Like Yantis, downtown resident Antony Nispel gets most everywhere on his bike. The Japantown resident is also a devoted transit rider, and has written a booklet on How to Thrive on Public Transit in and About Santa Clara Valley. Nispel, who works as a substitute teacher and guitar instructor, is also an active Tree Amigo with Our City Forest. He was 15 when he was hit by a motorist while walking accross the street. He has been in a wheelchair since.
Motorists can be maniacs.
A lot of them are too impatient to wait for you to cross the street. He bicycles to work from his home in Saratoga. Chew says that he used to drive a BMW, then in 1984 he traded in his car for a pair of roller skates. I have no car payments, no insurance payments, no overhead. Chew is living proof that you don't need a car to be an active citizen in San Jose.