Bicycles and acting

I live in Los Angeles. I'm an actor. I take public transit and ride my bike to auditions and gigs. It works. People say it can't be done. People say it can be done, but it's incredibly inconvenient. People say it can be done, it's fine for Brendan, but it's not for everyone. I say they're all wrong. Traffic in this city often slows cars to a pace that's slower than my bicycle. For long distances (e.g. Hollywood to Santa Monica) I take a 60 minute bus ride that would have been a 40 minute car drive. It takes 20 minutes longer, but I use the entire time to memorize lines, so it's all bonus. With a bike, it's my exercise. My timing is more predictable, more under control than with a car. There's no searching for parking. I can predict how long it'll take me by bicycle, because unforeseen heavy traffic doesn't influence me much. It's cheaper. I can spend less time working a day job and more time working on my craft or administering my career because I don't have insurance, gas, or parking expenses. When I book gigs that are way out there and inconvenient by bike or bus, I can afford a rental car. In three years and some-odd months of working in Los Angeles, I have never had to turn down a an audition or gig because of the inconvenience of not owning a car. I have not neglected opportunities because of not owning a car. This city's transit system is better than it's given credit for and is getting better. Bicycles are only gaining in popularity, and the city adds miles of bike routes every year.

Get a bike. Get a bus pass. Use them. Save the world. Save yourself.