kookaburra1701

My commute is only 2.7 miles and I get the "Oh that's so far!" comment every so often. It's less than the 5K fun runs everyone does around here!

bluegoatwoods

Jim from Boston makes a good point; most of these folks are actually greeting us and showing an interest in us and what we are doing. It's really quite a nice thing to do.

there is one girl at work who habitually says, "Get a car!" or "It's called a SEE! EH! ARE!" (I actually do have a car. It's almost identical to hers. She may or may not know it, since I only drive to work rarely.)

I don't really believe that she's actually trying to be obnoxious. Though I can't quite be sure. It's possible that she thinks we're just engaging in a sort of faux-rancorous exchange.

It's irritating. But I cut her some slack because she's one of those who rubs most people the wrong way. But I think she means well. She's just clumsy about how she relates to the rest of us.

TransitBiker

Any suggestion of me getting a car is swiftly met with "i've made my decision long ago" or some such comment to put the rest the idea that i would ever purchase a motor vehicle & also that i love riding.

It is definitely not for everyone, and our poor infrastructure & planning here in the US is definitely the biggest single reason, but regardless no one really NEEDS a car, it's purely a luxury item in most cases. Luxury item?!? you might say, but yes, indeed, i could buy 50 really good bikes (or 5 top end) for the cost of 5 years of most automobiles' ownership. Insurance, registration, inspection, tires, brakes, unforeseen repairs, fuel, oil, seasonal tires.... Its just a big money pit in my eyes, pay to pay to pay to pay to pay, and it costs the environment too. -shrug-

- Andy

RubeRad

TransitBiker Andy, you have such a robust and luxuriant mustache...

PatrickGSR94

heh you could say "I haven't had a car in X years. How much have you spent putting gas in your car in that amount of time?"

From this day in 2011 to this same day in 2012, I spent $1,600 in gas for my car. That was before I started even riding regularly, much less commuting. From this day in 2013 to this day today, I have only spend $1,100 in gas. So even that is a good chunk of savings.

wphamilton

My co-worker kept asking me if I'd fixed my transmission yet, every few days - the Stratus has been stuck in 1st gear "limp mode" for I don't know, maybe half a year. It was good-natured though. He got a kick out the fact that I just didn't care.

I never did fix it, instead leasing a VW Jetta last weekend. I'm not sure why since I still don't drive it to work ... it feels like I went over to the Dark Side ... maybe he just wore me down.

TransitBiker

Yea, i've spent a sum total of 800 dollars on bike stuff in 13 years. I think only perhaps a honda cub or other 2 stroke vehicles more oft seen in poorer countries could come anywhere close to such low expense. I've never owned or leased a car, and i only drove my one ex's a total of 10 times (mostly to the store .6 miles away from her place) because i wanted to keep my skills sharp.

I ended up driving in snow one day that was 3 inches deep compacted... i decided my skills were sharp enough when i drove one time in that condition going speed limit with no issues in a scion xB. If only more drivers actually cared about driving skill vs "ME FIRST I GOTTA GO OH WAS THAT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT?!!?"

- Andy

Todzilla

My favorite was a co-worker accusing me of being a bad husband and father because of my reckless disregard for personal safety, as exemplified by my bike commuting.

Gresp15C

"You should get one of those electric bikes."

Todzilla

When people ask me, "why do you ride your bike to work?" I just tell them that I'm too lazy to walk all the way from the parking lot. They laugh and the conversation goes elsewhere.

yamsyamsyams

i get this the most often. "oh i mistook you for the jimmy johns delivery guy!"

all in good fun though.

noglider 

What kind of people think it's OK to say you're a bad husband and father for anything at all?

Todzilla

I took it as justifying to themselves that driving a huge SUV was being responsible.

noglider 

Even if they're right about driving a huge SUV or about you being a bad father or husband, it's not acceptable for someone to say that to anyone.

Cyclist01012

a year ago i had to take 8 weeks of medical leave due to a bike crash followed by another 4 weeks that I wa not permitted to even think about touching a bike. on my first day back i was in my supervisors office and i heard on of my co workes say "Keiths back, there is healthy crap in the fridge again."

Todzilla

Yeah, it's pretty weird.
FWIW, my two grown kids turned out well (a veterinarian and a doctor) and the youngest may well survive her teen years without me strangling her.

treadtread

I've decided that people feel guilty because they aren't doing their bit for the environment/their health/whatever is on their minds. If they get you to stop, they don't have to feel guilty. So all's fair.

Daft of course, they don't need to cycle just because someone else does.

myzamboni

This is pure awesome!

RubeRad

Some people (too many people) are just sincerely that terrified of driving a bike on a road with cars. They view it as alien, foreign, incomprehensible, irresponsible, etc, they wouldn't consider doing it themselves (or let their spouse or child do it) any more than they would consider juggling flamethrowing chainsaws.

no motor?

I bet you don't have to worry about anyone eating your lunch there.

AAZ

My overweight co-workers envy me.
The comments are limited to how I maintain my lean physique by bicycling.

vol

"Wow, you ride bike? That's great!.... Do you wear helmet?"
"No."
"You don't wear helmet??!!! You know those cars will hit you?! You should wear helmet--it's the law!"
"No, it's required only for children."

"Is this professional [bike]?" (a rather low-end hybrid)

"How long does it take for you to ride here?"
"About fifty minutes."
"Oh, fifteen minutes."
"Fifty."
"Fifty?!! Wow! That's why you are so fit!"

jwarner

I get all the usual comments, and have been getting them for years. One thing that sticks in my mind is this:

When I finished graduate school, I got a job at a company here in Anchorage. As is my way, I rode my bike to work every day, which was quite unusual for the company, but not frowned upon. I found out later that they had started a pool betting on when I would drive to work. When it got dark, I kept riding. Torrential rains, I kept riding. The snows came, I kept riding. I knew something was going on as some of my coworkers would come by and check on days with "bad" weather. Finally, one day, we had a tremendous snowfall. I put a change of clothes in a pack and skied to work. I think I was the only person to make it in on time. They told me about the pool that day, and used the funds to take me to a nice lunch once the roads were cleared and everyone could get around a bit easier again.

To be fair... I went to graduate school in Fairbanks, where it gets much colder and darker for longer than in Anchorage, volunteered as an alpine ski patroller for about 15 years, guided ski mountaineering trips to earn extra cash in college, and used to be an army paratrooper and mountaineering instructor. I'm pretty used to getting around under my own power in all kinds of weather.

TransitBiker

My facial hair is left to grow for a few days then i trim it to the skin, i do not have a mustache, though.

- Andy

Jim from Boston

Great story. How far is your commute?