Commuting as a Politcal Statement
 

Does anyone else but me feel as though they are making a political statement when they bike to work rather than drive?

I like to think that perhaps when motorists see bikes going across the Yolo causeway to and from Sacramento, they might at some point be encouraged to try bike commuting themselves.

I also think that by commuting, I'm also making a statement that I'm not dependent on a car and the gasoline that goes in it and thus have no use for the Bush administration.

Nope. It's more a healthy lifestyle. No one is hearing your "political statement".

A very small might consider commuting by bike, but most will not until there are tons of cyclocommuters.

Capital P, "Politics" or little p, politics? I don't think I'm making a statement like, "I vote for x issues and y candidates." But I choose bike commuting for its utility and benefits, which says something about my values.

The choice to bike commute goes against the grain in the U.S., so it seems like a statement. But when bike commuting is everywhere, like in China or the Netherlands, it becomes a norm, and it is reduced to its essence: a convenient mode of transport. So, I try to treat it like that.

No, I'm just multi-tasking. I save $4 in subway fare per day plus I get some exercise during the time I'd normally be on the subway. I also save on the gym membership I never had.

I make political statements over beers and in the voting booth. I commute by bike for a host of other reasons.

I don't commute specifically to make a political statement. I do it so I can laugh at my co-workers who have to feed meters all day and and run outside in a panic every 3 hours to see of their tires have been chalked.

If anything people are pissed at you for being in their way.

I ride my bike because I like to ride my bike. It's fun. And driving gives me stress.

When you are bike commuting you are being a role model. You may end up being an unintentional political figure, sort of like Rosa Parks was.

Seeing another (rare) bike commuter here in my 'hood got me all fired up a few years ago, and on the bike to go to work.

I bet if you took a poll of 100 Yolo Causeway motorists and asked them "do the cyclists on the Causeway bikepath encourage you to try bike commuting?" 90 of them would say "What cyclists? What bikepath?"

Nope, and I don't want it to be a political statement. It's for my benefit (financial and physical). Any other people that benefit from my commuting are just a by-product. Kinda like a fart. :D

It's a political statement for me in that part of my reason for not driving is lessening my environmental footprint and trying to reduce oil wars. But this isn't the main reason I do it, just a nice side benefit. I just like to bike. I'm like one of those vegetarians who stops eating meat because they just don't like it. But then realize all the other aspects of it and those are just icing on cake. I was one of those (who are usually the newly converted) who was zealous about anti-car culture. I've made my peace and now just do my own thing because it makes me happy. All I want is peace and respect on the roads.

Now, all the stickers on my bike and rack are very political. :D

Now that you mention it. I notice a lot more bikes and bike racks at places like Brookings and Institute for Policy Studies and Planned Parenthood headquarters here in DC than I do at Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute and the NRA. Buildings that cater to lefty organizations often have lots of indoor bike racks, while the red-state types are more apt to provide free car parking--maybe because they have more money......

Making bicycle commuting partisan politics is a good way to alienate half of the population. I think it's a big mistake. From voting records I should be seeing 6 other bikes at the post office, 30 bikes at the grocery store and pass at least 500 bikes going to work... okay, be passed by at least 500 bikes. I rarely see any. Why? Oh wait, I've seen bicycles strapped to the backs of SUV's with the usual bumper stickers.

Sorry if this all sounds harsh. But it's a peeve of mine. There are way too many people who have bikes, know how to ride bikes, talk about how bike friendly their town is, talk how important bikes are to the environment, talk about bike this and bike that... and never ride their bikes any where. Except on nice sunny days when they will drive to a rail trail or forrest. And some of them are my relatives who I will be stuck with for a whole week very soon.

Anyways here's a good political statement. Talk is cheap... pedaling is cheaper.

That's awsome. I'm going to have that made into a sticker for the new surly. I get what you mean about not making cycling partisan. That is why I keep the political stuff to myself unless someone asks me. The main reason I believe bikes can work in our society is because there are so many good reasons to ride that both sides of the fence can find joy in it. Riding can bring people of vary different beliefs together. Half of my cycling team are conservative and half are liberals, but we all have a great time together because of riding.

Of course a fart can be a political statement. It's all in the timing. One fart after a speech in Parliament in the 17th century was timed well enough to start a riot.

For me, riding a bike is certainly a political statement. For many here. evidently it isn't.

I think that people think it is a political statement. If it is, it is one of the lesser of my reasons though. I have a lot of friends that are pretty conservative and are very free with their opinions. No one has openly called me a Tree Hugger though. Kinda do take a bit of pride in the fact my commute to work doesn't fund terrorists or governments that repress women though. Nice to be part of a simple solution once in awhile. Mostly do it to save time, money, and keep my weight under control.

For me, it is a bit of a ploitical statement, but not the main reason that I bike.

I ride a bike cuz its fun number one. i suppose thats why everyone who posts to bikeforums does. but i also love that since bike maintance is easy i can have complete control over my form of transportation so biking provides me a completly independant form of travel while being good for the enviroment and my body .

It sounds wierd, but for me it's a completely selfish reason, money. I save $70 a month in parking, I am less affected by gas price fluctuations, and I get to work each day refreshed and unfazed by Los Angeles Traffic. I say this all the time, but I think if most commuters knew how much money I save and how easy my commute is the roads would be swamped with cyclists.

someone from bikes not bombs needs to update the message away from central america and onto the ridiculous bloodshed for oil fiasco that is occuring now....

I partially commute to make a political statement (cagerism, oil, health, etc), but I mostly do it for my own benefits. It's nice when you can get two and two together :) but there are other ways to make a political statement, for example:

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg....lt-276x380.jpg

*attach banner to wing*

<3

Definitely not political. I love riding my bike, and I save $400 on parking every month. The bus sucks.

My One Less Car sticker takes care of it for me. I haven't had anyone question me on it enough to get all politico on their ass.

I bike for many of reasons, none of them having anything to do with a political agenda. If I'm making a statement it's "SUCKERS!" as I blow by them while they sit in a jam.

I never smile or poke fun at 'em when I'm riding by -- it's bad for motorist/cyclist relations. Besides, it's not nice to gloat :D

not politics. economics and self improvement