I am so tired of people being made fun of for choosing to ride their bicycles to work or to walk instead of driving a car.
It all started maybe two months ago upon seeing an insurance commercial where a man was riding his bike to work because he could not affor his insurance. Then a woman comes down the stairs and makes fun of his outfit. While his reasons may not have been about the environment, the commercial still shined a very negative light on bike riding.
Ok, so they are an insurance company and they want money but that was just wrong. People like the man in the commercial should be applauded and rewarded. Having less cars on the road reduces the gas needed and used and all of those nasty emissions. Plus it is quite a nice workout (which is something Americans seem to be lacking nowadays).
There is a teacher at my school who I have seen riding her bike to and from work everyday that the weather is nice. A few days ago some kids who were walking home laughed at her as they saw her riding in the street, using proper arm turning signals and everything. I was outraged and I really felt like shouting at them to shut up and telling the teacher that I thought she was doing a really cool thing.
Now being only 18 there really isn't anything I can do to get more people to do things such as this. I believe if a person lives within a certain radius of their destination they should always look for an alternate means of transportation instead of a car. If everybody did their part and for once decided to leave the keys on the counter and just walk or ride a bike then we could greatly reduce many of the things wrong today.
I'm all for it. If I had a bike, and somewhere to ride it to, I so would. In fact, I would rock that bike like nobody's business. And I would feel damn good about it too. I think that people that choose to ride their bikes or walk as opposed to driving should be commended for helping the environment. I mean, why aren't we making fun or leering at the man driving the hummer? He's the one making life worse for the rest of us.
Oh I could laugh so hypocritically at the hummer driver. Our family vehicle is a four door silvarado...the last time I filled it up it cost nearly a hundred dollars. We hardly go places as a family unless we plan for a whole day of errands in town. If the hummer's gas tank is the size of the trucks and the milage is equally outragous....
Asimportant as the enviroment is, bike hiding is good for health and finances too.
~T
all truths are easy to understand once discovered; the point is to discover them ~galileo
Out of curiosity, what are your reasons for not having a bike? And why do you not have anywhere to ride it? is it a safety issue? I ask these questions because I think that if you really want to bike-commute, than you can find a way too. Because you are right, the enviroment is a big issue.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tricia0711
well there are a couple reasons for not having a bike. 1 because I can't afford to buy one right now, and 2 if I had one it would probably sit because I have really bad knees a lot of time doing anything more than walking really kills me.
and I don't have anywhere to ride it to because I live in an extremely busy city and my neighborhood is situated in the middle of some of the busiest streets so it's pretty dangerous.
As for me now, I don't drive anyways and my parents don't drive all that much. when I get to school I'll be walking everywhere so it'll be okay.
leer at the man driving the Hummer...or at least, that has become accepted behavior here in Portland. What I like about other cyclists, is that they make ONE LESS MUTHERFUCKIN' CAR THAT'S GONNA RUN ME OVER on the road. Sorry...just been almost hit several times in the last few weeks. I once had a man stop me while I was riding my bike because he was doing a cycling survey and he asked "what would make this road safer?" At the time I just shrugged, but when I think about it I realize I should have said, "encourage more people to ride their bikes so there are less vehicles on this road TO KILL ME!" Lots and lots of pedestrians and cyclists have been hit and killed around here lately, and that really scares me. So get out there and ride your bikes...if I collide with another bike, chances are, we won't kill each other.
Love ya,
Carrot
why can't things be more like that here? not the almost getting hit but the thing about people actually riding or walking...there are so many freaking cars here...well I guess state capitol what do you really expect...but still I wish I could really visibly see people around here trying to make a difference
Now being only 18 there really isn't anything I can do to get more people to do things such as this.
What do you mean you can't do anything?
You blogged about it on ProU... that's the first thing... now get out there and spread the word!! :)
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Your Tongue is a Rudder; It Steers the Whole Ship, Sends Your Words Past Your Lips or Keeps Them Safe Behind Your Teeth... [Brand New]