If you live in a city, you are probably driving to work and paying to park once you get there. One driver in Seattle pays $220 a month to park in the city.
Even if you don’t have big parking costs, it would be nice to save on auto expenses, wouldn’t it?
More than 500,000 Americans think so. That’s the number of people who are currently riding a bike to work each day, according to U.S. census data. In cities such as Davis, Calif., about 20 percent of workers ride their bikes to the workplace.
The League of American bicyclists says getting more of us to do it could reduce traffic jams, air pollution, and obesity. Riding takes only a little more time than driving in most cases. If your commute takes you through congested areas, it could take less.
There’s no need to invest in a fancy bike, just about any 10-speed will do. Whatever you ride, it’s important to have these essentials and accessories: helmet, a helmet- mounted mirror for seeing what’s behind you (About $9), good tires (plus lightweight pump and spare tube), fenders, a bright-colored waterproof vest or jacket, a headlight, a rack and panniers to carry clothes and whatever else you need.
In all seasons except summer, you won’t have to worry about getting sweaty. If you wear a layer or two, you can remove one if you get hot. In summer, some riders carry extra clothes, and some shower at work.
The rewards of riding outweigh the hassles and help keep you healthy. That could result in some cash savings as well.

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If your child injures someone or damages property, will you have to pay the bills? Will the court order it to be debited out of your checking or savings account?
Or maybe it will happen as it did in the case of a boy who thought he was an artist and spray painted the sides of office buildings. His parents were ordered by the court to work with him to repaint the walls. And they had to buy the paint.
Parental liability laws have been passed in 29 states and the District of Columbia. In California, parents can be fined or jailed for allowing children to participate in gangs. Wisconsin requires parents to pay child support when their under-age kids have babies. In Florida, parents can serve jail time if their child hurts another with a gun.
Parental liability laws have been passed to reduce juvenile crime and to compensate victims.
Take steps to keep your family out of trouble.
* Let kids know that if they harm a person or his property, not only will their allowance cease, but you might have to pay a lot of money to the people they hurt. The American Bar Association’s public education division has age-appropriate material about how laws work. Visit abanet.org/publicized.
* Take your kids to visit the court so they can see what happens to young adults guilty of injury, property damage, or drunk driving.
* Supervise. Courts are stern with parents for not knowing what their son or daughter is doing. In Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ohio, parents of chronic school skippers can be fined or jailed.
What to do if it happens: If it’s very serious, call a lawyer. If not, try to negotiate with the injured party. If the injury or damage was accidental, it could be covered by homeowner’s insurance.

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Legislators in several states say multitaskers are taking it too far, using their knees or little fingers to steer their cars while punching in cellphone messages.
Washington is the first state to pass a law banning “driving while texting.” The law takes effect in January and calls for a $101 fine for DWT. So far this year, nine other states have considered such legislation.
Driving while texting is a newer form of driver distraction. It joins such crash-causing activities as making calls on a cellphone, eating, and talking to passengers in the car.
Researchers at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute show that driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. And texting takes a driver’s eyes off the road.
If the drivers’ eyes are away from the roadway for two seconds or more in a six-second window, their risk of being involved in a crash is two times higher than that of an attentive driver.
A 2006 joint report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found 78 percent of crashes involved a driver distracted within three seconds before an accident.
At the Center for Mobile Communications at Rutgers University, they say it’s human nature to know something is dangerous but to believe you can handle it better than others. This false sense of confidence could cost you your life and someone else’s life as well.
Think about it next time you want to be DWT. The time you save could be multiplied many times over as time lost if you are injured in a car crash. You couldn’t call it “an accident.”

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If you bought your lawn mower, paint, or computer but never got the promised rebate, you are one of many. The Federal Trade Commission reports that “the problem is huge.”
It may appear that the main function of rebate processors is to find a reason to deny the money-back offer. Rules are often so complicated and vague that most customers don’t even bother. Rebate complaints have risen 400 percent since 2002 according to the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
To get the rebate you expect:

• Know the terms on the rebate form or store receipt. Ask the retailer to explain the terms.
• Make copies of everything including store receipts, bar codes, forms, product containers, and serial numbers, recommends Sid Kirchheimer, author of Scam-Proof Your Life (AARP/Sterling).
• Fill in every blank on the form. If it asks for your email address, for example, say you don’t have one rather than leaving the space blank.
• Act fast. The average time to submit a claim is now 15 to 30 days.
• Use certified mail and ask for a receipt. Fill out all forms in writing to avoid suspicions of mass-mailing fraud.
• Shop where rebates are easy to apply for. Stores like Staples, Cingular, and Costco let customers fill out rebate forms at the checkout or online. Some stores have the rebate form printed out at the end of the sales receipt.

The best idea: Fill out forms carefully immediately after the purchase. Send them along with required proofs that day or the next day.

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The temperature of the workplace was people’s top complaint for many years. In the same location, some said it was too hot and other workers said it was too cold. Fortunately, some thought the temperature was just right.
Very few people think the ringing of someone’s cellphone is just right. In a study by workforce solutions firm Randstad USA, unusual rings were named as workers’ number one pet peeve.
Randstad reports that many rings are particularly obnoxious like fire engine sirens, a fog horn, or a child’s voice crying out. Many people have several rings to identify various callers such as parents, friends, and spouses.
With so many ringtones available online, it shouldn’t be difficult to pick one that doesn’t drive co-workers and customers to distraction. According to M:Metrics, a Seattle-based research firm, 19.8 million mobile-phone users downloaded ringtones in one recent month. About half of them were employed full time.
Part of the problem is with more open workspaces. Some companies pipe “white sound” into open areas to reduce noise. Another factor is the increased number of young people who have grown up with cellphones.
Most organizations require that phones be set on vibrate during meetings and when talking with customers.
We should remember that discretion is best when choosing a ringtone. Consider what bosses and co-workers will think when your phone rings.

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