Yeah, transportation is an issue. I'll drive to SF, but I'll want to park my car once I get there. I find it to be one of the most car hostile cities I've ever driven in and prefer to just get to a location and then dump my car once I'm there. I really don't like trying to drive around, especially in the city proper.

Bus service within the city is decent, and not too expensive. I find it cranky-making for actual commuting, but when I commute, I'm going 20 miles across the lake and starting from a 'hood on the edges of decent service. All the stuff you'd want to actually do/go to is an easy bus ride.

There's also a ride free zone downtown, and the locals all have cars or access to cars.

In addition, Paul could in theory snag the Flexcar minivan for a whole day.

I really don't like trying to drive around, especially in the city proper.

That's me in LA. Nothing will induce me to drive there. Left turns allowed everywhere with no controlling lights = Deb walking to many many places.

In addition, Paul could in theory snag the Flexcar minivan for a whole day.

Plei, is that handicapped-utile? Because if the vote goes for Seattle, that would be a humongous plus.

Plei, is that handicapped-utile? Because if the vote goes for Seattle, that would be a humongous plus.

I don't know if they have a handicapped-ready one. He only usually uses the Flexcars for errand running and rescuing me when I've locked my keys in the car. It is, however, much cheaper for him to take out a car via Flex than it is to rent one.

Is Flex like Zipcar?

Jon B had a Jeep Liberty

They foisted an SUV on me! It wasn't my fault! I was supposed to get a Neon!

They foisted an SUV on me! It wasn't my fault! I was supposed to get a Neon!

t points and laughs

Yuppie scum!

Kind of my point - the availability of cars and drivers for an area has to be considered.

I think the thing to consider is ease of movement, and if that's cars and whatnot, great. It could be also good public transportation.

It could be also good public transportation.

Yep. But public transportation as the only way around for a lot of people means two other things that I feel ought to be in the city pimpage, pros and cons: the outdoor temperatures and the times things stop running.

Vegas, for instance, in the daytime, can literally get so damned hot - even in May - that standing outside in a bus shelter for fifteen minutes can roughly equate to what I'd imagine a peanut feels like, being dry-roasted. We've tried that, waiting for a bus from the Strip (we'd already returned our car rental, had three hours to kill before plane home) to downtown. Not fun, unless you're a gila monster. OTOH, they run a lot of their buses basically 24/7, which would go inthe plus column.

Remember DC? It was so hot that even the two block walk between your car (I looooooooooove your car) and the hotel basically left me limper than overcooked pasta.

Though to be fair, DC is not normally that hot in May. It was a freak heat wave.

As we've now had a second freak heat wave in May par-broilingconflicting with a f2f location, I think it might be a good thing to include in the general planning assumptions though.