Interesting article in Slate about the stigma associated with not driving and/or cycling instead:

Dude, Where's Your Car?
How not having a car became Hollywood shorthand for loser.

https://www.slate.com/id/2262214/

Ha ha ha!

"People are broad-minded. They'll accept the fact that a person can be an alcoholic, a dope fiend, a wife beater and even a newspaperman, but if a man doesn't drive, there's something wrong with him."

Yeah, lots of people in NYC don't own a car. Saying here that you don't own a car or don't drive isn't strange. Not having a TV is considered weird though.

Thanx for posting this article. As a film buff I can agree with the author's view. BTW check out the 2003 film, "The Flying Scottsman" . A nifty true story about bike lovers.

Interesting article/rant. I can see where they're coming from, as it's pretty clear. I actually agree with pretty much everything they said, but one of the commenters said it best, something to this effect: "Who cares what Hollywood Producers think?"

Why do I care what the film industry thinks?

Also, a rebuttal:

I thought that "Bicycle Dreams" was a better movie. Not for production value or story (it's a documentary), but it's an honest look into the mind of the truly bicycle-obsessed. (Follows about a half dozen solo riders/crews in the 2005 RAAM).

Some of my coworkers who started working, after I started commuting by bike, were surprised to find out that I have a truck and a. license. One of my new coworkers said "If I had a nice truck like yours, there is no way I would ride a bicycle."

Some folks just don't get it.

While the premise is perhaps true and worthy of discussion in a place BF's. That article was weak.

You don't have a TV? That's it... I'm not talking to you anymore.

We have 3 TV's. Not one of them is hooked up to any kind of broadcast signal (No cable OR over the air) I haven't turned on a TV in years! Heh.

I think it's true that most people don't get it and make up stories as to why we ride. So now do I have to deal with the stigma of being poor, having a DUI, and now emasculated? Oh well, I'll just keep riding and let people think what they want.

Seriously, people want to talk me about TV shows and they don't know what to say when I tell them that I don't watch TV

I went TV-free for about 2 years before moving in with my fiancee. She's a tech geek and a movie fanatic so we have 2 televisions, and I've become re-addicted to the ambient noise of the TV. There are few shows I watch (as in, actually pay attention to) but I find that I'll turn it on just for the noise if I'm home doing chores. Urgh. It's like knowing there's an open bottle of liquor on the shelf... It's just sitting there, waiting to fulfill its purpose. TV's not gonna watch itself... Somebody's gotta turn it on. It's a difficult call to resist when it's right there; but seriously, when I didn't own a television I didn't miss it after the first few weeks.

Funny... I feel the same way about the computer.

Clifton, turn on some music instead. At least THAT is soothing and positive instead of drilling into your head like some sort of mutant botfly...

Yep, no smiley on this. 99% of TV shows are fully capable of reducing instead of raising our IQ's and making us less rather than more socially attractive.

I don't get lot of sh** about being a pedaler; few drivers even honk or holler anymore. My co-workers are all either indifferent or supportive.

My sister's husband, now............

Bellowed at me a couple months ago because I didn't ask him for a ride to work during the winter, instead of bundling up to ride my bike.

Please.

commuting by bike makes me an oddity among my coworkers though. They all think it's pretty weird, and the females all talk about my calves when I wear my shorts in the morning before changing. You can't believe their reaction when we moved out to Queens, I was going to double my commute to a WHOLE 5 MILES?!?

lol, imagine if I told them I purposely make my ride back longer cause I enjoy it.

I felt a whole bunch better after viewing this video. thanks for posting...

Most of my office thought I was riding to save the planet and to be green....when the only green I care about is in my wallet...

I own my car and have a valid license, but that reminds me...I wonder if my auto insurance rates will go down.

Edit - I am actually riding because I need to loose a lot of weight, and it is cheaper than paying for a gym membership every month.

Sadly, I'm that way about my computer....the worse part is that I'm a systems admin and am on it literally all day....

Good video, I enjoyed it.

I have a 42" monitor in the living room that was just hooked up to my HTPC, I would watch a movie like once a week After getting married I got cable TV for my wife, but she mostly watches nature and history channels. Recently she's been using streaming Netflix a lot plus other internet sources. I'd sometimes sit down with her if there is something interesting on the screen, but as soon as commercials kick in I jump and leave the room We may get rid of the cable TV again.

I actually know some people who prohibit their kids from watching TV. They get them DVDs and educational games instead. Unfortunately, that's a tiny minority of the population.

Yeah, me too. At least it's interactive and you can filter commercials out

Chewing gum for the eyes. Yes, it does make people dumb. I can't believe the utterly idiotic garbage that people watch on TV.

I'm lucky to work with lots of foreigners who are accustomed to utility cycling so I get lots of positive reinforcement. Many people here ride to work, including Americans. Cycling in NYC is growing. Only close-minded people don't get it. And yeah, on a nice day I detour too to make the ride longer

Yeah, I sneak in and out quickly to avoid comments about my legs and my butt. They're flattering but I feel embarrassed and they still contrast with my belly that I'm not proud of

Seriously, watching TV is no worse than surfing the internet. Depends on what you watch or view on-line. We watch a lot of movies from Netflix that I would otherwise have never been able to see or afford in local theaters. We also watch a lot of HBO shows on DVD from Netflix because it's cheaper than subscribing. Also Nature shows on PBS.

I watch a few regular TV shows like Thirty Rock and Big Bang Theory that I find funny.

Q. "Dude, where's your car?"
A. "Dude, where are your legs?"



Around here, people only wonder about you if you're riding in lousy weather. There are a lot of cyclists in this town.

THere is a proud way to display your cycling addiction to cagers.. They make bumper stickers saying.. " My other car is a bike." For those days you might be forced behind the wheel of a car.