A bag of mixed feelings

And just like that it's the end of October, although judging by the weather I would think it's January (Yes, we got quite a bit of snow).

I know I haven't written anything in a while. Maybe it's just me being tired of the reality - unusual work and school schedules, coronavirus, isolation and the election season wearing me out mentally. Or maybe it's just the fact that I know I'm writing all this mostly for myself, because rarely anyone visits this page anymore. Whatever.

There's been some pretty good stuff to read lately. That is, if you interested in the subject of how motoring industry keeps screwing with us. If you have been following the topic this is not news for you. Otherwise, take a look:

First, car makers are going completely nuts designing "road tanks",

and driving one of those ridiculously oversized family trucks can be a stressful experience.

To make matters worse, NHTSA doesn't really give a damn about pedestrians.

And you can't expect car manufacturers to police themselves and install pedestrian protecting features.

So there we are. American men buy trucks because they think this makes them manly, while all they need is a cowboy costume.

On top of all that there is the pandemic, which exposed the sad truth how badly cars messed up our cities. If we wanted though, we could change that. But we likely don't because somehow Americans can't picture a day without driving everywhere. Unlike Europe, which is making progress in giving the space back to people.

That's what it looks like in a nutshell. Honestly, I don't have high hopes it will change anytime soon. Our future is supposed to be determined next Tuesday, but even though at least one of the candidates seems to embrace trains, science and green energy, let's remember there is a big large party behind him that likes to play safe.

But enough of that. To avoid being bogged down by these mixed feelings, once a while I have to clear my mind and cycling is one thing that keeps me sane.

Last weekend I tried a quick, 30-mile route between Winchendon, MA and Jaffrey, NH. Even though cooler weather was approaching, it still had this perfect New England fall vibe.

Unfortunately, with today's snow. It's all gone now. "Like tears in rain".