I refute all claims that riding a bike (at night, in the weather, etc) is any more dangerous than driving a car in the same conditions.

I usually do so by pointing out that:

1) I can see and hear oncoming cars better at night, both light and sound travel further at night (assuming the cars have their lights on).

2) If a criminal is intent on making you a victim, they will do so regardless of your mode a travel.

3) If I do get hijacked on my bike, i Have three weapons at my disposal, as does anyone in a car. a) speed, b) Ulock (ok you might not have this if you are in a car or walking) c) cell phone.

4) I am not spending nearly as much to get from A to B as a car driver is (read: I spend a tiny bit on maintenance, they spend gas/insurance/licensing/maintenance).

5) if everyone in america rode their bike to work 1 day a week (insert endless ecological, financial, and health benefits here)

6) This city (mpls) has enough bike commuter trails, to make it possible to get from A to B with very little interaction with motor vehicles.

7) the commuter bike trails are often plowed BEFORE the streets in a snowey emergency thing.

8 ) I burn calories on my commute while you just sit there at the red lights and burn fossil fuels.

I guess i could go on, but I made my points, Im sure everyone reading this has similar points to make or better ones.

There is no extra danger involved in riding your bike, doesn't matter if you are male or female or transgender. In many cases biking is both smarter and safer.

Yes.

I'm writing this on my arm so I have a crib sheet of responses- thank you.

(I almost feel like I should start another thread for this article, but it does fit nicely within this topic.)


Straight from the horse's mouth- How to talk about cycling to a conservative, from a republican lawyer, via Commute by Bike



Um, yeah.

Trying to appeal to conservatives is ruining the scene.

My two cents...

I usually just talk about how much I love it... how happy I am when I get to work.
Oh - it's easier than people think...
Yeah, I know that a lot of people are nervous about cars and trucks.
But I love it....

Then, I ask a question - have you ever tried it?

Then I just see where things go from there.

The other day here at work, someone stopped me in the hall to say, I think you've managed to double the number of bike commuters among us....

Yeah baby... what a compliment!


If it's someone I know who's going on me again about safety and such... well, I actually just use the same approach... and then I talk about my child and how much he loves his bikes.... (yes - plural - he's 8 and has a few bikes)... and how much fun it is to organize a neighborhood bike ride to the local library with 3 ro 4 or 5 or maybe even 6 or 7 kids....

I just let them see the happy lee side of biking...

Oh - and I'm on the see food diet - I see it. I want it. I eat it (except in the winter cuz my mileage goes down a bit).....

Oh, and did I mention that I just love it? I'm always happy when I get home from work - no matter what transpired during the day... Well.... okay - that's an exaggeration, but I run a 95% + happy arrival home average... What's your average?

If the person keeps at it.... Well... I just keep at it... talking about all the reasons why I love to ride my bike.

Why? Because I love to ride my bike!

Seriously tho - those downers in our lives will simply latch on to something else if they don't have biking to latch on to.... Right? There's always going to be something you're not doing right. So, biking is low lying fruit to them. Let them have it... Yeah - okay mom (or sister or colleague or what=have-you), I hear you... but let me tell you again about this awesome ride I did yesterday... and let the joy simply spring forth. Besides, you might even end up in a better mood having just remembered how awesome it truly is to ride your bike...

My ride this morning would totally fit into this category... the downer would be all on my case for spending TWO GLORIOUS HOURS riding in the snow along various bikeways that had yet to have been plowed... just enough powder to make the whole bike ride a truly wonderful bike ride... Oh - I could talk about this bike ride for an hour... describing the various obstacles and the happiness I felt doing this with a friend... yes - there was another person actually doing the same thing....

Mmmm - actually - that was great cuz now i have a giant smile on my face, just thinking about how happy I felt this morning before, during, and after that ride!

Epic post!!! Love it!

Thanks, Lee! I do try to use the power of positivity.

Sometimes it's just hard to deal with the tsk-tsking and the head shaking when they say, "You're going to diiiie!" and I say, "But it's so funnnn!"

This is my favorite thread on mbl right now.

the tsk-tsking does get under my skin sometimes....

my response is usually something along the lines of the alternative is really not a healthy option for me. i get really really really mad when i'm stuck in a car at the mercy of traffic doing what traffic does... i feel all pent up... blood pressure rises... i get home cranky...

what's funny is that a lot of the people i tell this to say that driving does that to them too.... only a small handful of people i've talked to say that driving is "relaxing."

so... which is worse? i ask...

if i actually get to this point of the conversation, then i find i can talk about incidences of death in cars... plus, we'll ban a drug for far far far less risk than the risk faced by simply climbing into a vehicle to drive down to the local food store....

in the end - per time spent using each mode of transportation, cycling works out to be safer....

and i get to eat what i want!

i think this link has been posted somewhere on this board at some time in the kind of recent past.... bjorn?

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2007/10/commuting-by-bi/

The referenced post is here:
http://www.grist.org/article/safe-streets/

I like it a lot. It's part of a nice series on biking but I can't find the series link just now.

*ding*
Co-worker gets into the elevator as I unzip my jacket and unbuckle my helmet.
"So you're the crazy lady biking out there!"
"...It doesn't feel crazy.. It feels good!"
"Well, you're crazy!"
*ding*
"Have a nice day."

At the water cooler 10 minutes later, I'm not wearing my winter gear. A coworker that knows I ride walked up to me.
"Did I see you on your bike this morning?"
"Yes, it's a beautiful morning."
"You're crazy! It's too cold to be biking!"
"And yet I just did it. ...The weather was fine this morning and it was a good ride."
"...."
"...."
"Well, have a good day. I just had to come over here and see if you rode in. Crazy!"

Cue Suicidal Tendencies.



Lee, you should check out Dasunt's link for a slightly more up-to-date study that concludes biking is safer than not biking!

Crazy appears to be dressing for the weather and getting in some exercise while reducing commuting costs on the way to work.

Sanity is underdressing, being cold, not exercising, and increasing commuting costs.

Ha! I get this regularly. It even happens in summer sometimes.

Here is another good one.

I was biking home from Microcenter tonight over the Hwy 100 bridge and some guy in a Tahoe actually stopped, rolled down his window and asked if I needed a ride. I replied that I was just fine. He then said "You're crazy!" I replied "Thanks for the compliment, its nice out tonight, as long as you are dressed properly."

In hindsight, I should have taken him up on the ride, and let my bike, which was covered in brown greasy dirty snow, melt in the back of his shiny SUV and then tell him he is crazy for letting such a nice truck get so dirty.

I swear some of these people have never engaged in a winter sport of any kind, such as hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, etc. where you spend an entire day (often not as nice as today) out in the snow/ice/cold and have FUN!

I have an out of the way place to park my bike at work so I usually bring it inside but if the roads are really dirty and slushy I'll park at the rack outside so I don't get the carpet dirty.

Co-workers: What, no bike today? Too cold?
Me: I bike every day, you know that. I just parked outside.

BTW I'm standing there with a helmet and goggles on with a frosty beard when they ask this. They seem to want an opportunity to say, "Crazy delusional biker! I knew you couldn't ride all winter. Practical transportation? Ha!"

All I wanted was a Pepsi! At 3:40: "It doesn't matter I'll probably get hit by a car anyway."

As a result of my attitude about riding and how much I love it and that I continually express how EASY it is to do it, a co-worker of mine has ridden this winter for the FIRST TIME. He asked me a bunch of questions about clothes and stuff. Got what he needed, and has just been doing it. He tells me about how great he feels in the morning after this exercise and how, when he has to drive for whatever reason, he feels agitated that he's not riding, etc. I just laugh and say, "I KNOW!"

Makes me happy.