Mtn Mike

I work at a small hospital in a small town in West Virginia. In the past several months I have increased my bike commuting days to an average of 3 days per week, and I plan to go full time by this summer. Lately I’ve been happy to see that several other employees have joined me in cycle commuting. Our cycle commuting has generally been greeted by curiosity and admiration. West Virginia is not known for either its health or environmental consciousness, and the idea of cycle commuting is novel to many folks here. Until recently I’ve had no problems storing my bike in my office during the day. Last week the hospital “safety officer” did a tour of our clinic and was very surprised, almost shocked, to see my bike next to my desk. She voiced concern over the “safety” of having a bike here. The more I thought about it, the more laughable the thought was. She’s concerned for my safety at work after braving 8 miles of traffic in the morning? Or is cycling itself a health hazard? Is my lifestyle of biking to work not safe? Perhaps the hospital does not want bicycles to be stored indoors, which is reasonable I think, but they have not said this. I think the issue is that simply people aren’t used to cycling as a means of commuting. I suggested to the safety officer, and a building engineer that a bike rack in the parking garage might be useful. Finally my question is this: What things can I do at the hospital to make people more aware of cycling as a means of commuting, and perhaps encourage others to commute by bike?

hayneda

Didn't you know that bikes have been known to suddenly explode due to an unusual reaction with hospital cleaner? And, a sometimes they take to going for a ride by themselves, running people down in the hallways and causing all kinds of mischief.

Seriously, in my business, safety officers are usually zero valued added folks who are always looking for something to justify their existance. If she continues voicing "safety concerns" over you storing your bike in your office, ask her to tell you specifically what the concern is? Tires exploding? What? If your hospital decides that you cannot park it there, I'd tackfully let them know that they will then be resposable for the security of your bike.

As for safety of riding to work, studies (Kaplan, etc) have shown that for an adult cyclist that practices vehicular cycling, you are 2 to 4 times SAFER than driving a car, on a per mile basis.

Dave

Juha

I think you are doing very well as it is, as you have been able to get others to cycle too. I could imagine your bike being a hazard if it blocks the way to the emergency exit, for instance. I would do as hayneda suggested: ask them to elaborate. After that, propose a safe way to store your bike (and others') during the workday. "Safe" meaning safe for both the working environment and the bike.

--J

nathank

well, i'm just guessing here but usually the "safety officer" is someone set up to take a look at the whole office environment and point out things that could potentially be dangerous and suggest changes.

so i think the idea of asking what the problem is and ask for suggestions is wise.

i would guess that the safety officer thinks the bike in the office could be a hazzard to employees if it fell over on someone or someone tripped on it. so if that is the case, you want the safety officer to campaign FOR you for getting safe and secure bike parking or whatever. or maybe you need to put it in some secure stand so it is "made safe" from accidents like the bike falling over.

as to encouraging others... as an individual, just riding and talking to others and answering any inquiries is about the best thing. you can also offer to meet and ride with someone so they don't have to go it alone - if they live near you. obviously the company could sponsor some program to help people ride, but that might be too much to head up at this point and your company may not be hip to that.

ZackJones

Mtn Mike: Does your hospital have any sort of newsletter or bulletin? Perhaps you could write a blurb about commuting and promote bike to work day or bike to work week which I think is coming up in May??.

Also see if there's some out of the way place where you and your biking friends can park your bikes - perhaps a vacant room or something like that.

Zack

Mtn Mike

Thanks for the responses so far. Zack, the bulletin is a great idea. I looked and found out that indeed May is national bike month, and May 12-16th is "National Bike to Work Week", as proclaimed by the League of American Bicyclists. I''m going to make an effort to get this on the hospital web page. Should be interesting.

ZackJones

Mtn Mike: Thanks for the date info on the National Bike. I'm going to hype it here at work as well. I don't commute yet but that week will be a great test run for me

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

Zack

closetbiker

After 18 years of riding into work I'd say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink!

Setting a good example is the best you can do and people will notice your example.

Questions will be asked but don't expect a rush to bikes anytime soon. Despite my advocacy for bikes at work there has been little (if any) increase in the amount of cycle commuters.

I've found the excuses for not riding have changed from one of ability to ride to the dangerousness of the bicycle. Like, it's not the persons behaviour it's the bike that's the problem.

I think they're all missing out on some joy!

Mtn Mike

Closetbiker: You're right about the reasons they chose not to ride. I think people in general are very resistent to try new things and will come up with as many excuses as they can to avoid change. That being said, there are some really fat and out of shape people here that I think wouldn't be able to negotiate the hills on the way here. I dont expect everyone to make the change, but it would be nice if a few people did.

closetbiker

Chris L has a good reason why many come up with reasons not to ride, they're too lazy.

Hopefully more can get some sort of push to get riding (mine was not enough money to buy a second car and a poor bus system) and maybe the enjoyment they get from riding will override their excuses not to ride.

ChezJfrey

I just received a fairly common comment from a guy I encountered in the elevator this morning.

He asked from where I rode (I had just arrived and stood with bike in hand). I told him the mileage (13 miles) and the suburb. Evidently, he is from an adjacent suburb located a similar distance from work. He then added, "I can't even imagine riding a bike in."

I told him that I started with one-way trips once a week, then twice, then three. Then I made two-way trips three times a week, then four, then every day. In other words, I took some time and worked at it until it became easier.

But, of course, you still have to want to ride in the first place. . .

jatkins679

.... or maybe cycling is just not as big a deal to them as it is to you, what's known as having different values or opinions.

Look, I'm as big a cycling advocate as the next guy. I commute to work via bike most days and people often make positive comments about my cycling to work. But there is a fine line between being an useful and productive advocate and being sanctimonious and holier-than-thou about any cause.

Maybe it bothers you that there are 'some really fat and out of shape people (there)', but clearly it simply doesn't bother them (enough) to make a change or maybe they have/are and you just haven't noticed. In any case, I would just wonder why you would care, what you've said comes off as sanctimonious to me. Are you in perfect shape yourself or have no vices? Do you know what all these people do on their own time?

You thought your safety officer as 'laughable' in her comments about your bike in your workplace. Hey, maybe she's just doing her job and could care less about your commuting method, isn't that simply possible? Or maybe she does care, but it simply isn't in her job description or her heart to be an advocate like you.

Take this as you want, but I have found your comments so far to be such that they would hardly encourage others to commute by bike. There is a tone in your messages as if those who don't commute by bike or advocates for it are just gluttons or morons or 'laughable' because you think they're ignorant. People don't want to be associated with that sort of smugness.

If you want to encourage others to commute by bike, start by educating not belittling or having a attitude of looking down at those who simply don't get or choose not to agree with your views. Modesty goes a long way in convincing others of your point whatever it might be. I 'don't expect' anyone to change their way of thinking about commuting to the way I choose to commute. My hope is simply that they might become more educated about other potential commuting options in their lives that could benefit both them personally and the envionment. If they choose not to hear that or listen to it or even consider that, then that's fine, too.

RonH

You could come in the front door of the hospital. Many folks who work in a hospital and ride a bike to work come in a side door (closest entrance to their work area) or the loading dock. Very few people see them come and go.
Using the front entrance will allow everyone (visitors, patients, coworkers, hopspital administration, etc.) to see you. You will have a larger audience to preach to about cycling and the related health benefits.

The League of American Bicyclists has a Bike Month kit available to assist you with enlightening anyone interested. With it you'll get a large Bike Month poster that you could put up on your office door or perhaps you could display it on the bulletin board near the main entrance of the hospital. It also has lots of pamphlets and great cycling information.

Good luck.

Mtn Mike

jatkins679, aka “I’m contrary to everything”. I read your comments with interest, and do understand your point about “a fine line between being an useful and productive advocate and being sanctimonious and holier-than-thou about any cause”, however, you take my comments entirely out of context and maybe you missed the point. I think this forum is about cyclists coming together to discuss issues, and I guess I do present an us vs. them attitude in my post. If my remarks about others have been negative, I’m sorry for upsetting anyone. I do not want to start another counter productive argument on an internet forum, and the goal of my post was not to offend anyone, or to present a “holier-than-thou” view. My goal is this: Make the workplace more bike accessible; to do that, make people more aware of cycling as a means of commuting. Most of the suggestions so far have been great.

closetbiker

jatkins679 - “a fine line between being an useful and productive advocate and being sanctimonious and holier-than-thou about any cause”

closetbiker - "Despite my advocacy for bikes at work there has been little (if any) increase in the amount of cycle commuters."

Don't believe for a minute that my advocacy comes off too strong. People ask, I answer. At most I smile and ask them to explain why they don't ride their bike to work.

Most think I'm odd.:confused:

Chris L

Actually, my reason is that they simply don't want to - laziness is only part of that. We should also be aware of the perception of danger that many cycling advocates enhance that puts a lot of people off riding. And of course, there is a holier-than-thou attitude among many advocates which contributes to this problem (as Jatkins mentioned).

As I've said before, we need to "sell" cycling better.

Re: the safety officer's comments about the bike being there. I think it's about the idea that someone might fall over it and hurt themselves. I agree, it is laughable, but litigation has happened over a lot less in the past.

chewa

I'd just let people know how much fun it is, especially during summer. When they see how healthy you look and how tanned, those who want to will try it out.

Some won't because many see a bike as a toy.