...and people are likely to say a lot of things about those drama queens "who [are likely to] say" a lot of things about drama queens who do espouse/display such attitude in public places.

My car reflects a social position.

Unfortunately, my $700 1997 Saturn with a chunk of fender missing fairly accurately reflects my social position.

Does it provide any transportation value?

It's gotten me nearly 50k miles so far.

Why do you think that?

But you weren't able to break bread with the salt of the earth people while doing so, what would people say?

You could always pick up a hitchhiker and do drugs with them in your car. Problem solved.

In my town there is a program to buy parolee's a bicycle for transportation, so, most people associate cycling with crime. Just the other day a guy called me Jake thinking I was one of his buddies who just got out. I was all decked out in my neon yellow coat and super bright headlight, so I'm not sure why he thought I was his buddy. None of these guys have any reflective gear and only a few use lights. Its nice to know I've moved up a class or two.

The thing with cars and status is that it's a never-ending cycle. You can't just have a car, you have to have a new car. If you're driving an old beater, you will receive the same treatment as those dang bicycle riders: too poor to have a decent car, probably homeless and lives out of it, certainly no one you want to be associated with... You will also be profiled by The Man in wealthier communities as someone to hassle.

Of course if you are riding a squeaky, creaky "BSO" in jeans, flannel, sneakers, and a greasy ball-cap, there are plenty of fellow cyclists who will think you are homeless, poor, DUI, etc...

Why would you think hitchhikers are not prosperous, law abiding citizens? Is that What People Say?

I had something similar happen to me this summer. Shortly after our office moved to a different town I was cooling off in front of the building when someone rode up to me and asked if I was the "guy who used to hang out over there and drink vodka all day". My lights were off, but I think I was wearing my screaming yellow vest at the time. Apparently the guy he was looking for was more interesting than me, and when he realized I wasn't who he thought I was he rode away in search of other adventures.

Was it a child that told you that or a grown person? If that was an adult that told you that I'd find another church to attend if possible.

That's always a risk. A studious driver should therefore carry their own drugs as backup.

Reply : Company Car with a Gas Card and Insurance Paid and that will Do..

But then everyone else will want the same Deal .. Google Has A Bus , It's free to their well paid employees.

This is why I think the proliferation of trendy, fashionable, attractive, and expensive city bikes is really a good thing for all of us. When people can buy an elegant, expensive transportation bike and deck it out with artisanal leather bike luggage and $30 cup holders for their single-origin lattes, a bicycle becomes something that CAN be a status symbol of sorts, rather than something that is only ridden by drunks, criminals, and the destitute.

People think of cars as status symbols, but even beyond just the status conferred by the price tag, people like to express their identities in their car choices, and car companies market to that idea. A Lexus and a BMW might have the same price tag, but they are not marketed to the same groups and plenty of people who like BMW's would never be caught dead in a Lexus - it doesn't fit their self-image, even if both are cars and both are in the same price category.

I might make fun of some of the "cycle chic" urban yuppie products out there, but I actually do think that the fact that they exist and people buy them is a good thing. It means that bikes and bike accessories are something that people who can afford to express their status and identity as they wish are choosing to do it with bike stuff, so they're more likely to see my bike as a choice instead of assuming it's because I can't drive for some reason.

And it means that image will not be one more reason people don't ride for transportation.

Are you serious? Do you think even one non bicycling enthusiast in ten thousand knows one bicycle from another or gives a dang about it or the owner's status ranking?

New Years Day is coming up, not April Fools Day.

Haven't read the whole thread yet, but just quoting this post #4 because that's me, also. Came in this morning and the boss was like "little cold on the bike today huh?" to which I said nahh I have plenty of layers.

Also whenever someone asks me about cycling in general, I will usually mention something about going 2-3 weeks on 10 gallons of gas, and that will either shut them up, or get them more interested in what I'm doing.

Interesting thread I must say. I enjoyed reading it.

As for cars, I love cars and have enjoyed driving for almost 20 years. But my cars are nowhere near status symbols. Mine is 20 years old with 342K miles, and my wife's is 18 years old with 267K miles. I personally like my car, like how it looks and drives (aside from the crap paint condition), and for the most part it's pretty reliable.

I have been trying to cycle around town for utility and transportation as much as I can, but it's not always easy in the spread-out suburbs. Last night I needed something from the nearest store which is nearly 1.5 miles away. I was in the middle of cooking dinner and needed it quick. To ride the bike there would have required me to put on different clothes, shoes, (it was dark and rainy), get the bike down and get it ready. But I drove my car because I could just jump in and go, and get back much quicker to return to dinner preparations.

Given different conditions, and if I had enough room to store bikes where they're always ready to go, I might use the bike even more. But as it is, sometimes it's simply a better option to take the car, even though I don't necessarily want to.

Yes, I'm serious.
No, I don't think most non-bicycle enthusiasts have any idea about the status that cyclists might see in one bike or another. But that's actually kinda my point - When they see the lady with a designer handbag and neat business attire on a shiny new bicycle with panniers that match her shoes, they don't have to know anything to see that someone with disposable income who cares about their image has chosen to ride somewhere that way. When you keep seeing that you change your assumptions about who rides bicycles.

Money and image matter, much as we might wish they didn't. Drivers aren't that concerned with being polite to people they assume are lowlifes, and cities aren't generally that interested in spending money on safe bike lanes so that DUI cases can ride to the liquor store.

Or you can take the money and donate some of it to Greenpeace or some other environmental group to battle global warming and the rest of it to lobby the city to get people out of their cars and expansion of commuter bicycle lanes.

Well, personally I would like to see football levels of money pumped into High School and Middle School level bicycle teams. But I think we are generally on the same page.

I've been pushing for a MTB team,or even one race, at the high school my son attends. There was brief talk but nothing ever came of it....

I realize this is turing into a thread jack; but i am a middle school teacher and this is something we have seriously discussed. The core problem is that we do not have that critical mass of school cycling teams. there are just too few teams to compete with.

Well... TWO more people. Maybe. Co workers. One athletic and a bicyclist for sport. The other not so much, but interested in losing weight and becoming more active. Both have expressed interest in commuting. I'm starting the campaign to get them on board in the Spring. Now doesn't seem like the best time.

I guess we are getting off topic. Sorry to the OP and everyone else. But I'd still love to see this happen. Maybe I should start a thread about this.