s a way for us to keep some semblance of knowledge about their world. 

But as I look at how I spend my time these days, something is unnerving about how many hours I spend in front of a computer screen instead of enjoying the great outdoors and connecting real-time with others.  And from what your Facebook profile tells me, I sense I’m not alone. 

Ok that’s enough jibber for today. After all, it’s Thanksgiving. I’d better log back into Facebook and see who’s wished me a happy holiday.

Integrated Technologies

Today I uploaded some recent photos from my camera to my Mac in iPhoto.  To share them, i then posted them to Web Shots where I've had an account for some time.  The process of getting my pictures from the Mac to WebShots and renaming them was not as simple as i had hoped - i'm not saying it was impossible, but i guess i've come to expect a certain level of automation / integration between all these technologies I'm expected to use and in this case i just didn't find that.  I probably just don't have the right knowledge of the Mac, or maybe I'm using the wrong program or maybe just maybe they don't integrate that well.

But one thing is for sure, the level of consumer expectation of technology automation and integration is climbing rapidly and the companies that realize this and build applications with their customers' needs and uses in mind are the ones who will win.  As a consumer, think about your own expectations today compared to just a couple years ago -- previously using online automated processes seemed cute and fun to try, but now you expect them to work seamlessly 24 X 7.  Online ordering, upgrading, adding features / functionality, integrating between multiple applications, accessing customer service, etc. -- the paradigm has shifted and now consumers are comfortable doing these things online and this is the way we get things done.  As such, consumers have come to expect nothing short of perfection from our vendors here.

As I was lamenting this, I completed my photo upload. Then WebShots asked if i wanted to post my pictures to a blog.  Sure why not?  With one simple clck i had the code, plopped it in here and put it here. The result? It took over the page and rewrote the look of my blog and only showed 13/rd the pictures.  Example #2.

Now That's Ironic

My English teacher sister and I recently got into a lengthy conversation about the official definition of irony.  It turns out that Alanis Morissette didn’t quite have it right in her song, “Ironic” crooning about rain on your wedding day and a fly in your chardonnay being ironic.  This has evidently resulted in not only Alanis losing respect from every English teacher north of Tijuana, but according to my sister, has also confused an entire generation of English students.

Dictionary.com defines irony as my sister did, “the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning” or an “outcome of events that are contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.”   So that makes a fly in your chardonnay just a bmmer - not ironic.

Evidently, irony differs from sarcasm because irony shows greater subtlety and wit. And similarly, satire is close – but it implies the use of irony or sarcasm “for censorious or critical purposes and is often directed at public figures or institutions, conventional behavior, political situations, etc.”

All of this came rushing back to me tonight as I sped home and passed this road sign.  It flashes your speed as you go by and if you are going over the limit, it does so with increasingly frantic warning lights.  I personally always try to go as fast as I can to make it go from static to red flash and even to a strobe light flash eventually– it feels like an accomplishment somehow.  Evidently I'm not the only speed demon out there, as someone else took my game a bit further by posting a score board underneath the sign boasting his “high score” of 42.  Had I a Sharpie, I would have posted my record breaking addition.

Considering this is certainly not the expectation local  law enforcement had when posting the sign, I’d say THAT is ironic... and maybe even satirical.  But I’ll have to get the official word from my sister. 

Lovers Spat Between Roomba and Me All Clear

All relationships have bumps along to road to long term commitment, and I’d like to think that Roomba and I have passed our first relationship hurdle.  As it turns out, there are some secrets to pleasing Roomba that aren’t obvious – things that need some ‘splainin, if you will.   And I, as savvy as I may be about some things, needed some relationship training.

After my rant late Saturday night, I woke up fresh Sunday morning with renewed passion for making things work between us.  I’d done some late night reading – and had found numerous posts from similarly unsatisfied women mainly -  openly complaining about their disenchantment with Roomba…  I then visited the iRobot relationship support desk, where I saw a video that changed everything. 

As it turns out “inspect and clean Roomba’s brushes” means more than I’d initially thought.  I was only cleaning the surface of the brushes, and it appears Roomba likes it when I clean behind his ears too.  Yes I could have read it in the manual – but I guess I skimmed that part.  So the resolution is that I had to add to my regimen removing the brush ends (think of those things you put on the end of a corn-on-the-cob) and clean the gook and dog hair or else the wheels don’t spin right.  I did this, and Roomba is buzzing about with renewed energy and spirit.

I know there will be rocks ahead on the road – especially as we both age, but I have renewed hope that Roomba and I are strong enough that we can weather them and happily grow old together.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

On that note…  I have to go – Roomba is calling me from the Master Bath and he seems upset.

My Short Love Affair with Roomba

A few short weeks ago I took a new lover.  It’s been more than 30 days but less than 90 – as it corresponded with my taking a new job and I considered my chance meeting with him as a sign it was time to treat myself to something new and sinful.  His name was Roomba.  It all began at the check out counter, when he was sitting in my cart, looking up at me with that such masculinity and promise. Three different women commented to me about him before we even got in the car – “I LOVE my Roomba!” they cried to me.   I was tickled, excited, could not wait to get him home, plug him in, and watch him work his magic. 

And that he did.  The next day, Roomba was spinning around my living room whilst I sat drinking coffee and reading the paper.  He zipped about, gracefully sweeping up dirt out of every corner of my dog hair infested not-so-white carpet.  His tone was so pleasurable as he hummed along – and I really thought we were meant to be together.  Then out of nowhere, he stopped – and said, “UH OH” and with a female voice that does not suit him, “please inspect and clean Roomba’s brushes!” 

“OH gladly!” I exclaimed, skipping all the way to the sink.  From that moment forward,  I was delighted to obey his every command as he asked me – with increasing frequency it seemed – to check and inspect his wheels,  clean the brushes, empty the dustbin, and more.  Each time I was overjoyed at doing so, as it was clear to me he was doing MY dirty work, and evidently it was pretty dirty with all the emptying he needed. 

Roomba was so cute in those early days of our relationship.  One time he mistakenly went out on the deck – one minute I heard him humming along and then I didn’t hear him so I went searching– “oh THERE you are…!”  I giggled sheepishly.  “Roomba you are so funny playing tricks on me!  Ok I’ll clean your brushes again – lucky you are so cute.”