I love bikes but now it is for recreational purposes. I live in an area where it gets to 115* in the summer and I have 2 kids to haul around so that is one reason this wouldn't work, and yes it is a choice and that is cool at we all have choices. I think if I lived and worked in like Santa Monica it would wor well as you want a bike there as traffic sucks and that is the best way to get around. You would have to give up the car to afford the insane rent there.