Commuting - Ridicule, then jump on tbe band-wagon

Why do people do this?

Last year at the Halloween party, a neighbor ranted about how *stupid* commuters are and then went into detail about a biker who arrived at a meeting with plenty-o-mojo for everyone in the room.

Now this year the same guy shows up at the party, seeks me out and wants my advice and my route ('cuz he works at my corp). He just bought a road bike

WTF?

People change. Be glad he saw the light.

People ask me why in god's name I spend $700 on a bike and ride everywhere I go... Then I explain to them how much money I save and they just sort of nod their head in agreement, but admit that they don't have the physical capability to do such a thing.

Have you seen what gas prices have done in the last year? I agree with Raiyn. Maybe you have a new riding buddy now, if you work the same shift you can ride together making it a bit safer.

Just be glad that your neighbor now feels this way.

I agree with everyone else. There are a large number of us who weren't born into cycling, and some people take longer to realize how great an idea it is. He's come to his senses so now it's time to help him become a responsible and safe commuter.

I know the feeling. I does get old. Most of the people I work with ride motorcycles. Several time a week I get asked "when are you going to grow up and get a motor on that thing?". I proudly hold my chin high and answer..."I'll never grow up!" :D

I never thought bike commuting was stupid, but I used to think you'd have to be a little crazy to ride a bike in Manhattan because of the dense, impatient traffic of cars and people everywhere. There was something about the feat of biking through all that that fascinated me because it seemed a little impossible -- now I happily do what was once inconceivable to me, (nearly) every day. Sometimes an idea may first strike you as outlandish but then continue to tickle at your subconscious because some part of it appeals to you. (Haven't you ever met someone who you first found annoying or ridiculous but then they grew on you? :)) Maybe something like that happened with this guy; of course I don't have enough info to tell, but that's what it makes me think of.

. . . I used to think you'd have to be a little crazy to ride a bike in Manhattan because of the dense, impatient traffic of cars and people everywhere. . . .
I think you'd have "to be a little crazy" to drive a car through "dense, impatient traffic." I'm glad there's a new convert.

Why do people do this?

Last year at the Halloween party, a neighbor ranted about how *stupid* commuters are and then went into detail about a biker who arrived at a meeting with plenty-o-mojo for everyone in the room.

Now this year the same guy shows up at the party, seeks me out and wants my advice and my route ('cuz he works at my corp). He just bought a road bike

WTF?

Is he fit or a big tub o' lard?
If he's fit, he probably never realized before the benefits or joy of cycling and decided to take it up. In that case, maybe you two can ride together some time and push each other.
If he's a big tub o' lard, he's probably doing it for health reasons. In that case, give him some advice on starting out slowly.
If it's not enjoyable, for either reason, they'll quit pretty quickly.

people think i'm crazy when i turn down car rides so I can ride. People don't understand that I'd rather bike to the grocery store than take a car. people don't believe me when I say "I'd prefer to ride".

I think they don't understand because they're trying to impose their personal preferences on me. They would never ride a bike as much as I do, so they have to come up with excuses for me. Like I'm too poor to buy a car, too shy to ask for a ride, or just plain crazy. Oh well, let em think i'm crazy....i am...a little bit

All work and no play make homer go something something

I think you'd have "to be a little crazy" to drive a car through "dense, impatient traffic." I'm glad there's a new convert.
I think you have to be a little crazy to use anything BUT a bike in a densely populated area such as the ones that have terrible traffic. Bikes are faster than cars in these areas and ten times easier to park. Cars are a recipe for frustration and bankruptcy. Buses are a recipe for frustration. Depending on subway trains is a recipe for... well, missing the train, in my case. But I suppose that's not the case for everyone.

marge reading of the wall: no beer and no tv make homer go crazy
homer: don't mind if I do.
good episode :)

I know the feeling. I does get old. Most of the people I work with ride motorcycles. Several time a week I get asked "when are you going to grow up and get a motor on that thing?". I proudly hold my chin high and answer..."I'll never grow up!" :D
That's funny. Most of the people I work with don't own motorcycles. I commuted on mine several times this Summer and many of them asked me when I would grow up and get a car (I have one)!

I'll be commuting soon on my new Jamis Nova for a few reasons. First, I want to get into shape. Second, the bike commuters I see daily seem to really enjoy their commutes, and I can see myself enjoying a bike commute. Third, I don't want to put the wear and tear on my car. Finally, and most importantly, I'm tired of riding public transit with all the smelly crazies! :eek:

marge reading of the wall: no beer and no tv make homer go crazy
homer: don't mind if I do.
good episode :)

that's the one....man, i must be crazy if i messed up that line so bad :)

Some people get it if they have the right frame of reference. The other day I was talking to a coworker and she was telling me how she was a really serious ballet dancer when she was in school and lately she's been getting back into it, that she's taking classes 5 nights a week and how it was such a comfort for her after her dad died.

Later in the day she notices my helmet on my desk and said, "You didn't ride to work in the rain, did you? You must be crazy!"

I said, "You know how you feel about dance? That's how I feel about riding my bike."

So, I may not have convinced another bike commuter, but at least there's one fewer person in my office who thinks I'm crazy.

Why do people do this?

Last year at the Halloween party, a neighbor ranted about how *stupid* commuters are and then went into detail about a biker who arrived at a meeting with plenty-o-mojo for everyone in the room.

Now this year the same guy shows up at the party, seeks me out and wants my advice and my route ('cuz he works at my corp). He just bought a road bike

WTF?

I think it takes a lot of guts for someone to admit they're wrong and even more guts to actively participate in an activity the previously dismissed as being irrational. I hope that rather than holding history against him that you can help point him in the right direction. There's nothing really wrong about a bandwagon if it's going in the right direction.

I think it takes a lot of guts for someone to admit they're wrong and even more guts to actively participate in an activity the previously dismissed as being irrational. I hope that rather than holding history against him that you can help point him in the right direction. There's nothing really wrong about a bandwagon if it's going in the right direction.

When that little light in people's head comes on, it does it like a regular one, not slowly, but "pop", and it's there. Remember, this bandwagon requires "0" mpg. ;)

Yup, like others day, if he changed his minds then he was good enough to change his perspective. Perhaps something else showed him the way, but at least he didn't hold on to his carcentric ideals so hard as to ignore other perspectives...

You should give him a pat on the back.

I think it takes a lot of guts for someone to admit they're wrong and even more guts to actively participate in an activity the previously dismissed as being irrational.

Guess when someone publicly destroys credibility, then does a 180 without fixing the mess, it goes over bad He ranted and drew a crowd at the last party; I didn't bother addressing his jazz. Oh He's got plenty of guts...was even hoping I'd invite him on a commute. Nada - he'd be competing, loosing --> wining

Yeah, Khuon, I was good. He'll have a tough time making it off our steep road much less the inbound hill 2 cities over. Told him route details and several safety tips. He's good to go.

Is he fit or a big tub o' lard?


Let's just say a spoke or 2 may be in jepordy :D

I said, "You know how you feel about dance? That's how I feel about riding my bike."

So, I may not have convinced another bike commuter, but at least there's one fewer person in my office who thinks I'm crazy.

More than that, you earned that woman's respect. She may even start thinking about riding - for fitness, if not commuting.

My coworkers actually think it's cool that I commute back and forth to work and commute by bike everywhere I go in general. However, most of them being older, they're of the opinion that they couldn't do it. Obviously that's not the case, but they're pretty car-centric and stuck in their ways. Even my own roommates think I'm kinda wacky for not bothering to get a car. Not that I really care since I enjoy cycling more than they (or just about anyone else) enjoy driving.

*nod* I get the same thing at my work - they think they're too old, they're too car-centric. I just tell them they're addicted to the car and to try cycling sometime. ;) They never will, but it makes them think!

before I got in to cycling again I used to use public transport to commute and didn't really understand that biking is fun and a lot less frustrating and healthier that sitting in a train or bus or car for hours. It just seemed also like such a long way to bike work. Now I can do the journey in about the same time as driving (based on an optimal car journey with no delays) and am fitter and happier than I have been in my life before. If it had not been for a friend though that encouraged me to start I would never have taken the first steps. So I can understand people's skepticism about cycling. I think if more people just gave it a try then there would be a lot more cyclists on the road.

I have noticed that a lot more of my colleagues have followed my lead and are starting to bike in to work so I am having a good influence I think.

I actually use our public transportation on occasion since our buses have bike racks on them... It's pretty convenient to ride down to the main transit point downtown and then take the 20 minute ride across town as opposed to the hour long bike ride to the same point. If I'm just going out for the exercise, then I'll ride.. but if I need to get across town by a certain time in order to get somewhere before it closes, then I'll make use of the bus. My biggest complaint about Knoxville is the ridiculous amount of hills. We literally have absolutely no flatland in the entire city. I think that is an extremely large factor in deterring more people from commuting to and from places by bicycle.

Just to throw in some variety regarding workplace attitude -- in my office, no one drives to work, although a couple people own a car (it's NYC). I bike commute 4-5 days per week, and there's one guy who does it most days in the summer and maybe 3-4 times per month at other times. He's been doing it longer than I have. I've only heard positive comments directed towards both of us, usually along the lines of, "You biked in? Wow." or "That must be great exercise."

Although no one else has been inspired to start (yet), whenever anyone complains about subway delays or having to be squished between crabby people on the train in the morning, I rave about how riding my bike brings me to work happy. We also have to make site visits to schools around the city, and I sometimes bike to mine (I also get praise from school security guards when they see that I've biked over.) I point out to colleagues that for many places it takes roughly the same amount of time as the train, even though I don't bike super-fast. I like to think my constant pro-bike comments serve as subliminal advertising for bike commuting.

But if someone doesn't want to bike in this traffic, I still understand that. When my former boyfriend started to bike more because he saw how much I loved it, I was happy but also instantly worried and felt like if he ever got hit by a cab, I'd feel responsible. (He told me, rightly, that he was responsible for his choices, but still -- just as you feel proud when you've made a convert, which pride is, after all, claiming credit for influencing someone's decision, how could I not feel a little to blame if something happened to him while he was biking? But perhaps this is for another thread, sorry for the digression.)

Now that winter is kicking in I'm getting the inevitable "You biked today? You're crazy!!" comments at work.
Sorry, you're calling me crazy? You, who drives to and from work, then goes to the gym and runs 10k on a treadmill?
Baffling.

Now that winter is kicking in I'm getting the inevitable "You biked today? You're crazy!!" comments at work.
Sorry, you're calling me crazy? You, who drives to and from work, then goes to the gym and runs 10k on a treadmill?
Baffling.

Treadmill...Sortof like a hamster! I run on those if the weather is super bad and there's flooding (like today).
I've come to realize when they say..."are you crazy", it really means "I'm worried that you'll crash"

Treadmill...Sortof like a hamster! I run on those if the weather is super bad and there's flooding (like today).

Ugh... don't remind me. I have been resorting to the trainer for the past couple of days. And yes, everytime I see someone on a treadmill, I think of the little rodents at the petstore.

I like to think my constant pro-bike comments serve as subliminal advertising for bike commuting.

I just might steal that for my sig sometime.

I'd be honored if you did. :p