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Key West on Two Wheels
April 28th, 2009 | Stephen Bailey
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At first you hear the stories and think, "Wow, how cool. How romantic. To roll around this paradise with the wind in your hair and the sun in your face." But then…
Bikes and scooters are everywhere in Key West. Like commuting cockroaches being navigated poorly by tourists. They look as though they've hardly ever been on two wheels in their adult lives, if ever at all.
They laugh as their scooter careens thru intersections. They chuckle as their bike screeches to a stop, hitting the curb.
I didn't think of a scooter because, here in New Jersey, you have to go thru pretty extensive testing in order to qualify for a license. So you'd think the news that there are no such considerations in Key West, whether by law or by choice, that I would jump at getting a scooter.
But, I'd like to think I'm smarter than that. It is one thing to challenge yourself to learn new things or try new foods or even reach new heights. It is quite another to place yourself in unnecessary danger.
And as for a bike, Key West is not the quaint island of legend with dirt back roads leading to watering holes where only bikes can traverse. It is a bustling city filled with cars, trucks and buses of all sizes.
A local cabby told me about a few horrid accidents he witnessed involving tourists wanting to be carefree and cars wanting to stop them.
If you are not a seasoned cyclist, motorized or otherwise, stick to the buses and cabs. The buses will get you around the island for $2.00, although the schedules and routes can be confusing and will take some getting used to. Cabs can be expensive costing as much as $15 or more to get from one side of town to the other, but they're extremely convenient.
You can rent small electric cars for $99 a day. These are a safe solution for a group of people, but not worth the money if you ask me. Cabs have discounts for groups which bring the per-person rate down to $4.50.
Be safe. You don't want to spend you vacation in the emergency room, do you?
Related Topics: florida, key west, travel, vacation
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Stephen Bailey | 1 Comment »
Key West on Two Wheels
(via Facebook, MySpace, Digg, email and more)
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I know what you mean by the crazies on the bikes. I rented a car while I was there and can't tell you how many times I nearly hit one of them.