richardmasoner

That's one of my peeves -- an unreasonable fear because "all news is global." We're talking about a small city in Colorado with almost no violent crime, but if your view of your Smalltown comes via sensationalist national cable news, I guess you can't help but be a little anxious and jumpy.

Sure, there are places to be careful and aware. Where I live now, there have been four shootings (with two deaths) in the past three weeks along portions of my bike commute route. Yay. Two of those shot were inside a car, so a cage -- locked or not -- doesn't provide much protection against bullets. I usually don't ride the nice bike in this area: the scummier and more lowlife I look, the better, probably.

For this in California, this is Menlo Park & East Palo Alto. I'm now avoiding some of the sketchier neighborhoods along University near Hwy 101.

BC Dub

My neighbour asked me last week if I had lost my licence. Meanwhile, her car sits in the carport undriveable, as her son crashed it uninsured.

GeoKrpan

My brother is a native Californian and has lived there all his life except for a few years while his wife was a professor at Hope College in Holland, MI. He said that if someone rode a bike for transportation then it was presumed that they lost their drivers license for drunk driving. What a backward an ignorant place that must be.

StokerPoker

I would agree Michigan is quite backward. Most of the year our noses run and our feet smell.

deputyjones

I guess I would be a little more kind if I were to describe the area I live in myself, but having lived all over the country I realize that yours is not totally off base. Unfortunately, that common assumption is a commentary on how prevelant the culture of drunk driving is here in western Michigan. Kind of sad really.

Although in defense of my chosen state, I could live anywhere I want, but I choose to live here. The scenery is beautiful, the people (although maybe backward and ignorant) are sincere and earthy, and I can drive from a major concert to my fly fishing spot in the woods in 15 minutes (1 hour by bike ).

Benton

I ride my bike to the middle school I teach at. Some kids assume that I am riding because I can't drive. Many of the kids families can't afford cars. They think I'm crazy.
Benton

jwc

I commute to work and work is a car dealership. Customers who have seen me arrive to work usually have positive comments. Some are smart a$$es though.

I took most of my ribbing from co-workers. But, looking at them, pot-bellied and smoking cigarettes, I dismiss it as envy.

shiftyjim

When I told my wife I was going to start riding my bike to work and as many other places as possible instead of driving, her response was "but people will think you don't have a car!" That was a couple of years ago. She's cool with it now.

tokolosh

in a way, people who wanted to form negative opinions of my character because of the bike would be kind of right. it occurred to me again this week that i often choose biking over driving because i'm just too darned lazy to drive.

CommuterRun

I was mistaken for possibly not a low-life a couple of weeks ago. When I pulled the bike over to see if I could be of assistance with a lifted SUV, 4x4, with oversized tires, that was having tire trouble on the left front.

Cosmoline

I am a lowlife, and proud of it!

Most people here figure if you're riding and you're not in spandex on a high-end touring bike, you must be a drunk or criminal of some kind. I don't care.

StokerPoker

I just started getting carded for cigarettes at 7-11 on my way to work. I'm 23 and haven't been carded since I was 15... I guess they want to see my ID since I'm not coming in there in my scrubs anymore....

georgewietor

I moved to Holland, MI 32 years ago and biked/walked to work for 3 years. At least one of my clients discretely inquired if I was foreign, feeble or a fugitive. Interesting to note that the Netherlands culture of which we around here are all so proud is based on bicycles as transportion. Hereabouts they are regarded as toys and a nuisance.
The public transport statewide is kind of sketchy. Many local shopping districts died in the 60's when Mom got hold of the 'second car' to use while dad drove to work.
And the drivers........seems like most traffic accidents involve some kind of impairment, cell phone usage and at least one unlicensed driver. Too bad, because most of us in the mitten peninsula consider ourselves to be decent, reasonable people.
George, living in Grand Rapids. I own 5 cars and lotta (old) bikes

cruentus

Where I live, if you are not riding a shiny new bike, or dressed in biking clothes, people assume that you are a DUI or a Mexican. The sad part is that 99% of people riding old bicycles while wearing street clothes are, in fact, DUIs and or Mexicans.

caloso

What if you were Mexican and you rode a new bike in the full kit?

charles vail

I guess I fit all the stereotypes......I drive old 1980's cars, ride old 1970-80's bicycles, wear sweats and other normal clothing when riding and sometimes (oh my God!) I leave home without my helmet!!!
This is of course only in the winter when I need my wool hat on to keep my ears warm and I am riding in my rural neighborhood.

I purposely try to avoid the lycra look costume and don't really like automobiles because of the cost in owning one. I can afford to drive and currently have 8 motor vehicles on my 1.6 acre property. I only insure two and would like to pair that down to one. If I lived in town and was less than 10 miles from work and shopping etc. I'd probably rairly take a car. I ride a bicycle because its enjoyable and good excercise for me plus I like the idea of getting around under my own power. Its too bad many folks make assumptions about what type of person you are based on your appearance, the type of car you drive, your house or whatever. Some of the wealthiest and most successfull people I know would never be recognizable as such if I introduced you to them.

simoriah

I work at the headquarters for a large automaker in the Detroit, MI area. Commuting by car? PFFFFTTT! Who needs it? My co-workers thought I was nuts when I started riding to work. I must be poor. (Well... I work there). I must've gotten a DUI. I must've wrecked my car... Something!

When I kept riding right into the winter, last year, the womena all started mothering me because I shouldn't be out in the cold.

Ah, well... it still made me laugh.

roadie7

While I'm not mistaken because I ride, it has happened because I work as a part-time salesman in a bike shop. Since I'm the "old man" in the shop (54 years old) and I've been there 10 years, I've had customers think I'm a low life by making certain comments in my direction. They assume that I'm a loser since I'm working in a bike shop with my silver (read gray) hair. In response, I generally direct the conversation so they find out I have a Ph.D., am a senior manager in a federal agency and teach at a local college; something that blows their mind. I always chuckle at their surprise and the lesson they learned.

gbcb

I'm not mistaken for a lowlife, but I do get the occasional chuckle from a co-worker as I carry my folded bike into the office. I just smile.

Also, I get a *lot* of weird looks on the road. The four main reasons for this are (a) I'm a white guy on a bike (b) I wear a helmet (c) I'm almost always the only bike on the road with lights or reflectors, and (d) I ride a folder. The other day, when I was transporting a sizeable box on the back of my bike, the stares were particularly wide-eyed. When I first came to China I found it a bit annoying, but now my thinking is the more obvious I am while riding, the better!

ICH

I'm Portuguese. I live in the north and around here people bike commuting are mainly construction workers and even those are very few.
I'm a teacher. My pupils by the begining of the year thought I didn't have a car or a driver's license.
When they realized I had both they couldn't understand why I used the bike for my 11kms trip.

I'm building a house many people think I am spending all my money on the house (which is true) and that's why I ride my bike to work.
They don't understand that I love to ride my bike and rather be on the bike than in the car. I don't pollute I get fitter for my Mountain Bike exits and I even save some money. Although all the gear I have bought in the last year to commute, would be enough to go 10 years by car.

The most amazing thing is Portugal is one of the poorest countries in the European Union so one might assume that people would look at cheaper means of transport as a good way to save money.
Most look at bikes as a sign of poverty and although they are poor they want to look as if they are rich, so they make all kinds of sacrifices to buy a car and ride it. One co-worker once said he would be affraid people thought he didn't have money.

Who cares about what people think. I'm on my bike and I'm having fun

bbonnn

I think, by way of being female, I'm subject to a different set of standards. Usually involving my body, which, because I have the gall to possess one on a public roadway, makes it subject to a variety of derisive opinions shouted from open car windows.

I make enough money to afford a car, but I rarely drive, and I don't own a working vehicle. But, so what? Having money and a clean driving record doesn't make me want to distance myself from cyclists who don't; it makes me feel closer to them. We're all meatbags on two wheels, facing the dangers of the road. When I'm on a bike, I have more in common with the DUI guy than the person in the car.

robcycle

One thing I love about riding a bike for transportation is that it really does equalize across many boundaries. It seems that whenever I wave to someone else on a bike, they wave back. Try that in a car. Also, if I'm stopped on the side of the road, most passing cyclist will stop and see if I need any help, and I try to do the same. Hell, sometimes I fix people's bike's that have broken because I have the tools and knowledge and they don't. My favorite was helping some urban youths fix a flat on their BMX bike. They were trying to fix it with electrical tape and Gorilla Glue. Inventive, I'll give them that, but not going to work. Anyway, I slapped a glueless patch on there and pumped it up and they kinda stood there in awe. I guess they'd never seen it before, or perhaps weren't used to a bearded white guy stopping to help them. Anyway, one turned to the other, punched in in the arm and said "Say thanks, fool!" It made my day.

So, if having the heart to stop and help your fellow man on the road makes you a lowlife, I feel I am in pretty good company.

-Rob.