A better place to stick your gum…

Anyone who takes transit is familiar with monthly passes and Faresavers. In the spirit of these passes, which will be fading into the realm of folklore with the advent of the Compass in 2013, I present to you, the Metrobench!

Recycling everyday items into functional art is a project Stephen Shaheen, artist and resident of New York City, took on for a recent exhibit. He found meaning and purpose in the highly disposable New York City Metrocards and decided to recycle 5 000 of them into an amazingly cool, sculptural bench.

The Metrobench is not only Brilliant, Stylish, and Functional, it’s also Eco-Friendly! This is a fantastic piece of design. I love it’s fluidity and can’t wait to see what else Shaheen has to offer in the future.

Unfortunately a bench made from our existing monthly passes and faresavers would never survive the torrential rainstorms Vancouver is (in)famous for [nearly] year-round. One good downpour and instead of a bench you would find thousands of rectangular-shaped cardboard pieces disintegrated into a soggy mass of putrid pulp, lacking form or function.

Just imagine our new plastic Compass cards morphing into bright blue, rainproof bus shelters.  We all know the lower mainland could definitely benefit from more bus shelters. If only I had the artistic vision, time, and tenacity to follow through with this crazy idea… Not to mention the thousands upon thousands of Compass cards needed for this creative endeavour… Calling all Vancouver artists & Translink…

So Much More Than a Simple Bike Ride…

What does a bike ride mean to you?
Some of you may choose to bike to work, reducing your carbon footprint while getting some much needed exercise. Others may opt for more adrenaline-fueled activities, such as mountain biking in Whistler. For me, biking has always been a fun summer activity. I love renting a bike and riding around the Stanley Park seawall when the weather is warm and sunny, taking in our beautiful city.

But, imagine a bike ride meaning so much more to someone…

For the women of Buhoma, Uganda, a bicycle is not only a mode of transportation, but the opportunity to learn employable skills and find gainful employment. I never thought two wheels and a metal frame could mean so much for an entire community. Ride 4 A Woman (R4W) is a non-profit organization that has set up bike rentals and tours of the Biwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This initiative not only promotes economic development within the region but, has provided women with an opportunity to earn more money to support their families. In addition, R4W provides each woman with her own bicycle, greatly decreasing travel time and the need to walk great distances.

I know I complain about the hassles and stresses of using our public transit system (just read my tweets!). But,  I can’t even entertain the thought of having to walk everywhere – It would literally take me hours to do anything!  Many of us forget that the simple things we take for granted can create postive changes in someone else’s life, many times, in immeasurable ways. If you’re interested in their bike tours or donating to the R4W organization, just visit their website and check it out! This is definitely added to my Bucket List…