RSS
Home
Cooling down the hot Seattle commute.
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Hot! In Seattle? I couldn’t let this unusual heat wave pass without making a few comments about how such weather can affect the commute, especially for air condition-deprived drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and other non-motorized commuters. Commuters can get a tad cranky in Seattle’s normally temperate climate, so just watch as the temperatures soar into the high 90s and flirt with low triple digits threatening to turn commuter Dr. Jekylls into road rage Mr. Hydes.
It’s no secret that when people are uncomfortable, they tend to become more irritable, and it certainly can affect their driving or riding. Here’s a few simple tips that may seem somewhat—duh, but never-the-less work quite well, should you find yourself without the benefit of A/C for whatever reason in this Africa-hot weather.
Water, ahhhhhh, can make your commute a bit more tolerable and I’m not talking only about for drinking, although I recommend doing plenty of that during a heat wave. Another suggestion is to keep a small towel handy then pour some water on the towel so it becomes damp, but not saturated. Then take the towel and wrap it around your neck as you would a winter scarf, to a loose and comfortable fit.
It may not keep you cool for hours, but it just might lift you out of the muggy doldrums just long enough to make the commute bearable. You’ll probably be surprised by just how good this respite from this rare visitor known as, weird Seattle hot, can feel.
Here’s another tip for those of us A/C challenged commuters, which will probably be of most benefit to those of us who travel on two wheels with and without motors. This tip comes from a trick some motorcycle cops have been using for years. Before bed at night stick a few water bottles into the freezer, take them out and pack them the next morning before you leave, and you should have cool water for several hours.
For more info: Comments & Questions email stevepomper@stevepomper.com or please visit: www.stevepomper.com
More About:
traffic ·
road rage ·
commuting ·
driver ·
Bicyclist ·
Motorcycle commuting ·
Steve Pomper
Related Articles:
Comments
Contrary to some apparently perceived popular opinion, other drivers cannot read your mind. Just because you know you’re not about to make some …
Pet peeve, I don’t know, but there’s a driving peccadillo that’s particularly irksome to me: people driving with their dogs in their …
