Commuting Compliments
 

I got one of my first compliments regarding commuting from a total stranger today. As I was getting ready to mount my bike for the ride home this evening, a woman who works in the same building comes out on her way to her car. I'm just about to ride away when she says: "You're quite impressive." "Excuse me?" I reply (cause ya never know in NY.) She continues, " I see you when you leave and when I get to where I'm going, you're already there. I'm impressed at how fast you ride that thing." Leaving all the double entendres alone, I say, "Well, thanks! You know, you could do the same! Takes the same time driving or riding." We chuckled, she wished me a safe ride home and I rode off.
Something about the positive reinforcement got my legs moving on the ride home... made pretty good time and I felt good the whole way.
So just as much as some people get derision and contempt from co-workers, this interaction was wholly positive and enforced my choice to ride to work. Also nice to know there's at least one person on the roads who knows me, recognizes me, and is less likely to run me over...

This happened to me while at the bike rack, unlocking and getting ready for home.

She[exiting the building with her colleagues]: I like your bike.
Moi: Oh yeah.
She: And I really love your seat.
Moi [jaw dropped and uncharacteristically short for something to say]: Uh...
She: No I meant your bicycle seat.
Moi [ looking at the Bianchi saddle with faux leopard skin sides]: Oh yes... it's a Bianchi.
She: Yes I noticed. I didn't mean your seat... so please don't tell HR.
Moi: No never.

Was she cute? I was in the check out line at a local hardware store I frequent more than the bike shop it seems and since I know all the clerks, there is usually a bit of good natured banter back and forth. This one clerk not even thinking about what she was about to say was changing the paper receipt roll and to get the dust and crud out she just said out loud, "to do this you just close your eyes and blow" As soon as she said it she knew it kinda sounded a bit out there and snickered just a bit. I tried to stifle my laughter but couldn't hold it so I finally said to her. "I'm just not gonna go there" we both had a good laugh along with a couple of other folks in line. It sure broke up the monotony of her day and I laughed about it all the way home.

"I laughed about it all the way home."

That must have looked quite odd to other folks who observed you. How many miles are we talking here! :twitchy:

Yesterday I was waiting at a light (here comes my prejudice) and a big Ford Exhibition or GMC Envy or something pulls up alongside me in the other lane. The mom driver started asking earnest questions about my folding bike, how many gears, etc. It was a great, brief conversation and we wished each other well in parting!

And before you SUV types get all over my arse, I used to drive one and enjoyed it very much :)

Not really compliments but random people often express interest: how far I ride, do I ride in a bad weather, how long does it take, where do you keep your bike, what kind of bags are those, are they waterproof, can you carry a laptop, etc. Sometimes they act impressed, but a lot of the time they just seem intrigued. I hope some of these people will consider bike commuting themselves.

I have had a few compliments on my bike. Only ONE co-worker said "You're lucky. You get to ride your bike." The rest think I am insane.

But they thought I was insane before I started riding my bike, too.

A guy I work with said today that he sees me riding every day and just wanted to congratulate me on my dedication. I was dumbfounded and just said "thanks!".

I haven't gotten a compliment since the Dr. told me: "You have a cute appendicitis."

^^^Thank you, he'll be here all week! Try the veal.

I've only had a few "nice bike", and" I wish I was more dedicated". I exchange a few pleasantries and keep riding, knowing I will never see them on a bike themselves.

I got one where I thought was kinda neat. I was behind three cars waiting at the light to turn green so we can go straight through while the right lane was a right turn only lane with no cars in it. A car came up in the right lane and stop next to me chatting about the light on my bike along with other stuff. A truck behind him got impatient and started honking at him to move forward and turn right. So I told him he better get going because he was holding up traffic. So he drove forward. The truck came along side of me and stop. I thought he was going to say something bad about me and the other cars. Nope, instead he was complimenting me and my bike setup while he was holding traffic behind him. Talk about hypocritic!

Is "Dude, you're crazy!", a compliment? If it is, people get real nice around here during the winter.

Ha ha ha! I got that few times in Winter too: "You wanna die?!?". I think that means they're impressed with my courage and skillz so, yeah I take that a s compliment :D

I've been stopped now three times in the early morning hours by cops.... only to be complimented on the visibility of my Dinotte taillight/reflectorization. (reflector straps on my chrome bag, Road ID ankle straps and a PB superflash on the bag and a chainstay in addition to the Dinotte)

Most of my co-workers think I'm nuts for the distance I ride, although more than a couple bike commute - albeit much shorter distances.

I rode up to a restaurant in the pre-dawn dark and as I was turning off the head and tail lights a woman came up to me and said, "I like how you're all lit up." Apparently, she had seen me on the road and appreciated my visibility, but the way she said it was funny.

People often tell me how brave I am to ride in this town (to work, for training, at all!) and how they thought about riding once themselves but rejected the idea.

Hong Kong ain't so bad. If you want bad, just head a little north from here!

hahaha. I used to get those when I lived in Anchorage. What people didn't know is that I was riding to work without studded tires. At the time I had no idea that they existed for bikes. It wasn't something I really thought about though.

And yes, it is a compliment.

I had a driver compliment me on my PB 1W Blaze while riding in twilight the other day; he was waiting to turn left into the parking lot that I was exiting at the time. His window was open and when he turned to look at me we were facing each other head-on. His response to the strobe setting was, "Nice light... thanks; I appreciate being able to see you." I gave him a thumbs up and headed on my way. I realize the 1W Blaze pales in comparison to other headlights, but when comparing me to the majority of cyclists in my city, I'm lit up like a Xmas tree. It's nice to know someone appreciates my efforts to be seen. I wonder if he noticed my PDW Radbot 1000 in his rearview as I rode away... I'll bet he liked that one, too.

As I was getting ready to head out the door one afternoon several colleagues were discussing the logistics of my bike commute. A female co-worker piped up, "So you go over to Plant 23 and change into your cute little outfit?". She promptly turned bright red and the conversation ended in an awkward silence...

A commuter on a road bike told me he felt like puking after trying to match my pace for 10 minutes.

There's one guy I see regularly on my commute that yells out "way to travel!" every time I see him. Several people have complimented my bags. And a random guy on a street corner said "great job" or something like that. Nothing but positive comments from the office, but those people are too afraid of me to say anything negative. :-) A benefit to being the office freak.

I had a co-worker acknowledge my weight loss - she said "you've gotten really fit!" - after I'd gone from 227 to 210

I thanked her, but I didn't really take it in because I still had 15-20 pounds to lose to get back to my own benchmark for what I consider"fit" (I'm there now :) )

On a non-work ride on a section of street they close off to motor vehicles (Rock Creek Park on weekends in DC), I had a good pace going on my commuter (A Bike Friday folder) and passed a roadie. About 15 minutes later he passes me and says in all seriousness: "Boy, I'd hate to see what you can do on a ROAD bike!" Best compliment I've gotten. I was out of work at the time and riding my bike a lot, so I had strong legs and a light wallet to move me along :)

kudos to you! last winter upon returning home my Russion neighbors called me "hero" "you are hero" they said ... cracked me up. I miss them.