In my hometown, El Paso, this is absolutely true. Most bikes I see on the streets being used for commuting and other utilitarian use are BSO's right off the shelf at Walmart and stores like that. The people are wearing their work clothes, not their "kit", the bikes are dirty but creative, and most that I see are riding sidewalks. There's a lot more of "them" than "us" - but, thinking about it, "they" are actually a part of "us". And to tie it in to the OP, most of these BSOs are mountain bikes.