Originally Posted by
McBTC
Considering no one drives a car because they've decided to forego bicycle ownership, the notion that the idea of commuting by bicycle and car ownership are two events that cannot simultaneously exist is obviously, totally contrived. Statistics show that most who commute to a job didn't begin the job by riding a bike to work... it's most always something that persons of a certain gender and age toy with as an idea that given the circumstances not only seems possible but also may offer various advantages.
I have to admit that I have thought about driving to a new job to avoid 'sticking out as different' before people get to know me, but that just goes to show how pervasive irrational cultural-conformist thinking goes. On one level I am totally objective about the fact that it should not matter even a little if I show up on a bike, yet some part of me recognizes prejudice in others and caters to it. Why? Maybe because we have a natural inclination to empathize with and connect with others even when we know they are wrong or bad in some way. Whatever it is, buying a car to start a job is too big an expenditure to avoid riding your bike on the first day. If you really have the urge to do something flashy for the first day, buy a new outfit.