Car Culture vs. Bike Culture; My Opinion

Disclaimer; this piece reflects my opinions. Your opinions may differ, and that's OK. My opinions on biking reflect a lifetime of bike riding. I have ridden somewhat regularly since college, mostly for pleasure and for commuting to work and other places. I have ridden across the state of Oklahoma at least a half-dozen times on an organized tour called "Freewheeel." Most recently, I have ridden a self-supported tour from Yorktown, VA to Canon City, CO on Adventure Cycling's Transamerica route. I have been a lifetime member of the League of American Wheelmen (now called the League of American Bicyclists) since 1977. So I have at least some small background to justify the opinions I hold about cycling. And, of course, I am also a car owner. My wife and I own and operate 3 motor vehicles, and I have owned and driven motor vehicles since 1968. I think I'm at least marginally qualified to discuss the topic of bike culture vs. car culture.

Car Culture

In the U.S., we live in a car-centric culture. Everything we do is based around the automobile. We commute to and from work via automobile, we do our shopping and run our errands using a car even if we are only going a short distance, and we take our vacations by driving long distances in our automobiles. We pick up food at a drive-in window designed for cars, we get our drugs the same way, we can buy liquor without leaving the car, and we do our banking at a drive-thru teller.

The consequences of our car-crazy culture are not pretty. We have become a nation of fat folks who travel in steel cages isolated from one another. Our cars pollute the very air we breathe and are a significant contributor to global warming. We are actually destroying the planet from our dependence on the automobile. Our cars require a lot of room on the road and a lot of space to park. And they are noisy; if you don't think so, then just stand near a busy highway for a few minutes.

The consequences of our car culture are more than just what can be seen from the physical viewpoint. Because we are isolated in the steel cages we drive, we view everyone and everything else on the roadway as merely an obstacle that's in our way. If only "they" weren't on "our" road, we could reach our destination sooner. Because we don't have to interact directly with other humans while driving, we tend to dehumanize them and view them only as problems we have to contend with to complete our travel. Consequently, we curse at other drivers or give them the 1-fingered salute when they violate "our" space on the roadway. Road rage commonly spills over into physical violence as drivers let their anger drive them to the ultimate conclusion.

There are other social consequences to our car culture as well. We have become a nation that no longer respects the rule of law, and our dependence on the automobile is a leading reason for that disrespect. Everyone ignores the speed laws. Most folks ignore stop signs as well; they merely slow down a little and treat them as yield signs instead. Everyone thinks that they are the exception to the law; they think that others should obey the traffic laws but it's OK if they personally ignore them. And the carnage on the roads increases as more folks ignore the traffic laws.

There are fatal consequences to our car culture as well. On my tour from Virginia to Colorado I have noted the following animals killed on the roadway; lizards, snakes, turtles, field mice, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, opossums, raccoons, deer, dogs, cats, and birds of all sorts. Everyone I know who has driven a car for any period of time has killed an animal on the road. And it's not just animals that die, of course. We kill other humans as well. We kill other car drivers, we kill motorcyclists, we kill pedestrians, and we kill cyclists. We kill people by the tens of thousands every year in the U.S. alone. And we simply accept all this carnage as part of the cost to maintain our car culture. We never even give serious consideration to any other alternative. How could we consider giving up our isolated, air-conditioned, steel cages that transport us in such luxury? Who cares if we kill an untold number of animals and tens of thousands of people?

Bicycle Culture

Bicycles could replace cars for much of our transportation needs. A bicycle occupies very little space on the roadway, and often can travel on the shoulder where cars aren't allowed. Even when the bicycle uses the travel lane, it only requires a portion of it and a cautious driver can easily and safely pass a bicyclist. You can park a dozen bicycles in the space required to park a single motor vehicle.

Bicycles whiz by so quietly they are almost silent. They don't pollute the air we breathe or add to global warming. They don't kill animals or other people.

While car drivers are purposely isolated from the environment as much as possible, bicycle riders are exposed to and part of the environment. On this transcontinental tour, I have interacted with almost everyone I passed on or near the roadway. I waved and said "Hi" to folks walking, to guys building houses, to construction workers along the road, and occasionally to drivers with their windows rolled down. No one is afraid of a guy on a bicycle; how many crimes are committed by someone who flees on a bicycle?

Using a bicycle for transportation is the right thing to do. Why don't we do it? Cars have their place, and they are valuable for long distance travels or for trips that are impractical for bicycles. But do you really need to use a car to drive a mile or less to get a loaf of bread?

Implications for the U.S.

Bicycling could save the U.S. I'm quite serious when I say that. If it were possible to magically "convert" the U.S. into a bicycle culture overnight, think of the differences that would make. We would have cleaner air; less folks would be bothered by lung diseases that result from breathing the polluted air in our big cities. We would significantly reduce the amount of global warming carbon we dump into the atmosphere.

The U.S. adult population is very unhealthy, and our youth are quickly following suit. Obesity has hit epidemic proportions now, and more than one-quarter of the population is overweight. I noticed some of the foreign cyclists I met secretly taking cell phone photos of people in restaurants; I asked why and was told that no one "back home" would believe how fat Americans were without the proof. I'm not making that up. If you aren't embarrassed by this story, you should be. Being fat isn't something we should be proud of.

Bicycling could help with our obesity problem. When I say "our" problem, I'm including myself. Bicycling could help with the diabetes epidemic as well; diabetes goes hand in hand with obesity. And of course, bicycling aids in general aerobic and cardiovascular fitness as well, and would help to reduce heart disease. From a fitness point of view, there's a lot to like about bicycling.

Our health insurance costs are averaged across the population; healthy folks pay more than their share to support the unhealthy folks. That's just how insurance works, and I'm not complaining about the concept. But think how much money we could all save if we could do something to encourage people to get some exercise. Using a bicycle for commuting to work, to the store, etc. is certainly one way to do that. Maybe we need $5/gallon gasoline to "encourage" people to make the right decisions?

America's Hidden Energy Reserve

America has a hidden energy reserve that could be used to aid in our transportation for years to come. I'm not talking about some secret petroleum deposit; I'm talking about the fat stored in our bellies. I just biked from Yorktown, VA to Canon City, CO, and in doing so I lost 20 pounds of fat. I'll be 63 years old in a couple of months, and I'm not some kind of super athlete. I'm just a regular guy, and if I can do this, others can as well. You don't have to bicycle across the country to realize the benefits; you could just start using a bicycle for short errands. One pound of fat contains approximately 3500 calories, enough energy to move you for 50 miles or so on a bicycle. It takes very little energy to bicycle to your neighborhood store to get a loaf of bread. Why not do it?