Living Car Free - Reversion

OK, I went to the grocery after work, same time as usual. A few weeks ago it was difficult to find bike parking, the rack was full. Today, one other bike. The weather is wonderful. I guess I was wrong to think the full bike racks were a sign of a permanent change.

I prefer to think of it as a bumper crop of cheap used bikes next spring.

Personally, I like it better when people are on bikes simply because they enjoy riding. I have mixed feelings about people having to ride bikes (and possibly hating the experience) because they are under economic pressure.

It could be that we are going to have a much needed respite from all the recent oil & economic troubles. I'm going to enjoy it. (On my bike, of course!)

Personally, I like it better when people are on bikes simply because they enjoy riding. I have mixed feelings about people having to ride bikes (and possibly hating the experience) because they are under economic pressure.

It could be that we are going to have a much needed respite from all the recent oil & economic troubles. I'm going to enjoy it. (On my bike, of course!)
You're right. I was hoping that more people would have fun with it and continue even after the price of gas dropped.

You're right. I was hoping that more people would have fun with it and continue even after the price of gas dropped.

I think a certain number of people will find that they like it enough to continue riding at least sometimes.

Well, I think it is good if people use a more rational form of transportation, whether they like it or not.

From what I've been able to observe, there are still as many cyclists out on the streets in Austin as there were earlier in the summer.

Think of this as a trial run for next year. (And future years)

Gas prices are not going to go down appreciably... yeah, they may drop for a little bit, but they'll go back up again... and keep going up.

A lot of people got out and tried biking more places... some of them enjoyed it and will continue doing so... others just realized that it WAS an option, but now they're back in their cars for a bit... they'll be back, though.

What really gets me is how reactionary and short-term people are about the price of gasoline. People express so much drama when the price hikes hit, even though they could probably cover the additional expense by eating out less during the week. Now things seem to be quieting down again...

But those who require significant utilities to heat their home during winter had best keep biking if money is their motivator. Home heating increases will likely dwarf the fuel price increase we "enjoyed" earlier this summer. I'm sure there will be a great wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then we'll have a brief reprieve before next summer's fuel prices hit the roof and we get endless "Pain at the Pump" headlines.

Think of this as a trial run for next year. (And future years)

Gas prices are not going to go down appreciably... yeah, they may drop for a little bit, but they'll go back up again... and keep going up.

A lot of people got out and tried biking more places... some of them enjoyed it and will continue doing so... others just realized that it WAS an option, but now they're back in their cars for a bit... they'll be back, though.

Sadly, I must disagree to a point. The oil companies have now "conditioned" people to the new
price levels that will be required to buy fuels. That said, Americans will suck it up and go back
to their comfortable "I don't wanna sweat" cars and let Johnny & Jane pay for their own education. :notamused:

Sadly, I must disagree to a point. The oil companies have now "conditioned" people to the new
price levels that will be required to buy fuels. Yes, their conspiracy is really working for them this time. Pity they didn't think of it when gas was 0.89/gallon, eh?

Sadly, I must disagree to a point. The oil companies have now "conditioned" people to the new
price levels that will be required to buy fuels. That said, Americans will suck it up and go back
to their comfortable "I don't wanna sweat" cars and let Johnny & Jane pay for their own education. :notamused:

For some, this may be true... others have reached the point where they're still willing to try something new. Starting the first of Sept. my landlady is planning on using the bus and lightrail 4 days a week rather than driver her Expedition.

Oh, yeah... did I mention the 40% hike in heating prices going into effect here this fall?

I don't actually see much in the way of reversion going on here. There are still a lot of people getting around on bicycles. I imagine this will drop off as the weather gets colder, but I think there will be more about than last year.

One problem I've run into is the bike rack at work. It's pretty much full every day -- or at least every decent day. Now we have two scooter owners who seem to think their proper place is muscling into the bike rack. They park right next to it where I used to attach my cable lock unto the last rack slot (even if there was a bike in it...). Now I can't get close to it.

What's with these scooters?

Scooters?

All the negatives about trying to park a bike, and none of the positives.

(IE: They can be fairly easily picked up and carted off, but you can't find nearly as many out of the way places to park them, and you can't bring them inside)

I'd rather have a motorcycle than a scooter. The extra speed (and yes, noise) of the cycle makes it a far more roadworthy vehicle than bike and scooter put together. But since I don't have to choose between the two (already have a car and a bike), I'll stick with the bike.

One thing I do like about scooters is that they tend to move around at a slower speed. If you live anywhere where these things are popular, traffic generally is slower and, even if lanes aren't well defined, you feel a little safer. It makes the range between cement trucks and bicycles more like a spectrum and forces larger vehicles to deal with things smaller and slower than themselves.

One thing that does scare me about "reversions" as described above is that they indicate that riding bicycles is a tactic, a kind of knee-jerk reaction to a situation. This means folks aren't looking at cycling and other means of human-powered transportation as a "strategy" for the future.

This all seems to fit in with just about everything I read or hear about people's reaction to higher gas prices. It's like they fail to see the bigger, long-term picture... essentially where all this is headed. That's why you hear them talk about drilling near the US coast or buying smaller cars (or even buying bicycles...). It's just a reaction and there's no sense of direction to it...

Am I reading too much into this?

One thing I do like about scooters is that they tend to move around at a slower speed. If you live anywhere where these things are popular, traffic generally is slower and, even if lanes aren't well defined, you feel a little safer. It makes the range between cement trucks and bicycles more like a spectrum and forces larger vehicles to deal with things smaller and slower than themselves.

:o Most scooters around here are perfectly capable of 50mph or more. They don't slow car traffic down at all. They're a favorite choice of university students, so you get all the joys of car speed and all the lawbreaking of a bike. And twice the bike rack blocking too! I know a lot of the parking ramps *could* take scooters... and I'd rather like to see it be a stiff ticket for parking a scooter on the sidewalk.

That said, there are an awful lot of designated scooter parking places, so that does help (not as many as for bikes, but more than for bikes in most places). And most CDL holders in Madison are very careful, so even if cars and scooters are being crazy, there are some safe drivers.

Also, the bike racks are staying fuller than they were last year. Even the racks for the grocery store out back are often full, despite them being on a busy street (chained up wheelbender, and a set of thin staples bolted to the concrete... probably they think it's 20 spaces, but in practice it's more like 10).

One thing that does scare me about "reversions" as described above is that they indicate that riding bicycles is a tactic, a kind of knee-jerk reaction to a situation. This means folks aren't looking at cycling and other means of human-powered transportation as a "strategy" for the future.

This all seems to fit in with just about everything I read or hear about people's reaction to higher gas prices. It's like they fail to see the bigger, long-term picture... essentially where all this is headed. That's why you hear them talk about drilling near the US coast or buying smaller cars (or even buying bicycles...). It's just a reaction and there's no sense of direction to it...

Am I reading too much into this?

Well, isn't this how our economic system is supposed to work? Short term greed is supposed to result in optimal allocation of resources for the long term. We aren't supposed to have to think beyond our noses in order for the capitalistic system to magically result in the greatest good for the greatest number. I can't say I understand our economic system since it seems like going car free is the most greedy thing I've done yet most people don't make that same choice.

For most people, the car is a true addiction. They've literally built their lives around the thing. It is EXTREMELY difficult for them to go without one for very long. One or two days a week biking are one thing, but a week away from the car and they start acting like junkies. You'll know the Kar Kultur is really breaking apart when you see abject panic on the streets and vehicles simply abandoned by the side of the road when they run out of gas. We're not there yet, but we will be.

For most people, the car is a true addiction. They've literally built their lives around the thing. It is EXTREMELY difficult for them to go without one for very long. One or two days a week biking are one thing, but a week away from the car and they start acting like junkies. You'll know the Kar Kultur is really breaking apart when you see abject panic on the streets and vehicles simply abandoned by the side of the road when they run out of gas. We're not there yet, but we will be.

This talk of addiction seems like an exaggeration on the individual level. Addicts lie, cheat and steal from even their closest family members to get their drug. I can't imagine for example a car dependent person surreptitiously siphoning gas from a close family member to get his or her fix of driving. Now, the nation being an addict that will lie, cheat and steal from its closest allies in order to get oil, that might occur. Did we lie to our allies to invade Iraq? Is this animosity toward Russia about the oil pipeline that evades both Iran and Russia or about supporting democracy in Georgia? If Russia makes just a few grabs it can control the supply of drug to the junkie nations. Are the junkie nations getting worried? No, they're cool, they don't really need that Caspian oil, they can quit any time right? Just listen to the presidential candidates still talking about being free of foreign oil like they talked in the '70s. As a nation we could've quit in the '70s but since we knew we could quit any time with a techno fix- our politicians kept telling us so- we choose to live it up. Individually, we probably won't act like a drug addict and trash our entire social network just to get to drive one last time, but collectively as a nation, it looks like we will act that way.

Jeezus... talk about jumping to conclusions...

Well, isn't this how our economic system is supposed to work? Short term greed is supposed to result in optimal allocation of resources for the long term. We aren't supposed to have to think beyond our noses in order for the capitalistic system to magically result in the greatest good for the greatest number. I can't say I understand our economic system since it seems like going car free is the most greedy thing I've done yet most people don't make that same choice.

At least that is the picture of US business that we are always presented with. The quarterly bottom line trumps all other planning. And, to an extent, it also characterizes a lot of our decision-making.

Still, I don't think this country could have survived the last 250 years without an attitude that went a little beyond the current moment. Even in terms of infrastructure, the government had to consider long term goals in building a railway or the highways we see now. And there's no real reason why a capitalist system couldn't think beyond the next 3 months.

But I'm afraid our government and many of its citizens are just caught up recently in a myopic view of thing. What we really need are some "vision" leaders, who are not above inflicting short-term pain for a better future.

At least that is the picture of US business that we are always presented with. The quarterly bottom line trumps all other planning. And, to an extent, it also characterizes a lot of our decision-making.

Still, I don't think this country could have survived the last 250 years without an attitude that went a little beyond the current moment. Even in terms of infrastructure, the government had to consider long term goals in building a railway or the highways we see now. And there's no real reason why a capitalist system couldn't think beyond the next 3 months.

But I'm afraid our government and many of its citizens are just caught up recently in a myopic view of thing. What we really need are some "vision" leaders, who are not above inflicting short-term pain for a better future.


We may have survived the last 250 years...but I think the attitudes that got us through those years have changed, or maybe the percentage of people with the proper attitude has changed. As far as infrastructure...it is crumbling about us as we speak, at least in our area. No money to repair aging and failing roadways (but plenty or redo botched paving project on major interstates) or other public infrastructure, schools systems are losing on bond referendums, everyday brings new taxes and more stories of greed, gross mismangement and stolen funds at every level. I think the US has pretty well tapped out many of it's critical resources, including the attitudes of it's working class. Don't get me wrong, we have plenty of talented workers, but the infrastructure no longer exists to support them. Plus too many of the younger workers have no work ethic, if they can't get it handed to them they aren't interested. Believe me, I deal with this on a daily basis.

Aaron:)

As far as bike parking at my local grocery store...:ride: Yup the same 3 bikes are still chained up to the cart rack:rolleyes: I live in redneck heaven, they wouldn't ride a bike if it guaranteed them a place in heaven next to the cold Budweiser:innocent:

Aaron:)

I can't imagine for example a car dependent person surreptitiously siphoning gas from a close family member to get his or her fix of driving.

Oh, just you wait. In time there will be murders over gasoline.

Oh, just you wait. In time there will be murders over gasoline.

As if there isn't already?

Back to the original post --

When I said, "Talk about jumping to conclusions...", I meant that this is a ridiculous amount of talk about the global economy when gwd noticed that the bike racks just happened to be empty when he went to the store... two days before payday.

The conclusion that I would draw would be that, for the people who primarily use bikes for transportation, who might be depending on bikes to help stretch their dollar, the end of a pay period might not be the best time to spend a bunch of money on groceries.

What I want to know is: were the racks full again on the 15th? Will they be full again on the first of next month?

Back to the original post --

When I said, "Talk about jumping to conclusions...", I meant that this is a ridiculous amount of talk about the global economy when gwd noticed that the bike racks just happened to be empty when he went to the store... two days before payday.

The conclusion that I would draw would be that, for the people who primarily use bikes for transportation, who might be depending on bikes to help stretch their dollar, the end of a pay period might not be the best time to spend a bunch of money on groceries.

What I want to know is: were the racks full again on the 15th? Will they be full again on the first of next month?
Good observation about payday, I don't notice payday since I live within my means but do notice a huge contrast in bike usage. I went back this week, same time right after work, there were a few bikes but nothing like in the middle of the "suffering at the pump" hysteria when the racks and every available railing were full. So, no the racks weren't full this week- but not completely empty either.

That's what I was thinking. For a good number of us (myself included), biking around town is just a choice and not something we do because we can't afford to drive a car all the time.

Do you ride past that store every day? Is there a quantifiable correlation between gas prices and bike usage? Or does it also depend on the day of the month?

(what have gas prices been doing lately, anyways? :D)