Burritos and Bikes, with a Few Thoughts on Community

Friday’s “Ride Your Bike to Chipotle and Get a Free Burrito Day.”  Sponsored by Chipotle (5/20/11)

Despite the terrible humidity on Friday, I braved the afternoon heat to ride my bike over to Chipotle for a free burrito.  I was not brave enough to face the lunch crowd, and I wasn’t sure if I’d be done with my morning lab stuff in time to get lunch at Chipotle.  Instead, I went over around 2 PM to pick up a burrito to eat for my afternoon snack or for dinner later that day.

The restaurant wasn’t crowded when I arrived, and I saw that they had posted an announcement for their Free Burrito Day on Friday.  Sadly, though, my burrito-maker told me that they did not get a lot of bike traffic for their Free Burrito Day.  I wondered if it was simply a lack of promotion—I only knew about the event because someone had contacted me by e-mail to see if I’d be willing to spread the word via my blog(s).  And I felt kinda guilty too—maybe I should have posted something on my food blog?  I only shared the information on this blog because it seemed like a better fit.

It warms my bike-loving heart whenever I see people bike-commuting around College Station.  Even if Chipotle’s turnout wasn’t huge, I’m happy to see a restaurant in town declaring itself pro-bike by offering something delicious to bike commuters.  College Station is a car-heavy town, and it can be tough to be an environmentalist in a place that seems to care so little about green issues.  The state of Texas is notoriously lackadaisical when it comes to green living; the state’s long history of oil production has saturated the attitudes of its people.  But I remain committed to my belief in low-carbon footprints, and to me, using your own two legs to get around town is one of the best ways to stay fit and live green.  I feel a sense of solidarity when I see other people on bikes because it takes numbers to raise awareness and to make a community a bike-friendly one.  I’d like to think that bike love in College Station is only going to increase as gas prices continue to fluctuate and people realize all the terrific advantages that bike-riding offers them…even in Texas.

PS  I should mention that Chipotle didn’t sponsor me personally to write this post.  They gave me a free burrito for riding my bike to the restaurant on Friday, but there was no additional incentive to write this post or to advertise their Free Burrito Day.  I just happen to like Chipotle a lot!