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Show FAMILY 04 EDITOR: SHARON GHOLDSTON WEDNESDAY, APRIL f, 1998 THE DAILY HERALD 344-254- 8 Joseph Walker Short cuts no good against wife's short legs The shop: Zap executive Gary Star, right, makes " way for saies-- ' man Jim Jeremias who rolls out on ' Have I ever told you how much I love Anita's eyes? They really are extraordinary. I mention this only because I'm about to talk about her legs, and I've learned through sad experience that it's best to lead with a positive especially when I'm about to be negative. Don't get me wrong my wife has g legs. They're short and stubby, but that's not her fault- - Blame her father. He's got the shortest legs this side of Oz. And Anita has his legs. But that doesn't stop her from abusing me with them every morning when we go walking. Even though I can cover about twice as much territory as she can with each stride, she get3 those short little legs churning and I can't keep up with her. I spend most of our walking time looking at her ... well, from behind, and trying to come up with reasons to slow the pace. At least a little. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?" I asked one day last week. an electric skateboard recently in San Francisco. great-lookin- LaRA CLRR1 ban francisco Chronicle Electric bikemaker perns firsi. stores By DAY ID San Francisco Chronicle EBASTOPOL, Calif. ZAP bikes look like regu- lar bikes, with gears, brakes and pedal3 that let "Uh-huh- ." you ride them in a normal fashion. The only differ OK, so Anita isn't especially into aesthetics when she's power-walkin- g. I PAUSED a moment, not so much my breath. "So," I for effect as to catch said at last, "why don't we slow down a bit so we can take it all in?" Til take it all in when we get home." "But we can chat (pant! gasp!) and enjoy the day while we walk," I coun- tered chat at home." Yeah, right just as soon a3 I'm through having my stroke. I gathered my strength for one last shot. "But strolling in the fresh air ..." "Strolling i3 for babies," she said, "and there's fresh air at home." Tough, relentless and No wonder I love this woman! Finally, after two torturous miles, n we slowed for the portion of walk. our "There!" she said, smiling brightly. "We can short-legge- d. cool-dow- "Didn't that feel good?" "Sure, if you can include hangnails and kidney stones in your definition of feeling good.7" "But just think how great youll feel once we get you back into shape," she said. "You're well-tone- d . Shanghai, China and Maui, with Florida, and New York to follow in April. By year-en-d, ZAP , and managing director Gary that there will be 20 franchises around the country renting and selling his bikes and scooters. ZAP the name stands for Zero Air Pollution is hoping that tourists and Stan-predicts- through questionable ethical tactics. Sometimes you think there has to be an easier way and usually, there is. It's rare, however, when the easy way is also the right way. Achieving success in any endeavor is a process that almost always requires sacrifice, especially if we're going to do it right But like Anita says, why expend time and energy on something if we're not going to do it right? You should see the look in her eyes when she says that. Have I ever told you how much I love those eyes? Joseph Walker is a nationally syndicated columnist who lives in American residents will rent the bikes for scenic tours of the city, and be so impressed that they'll eventually buy one. "We think most people kind of want to get out of their gas cars," said Starr, who is an evangelist for clean air. "With a ZAP bike, you can get exercise if you want to, but if you want a little help going up hills or just riding around seeing things, you've got the power when you need it." The bikes are cheap to ride the battery can be recharged for about a nickel. Recharging, however, takes up to three hours. Mos people don't have time to sit around waiting for a battery to charge. To alleviate that problem and expand the radius of an electrically-assiste- d ride, ZAP ia opening "stations" in San Francisco where riders can swap depleted batteries for ones that are fully charged. Initially, there will be two stations, one near Golden Gate Park and the other in Sausalito. Similar recharging stations are planned for Shanghai. ZAP also is unveiling a smart card there that will let riders charge the charge. Founded in 1994, ZAP claims to ; have sold more than 9,000 bikes and upgrade kits worldwide in 60 countries, either through direct mail or bike stores that distribute its products. Today, it has 44 employees, including half a dozen at the new San Francisco store. Last summer, ZAP was one of the first companies to go public via the Internet, raising about $2.5 million. It recently was listed for trading under the symbol ZAPP, and has been cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise an additional $3 million through a secondary offering. Publicity generated by the Internet IPO convinced ZAP officials that the time was right to enter the retail market with franchise stores of its own. "We'd gotten so much interest from around the world that the next stage seemed to be that we had to move from the Internet and mail order to this," said Starr, gesturing around the Fisherman's Wharf shop. "I think we're just beginning to understand the potential for electric bikes," Starr said, adding that studies he has seen suggest that the market could reach $50 billion. The number of companies selling electric bikes has blossomed in recent years, particularly in Asia, wJler'e bicycles are a primary form of transportation. Both Yamaha and Honda are in the game there. At the San " Francisco outlet, American Rentals, customers pay $20 to rent an electric bike for two hours, or $40 for a full day. Or you can buy a new one $700 for a cruiser model, or about $900 for a mountain bike twice what you'd expect to pay for a comparable, non- electric bike. The prices in China are about half as much due primarily to a lesser markup. Kits also are available for adding power assist to existing bikes, starting at $375. In the United States, ZAP is the n competilargest of some tors. "After three years in business, they've proven themselves innova. - half-doze- tive, fair and capable," said Rob Means of Milpitas, who resells electric bikes. "ZAP is the kind of company that will grow up with this industry." Baby on board: How to keep your children safe in the car HAIGHT Knight Ridder Newspapers corpse." "YOU KNOW what they say: no pain, no gain," she said. She paused, then she took my hand. "I know it's hard," she said gently. "But we can't avoid it if we're going to accomplish anything. And the way I see it, why expend time and energy on something if we're not going to do it right?" It's a good question, isn't it? We all face painful realities in our lives. Aspiring pianists think practicing is a pain. Watch a world class athlete work out, and youH eventually see a face twisted in agony. It's hard to stay true to principles of honor and integrity when you see others getting ahead Fork. ence is the battery mounted in the center of the frame, and the drive gear that turns the rear wheel. With power assist, a ZAP bike can go for about 15 miles at a top speed of 15 miles per hour. And, with a handful of new stores selling its electric bikes, ZAP Power Systems is on a roll. The company in March opened its first retail outlets in San Francisco, By KATHY right. Ill make a lovely, EINSTEIN Cynthia McKinley noticed her son, Cameron, was getfor his car safety seat. a little big ting So she made some calls, trying to find out what's safe and what's legal to do when he outgrows it. Three North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicle offices and one Highway Patrol office later, the Weddington, N.C., mom had four different answers and no clear idea what to do. "Does anyone know what the true law in North Carolina is?" she wrote to The Charlotte Observer. "I want to do what is safest for my child regardless of what the law says." So we at the family desk who have children of our own and think went lookoften about their safety ing for answers. We found that state laws on children's safety seats are only a starting point for safety. What you really need to consider is a combination of factors, including the size of your child, the type and age of your safety seat and the way you strap into your car. your kid and the seat to go "The law allows a into a seat belt," says Bill Hall, staff associate with the Highway Safety calling her safety seat's manufacturer. "They said my son's earlobes needed to remain below the back of the headrest" of his safety seat to be safe, McKinley said. Since Cameron's pass the test, he's still in the same seat. But even when he outgrows it, Hall recommends using a booster seat until Cameron is big enough to safely wear a lapshoulder belt without the shoulder belt cutting across his face or throat. ear-lob- Toddlers to 40 pounds i What's safe for toddlers from 20 to 40 pounds and from about age 1 to 4? The safety seat should be in a fully upright position. The safety seat's shoulder straps Knight Ridder Newspapers es front-facin- more information on car seat safety or for help with specific . questions, call: The number of your car safety seat manufacturer. You can get this from directory assistance by calling (800) 55&1212. For toll-fre- y . must be in the highest slots unless manufacturer's instructions say otherwise. Secure the car seat snugly with your car's seat belt. Then, with the child out of the seat, press your knee down into the car seat with all your weight while pulling the seat belt even tighter. When your child's ears reach the top of the safety seat or the seat's harness is too short when fully extended, move the child to a booster seat or seat belt. e The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's auto safety hotline, (800) (provides car safety seat recall infor-mation. You'll need the model name and number of the seat and its date cf manufacture). 424-939- 3 Conform to safety What's safe in general? Make sure your car safety seat has a label stating that it conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. Always read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installing and using the seat. Also check your car's owner's manual to make sure your safety seat can be safely used in your car. To install a safety seat, a seat belt must be routed through the correct slots on the car seat and fastened as tightly as possible. Ihe safest place for children 12 and especially younger is the backseat if the front seat has a passenger-sid- e air bag. , On trie World Wide Web: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Babies to 20 pounds Research Center at University of What's safe for babies up to 20 North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "In most cases, that's not really adequate pounds and up to about one year of age? g The safety seat must, be in a protection for a child." an answer until the is over by McKinley finally got baby position rear-facin- ; www.nhtsa.dot.govpeople. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Center for injury Prevention: www.childsafety.org. 20 pounds and one year of age. A safety seat's shoulder straps must be threaded through the seat so they meet the baby at or below the shoulders (usually the lowest slots on the seat). The baby's back should rest at about . a angle. If the. baby's head falls forward, try putting a tightly rolled bath towel under the front edge of the safety seat to tilt it back a little. g Never install a safety sest in a seat with an air bag. ee rear-facin- g, Children over 40 pounds What's safe for children weighing more than 40 pounds? Children who outgrow toddler seats should use your car's lapshoulder belts if they fit properly. (The lap belt fits low and tight across upper thighs. The shoulder belt must cross the collarbone and chest instead of the throat or face.) If the child i3 too small for a lapshoulder belt, use a booster seat, which raises the child up high enough for a lapshoulder belt to fit safely. Avoid shoulder-bel- t positioners (the little plastic or canvas devices that attach to the lapshoulder belt). They aren't covered by federal safety standards and may do more harm than good. belt-positioni- IPOOR i |