Road Report

With two big events in my future (the Tuckerman Inferno and the Vermont City Marathon) and the coinciding ending of the Vermont ski season, I have been out on the roads. The Inferno is in three weeks; I need to get in shape fast!

So I've been faithfully hitting the roads of northern Vermont on foot and on my bike. When one travels the roads using non-motorized modes of transport, one tends to notice more. And every spring I am always moved by the amount of litter on our roadways. And what does the litter tell us about our population?

So far this year, I am pleased to report that I have seen not a single McDonald's take-out bag. Nice job, Mickey! Usually, they are far and away, the litter champions. No, the champs this year -- unfortunately, since this is a demographic that I generally align myself with -- are the beer drinkers. Lots of empty bottles and cans. I now take this opportunity to ask my fellow boozers: don't you guys know you get a nickel for every bottle and can? Or are you such lightweights you don't drink enough for it to add up?

Of the empties I see on the side of the road, Bud Light seems to be the most frequently discarded; in fact, Bud Light drinkers tend to toss all their empties at once -- including the case box. In a distant second, Labatt's. Okay Bud Light and Labatt drinkers: time to clean up your act! (Note: I have yet to see a PBR can on the roadside this season; I guess the PBR drinkers have a use for their nickels.)

On the subject of road behavior, I have so far noticed a significant increase in a "share the road" attitude from motorists this year. I've had cars slow down and even stop to let me and oncoming traffic pass. It's really been nice; however, I wonder if it's just because it's early in the season and motorists are just happy about the early spring. Give it a couple of months, and they'll probably be sick of us runners and cyclists again. They'll be running us down every chance they get.

Happy Spring!