More bikes is better. One of my friends (I'll gladly call him that) whom I met because he bicycles all over the place, isn't DUI... but he's currently homeless and self-employed with a decent business plan if he can get it off the ground. At least he's trying.

I cringe at anyone who rides recklessly, but given the fact that at least half of the morons I see doing stupid stuff are well-to-do folks from my comfy little suburban utopia, I'd say that -- at least here in the KC area -- life situation has very little to do with cycling safety or common sense.

Also, there are some people who have every opportunity to drive, but still BEGRUDGINGLY ride their bicycle. Some die-hard environmentalists, for example, don't exactly love their car-free lifestyle, but accept bicycling as a hardship that's worth enduring. It sounds far fetched, but it's no different than people who begrudgingly live on a shoestring to save for their kids' education, or begrudgingly go to the gym to stay in shape. Not all people with the means to drive enjoy their bikes, and not all people without the means to drive would choose to drive if they could.