Machka 

I know where there's a pay phone in northern Tasmania.

autonomy

I'd hate to be the on to tell you how schools and roads work in this country...

Regarding tap water - I'll drink it in my state, rarely, but only because I generally know where it's coming from. Most of the time I drink water filtered using a Doulton ceramic filter. With PFAS, pesticides, and prescription medication making it into the water supply, my household just sees it as an extra precaution against all the crap that we get exposed to through food and drink.
https://www.ewg.org/release/mapping-...ites-43-states

Generally, when I go out on rides I plan on being 100% self-sufficient barring extreme circumstances, meaning I carry snacks/food, water, repair kit/tools and a small first-aid kit, and I don't have a dependency on or an expectation to use water fountains or convenience stores.

jamesdak 

Completely different and yeah I know. So funny how people only picked up on taxed part of the issue not the new tax vs decreased services that I put out there. Guess I don't express myself well.

Now give me some damn free water!

CyclingFever

Except services aren't being decreased. They've just shifted away from something you used (so good tax) to something you don't (bad bad tax). We got NIMBYs here too haha.

jamesdak 

This is what keeps the internet so entertaining. Strangers telling others what's going on in the others' neighborhoods without even having a real clue. Do you live here? Do you ride past these parks repeatedly each day, do you attend the park committee meetings, do you attend the community planning committee meetings, do you sit on the community general plan advisory committee, do you even know where I'm talking about? If the answer is no then go play with someone else.

But thanks for the good laughs and entertainment.

CyclingFever

I am just going off of what you have said. Water fountains out, playgrounds in.

LesterOfPuppets

Makes sense to me. If you put a playground in where drinking fountains exist, what are you gonna get?

Well hydrated kids.

Once you get a buncha well hydrated kids in a park then you're gonna need some restrooms.

jamesdak 

???? Maybe go back and read it again. Not at all what I said.

Wait....nevermind. I'm arguing for no reason. Moving on, life's to short for the games.

CyclingFever

Sounds good.

terrymorse 

Throwing this out there as a useful resource to cyclists:

This iPhone App shows available drinking fountains on a map. Very handy when you're riding in an unfamiliar area.

It's from wetap.org, a non-profit. From their site:


WeTap improves awareness, access and use of public drinking fountains, reducing dependence on single-use plastic, while improving public health.

ussprinceton

I only know of the ones at Public Parks

Garfield Cat

Homeless use the fountains for body washing, if you know what I mean.

philbob57

Nah. It's the adults who need the restrooms. The kids can figure something out on their own, although the older ones may want bushes....

Probably not. Tax money probably paid for a good deal of the maintenance.

Are you OK paying for schools?

Froomewannabe

In high school I was at the '90 Nat'l FFA convention in Kansas City when I was asking and looking for a water fountain and I recall some girls trying to figure out why I wanted a big "water fountain".... then they finally realized I was looking for a "bubbler" in their words. My first encountered the word/usage.


Luckily I live in Little Rock and we have a great "Arkansas River Trail" which have several bubblers along it, also have the dog bowl at the bottom. The trail itself is maintained by the city/state, i.e. taxes. Funny how I don't mind my taxes going to help maintain this trail, now that I have started cycling. Five years ago when I never used this trail I would have likely told you that was a waste of "my money".


In addition, last week participated in 100k Wampoo and every year the entry fee proceeds are used for bike friendly stuff along the trail and in the LR area. Last years seem like they added another bike repair station along the trail.


I do think in general there are fewer and fewer people who want to drink from a bubbler. They would rather go into a convenient store or machine and put in a buck and get their bottled water.

jamesdak 

rebel1916

I'm sorry sir, but this is the road cycling forum

rebel1916

You have representation.

jamesdak 

Not when we are now taxed for this newly formed local park organization and the park committee over the parks is appointed not elected. How is that representation?

rebel1916

Even if that's the case, elected officials appoint the commission, and pass any tax increases for them.

kcblair

Yep, I drink tap water. Most of my rides pass through a park, which has public water taps. Other areas I ride through, have country stores, were I purchase a bottle, fill my bottles , and recycle the plastic at the store. KB

jamesdak 

Which may be challenged in court and abolished. The state allowed something similar with a law they put in place in relation to incorporating new towns. Basically a majority land owner (ski resort) was able to incorporate several hundred homes into a town against the will of all those people and able to appoint their own government. This was challenged in court and overturned. There's discussion going on right now to do the same over this park commission.

MSchott

I downloaded the WeTap app and sadly there are basically no water taps on any of my routes. I ride past some good size public parks and there are no taps at these. The only water indicated is at golf courses which is worthless for a cyclist. Convenient stores it is!

CyclingFever

Tragedy of the commons

indyfabz

A guy in my club sometimes leads a ride in a relatively rural area. A couple of times we used a private golf course as a rest/water/bathroom stop. The place welcomed us. There is a public course not all that far from my house with bathrooms and water.

diphthong

riding in so cal, haven’t noticed a lack of working water fountains/taps except in the large confines of the angeles national forest north of la. seems like a majority if not all are turned off on the mondays and tuesdays ive been up there march-november. haven’t noticed the like in the nearby san bernardino or cleveland national forests. plenty of parks, athletic fields still out there with working fountains. have ditched the water bottles except for the long boonies rides so hitting fountains a few times on the longer rides.