Kinda sorta got started because of a DUI. Just divorced, I had moved my car, motorcycle, and bicycle to my new place, which was about 7 mi from work. The subway was about a ten minute walk on either end. Lots of options. Was actually working two jobs at the time, the second job was 4 mi from work 1 and 4 mi from home. Most of the time, I was taking the subway (cheap) or riding my motorcycle (free and accessible parking)--I was only biking in sporadically, not enough to really call it a regular commute, and there always seemed to be one excuse or another to not ride in to work.

One night, friends and I went out drinking after work 2 and I got on my motorcycle to ride home. Big mistake. On the way home, I hit a stopped bus--glanced off it and bounced against another car at about 10mph at that point. (Extenuating circumstances: it was raining, this was a blind downhill, ending in a stoplight, and the road was extremely slick, plus Boston potholes don't play nice with perhaps overly stiff suspension). I was OK, no one injured, minor damage to the bus, damage to the car, my moto was unridable because the radiator was split. Cops showed up--busted! Total of 225 days license suspension for various DUI-related reasons. Because I had an out of state license at the time things got really messed up: the good was that it doesn't show on my record in my native state, was not reported to my insurance co.; the bad was that I could not get a license in the new state while suspended and without a license from that state, I could not get a hardship work waiver.

That left the subway or the bike. The bike was cheaper and about twice as fast, so it got the nod. Plus riding in was exhillarating, taking the subway felt deadening. Two weeks after starting to bike on a regular basis, my bike was stolen, but I had a backup bike that got pressed into service.

I moved shortly before my license was due to be reinstated and my commute went to 80 mi one way, so I gave up cycle commuting for a while. Now, it's a 35mi r/t commute, and I'm happy to be back on a bike, even though I have a perfectly good license. Not sure I'd be doing this on a regular basis without the impetus enforced by a DUI.

DUI is expensive--I was out $4500 or so without any insurance impact. The mandatory drunk class was a PITA schedule wise, and expensive, but a complete joke--it is 90% punitive, 10% corrective. We watched a Star Wars movie in one class and I learned where to buy opiates in the area and what the going rate was at the time. I did learn that what I am is a binge-drinking alcoholic, and as a result, have cut back on alcohol consumption almost completely--couple of drinks if I'm out to eat or out with friends, but beyond that, nothing, no alcohol at home. Lesson learned.