Took a walk today.

Had to drop off a company vehicle at the dealer for service and made arrangements with my wife to pick me up when she got off work. I got to the dealership about an hour and a half earlier than I had planned and decided just to walk towards home and have her pick me up wherever I was when she got off.

I walked down through all the car lots. Bypassed the Mercedes and Land Rover dealers. Spent some time at the Toyota dealer though, really like the FR-S and was amazed how expensive a Tacoma can be. Made my way down to the Mini dealer and gawked at the $40k #0025 JCW GP car they had on the lot. Walked through the BMW lot and was amazed at the used car section. A Z06 Vette, '08 Viper and an '06 Carrera.

From there I walked on down the road, stopped at a store to get some water then went on up over the highway and made it about a mile up the road before my wife called.

I also noticed a couple things;

1. Walking provides an entirely different perspective. I've driven those roads a million times and at 50mph everything looks well manicured and clean. At walking pace there is trash every where, the concrete is all crumbling and there are way to many beer cans thrown off the road for my liking

2. My knees are SHOT! My right knee started aching badly only about fifteen minutes into it, followed shortly by my left. I was in agony by the time my wife picked me up. I'm way too young for this. I had to give up riding my bike a couple years ago because of the pain and I can't believe how fast I've gone down hill. Hell I could barely walk after my "work" stint at the autocross I attended earlier this year. I would have taken better care of them back when I was young an bullet proof if I would have known how limiting bad knees are.

ouch on the knees...

and yes, I am an avid bicyclist, you will be amazed at the amount of trash everwhere

I played baseball from second grade through high school and then softball for a bunch of years after that. 90% of that time, I was a catcher. Catching destroys your knees. If I were to do it again, I'm not sure I'd choose to play another position, but I wonder what my knees would be like today if I had.

I walk all the time - I too am amazed at the amount of garbage tossed out. For some reason I look for money keep thinking I might find a roll of cash.

Last year, I was doing a lot of running. There was a stretch of road more than a mile long where I would find Starbucks Cappuccino bottles with a candy bar wrapper inside and the cap screwed back on. There were dozens of them. Clearly there was a serial litterer in the area who had the same snack every day and then tossed his trash out the window while he drove.

The general abundance of trash along almost every road is mind boggling.

mad_machine wrote: ouch on the knees... and yes, I am an avid bicyclist, you will be amazed at the amount of trash everwhere

I used to commute by bike I guess it's been nine or ten years ago. Was a sad day when I sold my Trek, just couldn't stand to look at it and not be able to ride it. I still go to the bike shops just to day dream occasionally.

Blow an ACL and not have the money/insurance to fix it for 4 years, then I'll talk to you about knee pain.

Datsun310Guy wrote: I walk all the time - I too am amazed at the amount of garbage tossed out. For some reason I look for money keep thinking I might find a roll of cash.

bring a plastic bag with you and pick up all the aluminum cans you see... they add up to a decent amount of cash pretty fast...

novaderrik wrote:

Datsun310Guy wrote: I walk all the time - I too am amazed at the amount of garbage tossed out. For some reason I look for money keep thinking I might find a roll of cash.

bring a plastic bag with you and pick up all the aluminum cans you see... they add up to a decent amount of cash pretty fast...

I've found cash on the side of the road before. A few $5 bills once, and a $20 another time.

Aluminum cans and dumpster diving have been good sources of income in the past, but I've noticed a lot fewer cans that I used to, but many more plastic bottles. Diving doesn't really bring in cash, but there's good stuff thrown out all the time. Salvaged electronics are how I learned how to solder and flip the vintage stuff for profit.

I stayed in Palm Springs, CA once for work, only one day. It was a bust so I took a walk.

Holy Moly, the dealerships! RR of Palm Springs, Hummers are like VW Beetles of the 60s; unbelievable money walking around. I am not worthy to cut through your parking lot.

nicksta43 wrote: My knees are SHOT! My right knee started aching badly only about fifteen minutes into it, followed shortly by my left. I was in agony by the time my wife picked me up. I'm way too young for this. I had to give up riding my bike a couple years ago because of the pain and I can't believe how fast I've gone down hill. Hell I could barely walk after my "work" stint at the autocross I attended earlier this year. I would have taken better care of them back when I was young an bullet proof if I would have known how limiting bad knees are.

See an orthopedist asap and protect what you still have. Physical therapy or home workout may help strengthen and support the muscle groups around the knees. If overweight lose the pounds, it matters. Minor surgery ain't bad but don't let it go till you need a replacement. Your profile says 34 y/o, yea that's way too young.

Datsun310Guy wrote: I walk all the time - I too am amazed at the amount of garbage tossed out. For some reason I look for money keep thinking I might find a roll of cash.

I found a $20 bill while out on a run once

mad_machine wrote: ouch on the knees... and yes, I am an avid bicyclist, you will be amazed at the amount of trash everwhere

Yeah, that drives me nuts, too. I literally NEVER throw trash out my car window. The thought wouldn't even cross my mind. It's such lowlife behavior.

While I love riding, between motorist harassment and litter, a lot of ignorance is exposed.

Also, when you're in a car, you don't notice how many roads are uphill.

mad_machine wrote: you will be amazed at the amount of trash everwhere

No kidding. Lots of parts of the USA are just dumps.

gamby wrote:

mad_machine wrote: ouch on the knees... and yes, I am an avid bicyclist, you will be amazed at the amount of trash everwhere

Yeah, that drives me nuts, too. I literally NEVER throw trash out my car window. The thought wouldn't even cross my mind. It's such lowlife behavior. While I love riding, between motorist harassment and litter, a lot of ignorance is exposed. Also, when you're in a car, you don't notice how many roads are uphill.

I live in south jersey, the only state that might be more flat is kansas.. and it is amazing the amount of slight hills all over the place

My house backs up to a road - I am the 4th house from the stop sign leaving a rural area heading into town.

I get a lot of beer cans/bottles tossed onto my parkway as I figure everyone takes their last sip of beer at the stop sign and tosses the evidence as they head into the city limits. My house seems to be the proper distance away from the corner.

Datsun310Guy wrote: I walk all the time - I too am amazed at the amount of garbage tossed out. For some reason I look for money keep thinking I might find a roll of cash.

I used to walk in my neighborhood. I was amazed at the number of cigarette butts along the side of the road.

In reply to mad_machine:

Kansas isn't flat.....

Also, +1 to what woody said. My knees were already a problem by jr high thanks to catching. I switched to a "Utility" player that could do them all. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and CF were my normals after that though.

My knees ache if I don't walk or exercise them. The doctor said that regular light exercise keeps the joint lubricated.

spitfirebill wrote:

Datsun310Guy wrote: I walk all the time - I too am amazed at the amount of garbage tossed out. For some reason I look for money keep thinking I might find a roll of cash.

I used to walk in my neighborhood. I was amazed at the number of cigarette butts along the side of the road.

yeah, I didn't think THAT many people still smoked....

Likewise, you also notice stuff as a passenger that you don't see as a driver. Hey, look, that dude's check engine light is on....

Somedays I go to a gas station to buy a snack near my work. My work is near a fairly convienient exit to the main north south road for the local comunities that are 10 miles from our little metro area. Whenever I stop around 3:30-4:00 without fail at least 2 people buy either tallboy's or 40oz bottles of beer, open them as they are walking to their car take a drink and put it in their cupholder.

gamby wrote: Also, when you're in a car, you don't notice how many roads are uphill.

You do when you drive an Insight.

e_pie wrote:

gamby wrote: Also, when you're in a car, you don't notice how many roads are uphill.

You do when you drive an Insight.

Or an original Fiat 500.

Brett_Murphy wrote: My knees ache if I don't walk or exercise them. The doctor said that regular light exercise keeps the joint lubricated.

Interesting.

My family on both sides are pretty much falling apart on various levels, always sick, broken, or some form of just unhealthy. My dad has absolutely terrible knees.

I'm pretty hard on my body fitness wise, run 15-20+ miles a week, lift twice a week, and I rarely get sick and overall feel great. I often wonder if it is in spite of my poor genetics or because of the exercise that I am in the shape I am in.